Sorry took me a while to post picture of my project--this is the new tile floor I installed using 3 shades of the unglazed 1" hex tiles from Mosaic Tile Supplies for a closet converted into a 1/2 bath. I spent first worked out the pattern on a paper template, then dry fit in the actual space to verify fit & plan the cuts. And a big challenge/frustration with the installation was that each color had a different type of mesh backing, and they absorbed moisture out of the mortar differently, so I would have to peel off and reset a lot. But I am really happy with the finished floor & room! I did seal the tiles before applying the grey grout (as suggested by others). And I used grey mortar, to minimize color difference between the grout and mortar, in case I missed cleaning areas where mortar sometimes squished up between tiles... And the pattern helps prevent the eye from finding misfits!

I found the most FANTASTIC matte glazed hexes at a tile store in california. I actually found them by reading every thread on hex tile on GW and someone else found them who hasn't posted since. I called up for samples and the customer service was INCREDIBLY nice, not only did they send the samples to me very quickly (I had them in 1 business days, I called on a friday and she said she'd get them out monday they arrived on monday!) but they also sent me three photocopied sheets of hex tile patterns and %ages of white to black required to calculate what you need. I'm very very impressed with the customer service so far. They are $8.52/sf for the white and about $1/sf more for the black. They ONLY come in white, black and almond... but they are a little larger than the AO hex (a full 1" across the short way) and they are much flatter than the AO hex. The glaze is more matte than the AO satin too (and silky to the touch, it's a beautiful glaze) and the tiles are very very flat with only the slightest touch of beveling at the edge. They are also set very close together, with 1/16" grout lines rather than 1/8" grout lines on AO tiles (and daltile too per their specs). Oh and they are also porcelain, which makes them more durable than ceramic. They also stock them, so no long lead times, and you can buy by the square foot, so no requirements for purchasing a whole box if you have an odd amount (or miscalculate and need another sheet or two). They have 1" hex, 2" hex, plaid and spiral (like AO chloe) patterns. I'm including the link below but I've already decided I'm going to use them, I just need to figure out how to ship them. As a last resort a good friend of mine will pick up the tile (100 sf or so) and box them up and drop them at UPS for me in smaller bundles that UPS will take. They said I'd have to arrange freight which is looking to be much more expensive than breaking them up into 25 sf boxes and shipping via UPS ground, but I have not yet spoken to them about the options (they might have been thinking I needed way more than I do). Here is a link that might be useful: tile shop gorgeous porcelain hex

Ceramic Tile Wear Ratings: The current rating system for ceramic tile in place today is really the only reliable gauge for consumers to use in determining wear expectations for a particular tile choice. The Porcelain Enamel Institute (PEI) has developed a rating scale that can effectively guide a consumer through the tile selection process in terms of dirability, wear, and abrasion. The PEI rating system is recommended by the American Society Testing Materials (ASTM). The PEI Ratings and wear descriptions are as follows: PEI Class 1 Rating (No foot traffic) - Recommended for wall use in residential and commercial applications only. PEI Class 2 Rating (Light traffic) - Recommended for both wall use and bathroom floor applications only. PEI Class 3 Rating (Light to moderate traffic) - Recommended for countertops, walls and floors where normal foot traffic is expected. PEI Class 4 Rating (Moderate to heavy traffic) - Recommended for all residential applications as well as medium commercial and light institutional. PEI Class 5 Rating (Heavy to extra heavy traffic) - Recommended for all residential as well as heavy commercial and institutional applications. THe lions' share of porcelain tiles available today will have a PEI rating of 5, which makes them the hardest wearing of any tile you could possibly choose, and the best choice in my opinion. Although this rating system is an important tool for consumers, it is only one of many factors to consider when making the right flooring choice, and since it only addresses wear issues, there are some other factors to consider ... Determining Overall Tile Quality: Tile is manufactured on different quality levels. Some of the cheap Big-Box-Retailer $0.69-$0.79 cent per foot close-out specials can be a risky selection at times because of this. First, guage overall looks: does it look square ? does it look flat ? does it look straight ? does each tile look roughly the same as other tiles supposedly the same type ? if you look down its edge, does it look wavy or bowed ? is it the same measurement from edge to edge and corner to corner as other tiles ? it there a smooth transition from edge to face or does it look machined with raw or rough edge that may show up after installation and grouting ? does each tile have the same edge to face transition look? If not, then they may look slightly different and "off" a little after installation and grouting. These attributes can affect how easy a tile is to install, how wide the grout joints will have to be to maintain squareness in the installation process, ca affect height of the tile installation from tile to tile and may cause excessive lippage, and affect the overall looks of the installation from an aesthetic point of view. Ensure the same Manufactured-Runs / Dye-Lots: Another consideration is the manufactured-run-number or dye-lots. You will want to have all the tile/boxes from the same manufactured-run or...

I have a bathroom in my house from 1940, and I love the floor tile. I am renovating a second bathroom in my house (that was redone in the 1980s with powder blue fixtures) and would like to imitate the look of the 1940s bathroom floor. The floor is a green and white check, and I have always assumed that it is unglazed tile. So I have been looking at white unglazed hex tile for the bathroom that I am renovating. I'm now balking at the unglazed hex because I have heard that it has to be sealed periodically and it can stain. I have two small boys, one of whom is only recently toilet trained and doesn't have the greatest aim, and the other who has yet to be toilet trained, so I worry about stains on the floor. Also, I have never had a problem with stains in the 1940s green and white bathroom, although the bathroom admittedly doesn't get that much use and the floor already has a "patina." So I'm wondering - maybe it's glazed tile, and it just looks unglazed because it has flat, rather than "cushion" edges. I have attached a photo. Does anyone know whether GLAZED flat edged floor tile was used during the 1940s, or was it all unglazed? Also, I realize now that the thing I like about the floor isn't so much the glaze or lack thereof, it's the fact that the floor tiles are flat and not "cushioned." So I'm wondering if you can find GLAZED hex or similar small tiles with a flat edge. All the tile I've seen has been either glazed with a cushion edge, or unglazed with a flat edge, however. Does such a thing exist?