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.
Add a Brilliant Retort
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.