In the porcelain tile industry the cost will indicate the quality. So long as it is listed as porcelain you are in good hands. If you want to stay away from trendy, then wood-look may or may not be the way to go. The fad was HOT for 4-6 years, but it has had it's run and is slowly being put to rest.

If you must have wood look, then look to 'real' wood colours. Don't do gray, white, black. Stick with the yellows, browns, and some orange tones (these are NOT trending right now...so you need to realize it is going to be very traditional for your colour/design).

You want a rectified tile. These large format tiles (anything with a single edge greater than 15" is ranked as a large format) have VERY specific installation requirements. Large format tile installation can carry a higher installation price. These are specialty sizes/tiles which means you pay for specialty installation prices. You do NOT dictate the grout line. The TILE dictates the grout line. So long as you understand this, you should be fine.

These long tiles are known to have concerns with warp and edges. That's why you pay BIG bucks to get the best of the best. Shop in TILE SHOPS and you will be fine. Your contract with your tile setter will include things like "Must be to NTSA standards and to manufacturer's requirements".

You will pay for subfloor preparation. These large tiles are finicky. You must have a very good subfloor! Must. Absolute must.

A regular tile has a 'total price' (materials + installation) - $12-$15/sf. A large format tile adds another $1-$3/sf onto that price tag (depends on your local economy and how much 'human sweat' is worth). You could be looking at $18/sf for this install.

And that does NOT include removal ($2-$3/sf) and subfloor prep ($2-$4/sf). it is entirely possible your ENTIRE job cost = $22 - $25/sf.

And with that price you STILL do not get to choose your grout lines.

I would not do wood look tile it is already a dated look and IMO never as nice as a simple 12 x24 or larger porcelain tile

We were looking at a Shaw Hacienda Macademia 6 x 36. It seemed to have a closer resemblance to real wood than most we have looked at. It is very traditional but leans toward some red tones which is concerning - but has a very warm look. It is my understanding that wood floors have stood the test of time and we were considering the porcelain wood tile as a option for durability,maintenance, and possible a lower price tag than real wood. Was also concerned about real wood in kitchen area. Thoughts and comments are appreciated.

We currently have porcelain tiles that would need to be removed.

Patricia is there a specific brand of wood flooring that you recommend for this application and what is the average cost of installation.

I searched high and low for the right wood look porcelain tile. We did tile because we’re in Florida with humidity, a pool, dogs and kids and it is perfect for our situation. It looks great even after 2 years so far and it is matte so has the rustic look of wood. I found the ones that looked the best are different sizes and lots of different faces. I don’t like when the pattern repeats, it looks too fake. Also we had very experienced tilers and they offset it so it looked more natural. There is a lot involved but if you do the research it can turn out beautifully. Couple pics of it in my house so you get an idea. We chose a lighter color scheme with a little gray in it but basically it’s just a natural toned tile.

Thank you KR. It is beautiful! It looks like they were able to do an extremely small grout line. Do you mind sharing the brand and collection/color of the tile. It is beautiful.

KR, your floor looks great!

M B, if I were you, I'd check what's being done in your neck of the woods, flooring-wise. A realtor in our area told me hardwood flooring is prized and gives homeowners a very high ROI. Might be worth the investment for you as well, depending on your location.

I have tile in my kitchen and regret it tremendously. Next house/life, I'm limiting tile to entry and bathrooms. Laundry room will get vinyl. Never again will I get tile for the kitchen or any room where I might spend more than 15 minutes standing. (Full disclosure: I wear slippers in the house. Perhaps those who wear cushioned shoes in their tiled kitchen don't hate their floor. Perhaps I'll get around to wearing "inside" shoes one day.) Anyway, tile can be gorgeous and yes, it's fairly easy to maintain but the gosh darn thing has no give, just grout. (Today's grout is apparently easier to maintain.) I had read warnings about the eternal hardness of tile in a kitchen in this forum 14 yrs ago when we did our kitchen but dismissed them. To paraphrase U2: I was young, a bit dumb, just wishing to be blinded by tile... :) Anyway, sharing my experience in case it might help.

