Ceramic Tile Quality vs Price? How do you determine the best value??

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

When I look at Lowes & Home Depot ceramic floor tiles, their prices seem to be anywhere from $ .79 a square foot up to around $4.00 a square foot for tiles. When I asked one of the salesmen what was the difference between the cheapest and the expensive, he said it has to do with the size of the tile and the popularity. Surely that can't be what it is because I was comparing 12"x12' tiles for both prices, ...and I realize you typically get what you pay for but how do you know which is the better value?

 

[foodie]

Brent, what will you be using the tile for? Here are a few things to consider and why prices vary. The higher the PEI rating the more durable the tile is 5 is the highest. Through body porcelain, where the color on the top of the tile is the same through the whole tile is more expensive. The more dense a tile the higher the price. Low density tiles are suitable for walls or low traffic areas. V equals variation. V1 is the highest rating these are designed to look like , say for example a wood floor , the technology to make that is higher so the cost is higher. Repetition of a tile pattern in production that doesn’t repeat for say a few hundred square feet may have a higher cost. Porosity, absorption and freeze/thaw considerations, these also are factored into the cost of the production of the tile. Where the tile is made and how long it takes to get to the consumer. Although tiles even made in the USA can be higher in cost also due to the quality of the tile. Now with all that being said, some stores will have a huge amount of stock so that also will bring a price down. But mostly from what I have seen it is due to the above factors of the quality of the tile. I hope this helps and doesn’t confuse you.

 

[PoorOwner]

there are a couple of PEI 5 at lowes and the price is reasonable, they used to be in $1 range but now $2. Still, it will be more durable than fancy European tile over $10. The low cost tiles while you notice they have stacks and stacks of, are really good for projects and keeping the cost low. So it is great choice for garage due to cost and durability of PEI 5. But they are made to resemble stone and not modern looking.

But the higher end tile $10+ have more patterns, bigger sizes usually, through body too, some are actually random and resemble stone, they are cut better (rectified) so you can use thinner grout lines for installation.

 

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Brent, what will you be using the tile for?

Kitchen in a retirement apartment for my wife and myself. Approximately 400 sq ft.

 

[foodie]

Brent,..tile in the kitchen is beautiful,...is this for a floor or backsplash?? I will caution you with tile on the kitchen floor, it is really hard to stand on if you guys do a lot of cooking. It is very hard on your knees and back, be prepared to buy the thick gel anti-fatigue mats in the areas where you wash your dishes and at the stove. I love to cook, but I won't put tile on my floor for the above reasons. I have friends who have tile in the kitchen and they all complain of the same thing. I would put in floor heating also. Also you are going to want a tile that is slip resistant and a matte finish not a glossy finish. Also if you drop something,...there is no bounce to the item,...it is going to break. I am not trying to talk you out of it,...I just want you to have the info you need to make an informed decision.
I don't agree with Poor Owner on one point regarding "fancy European tile being the same as a $2 tile, and the $2 tile being more durable. Again refer to my fist post. I have Italian porcelain tile V2, PEI 4/5 that was $4 a square foot in my garage. I love it! It is freeze/thaw resistant, low water absorption, and all the other bells and whistles that a tile can have. I personally would not have chosen anything less, but that is just me. You also might want to check out Build.com. Some GJ members have gotten great buys on tile through that website. They also will send you a tile sample.

 

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Brent,..tile in the kitchen is beautiful,...is this for a floor or backsplash?? I will caution you with tile on the kitchen floor, it is really hard to stand on if you guys do a lot of cooking. It is very hard on your knees and back, be prepared to buy the thick gel anti-fatigue mats in the areas where you wash your dishes and at the stove. I love to cook, but I won't put tile on my floor for the above reasons. I have friends who have tile in the kitchen and they all complain of the same thing. I would put in floor heating also. Also you are going to want a tile that is slip resistant and a matte finish not a glossy finish. Also if you drop something,...there is no bounce to the item,...it is going to break. I am not trying to talk you out of it,...I just want you to have the info you need to make an informed decision.
I don't agree with Poor Owner on one point regarding "fancy European tile being the same as a $2 tile, and the $2 tile being more durable. Again refer to my fist post. I have Italian porcelain tile V2, PEI 4/5 that was $4 a square foot in my garage. I love it! It is freeze/thaw resistant, low water absorption, and all the other bells and whistles that a tile can have. I personally would not have chosen anything less, but that is just me. You also might want to check out Build.com. Some GJ members have gotten great buys on tile through that website. They also will send you a tile sample.

This is for the floor in the kitchen and dining area. Is hardwood easier to stand on vs. tile?

 

[foodie]

Yes, hardwood is easier to stand on vs tile, and hardwood is warmer also.

 

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Yes, hardwood is easier to stand on vs tile, and hardwood is warmer also.

