Pine Street Remodel - 002 - Ceramic Tile

I've been looking at ceramic tile.  One of the problems with ceramic tile are grouted joint lines.  Sometimes the joint lines themselves become a visual feature to the benefit or detriment of the overall design.  I want to minimize the impact of the joint line.  

Minimizing the impact of the grout line means minimizing the total amount of joints by using larger tiles and or narrower widths.  This photo shows a grout line of about 1/16" which is probably the bare minimum.  Even then, the tile edge must be very square and the quality control of the size of the tiles must be excellent.  If there is any variation in size, you must accommodate it with a wider joint line.  The larger the tile, the more unforgiving it is to any imperfections on the surface on which it is applied.  Craftsmanship is important here.

Another way of minimizing the joint line is to pick a grout color that "matches" the color of the tile.  This usually works quite well unless the color changes with staining from mold or dirt.  The grey tile and grey grout seems to solve both of these problems and is a good solution -- if you like grey (which I do).  Fortunately the right grey can form an elegant backdrop for something else.

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Here the grey tile contrasts with the white carrera marble allowing the marble to be the focus.    Michelangelo used it and maybe we will too.   

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