Sarasota Large-format porcelain

Large-format porcelain is our lead line: big porcelain tiles and slabs, led by Porcelanosa, for floors, walls and showers with very few grout lines. See them at full size in the Oracle Flooring & Design showroom in Sarasota.

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What is large-format porcelain?

It's porcelain, the dense, hard kind of tile that barely takes in water, made in big pieces: anything longer than about two feet on a side, up to slabs that cover a wall. That's why it holds up in showers, kitchens and busy floors, and why a room tiled with it looks so calm, with very few joints breaking it up.

Porcelanosa leads our range. We're an Exclusive Porcelanosa Authorized Dealer, listed on Porcelanosa's US dealer map, and our showroom has a Porcelanosa corner where you can see the pieces at the size they go in. Our own work includes a bookmatched marble-look slab fireplace wall on Longboat Key.

Porcelanosa at Oracle

Choosing large-format porcelain

Where does it go?

  • Floors: Big tiles across an open room, with few joints breaking up the floor.
  • Walls and showers: Fewer grout lines to scrub, and one calm surface from floor to ceiling.
  • Feature walls and fireplaces: Marble, stone and concrete looks at full scale, behind a TV, a bed or a fire.
  • Outdoors: Patios and pool decks, in tile made for outdoor use.

How does it compare with ceramic and stone?

  • Grout lines: few with large-format porcelain, more with standard ceramic tile; with natural stone it depends on the size.
  • Water: porcelain barely takes it in, ceramic takes in more, and stone varies from one stone to the next.
  • Each piece: porcelain and ceramic are made to a pattern, so buy them from one lot; every piece of stone is different.
  • The floor underneath: it must be very flat for large-format porcelain; ceramic is more forgiving; with stone it depends on the size.
  • Care: damp-mop porcelain and ceramic, and glazed pieces need no sealing; stone gets sealed now and then and stays away from acids.

Every tile comes with its own maker's specifications, and we go through them with you for the room you have in mind.

What about porcelain countertops?

The same big porcelain slabs make countertops and islands, in the same marble, stone and concrete looks as the floor and the walls, so a kitchen can match from the floor to the island. Porcelanosa lists what makes them work in a kitchen:

  • Heat: they keep their looks through hot and cold.
  • Spills and cleaners: stains and household cleaners don't mark them.
  • Knocks and scratches: they stand up to everyday bumps and scratches.
  • Sun: sunlight doesn't fade them.
  • Water and food: they don't soak up liquids or smells, and food can sit right on them.

We carry the porcelain slabs and countertop samples in our showroom, and trusted local fabricators cut and install the countertops. Ask them for a slightly eased edge: a sharp corner can chip if something hard hits it.

What sizes and thicknesses are there?

From tiles about two feet long up to slabs. Porcelanosa makes large-format porcelain up to about 126 by 63 inches, in thicknesses from about a quarter inch, light enough for walls, to about three quarters of an inch, the thickness of porcelain pavers for outside. Its XLight line comes in pieces of about 106 by 47 inches, thin and light. In the showroom you can stand next to them and see what one piece covers.

Is large-format tile harder to install?

A little, which is why the installer matters as much as the tile. Big tiles show everything underneath them: a dip you'd never notice under small tile becomes an edge you can feel with bare feet, so the floor is checked with a long straightedge and the low spots are leveled before anything goes down.

The pieces are heavy and long, so they take two people and the right tools to carry and set, and in a condo the elevator and the hallways get measured before anything is ordered. Certified installers who work with us regularly install large-format porcelain, and delivery is included when we install. See how installation works, or ask for a free estimate.

How do you look after it?

Like any porcelain: sweep or vacuum up the sand, then damp-mop with a mild cleaner made for tile, and skip oil soaps and waxes, which leave a film. Glazed porcelain never needs sealing, and its few grout lines can be sealed so they resist stains. On a polished floor, mats at the doors keep sand from dulling the shine.

More in our blog: large-format porcelain, what to know

Questions we hear

Where can I see large-format porcelain in person in Sarasota?

At Oracle Flooring & Design, 1175 N Washington Blvd, Sarasota: Porcelanosa large-format porcelain stands at full size, and no appointment is needed. Estimates in your home are free.

Is large-format porcelain good in a shower?

On the walls, yes: big panels leave very few grout lines to scrub, and porcelain barely takes in water. On the shower floor, smaller tiles or a mosaic follow the slope to the drain and give your feet grip.

Can large-format porcelain go outside?

Yes, in pieces made for outdoors: a textured face that grips wet feet, and the thickest are porcelain pavers for patios and pool decks. Indoor tile with a smooth face doesn't belong around a pool. Ask us which pieces their makers rate for outside.

Can large-format porcelain go over existing tile?

Sometimes, if the old tile is sound, firmly stuck down and very flat. Big tiles show every dip underneath, so we check the floor at the free estimate in your home.

Why do big tiles need a flat floor?

Because a big tile can't bend to follow dips the way small ones can. On an uneven floor, the edges of neighboring tiles end up at different heights, and a tile that isn't fully supported can crack.

How big is large format?

Roughly, any tile longer than about two feet on a side. At the top of the range are slabs: Porcelanosa makes pieces up to about 126 by 63 inches, big enough to cover a shower wall in one or two pieces.

Ready to plan it?

Bring your measurements and a few photos to the showroom, or have us come out for a free estimate in your home.

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The Porcelanosa corner of our Sarasota showroom: a counter in front of large porcelain slabsOur showroomWalk through the showroom White marble-look bathroom with a freestanding tub and black fixturesProject gallerySee projects and ideas