The Rise Of Large Format Tiles & Slabs

As advancements in production techniques bring new opportunities for porcelain tile designers and manufacturers, we’re not only seeing an increase in the number of ranges featuring large format tiles and super-sized slabs but also unprecedented levels of definition and realism in the surface patterns, that come to life at grand scale.

The quest for more seamless surfaces continues with interior designers, architects, housebuilders and property developers looking for new ways of delivering highly technical schemes with greater continuity and cohesion.

Large format tiles, such as those in 60/60, 60/90, 60/120 and 120/120 sizes, or 75/75 and 75/150 for instance, with common dimensions, allow for more exact alignment of tiles and grout lines, when transitioning between floors and walls, or room to room. With crisp, rectified edges and calibrated sizes across wider collections and different colourways, the opportunities for coordinating complementary or contrasting designs with precision enables more inventive combinations to be proposed and achieved.

Large format tiles deliver more continuous surfaces with fewer grout lines, which has added benefits beyond residential installations. With easy clean and durable finishes, and less joints in which dirt can accumulate, porcelain tiles have become the first choice for commercial premises including restaurants, hotels and hospitality venues, retail stores and showrooms, leisure and gym facilities, and even workplace environments.

No matter the desired style, tile designs are available with a diverse range of stone, concrete and clay effects, those that emulate pure marble and vivid gemstones, or even warmer wood-looks in extended plank formats. Whilst they replicate these naturally formed materials with exceptional authenticity, man-made porcelain tiles are more uniform in scale and thickness, are available with different surface treatments and finishes, a wider choice of colours and patterns and are often more cost effective than other traditional alternatives.

As such, they offer both desirable and viable choices over natural materials, being more sustainably produced, less likely to fade or show wear, highly resistant to frost and extreme heat, excellent conductors of underfloor heating, and extremely strong and enduring when laid correctly on the right substrates.

All porcelain tiles are manufactured to energy and water-efficiency criteria and are environmentally friendly due to their long-lasting and recyclable characteristics. Indeed, some ranges with large format tiles and slabs are now produced with over 60% pre-and post-consumer recycled content, offering options with an even lower environmental impact.

In large formats for floors, anti-slip ratings range from R9 – R11 and so include variants suitable for use throughout the home including bathrooms, or in public spaces and high-footfall places, and they can be aligned from inside to outdoors, where matching 20 mm porcelain pavers with structured surfaces can be laid.

Providing complete systems of surface solutions for such a wide variety of applications including stairways, wall cladding, specialist drainage components and countertops, it’s no wonder the appeal of porcelain has increased with architects, interior designers, housebuilders and property developers.

The proliferation of super-sized slabs now being produced in porcelain has also fuelled the imagination of professional designers, offering one-piece solutions to shower enclosures, bath sides, powder room walls and for kitchen splashbacks, to clad breakfast bars and as counter tops. When laid adjacently as varied pieces, with joined up, ‘endless’ patterns or in book match designs, the removal of grout lines can help deliver the impression of near seamless surfaces across walls, and in some instances floors.

In 120/240, 120/278, 160/160 and now 160/320 dimensions, slab formats are available in designs including those replicating marble, gemstones, travertine, natural stone, concrete and even specialist wood-look product lines. Generally manufactured in 6 mm thickness for ease of handling and efficiency of transportation, these are principally for use on walls, but with some 9 mm thickness options or when laid to the right stable substrates, remarkable results can also be achieved on floors.

What’s more, because porcelain tiles can be cut and drilled to accommodate plumbing, drainage, brassware, electricals, sockets and switches, these expansive slabs need not constrain the designer’s ambitions.

Large format tiles and super-sized slabs come in a range of different finishes, depending on the design, including matt/natural, polished/Lappato, brushed, silk and hammered. For wet areas, or where slip resistance is particularly important, large format tiles and outdoor porcelain pavers can come with grip or structured surfaces with R11 anti-slip ratings, while also offering complete comfort underfoot.

Within the extensive Minoli product portfolio, there are now some 1,300 large tile options and 360 slab or extra-long plank formats, of which over 275 are now held in plentiful UK stock, ready for prompt delivery to site, normally within 2-5 working days, from our centrally located Warehouse & Distribution Centre in Oxford.

If you’re looking to specify large format tiles or super-sized slabs in your next project, why not take a look at what’s on offer in the Minoli collections and request some samples. Our teams would be happy to advise and help you choose the right materials to realise the most technical and inventive designs, so please do get in touch:

• Minoli Oxford – 01865 778225 / showroom@minoli.co.uk
• Minoli London – 020 7474 2934 / thesurfacewithin@minoli.co.uk
• Existing Corporate Clients – Please contact your account manager / developers@minoli.co.uk
• Outdoor Product Enquiries – 01865 778225 / outdoor@minoli.co.uk