Yup.
End of post.
Fine, I’ll elaborate . . .
To understand this you should understand what designates a particular tile as a ‘floor’ tile. A couple of different things determine this including the PEI Rating and Static Coefficient of Friction (that’s just fancy ass talk for how slippery a tile’s surface is).
Manufacturers do not necessarily determine the arbitrary term assigned to a certain tile, things such as a ‘floor’ tile. All they do is rate any particular tile following industry guidelines determined by the different institutions. In English that just means that the manufacturer doesn’t really call any particular tile a floor tile, they simply assign their tile the ratings.
Certain tiles are only called floor tiles because they meet certain criteria set forth by the different guidelines. For instance: if a tile has a PEI rating of 1 it is only suitable for walls and areas which do not receive foot traffic. This tile would not be called a floor tile.
If the same manufacturer creates a tile with a PEI rating of 3 along with a C.O.F. of 5 and a suitable Mohs scale number, etc., it may be ‘called’ a floor tile.
You can still put it on a wall. It will just be an extra durable wall.
Just about any 12 x 12 inch tile is commonly referred to as a ‘floor tile’ simply because of the size without taking any of the above into consideration. This is simply another example of misinformed dealers, stores, and installers. They don’t do it on purpose, it just happens to be common practice and they don’t know any better. Just because someone calls it a floor tile doesn’t mean that it is suitable for installation on a floor. But I digress . . .
As long as a tile, no matter the size, meets a set criteria it will be suitable for your floor. It will also be suitable for your wall. This is also why you do not want to do it the other way around. You can use ‘floor’ tile on a wall but you cannot use ‘wall’ tile on a floor – it won’t last. It is simply not durable enough.
Previous post: Determining the Surface Durability of a Tile
Add a Brilliant Retort
Hi Roger,
When installing tile (I am using 12″x12″ tiles) on a shower wall, what methods have you used in the past to hold the tile up before it dries? I don’t think the thinset will keep it held up when wet.
Thanks for the help
Hey Chris,
I set the bottom row on something solid. Whether that is the tub (with spacers under them to give the proper gap), the tiled shower floor which was set the day before or a ledger board. I use hard ‘marble horseshoe’ spacers which don’t compress as weight (more tile) is stacked upon them. As long as your bottom row is supported every row will support the row above it.
Ok, great thanks!
Hi Roger,
Need some help with my shower floor tile install. I built a kerdi shower for my bathroom, no problems there. I have wired floor heat into the shower area. Approved for shower install. No problem there. The problem I’m faced with is that I’m installing 2×2 inch tile on 13×13 mats for the floor. This is where my problems started, I floated (unmodified) thinset even with the top of the wire, about 1/8 inch, then attempted to backbutter the the mats prior to install. As you can imagine that turned into a big mess. Due to thinset coming through the grout lines. But the main problem is trying to lay the tiles on an uneven ( due to the embedded wires ) surface. I could not get the tile to lay flat and smooth due to the wire. Needless to say, the tile install turned into a nightmare. I removed the tile and basically just floated the shower floor even with the the top of the wire to gain a somewhat smooth and (slightly sloped to the drain) level surface. That is now in the process of drying… My question is what can I do to salvage this install. I cannot remove the thinset that the wire is now embbed in, and I’m concerned that when I go to install the tile it will not bond properly to the the first layed layer of thinset, or will it ? Since this is a kerdi shower, I assume that I have to stick with unmodified thinset or can I use some kind of concrete to concrete bonding agent, such as latex primer or other product ? Or am I just screwed now ? What is the proper trowel and install method to deal with “tile on mats” without all the thinset coming up through the grout lines. I’m in serious “Kimchi” here and hope theres a way out. Help…
Hey Jesse,
Float over what you currently have to get a flat, sloped substrate then use a modified thinset to install your tile over it once it cures. The thinset will adhere just fine to what you have.
Heating elements in showers utilizing the kerdi system should be installed beneath the layer of kerdi on the floor – not above it. The way you have it will work, it’s just better the other way.
Hey Roger:
David wanted me to ask you if you should line up the grout joints on the 13×3 bullnose with both the 13″ tiles and the 6″ wall tiles? Does it look better to have the grout joints offset, or is they any benefit to doing so? Sorry, we had a set back on the 6″ tile – seems that some of it was finished that size at the factory, and some had been cut from a larger piece of tile and there was 1/8″ difference between the two. I went back to the tile store this morning and he said it came from the factory that way, and being a closeout, he just gave me their remaining three boxes of 6″ tiles. We are short about 14 tiles, but David will cut down the larger tiles for the corner pieces and we will be good to go.
We didn’t forget about you and we are definitely not ignoring you. This project was supposed to be done last Tuesday when David’s grandparents came here for a visit, and that didn’t happen!
Hi Jane,
I normally offset them because if you look very closely the bullnose is about 1/16″ smaller than a full tile. Using the same grout joint the bullnose will eventually not line up with the field tile.
hey man great site i got 7 boxes of 13 x13 tile my cousin had left over from when she did her floor.im gonna use it to do the three walls in my shower. im gonna go down to the studs, fix any damage if any then use hardy board and a nice membrane on top of that. my question to you is what kind of mastic/ thinset should i use. idk if it makes a difference at all but with the tiles being so big and also in a wet area i was curious what you would recommend, since the rookies at lowes don’t seem to know what i’m talking about lol.
Hey Steven,
You want to use a powdered modified thinset sold in 50lb. bags that you mix with water. Mastic doesn’t belong near a shower and over a topical membrane it will never cure.
Size of the tile doesn’t matter when using thinset (mostly). Those won’t be a problem.
I understand about cutting small holes (1 inch) in tile, say for a water line. But how do I cut a large hole, like for the shower valvue or toilet flange?
Thanks!
Steve
Hi Steve,
Normally a grinder with a diamond or carbide coated tile blade on it is the best option.
Hi Roger,
I stumbled on this site as I am about to begin a poor-man’s bathroom remodel and it has been a huge help so far. I did want to ask your opinion on a more specific form of the “Can You Install Floor Tiles on a Wall?” question; specifically, “Can You Install Floor Tiles on a SHOWER Wall?”
I’ve chosen a 12×12 glazed porcelain tile (about 1/4″ thick if that matters) at Lowes which was in flooring section. I’m a little nervous about it because it has a very light texture on the face, like a light pitting. I’m afraid this may make it difficult to clean and prone to scum buildup. Have you ever installed tile like this in a bath/shower?
Thanks,
-Dan
Hi Dan,
You can install ‘floor tiles’ in your shower, or nearly anywhere else you want to. The cleaning aspect will depend on the finish of the tile. I do install travertine and other porous stones in showers all the time – they simply require a bit more maintenance. The bast thing you can do is keep a squeegee in the shower and use it on the walls after every shower. It will cut the cleaning down by about 80% – really.
Thank you for the information re: Can You Install Floor Tiles on a Wall?. not only did you answer my question but you educated me on tiles!!
Walls are a good place for marble in my view because it’s about as soft as balsa wood. “Nice site brother”, and you seem to have similar motivation in offering advice and help to others.
Most folks don’t even consider or care about any difference between floor or wall tile. In my view maintenance is most important which I ask all my tile customers to consider. In the end they just get what they want.
Your commerce site looks good as well with good photos. Don’t know how I found your blog but glad I did.
Warm regards, Ed
Hey Ed,
I’m glad you found my site too! Nice to know there are other professionals out there that know the important aspects of tile and stone. Customers always get what they want but hopefully they walk away with more information than they ever hoped for. All you can do is try to educate.
Thank you for the kind words.