I generally dislike wood look tile because the grain and distressed areas often look fake and busy. I also dislike a heavily grained and distressed real wood floor.

The floor that bellburg posted looks great in that particular space. The undertones match the wall color, the length of the tiles is pleasing, the grout matches nicely and the installation is good.

We haven't seen skp228's space so to categorically insist that wood look tile would look best in the house is not good advice.

Where is the OP in Florida?

andria564 - we're in Ponte Vedra

Every upgrade is added to the final cost. And THAT is what your tax bill is figured on. Just sayin...

Gustaviatex - good point and one I am aware of... they have to provide a completed home at close, so they won't just not do the floor. The standard tile is included, and part of the plan, so I don't think they would let me not do anything? (and do my own after I take possession)

What about just having them put carpeting down everywhere except the bathrooms for now and then do what you want after you close.

cpartist - this has crossed my mind. If they would do it, might be a huge hassle, but maybe worth it. I think I will ask them to know what my options are on that.

skp228 Check Bedrosian tile in Jax. They are great to work with. My mom works in south Florida now but used to work at that showroom awhile ago.

If you choose to get the builder's upgrade, be sure to educate yourself about how this tile should be laid from a pattern standpoint. If it isn't put down in a random pattern, it can look really bad. The color grout will be very important, too. Too light and all you see is grout. Just be careful. I've seen some pictures on the various forums of bad installation jobs and they are pretty bad.

If it were me, I would put in the basic builder grade tile, carpet or sheet vinyl and pay later to have someone install the tile properly and to your specifications. You will get a greater choice of material and color, too.

If you use an 18" x 18" or 20" x 20", neutrally colored tile with neutrally colored grout you will have universal appeal when it's time to sell the home. You can dress it up with colorful and interesting area rugs. My feeling on "wood look" tile is that 5 years from now it is going to look dated. I purchased a new home 18 months ago and saved a ton of money by going with tile (12" x 24" staggered installation). While I occasionally lust after a wood or wood look floor - I believe ceramic tile will withstand the test of time. Good luck to you in your decision.

What if you just went with the standard tile now, with a plan to update/upgrade the tile to the wood-look that you like, later? that way you're not financing it for 15-30 years and paying taxes on it for the duration of the loan. I also would suggest reconsidering Vinyl Plank - it's waterproof, has more give for knees/back long-term, and no grout to clean!

Personally if I couldn't or wouldn't have engineered hardwood flooring, I'd do the Luxury Vinyl Tile.

I am thinking you are in the Nocatee area. My only concern with LVT would be not having a great resale value, it's still is vinyl. I know in our neighborhood in Tally, it would bring in a lower ask. I would go large format tile or wood/engineered hardwood. I would never let the builders sub install wood look tile unless you can go see examples of your crews work. This house down the street from you and screams wood look tile. The good installs should be hard to tell it's not wood. https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/Queensland-Cir_Jacksonville_FL_32081_M53938-61824#photo8

andria564 - thank you. When I remodeled my current condo - which I am moving out of to this new house - I had never done any remodeling, and didn't know anything. I picked a tile much like in that house from your link (my house will look a lot like that as well) and just had my contractor install it. He did a nice job, and I LOVED it 4 years ago - but at this point I feel about it what you have described, that it is an obvious wood look tile, and I still like it fine, but also realize at some point it is going to look dated and everyone will say "oh I know when THAT was done." I would like this time to do something more timeless. And not spend an arm and a leg with the builder.

Have you looked into getting tile somewhere else and having it installed after you close and before you move in? We are doing that. We just kept the base tile, which looks a lot like yours that I don't like, and the base carpet in the great room and will replace it with LVP before we move in. We will be doing it ourselves. We are keeping carpet in the bedrooms and upgraded that with the builder. Can you go in a house that has it installed throughout? I've been in a couple in our neighborhood and it is blah! But this is a choice only you can make and live with. I don't think either will look dated and I don't think the wood look tile is going anywhere, at least not here in AZ, but the standard tile will just be boring. But I completely understand the big deal with the cost. Get what you will be happy with that you can afford. Are there any upgrades that aren't the wood tile that you may like better but cost less?

mommyniki - the builder has to finish the house with a finished floor - they won't let us close with an unfinished floor. So my only option is to have them install what comes standard, which is standard tile, and carpeting in bedrooms and den. Then I guess I would have to have someone chisel or jackhammer it out, right? And then have my own tile laid by someone else.