Interesting thoughts and much appreciated. The exact size is 12'x16' that I would be tiling (minus base cabinet footprint), and if I hardwood that area it will be roughly $1,000 for the wood and around $200.00 for the tile. In a 900 square foot apartment that is already over budget, I just need to decide if the entire area in wood is the direction I want to go.

Your points seem very valid, but a lot of throw rugs can be purchased for the $800 difference!

.

 

[foodie]

LOL,...yes a lot of throw rugs can be purchased. Maybe buy a few of the 12x16 tiles, say 4 of them and place them in a square or in front of your sink or stove. Then stand on them while you are doing dishes or cooking something. That would be the easiest way to determine if you are truly going to like them. I would also point you in the direction of another good website. Google "tile kitchen floors Houzz". this website has a lot of consumers, housewives, etc who talk about these type of things and materials. A really good website to check out for decorating etc..

 

[JRC3]

You're also paying for consistency in size often referred to as "caliber". When doing big tiles combined with small grout joints a few larger than caliber tiles can cause problems.

I just did a shower with some cheap Chinese white tiles from HD and the glazing was soft as butter. Durability might be a problem down the road but it also made installation a problem. When you cut a tile and that surface is gonna be exposed at a grout joint the sharp edge has to be stoned to give a finished look and feel. The glazing on these tiles was so soft it want to chip out while stoning.

Best thing is to look for tile from Mexico or Italy.

 

[foodie]

Great point JRC3!

 

[BillK]

Brent,
What is going to be under the tile ? After having ceramic in our kitchen for 35 years or so we are getting ready to tear it up. Ours in on a concrete slab and is hard to stand on after a while. Mats and throw rugs are a pain. We are actually going to go back with a modern vinyl. We had a friend of mine put it in our laundry room and extra room in our lower level and it has held up great for at least 15 years now. So easy to clean and it has a cushion back that is very easy to stand on.

If you do decide to go with ceramic and it is going to be a light color spend the extra money for they type that is the same color all the way through. Ours is not and it is starting to look like ****. It does chip if you drop things on it and ours is a very light color but the inner part of the tile is a dark reddish clay. When it chips you really see it.

I know that tile has changed a lot since I put ours down but I dont think I would ever de ceramic in a kitchen again.

 

[Gerald O]

We've got ceramic tile in our kitchen. We cook, do dishes, hang out every day... No one has ever complained about getting sore from standing on it. It's a home kithen, not a restaurant kitchen that you spend 8hour days working in. Maybe this is only a problem for some old people who have trouble standing anyway?

And worrying about chipping it? No chips so far after 15 years. Maybe if you are a person that drops things a lot...
Heck, I even put cheap 70 cent ceramic tile in the garage a year ago and have only one tiny chip in it so far from a heavy engine part falling out of the 20 ton hydraulic press.

Yeah, you can get way nicer tile for more money. But even cheap tile nicely installed is still a nice attractive floor. I've got 800 square feet of 24x24 PEI5 through-body rectified porcelain that's going in the shop when I get to it. Very nice stuff that normally sells for $5 sqft. Paid only $1 sqft on clearance from builddirect.com

 

[Gerald O]

Brent,
What is going to be under the tile ? After having ceramic in our kitchen for 35 years or so we are getting ready to tear it up. Ours in on a concrete slab and is hard to stand on after a while. Mats and throw rugs are a pain. We are actually going to go back with a modern vinyl. We had a friend of mine put it in our laundry room and extra room in our lower level and it has held up great for at least 15 years now. So easy to clean and it has a cushion back that is very easy to stand on.

If you do decide to go with ceramic and it is going to be a light color spend the extra money for they type that is the same color all the way through. Ours is not and it is starting to look like ****. It does chip if you drop things on it and ours is a very light color but the inner part of the tile is a dark reddish clay. When it chips you really see it.

I know that tile has changed a lot since I put ours down but I dont think I would ever de ceramic in a kitchen again.

You got 35 years out of the tile. In a kitchen which is high traffic. You'll be lucky to get 10 years from vinyl in a kitchen before it looks ghetto.

 

[BillK]

We've got ceramic tile in our kitchen. We cook, do dishes, hang out every day... No one has ever complained about getting sore from standing on it.

Are you telling me I am getting old ? Our house is on a slab so that might have something to do with it. It is definitely colder in the winter. Probably a lot different if its above a basement or crawl space. The tile we have will chip if you drop a fork on it the wrong way. Dont tell me you never drop anything ??

 

[Gerald O]

You're also paying for consistency in size often referred to as "caliber". When doing big tiles combined with small grout joints a few larger than caliber tiles can cause problems.

Yep. The cheap ceramic I put in the garage varied quite a bit even though all cartons were from the same production lot. Made it very challenging to maintain my 1/8" joints when setting them.

Best thing is to look for tile from Mexico or Italy.

Disagree. I got some very fine porcelain made right here in the USA. Graniti Fiandre (Italian name, but US made).

https://www.granitifiandre.com/porcelain-tile/made-in-usa

 

[Gerald O]

Are you telling me I am getting old ? Our house is on a slab so that might have something to do with it. It is definitely colder in the winter. Probably a lot different if its above a basement or crawl space. The tile we have will chip if you drop a fork on it the wrong way. Dont tell me you never drop anything ??

