Small Format Tiles

Small format tiles cover module sizes below roughly 300 mm, including mosaics, metro formats and square modules. In commercial specification they are chosen for technical reasons as often as visual ones: they accommodate falls, follow curves and give a higher grout to tile ratio where grip matters.

Specifying small format tiles

• Falls to drainage. Small modules take up a fall to a gully or linear drain without cutting into a large tile. This is why wet room floors, shower areas and pool surrounds are usually specified in small format or mosaic.
• Grout ratio and grip. More joints per square metre means more texture underfoot, which contributes to grip in wet barefoot areas independently of the tile finish itself.
• Curved and complex surfaces. Mesh-backed mosaics follow curved walls, columns and seat forms that a rigid large format cannot. This makes them the standard solution for spa and pool detailing.
• Grout specification. The higher joint count raises the importance of the grout. In wet and chemically loaded areas specify an epoxy or stain-resistant grout to BS EN 13888 rather than a standard cementitious product.
• Labour cost. Small formats take considerably longer to lay than large. Reflect this in the installation allowance rather than comparing tile rates alone.

Related collections include mosaic tiles, brick effect tiles and spa tiles for wet area detailing.

Frequently asked questions

Why use small format tiles in wet rooms?

Because they take up the fall to the drain without the cutting and distortion that laying a large tile to a fall requires, and because the additional grout joints add grip underfoot in a barefoot wet environment.

What grout should be used with small format tiles?

In dry internal areas a standard cementitious grout to BS EN 13888 is adequate. In wet, chemically loaded or heavily cleaned areas specify epoxy or a stain-resistant grout, since the joint area is proportionally much larger than on a big format floor.

Are small format tiles more expensive to install?

The labour content is higher per square metre. Compare installed cost rather than supply rate, particularly on large areas where the difference compounds.