Polished or matte tiles?

amother

Fri, Oct 15 2021, 1:00 pm

We’re choosing tiles for our new house. It’s a very open plan so we’ll have the same tile from the entryway through the foyer and in the kitchen. There’s a tile I like that could really go well with my house but ideally I’d want semi polished and this one comes in either polished or matte. I know polished is prettier but I heard it could be very slippery. Should I do just the entry polished for the nice effect and the rest matte? How practical are both?

amother

Chartreuse

Fri, Oct 15 2021, 1:26 pm

I dont know much about tiles in general but in my rental there's matte tiles in one bathroom. They always look dirty. You see the dust, hair and shoe marks minutes after out being scrubbed clean. It's possible its because it's a white/ gray marbled look that it's showing up so prominently but I dont have this issue in my kitchen that's also whiteish color.

Eta kitchen tiles are not matte

mom39

Fri, Oct 15 2021, 4:20 pm

I have the same type of question. I would like to redo my kitchen and I really love the shiny porcelain floors. However, quite a few friends told me they can get slippery and they show footsteps. The tile store told me this is not true - that they are not slippery. I am not such a youngster (50s) and only getting older iyh. Do you think I should go with the shiny floors that I love or the matte look?

amother

Jade

Fri, Oct 15 2021, 5:38 pm

amother [ Chartreuse ] wrote:

And my MIL who just redid her kitchen has the opposite experience. She put in highly glossy white/light gray tiles and it does look gorgeous when it's freshly mopped and wiped dry. Otherwise, every drop of water, every speck of dirt gets reflected in the floor and is visible. Mopping the floor without drying it leaves water streaks. She regrets it big time since it's so unpractical.

esther11

Fri, Oct 15 2021, 6:10 pm

I agree with nearly everyone above. Glossy is usually slippery and always looks dirty. There is no question though, when it is fresh and clean it is stunning. I just would never want to deal with it! I definitely would say to never put glossy into a kitchen or bathroom where there is often wet floors and dirty feet/shoes around.

When we were putting in new tile, we brought home a few samples and literally walked on them with dirty and wet shoes to see how it felt and looked after. It really helped with my decision.

etky

Sat, Oct 16 2021, 3:29 pm

We put in a glossy porcelain tile on our main floor when we renovated 21 years ago.
It was the best design decision that I ever made.
I absolutely love it and the maintenance is minimal.
I vacuum or sweep and wipe it down with a damp rag once a week at most.
In the kitchen I obviously have to clean more often because the floor gets dirtier.
I have not found that the glossiness shows dirt at all but you have to choose a tile that has veins or shading and not a solid color. I would also stay away from white because it looks cold and garish IMO.
The floors always look clean. Anyone who visits remarks on the floor, and the fact that it is reflective creates such a bright atmosphere in the house.
We put in matte ceramic in the bathrooms and they show every speck of dirt and every hair.
So do the floors of most people I know who put in matte ceramic.
About the slipperiness factor: I haven't found the floor to be significantly more slippery than matte ceramic tile (and I raised a family in this house and was nervous about that). That said, I'm not sure it would be the best choice for a bathroom.

amother

Lightyellow

Sat, Oct 16 2021, 3:46 pm

I have a similar experience to etky. We installed shiny/glossy porcelain floors 5 years ago and they give the house a gleaming, clean effect, even though we aren't the type to clean the floor that often. (Lots of teens, a dog, a dusty backyard and sandy area of the country. We sweep most days and wash the floor once a week).

It's a light cream/beige but with lots of marbling veins. You can see the dirt if you look closely, but the general effect when you enter the house is of gleaming cleanliness. People often enter the house and exclaim how clean it is, when believe me, it is not that clean.

That said, they are slippery when wet. I am not sure I would do them again for that reason. I would probably get a matte stony look. Although from what I understand, the more 'rough' a floor is (ie non-slippery), the harder it is to properly do sponja.

I would never do shiny for a bathroom. In Israel tiles are graded according to how slippery they are - R8 - R11 I believe. There is a certain level needed for a bathroom (maybe R10? Don't remember) and shiny tiles don't fit the safety standard for that.

etky

Sat, Oct 16 2021, 4:17 pm

amother [ Lightyellow ] wrote:

Yes, when they are wet they are slippery for sure but ceramic tiles are also.
In the bathrooms we put anti-slip ceramic for that reason.
I have kitchen mats next to the sinks in the kitchen to avoid drips.
In general I use very little water when cleaning the floor because a quick wipedown is all that is necessary (but you do have to sweep/vacuum well beforehand) and they dry very quickly.
BTW I also have light cream/beige with lost of marbling.
I think it's important not to go too 'cold' as far as the color goes with this type of floor because the overall effect is a shiny, cool one. The cream/beige balances out the coolness of the floor very nicely.

allthingsblue

Sat, Oct 16 2021, 9:44 pm

mom39 wrote:

Especially at this age, go with the safer option. Of course the store will tell you that…

etky

Sun, Oct 17 2021, 1:05 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Thanks for the responses but now I’m even more confused Can't Believe It

getting such mixed reviews

Some people opt for something in the middle, sort of like a brushed, satin effect.
It's semi-glossy so it gives off a nice sheen but because it's sort of textured it's less slippery than totally smooth tiles.

amother

Sun, Oct 17 2021, 1:34 am

etky wrote:

That’s what I wanted but they have very few semi polished to choose from in my budget. So they suggested I do the tile I like in polished at the entryway and the hallway and kitchen matte.