Maybe our kitchen ceramic is not the cheapest of cheap. But the grout is getting ugly and needs redone.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

We looked at doing kitchen in tile. But we settled on a vinyl that was probably in the range of 1/4” thick. It is comfortable to walk/stand on and has a warm feel to it. The other thing is when some drops a glass container on it doesn’t break sending glass in all directions. Another thing is is you drop a jar in it containing your favourite jam or other food item it is not a total loss.
The vinyl was a good quality as I mentioned, many people actually have touched it as it appears so tile like. The floor has been installed for approx 15 years and still looks good. My wife said don’t take a picture of the floor as I haven’t washed it lately.

 

[Shane6377]

Tile in the kitchen can also be harder to clean due to the grout lines.

IMO good installation is key. A poor install that leaves air pockets in the mortar or a poor grout job will cause you issues. Are you installing yourself or hiring?

Not trying to discourage you from doing tile but another option to consider is laminate flooring. It's come a long way in recent years and is very easy maintenance.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Hey everyone. Thanks for the feedback. I still don't know what I am going to do. I do like the savings advantage of tile over the hardwood, and this is only an apartment for me/us to use for 7-10 years, so it is not a 'forever' home for me. At our age, the majority of our eating is generally done outside of the home, and we even have a little help with the cleaning, so maybe the tile is not the biggest deterrent issue for our needs/desires, but the comments above do make sense. I will share a picture as soon as I know what direction we choose to go. Thanks again!!

The backstory on this is within the next year my wife and I are potentially becoming empty nesters, and we are in the process of building a small 1,100 sq. ft apartment in a little used area of my work for my wife & I to live in so that I can be closer to my toys & tools in the evenings.

 

[greenlizard]

In our previous home the kitchen had tile over wood. My wife grew to hate it. Said it hurt her feet to stand on and anything dropped was a goner.
Luckily we moved just as it was about to be a project for me. Our current home has hardwood in he kitchen - much better. YMMV and money is always an issue.

 

[greenlizard]

To the OP.
On a sort-of related note, when tile or hardwood is installed around existing cabinets keep in mind that it lowers the effective countertop height and can cause issues with installing or removing an under-cabinet dishwasher.
Been there, done that.

 

[2CWG]

Our current kitchen has hardwood and I'd never have it again. Admittedly, what we have is a distressed finish which makes things much worse. Issues we've seen:
- Keeping it clean is a nightmare. Grime in seams and distressed areas drives us nuts
- Sanitization is problematic. Steam cleaning is to be avoided. Despite sealing you can have penetration and damage. Many cleaners can impact finish.
- Durability is questionable. Dents and sometimes chips when anything with even moderate mass is dropped. Doesn't happen often, but adds up over time.
- Spills can be problematic. You try to keep it sealed, but there always seems to be a weak point: Seams; corners; edges; unnoticed nicks/chips/damage. You'll find yourself scrambling to quickly wipe up even minor drips. Swelling hasn't been an issue for us, but staining and discoloration has.

We didn't install the floor, it was here when we moved in. Certainly on the upgrade list...right after new cabinets for the garage, of course.

 

[Max]

In my last house I had beautiful quartersawn oak for 20 years. I would never have wood again in a kitchen. Over time areas that get a lot of water (near the sink, DW, and refrigerator) all developed problem areas. My wife eventually put mats by the sink and we minimized (but didn’t eliminate) the problem by being paranoid about any water on the floor and immediately wiping it up.

Also, pretty much anything you drop will leave a nice dent on the wood floor. Personally I prefer the glass break instead of messing up the floor. The net result was that in twenty years we completely refinished the floor twice plus 2x more around around the fridge.

Our new house has tile in the kitchen and it’s great. I still much prefer wood for the rest of the house, but never the kitchen again...

Max

 

[maplepuck]

Our current kitchen has hardwood and I'd never have it again. Admittedly, what we have is a distressed finish which makes things much worse. Issues we've seen:
- Keeping it clean is a nightmare. Grime in seams and distressed areas drives us nuts
- Sanitization is problematic. Steam cleaning is to be avoided. Despite sealing you can have penetration and damage. Many cleaners can impact finish.
- Durability is questionable. Dents and sometimes chips when anything with even moderate mass is dropped. Doesn't happen often, but adds up over time.
- Spills can be problematic. You try to keep it sealed, but there always seems to be a weak point: Seams; corners; edges; unnoticed nicks/chips/damage. You'll find yourself scrambling to quickly wipe up even minor drips. Swelling hasn't been an issue for us, but staining and discoloration has.

We didn't install the floor, it was here when we moved in. Certainly on the upgrade list...right after new cabinets for the garage, of course.

I second that...all of that. I love my hardwood floors, but not in the kitchen.