Evaluate it. Can I get what I want somewhat reasonable from the builder installed how I want? What will it cost me to install after the fact (it's crazy there right now this might be surprising, you need real quotes)? Is the difference between having what I want installed now or waiting until after close large enough that it makes sense to deal with the impact of moving everything out and living through a tear out and install? We have wood running in our dining, foyer, living, family, kitchen, kitchen dining room, powder room and all halls. I know that when I go to refinish it my only option is to get a pod and move everything out, yours would be worse since you are running it in the bedrooms too. In an ideal world, I would have the builder install what you want from the start or put the cheapest and easiest to tear out down for close and have what you want installed before you move in.

My only concern with LVT would be not having a great resale value, it's still is vinyl. I know in our neighborhood in Tally, it would bring in a lower ask. I would go large format tile or wood/engineered hardwood.

Hogwash. My friend put it in a 7 figure house on the water. No one has looked at it and turned their nose up because most don't even realize it's not hardwood. And my friend's builder has put it in quite a number of high end houses.

Let's hope your friend isn't advertising it as hardwood.
Most people can't tell the difference between wood, wood tile and vinyl plank that looks like wood. Last year when I was house hunting I viewed tons of homes that were listed having wood floors...only for me to tell the realtor that there is vinyl on the floor and not wood...aka false advertisement. In the end I'd say 15+ home descriptions changed after I walked through them.

Vinyl does not add value to the home but that doesn't mean that it isn't installed in multi million dollar homes. We've installed plenty of vinyl plank in multi million dollar homes, especially when the home owner is tired of replacing wood in their party rooms where they host several hundreds of people at a time.

Well, I can tell the difference between hardwood, lvp and tile in an instant. i would pass on a house that had primarily lvp or consider the cost of replacing the floors when I made the offer. I don't like the feel of lvp under foot.

Why won’t they let you close with concrete floors? That is a finish not a structural support. If you have the significant difference to show it makes good business sense and a good relationship with your banker, he/she will think you are wise with your money. Then have the install done after closing and before move in. You then provide the bank with proof. The only reason I can think they would be reluctant is if you are not putting down 20% and have PMI. But the way around that is to simply hold the money out and pay the installer.

if you put down their tile, and then have to pay a new tile place to come in and demo all of that, you're prob going to eat away at the money you're saving doing it after the fact. Will the builder only do tile? what about a cheap vinyl flooring?

you say they won't close w/unfinished floor, so why does it have to be their tile?? heck, just have them do the cheapest carpet. that's much easier to demo than tile.

do what bellbugmaggie just suggested. can't imagine them holding your feet to the fire w/this tile floor.

If you are worried about carpet waste you can always donate the cheap carpet to Habitat for Humanity. We purchased a house where the sellers installed really cheap carpet right before they put it on the market. We purchased the house, our carpet people pulled out the cheap carpet and pad and Habitat was thrilled to come pick it up.

I would move full steam ahead with the wood look tile. If you don't you will regret it, it will be less expensive to make this "add" now than a few years down the road. Good luck and I hope everything comes out exactly as you wish!

If your house is on a slab, would polished/stained concrete floors throughout the house be an option? (Not sure where you are in the construction process)

If not and the options are only the two tiles in your post, I’d prefer the 18x18 in a brick pattern.

When I suggested changing it after close I knew they wouldn’t close without flooring because that’s how it is here. We will have to take our tile up. There is a machine to rent to remove it. We are DIYers so we’ll be doing it ourselves.

if that's the case, then get there on the day it's to be done and tell the tile guys to go really light on the thinset. in fact, tell them not to grout if you can get away with it.

Wood look tile is difficult to install even for the professionals. You will have to not only remove the tile, you will have to grind the slab and then fill low spots. It’s very tricky to do correctly.

The cost difference between the demolition and an amateur getting it wrong and having to take it up and hire a Pro again is way more expensive than just making my rhem be responsible for the quality of the install.

To all those who think that wood-look tile is not going to get outdated, I have an avocado-colored blender and a lava lamp that I'll sell you at a good price. There are classic tiles that have been around for hundreds of years that still look great, but I guarantee you that faux wood is not going to end up in that class.

I’ll buy both the avocado blender and the lava lamp. Because wood and concrete has always had issues. And wood look tile solves a LOT of those issues.

80% of the country builds slab on grade construction and wants wood. If it actually looks like a real wood instead of the trendy gray or weathered wood, it will not be considered the harvest gold wall oven ever. It may be the bisque wall oven that isn’t popular, isn’t made much, but tends to go with everything wood much better than white will and never looks wrong in its design.

mommyniki,,,i don't know what your sq footage is, but have you ever jacked up large tile set in cement?? And yes, you will have to grind down any spot you miss. that's why I said to tell the guys to go light w/the thinset. Or,,,intercept them and just have them lay it doing the center spot method. one blob. (or see if they'll lay it without thinset and just grout it! I'm just trying to make it easy for you. ripping up tile is prob my least favorite job.