Another consideration is trend cycles are much shorter for tile than hardwood.

Good luck with your choice.

Thank you for your input. All outside insight is helpful

A solid, site finished hardwood can have a purchase price of $5/sf (narrow plank...nothing exciting). Installation and finishing = $5-$7/sf. Demolition (of tile) and prep = same as tile. This is the cost of a nail-down wood floor. If you do a glue down hardwood (over concrete) you really start to climb the price ladder.

If you choose vinyl = $5/sf for material + $2.50 - $3/sf for installation (floating floor). Demolition (of tile) and prep = same as tile.

Laminate = $3-$4/sf + $2/sf to install. Demolition (of tile) and prep = same as tile.

Notice how you will ALWAYS pay for demolition of the tile ($2/sf) and subfloor prep ($2-$4/sf). Before you pay for anything you are already into the job for $4-$6/sf. You haven't paid for any material. You haven't paid for installation labour. All you have done is jack out the tile and prepare the subfloor for a new floor. This cost will ALWAYS be there.

As tartanmeup mentions, tile (and concrete) are tough to stand on. As we age, our bodies give us signals that things aren't right. If you need an example of how uncomfortable tile is, go and stand in line for 8 hours at Costco. Their polished concrete floors will have the same effect on your body as a home with tiles.

SJ McCarthy is a rectified edge the same as True Edge (marrazzi lists some of their specs as True Edge).

SJ McCarthy I have tile in the kitchen now and certainly notice the difference as I have aged. I understand that the price point of vinyl is much more affordable but my husband is not a fan. I like a little shine in the tile but prefer to stick with porcelain which is mostly a dull finish.

Could "True Edge" be a marketing term? I Googled it and came across this How to Choose Tile page from Dal-tile which you might find helpful. Among the features listed: "True Edge TM" TRU-EDGE Tile has rectified edges, which can have a smaller grout joint."

You mention two brands that you have checked so far; I suggest that you look at more higher end brands. Also, go to the better tile shops where they only deal with tile and stone, not other types of flooring too.

What specs should I be looking at to make sure we are getting a good quality tile. The install will be in kitchen, living area, dining area, hallways.

Many advertised porcelain tiles are actually ceramic, in % content yet sold as porcelain, do the boxs have A TCNA approval stamp? You need to look at tech specs of the material..

Porcelain content will be noted in its ratings for just this reason. Floor rated and COM 2,3,4,5,6 and/or PEI ratings denote different levels of porcelain content in the tiles. Not all porcelain is simply porcelain.

Your tile installer will inspect tiles and tell you how small a joint is smart. As long as youve made a good hiring decision and have a pro in your midst. Start with the tile pro rather than buying the wrong tiles.

A full demo, subfloor/substrate prep plus install grout and tile expense should be around $30/sq ft installed if you find a deal at $15 sq be warned.

We often do 1/16-3/32 joints with large format RECTIFIED porcelain. common these days.

Red Flag! Elephant in the room! OP says: I like a little shine in the tile but prefer to stick with porcelain which is mostly a dull finish.

I sense a, "Help! I hate my matte tiles! What can I do to make them shine?!" type of post. Sigh.

If you are someone who likes a bit of shine, you will HATE any matte finish. And I mean cursing and swearing every time you clean the tiles only to have them dry DULL and LIFELESS...AND those pesky foot prints REMAIN! Cheeze! What's to be done? I've spent HOURS cleaning my floors and they look HORRIBLE.

Yep. Been there. Done that. Wrote the T-Shirt. Sold the Copy rights.

I am going to say RIGHT NOW = NO MATTE finish for you! I am DEATHLY serious. How much are you willing to spend on correcting a $18/sf mistake (+$6/sf to remove and do prep one more time)????

Please ask yourself if you can afford to do this twice (go ahead and work with $36/sf for this type of mistake). If the answer is NO...then do NOT purchase matte finish tiles.

I say again, DO NOT PURCHASE MATTE FINISHED TILES!!

Please. We have too many Houzz threads with the heartache of 'matte finish' haters. Rethink this decision. Wait until shinier floors come back into vogue (shouldn't be too long...matte's been done to death).