4 Tips on Installing Timber Look Tiles

Timber look tiles are so popular these days. Leading manufacturers in Europe are introducing new types and designs of timber look tiles regularly, making the range of timber look tiles to choose from bigger than ever before. Many of the leading manufacturers are introducing larger timber look tiles for a more natural and seamless look. But as far as installing timber look tiles is concerned, is there anything to keep in mind? Find below some important things to keep in mind when you are installing timber look tiles.

Level Ground for Installing Timber Look Tiles

As timber look tiles are longer than normal tiles, it’s absolutely critical that the ground is perfectly flat. Any imperfection on the floor will result in a more pronounced imperfection once you lay the tiles. It’s important to remember that you should screed all unlevelled concrete surfaces prior to the tile installation.

Use the Right Tile Adhesive

Larger tiles are more prone to expansion due to the temperature. Fortunately, most timber look tiles we import from European manufacturers are tested for heat expansion, so they are resistant to breaking due to the expansion. But it’s also important that you choose the right type of glue especially if you will lay your tiles outdoors where they will be exposed to temperature changes. The adhesive you choose should allow for some flexibility. If you are installing timber look tiles on a unique surface such as a timber floor or walls, please seek further advice.

Offset Amount

It’s normal to have some minute bows in most tiles and installing timber look tiles is no exception. For this reason, we recommend offsetting timber look tiles no more than 20 percent of the length of the tiles. For example, if the tiles are 900mm long, don’t lay the next tile with an offset bigger than 180mm. Similarly, if the tiles are 1200mm long, you shouldn’t lay the next tile with more than a 240mm offset.

Grout Joints

The less grout joints you see, the more seamless the result will look. Most timber look tiles have rectified edges. With rectified tiles, your grout joints may look narrower than with traditional non-rectified tiles. The recommended minimum grout joint width for floor tiles is 3mm.

There are different things to consider when installing timber look tiles. However it depends on the circumstances of where you will lay the timber look tiles. We recommend seeking advice from a professional tile installer for the best results.