We explore the benefits of extra-long wood effect tiles for the home in this comprehensive blog. For years, wood effect tiles have been the go-to for homeowners who love the look of wood but don’t want the maintenance and drawbacks of real timber. Unlike real wood, porcelain wood effect tiles won’t bend or warp in humid environments and they are highly scratch and stain resistant making them ideal for busy bathrooms, kitchens and ground floors. They also don’t require any sanding or sealing making them easy to live with and very low maintenance.
With tile technology continually developing through leading manufacturers, tile formats have gradually increased over the past few years with larger tile sizes making their way into our homes. Large tile formats that were once the preserve of the interior design world are now gracing the walls and floors of our kitchens, bathrooms, living areas and even outside. Wood effect tiles are no different. With smaller plank sizes in porcelain proving a hit over the past few years, tile manufacturers have pushed the boundaries of what is possible and are now producing extra-long wood effect tiles in a plethora of tones, colours and finishes. These wood effect tiles are mimicking everything from oak to walnut and cherry to ash – and the real beauty is porcelain can be produced in any colour allowing for wood effect tiles in all kinds of beautiful tones.
So let’s take a deeper dive into extra-long wood effect tiles and understand more about the benefits of using them, the sizes available and a little about installation.
A sense of scale
Large planks create a sense of scale in a space bringing a feeling of high-end design. This was only possible in the past by using expensive wide wooden planks. Now you achieve this same look and feel in any open plan living area with extra-long wood effect porcelain tiles.
More tile, less grout
With more tile, less grout, extra-long wood effect tiles have fewer breaks than smaller planks. This helps to dramatically reduce the number of grout lines and creates a cleaner, sleeker surface. This makes even smaller rooms instantly feel more open and larger. What’s more with rectified tile edges grout lines are 3mm for floors making them super slim. Opting for a co-ordinating grout colour will also help make your floor appear as seamless as possible.
Incredible realism
As well as tile size, tile technology has also developed designs and finishes that not only look like wood, they feel like real wood. The knots and gnarls of real timber are brought to life with incredible realism – so much so wood effect tiles can easily be mistaken for the real thing. These patterns have more space on extra-long tiles, so rather than having to work on a smaller format these larger porcelain planks can really showcase the beauty wood.
Number of patterns
In addition to size and design, the number of patterns some wood tile collections house are high. Gone are the days of just a few patterns, now there may be 30, 40 or even 50 different patterns per range. This means that even across larger areas and spaces, pattern repeat is not much of a concern and you are not so likely to see the same wood plank twice. It is always worth your tiler dry laying your tiles initially to ensure there is as little pattern repeat in an area as possible but certainly a higher number of patterns makes this less likely.
Tile sizes
Extra-long wood effect tiles are available in many different sizes. Our extra-long wood effect tiles are in two formats – 1215 x 195 and 1510 x 240. The latter is ideal for anyone wanting an extra-large and extra-wide plank tile and they are a great solution for ground floors, kitchens, open plan spaces and dining areas. The smaller 1215 x 195 is also a good option, particularly for smaller bathrooms where you still want the feel of a large format wood effect tile. This size also lends itself to installation in a herringbone format for larger areas and because these tiles are over a metre in length and just under 20cm wide there is minimal grout.
Ease of maintenance
Larger porcelain planks are easier to maintain with less grout joints and more tile – in addition, unlike real timber you don’t need to worry about water ingress because tiles are waterproof making mopping them a breeze.
Opting for an extra-long porcelain plank really does give you that high end wood look and feel. Not only that, there are so many benefits when opting for a porcelain wood effect plank rather than real wood.
Feature | Porcelain wood effect plank | Real Wood Floor |
Water Resistance | High water resistance. Perfect for kitchens, bathrooms, and utility rooms. | Highly susceptible to warping and bending. |
Maintenance | A quick sweep and a mop with warm water is all that is usually needed. | Needs sanding periodically as well as sealing or oiling. |
Durability | Highly stain and scratch resistant, ideal for high traffic areas and won’t show signs of wear. | Prone to staining and scratching and will show signs of wear. |
Underfloor Heating | Brilliant for underfloor heating, holding some heat. | Prone to expansion and shrinking with heat fluctuation. |
All our wood tile collections feature large planks with our Serenity range featuring both larger and medium sized tile formats.
Serenity – the broadest collection we offer with a selection of 7 tones each in both a larger 1510 x 240mm format and the medium sized 1215 x 195mm format. Colours range from the grey tones of Ash to the lovely warmer shades of Cherry and Sienna. The tile finish is an R11 A+B+C antislip soft finish making these tiles great for use across the home including wetrooms. They have a slightly higher grip and are specifically designed to be easy to clean. There are 36 patterns for the larger plank and 48 for the smaller plank.
Knot – the newest of our collections with a Scandi look and feel, Knot offers pared back design and a neutral themed colour palette perfect for today’s contemporary interiors. The silky, soft touch finish is lovely and smooth and tiles are in a large format 1510 x 240mm. 36 patterns bring a superb variety of designs.
Oakwood – Oakwood offers a broad colour palette including the light toned Greige alongside the dark and moody tones of Ebony. There are 6 contemporary shades in all. The collection is also in a large 1510 x 240mm format with an extensive 45 patterns. The collection also includes 2 unique wall tiles in a lovely large 1000 x 333mm perfect for creating a textured wall of wood. Oakwood is available in our Antislip Soft R11 A+B+C finish making it ideal for use across the home aswell as wetrooms.
Season – the smallest of our collections with just two colours – Caramel and Taupe, Season features our Contour finish showcasing the beauty of these tiles. The knots and gnarls of real wood are highlighted with incredible realism and the slightly contoured surface of these tiles makes them feel real underfoot. Season is in an R10 A+B slip rating making it ideal for use across the home. There are 36 patterns and two stunning wall tile options to match.
Extra-long wood effect tiles do need some specific installation techniques to ensure your finished floor is flush, flat and what we call lippage free. It is really important for any tile, with a length of more than 600mm that is being laid in an offset pattern (ie not stacked) that the tiler adheres to a 33% offset layout rather than a traditional 50/50 bond. This ensures that the slight curvature associated with longer tiles doesn’t impact the finished look of your floor.
Extra-long wood effect tiles are a must if you are looking for a wooden style floor with a sense of style and space that is also durable, practical and easy to look after. With tile formats having increased in size these longer, wider planks are fast becoming the go-to for ground floors, open plan areas, kitchens, dining areas and across the home. See some of our collections in the gallery below or click through to our entire collection of wood effect porcelain tiles here.
Click the images to head straight to these tiles on our website. Working on a project? We’d love to help! Get in touch and let us start searching for beautiful tiles with you!
If you would like to know more, please get in touch...
The TilePortfolio specialise in Italian and Spanish Porcelain and Ceramic tiles, in particular large format Porcelains and Porcelain tiles for inside and outside. Our carefully curated, stunning tile portfolios are beautifully presented online and supported by our fuss-free ‘go-the-extra-tile’ service. In addition, you can view our entire tile collection at our Northamptonshire Showroom. Visit our website for unmissable interiors inspiration. The TilePortfolio team are always available to chat, we’d be delighted to help with your project so please do get in touch.
Please note: We strongly recommend using a professional tiler for your project. Installation requirements may vary depending on the tiles you choose, the fixing products used and the specific conditions. Always check with your tiler regards the suitability of the tiles. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions.
