Recent project · Maryland kitchen · Carpets Etc., the flooring division of Mid-Atlantic Remodeling Co.
Large-format ceramic tile
24×24 porcelain tile in a Maryland kitchen, set dead level over an uncoupling membrane with a leveling clip system by the Carpets Etc. crew.
Project at a glance
| Location | Anne Arundel County, Maryland |
|---|---|
| Scope | Remove vinyl floor, prep subfloor, uncoupling membrane, 24x24 porcelain tile, grout, transitions |
| Tile | 24x24 rectified porcelain, light gray, matte finish, 1/8-inch grout joint |
| Area | Kitchen and breakfast nook, about 320 square feet |
| Crew time | Three days plus grout cure |
| Warranty | Our workmanship warranty on the installation |
Services on this job: Ceramic tile · Flooring · Luxury vinyl & laminate
The situation
The kitchen in this Severna Park home had a sheet vinyl floor from a 1990s remodel that had yellowed and started lifting at the seams by the dishwasher. The owners were putting in new cabinets and a large island, and they wanted a floor that would look right with the gray-and-white kitchen and stand up to two dogs and three kids. They came into the Carpets Etc. showroom with a photo of the cabinets and left with a sample of a 24×24 rectified porcelain in a soft gray.
Large-format tile is the right choice for a kitchen like this: fewer grout lines to clean, a calmer look across a big floor, and porcelain is harder and less absorbent than ceramic, so spills and dog nails do not mark it. The catch is that big tiles show every flaw in the floor underneath. A 24-inch tile over a subfloor that is out of flat by a quarter inch will rock, crack or sit with one edge proud of the next. That is why most of this job was preparation.
What we did
- Showroom consultation with cabinet photos; samples taken home to check in the kitchen's light
- Old sheet vinyl and underlayment removed
- Subfloor checked for deflection and flatness; two high spots ground, low areas filled with a self-leveling compound
- Uncoupling membrane installed over the whole floor with thinset
- Layout planned from the island outward so cut tiles land under the toe kicks
- 24x24 porcelain set in a large-format thinset with a leveling clip system at every joint
- 1/8-inch joints, light gray grout, sealed after cure
- Schluter-style metal transitions to the adjoining hardwood
- Cabinets and island set after the tile cured so the floor runs under them
How the job went
Day one was demolition and prep. The vinyl came up along with its underlayment, and we checked the plywood subfloor with a straightedge in both directions. Two high spots near the old dishwasher were ground down and the low area in the breakfast nook was filled with a self-leveling compound. Flat within 1/8 inch over ten feet is the standard for large-format tile; we got it tighter than that. We also checked the floor for deflection, because a bouncy subfloor cracks tile and grout no matter how good the install is. This one was solid.
Day two was membrane and layout. An uncoupling membrane goes between the subfloor and the tile and lets the two move independently, so seasonal movement in the wood does not telegraph into the tile. With it down, we snapped lines from the center of the island so the full tiles are in the walking area and every cut lands under a toe kick or against a wall. Then the tile went down, each one back-buttered and set in a thinset formulated for large format, with a leveling clip at every joint. The clips pull adjacent tiles flush while the thinset cures, which eliminates lippage, the raised edge you catch a toe on.
Day three was grout and transitions. We used a 1/8-inch joint, the narrowest a rectified tile allows, with a light gray grout that disappears into the tile. After cure the grout was sealed, the metal transitions were set against the hardwood in the hall, and the cabinet installer came in behind us.
Materials and methods
The tile is a rectified porcelain, which means the edges are ground square after firing so every tile is exactly the same size; that is what allows a 1/8-inch joint. Porcelain is fired harder than standard ceramic and absorbs almost no water, so it will not stain and does not need sealing. The matte finish hides footprints and is less slippery wet than a polished tile.
Under it is an uncoupling membrane bonded to the subfloor with modified thinset, then a large-format-rated thinset under the tile. Standard thinset is not designed for 24-inch tiles and can leave voids under the center of the tile that lead to cracks. The leveling system uses reusable caps and disposable clips at every intersection. Grout is a high-performance cementitious grout in Silver, sealed with a penetrating sealer. Transitions are anodized aluminum profiles set in the thinset.
Why it matters for Anne Arundel County homeowners
Anne Arundel County kitchens see a lot of water: pool towels, boat gear, dogs coming in from the bay. Porcelain tile is the floor that shrugs all of it off, which is why it has replaced vinyl and laminate in so many Severna Park, Annapolis and Arnold kitchens. Large-format tile in particular has become the standard for the open-plan kitchens in newer county construction.
The county’s older homes often have subfloors that have moved over the years. That is not a reason to skip tile, but it is a reason to insist on a flatness check, a membrane and a leveling system. Tile that cracks in year two is almost always a prep problem, not a tile problem.
Cost, insurance and what the owners paid
Tile is priced by the square foot for material and labor, with prep, membrane and transitions as separate lines. On this job the prep and membrane were about a quarter of the total, which surprised the owners until we explained that it is the difference between a floor that lasts thirty years and one that cracks. We showed them the straightedge on the old subfloor; that settled it.
Porcelain costs more than ceramic and large-format costs more to install than 12×12 because of the leveling system and the thinset, but the finished floor has fewer grout lines to maintain. Nothing here was an insurance claim. Financing was available through the showroom.
What to expect if you hire us for a job like this
Every Carpets Etc. install starts in the showroom or with samples brought to your home, because flooring looks different in your light than under ours. Our installer measures the rooms himself so the quote and the cut are exact, and the quote itemizes material, pad or underlayment, prep, transitions, furniture moving and haul-away so there is nothing hidden. On install day the crew moves the furniture, removes the old floor, fixes squeaks and flattens the subfloor, and installs with the method the material needs: power-stretching for carpet, a leveling system for large tile, acclimation for hardwood. Furniture goes back where it was and the old floor leaves with us. We stand behind the workmanship, and the manufacturer backs the material. If the floor is going in after a flood, our restoration division dries the room first and the flooring becomes part of the same insurance claim.
Questions about this kind of project
Porcelain or ceramic?
Porcelain for floors, showers and heavy traffic; it is harder and absorbs less water. Ceramic is fine for walls and backsplashes and costs less.
Can you tile over my existing floor?
Over sound tile or concrete, usually yes with the right membrane. Over sheet vinyl, laminate or a wood subfloor we remove the old floor and prep the substrate first.
How long before I can walk on it?
Foot traffic in 24 hours; grout fully cures in about 72. Cabinets and heavy appliances go on after that.
Will large tiles crack?
Not if the floor is flat, the membrane is in and the right thinset is used. Cracked large-format tile is almost always a prep problem.
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Serving every county in Maryland
From Baltimore and Harford County to the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland, our crews work across Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico and Worcester counties. Based at 1012 Saddle View Way, Forest Hill, MD 21050.
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