I suggest we revisit this thread in 10 years and see which one of us owes the other one a beer. I think choosing wood-look tile is about as unwise as wood-look formica....

beth-

You don't have to grind down concrete unless it's really bad. Instead, there are liquid self-leveling products that can be poured on that harden dead flat...but you need to know what you are doing.

kudzu,,sophie mentioned grinding down the slab for high spots, not me. read my comment again. When I mentioned grinding it down, I meant the thinset, not the slab itself. have you ever removed dried thinset from a slab? sometimes it comes right up w/the power jack, sometimes it doesn't. hence the grinding. She has a new slab. I hardly think she will need a self leveler. (hopefully the guys laying the square tiles will remedy this issue) She mentioned demoing the brand new tiles. All i was saying is giving her some hints to make that task less daunting.

As for the wood look tile, again, that was Sophie, not me. I really don't care . I've seen decent wood look tile, and really horrible home depot wood look tile. And yes, the latter will be dead in no time. If someone wants to use wood look, I would hope they get the good porcelain stuff that looks like real wood.

Beth-

I know you weren't posting about faux wood tile. You just happened to post a few seconds before I posted and it made my response less clear...sorry.

no,,but you did direct a quote to me about grinding the concrete slab,, that wasn't me.

Beth...you said: "And yes, you will have to grind down any spot you miss. By "grinding the concrete slab," I meant grinding the concrete slab...which means the slab and whatever was on it.

Whether it's concrete or residual thinset, you don't necessarily have to grind it down. On my last tile remodel, they removed the tile and used self-leveling compound to deal with variations in the flatness of the concrete as well as variations due to any remaining thinset. My point was simply to make people aware that grinding for any purpose is often not necessary.

Grinding a slab, or on a slab, or thinset on a slab, or whatever you prefer, raises a lot of dust and makes a mess, which is why it should be avoided if possible. Also, no matter how skillfully you grind the surface, it will never be as flat as using a properly applied self-leveling compound.

never mind. You missed my point. she has a brand new slab. she's going to remove the tile they put on that slab. she prob won't have to grind any of the thinset. she may be able to use a simple chisel. all I was doing was informing her of that small detail. there is no reason for her to use a self leveler to cover residual thinset. that's ridiculous. on your slab fine. in fact, I did it to my own slab. But mine was older and had a joining slab that was never leveled properly due to carpet.

she has a brand new slab with someone already laying tile on top of it. I'm sure they will be leveling that surface. to suggest that she might do the same, on top of what's already been done, won't be necessary. all she has to do is scrape off the thinset. (which is why I suggested she inform the tile setters not to be heavy handed with it). Ok great. glad that's cleared up. lets drop it now.

You have to do both grinding and self leveling. It’s not one or the other. The excess thinset gets ground off, and the high spots. And SLC fills the birdbaths. 1/8” in 10’. Max deviation.

Beth-

Ok...I think you missed my point as well, but I don't see any point in further exegesis.

Well, I guess we have it all covered now: grinding only, self-leveling compound only, or both... ;-)

Take another look at amyktexas' tile. Your standard looks just....normal. Hers mixed in with smaller looks amazing.

I wouldn't do wood look, but then I don't like it and I think it's going to be dated. And tile is one of those things that lasts and lasts and lasts...

Because wood and concrete has always had issues.

Engineered wood. Had it in my condo and now in my new build. As long as the slab is level, and they use a glue that's got a moisture barrier, it works and looks great.

You don't have to grind down concrete unless it's really bad. Instead, there are liquid self-leveling products that can be poured on that harden dead flat...but you need to know what you are doing.

And they are only good to level 1/4" or less. Ask me how I know. (crying)

cpartist-

True... but 1/4" is a pretty huge deviation. Did you have huge globs of thinset or even tile residue, or was the slab that far out of plane?

seeing anything with the above posts?? get the wood look tile that you want, right away. it will be worth the time, hassle, money.

One other suggestion, calculate how much that $12,000 will put on your mortgage each month versus a second mortgage for it. I think you will find it would be a nominal rise in the payment.

True... but 1/4" is a pretty huge deviation. Did you have huge globs of thinset or even tile residue, or was the slab that far out of plane?

My slab was out of plane 3/4" over 10'. Yep you read that right.

cpartist-

Yikes! That must have been a challenge.

How large is the area to be tiled? What style of house is it? What brand are both of the tiles (sorry if I missed any of this)?