Blog Choosing tile for a Florida home
A floor in Sarasota lives a different life from one up north: a concrete slab under it, beach sand across it, sun through the sliders all year and humid air from May to October. For most rooms the answer is porcelain tile, and here's how we help clients at Oracle Flooring & Design choose it.
Can tile go straight on a concrete slab?
Yes. Concrete is a solid base for tile, as long as it's flat and free of cracks that move. Big tiles need it flattest, so we check the slab when we come out for your free estimate and level any low spots before the tile goes down.
Wood and luxury vinyl can go over a slab too, but concrete holds moisture. Their makers ask for the slab to be tested first, and wood is usually left in the house for a while to get used to the air before it's installed.
Which tile stands up to sand, pets and spills?
Porcelain. It's fired harder and denser than ordinary ceramic, so it barely takes in water, and that makes it the workhorse of a Florida house: the kitchen, the bathrooms, the laundry, the hall in from the garage, the room that opens onto the pool. Sand is far harder on wood than on porcelain, pets don't bother it and spills wipe right off. It comes in wood, marble, stone and concrete looks too, so a floor built to last doesn't have to look like one.
Ceramic tile still earns its place on walls and backsplashes, where it brings the deepest glazes and colors and is easy to cut and shape. More on the difference on our porcelain tile page.
Should you go bigger and lighter?
Often, yes. Large-format porcelain leaves far fewer grout lines, so a room reads as one open surface, which suits an open floor plan. Lighter colors bounce the daylight around, and in full sun they stay cooler underfoot than dark ones.
If you love the look of wood, porcelain planks give you that without the worry about water. They're laid so each row shifts by a third of a plank or less rather than by half like bricks, which keeps the long edges level.
How do you keep a wet floor from getting slippery?
Pick a matte or textured finish for any floor that gets wet. Polished tile shines in a living room and gets slick around a pool. Small tiles grip best of all, because every grout line gives your feet something to hold, which is why mosaics are the classic shower floor.
Makers test their floor tile for slip and list it in their specifications, so for the bathrooms, the lanai and the pool deck we point you to the ones made for wet floors. Outside, use only tile its maker rates for outdoor use.
Can the floor run from the living room onto the lanai?
It can. Many tile lines come in an indoor finish and a textured outdoor twin, so the living room floor seems to carry straight through the sliders onto the lanai. Around the pool, pavers do the same job: thicker pieces made for the ground, set on a compacted base, on pedestals or in mortar on a slab.
More than 100 of them are laid out in front of our showroom, so you can see them in daylight and walk on them before you decide.
Does humidity hurt tile?
Not porcelain or glazed tile: humid air doesn't bother them. The joints are where moisture shows first, the grout and caulk in a bathroom that never quite dries out. Run the fan during and after a shower, keep the air conditioning on when the house is closed up for the summer, and ask us about sealing the grout. Natural stone needs sealing too, and a fresh coat now and then.
Engineered hardwood is built in layers so it moves less than solid boards, but it still wants the indoor humidity kept in the range its maker gives.
Will the sun fade the floor?
Porcelain won't fade: its color is fired in. Wood and luxury vinyl can change color slowly in strong sun, and some vinyl floors move a little with the heat, so their makers ask for blinds or shades on the brightest windows. If a room gets hours of direct sun, tell us when you're looking at samples and we'll steer you.
Do condos have rules about hard floors?
Many do. Associations often ask for a sound-rated underlayment under tile, wood or vinyl, so the neighbors downstairs don't hear every step, and they set hours for the work and rules for the service elevator. Read your association's rules before you order: we match the floor and the underlayment to them and plan the deliveries around the building. More on our high-rise page.
How do you see tile in your own light?
Showroom lights and a Florida afternoon aren't the same. If you'd like, borrow a few samples, sign them out on our sample sheet and look at them at home next to your cabinets and furniture, in the morning and again in the evening. When you're ready, we measure and quote in your home for free, and certified installers who work with us regularly install what you choose.
Our showroom is at 1175 N Washington Blvd, Sarasota, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM; Saturday, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Or call (941) 302-7646.
