Wood Effect Tiles

Wood effect porcelain reproduces timber grain, plank format and tonal variation in a vitrified ceramic body. It is specified where the appearance of a timber floor is required in a location that would damage real wood: wet areas, heavy circulation, underfloor heating installations and food and beverage floors.

Specifying wood effect tiles

• Offset bond, not half bond. Plank formats have a slight bow along their length. Laying at a half-tile offset puts the highest point of one plank against the lowest of the next and produces lippage. Keep the offset to a maximum of one third of the plank length, in line with BS 5385.
• Grain repeat. Convincing timber effect depends on the number of distinct printed faces. Ask for the face count and dry-lay several square metres before fixing, since a repeating knot or grain figure is the most common complaint on a finished floor.
• Slip and application. Matt and structured finishes carry the wet PTV of 36 or above needed for bars, restaurants and circulation. Confirm the value for the finish being ordered.
• Underfloor heating. Porcelain conducts heat efficiently and is dimensionally stable under thermal cycling, which makes it a better match for underfloor heating than engineered timber. Follow the commissioning heat-up sequence before fixing.

For plank layouts across open floors see large format tiles, and for the wider natural material range see stone effect tiles.

Frequently asked questions

Can wood effect tiles be used in bathrooms and wet areas?

Yes, and that is one of the main reasons they are specified. Unlike timber, porcelain does not absorb, swell or rot. For a wet floor confirm a wet-tested PTV of 36 or above, and use DIN 51097 classes for barefoot areas rather than shod R-values.

How do wood effect tiles perform with underfloor heating?

Better than timber. Porcelain has high thermal conductivity so the system runs efficiently, and it is dimensionally stable, so there is no seasonal movement or gapping. The screed must be fully cured and the heating commissioned through its heat-up cycle before tiling.

Why should wood effect planks not be laid in a half bond?

Because long plank formats are manufactured with a small permitted bow. A half bond aligns the centre of one plank, its highest point, with the end of its neighbour, its lowest, giving visible and trip-hazard lippage. A one third offset keeps the height difference within tolerance.