The following tool estimates the total number of tiles necessary to cover a floor, roof, wall, or any other surface. It also considers the gap or overlap between tiles for better accuracy.
| Tiles Needed: | 0 Pieces |
| Boxes Needed: | 0 Boxes |
| Total Area: | 0 meter² |
Floor or wall tiles are typically installed with gaps between the tiles because the average tile may look quite similar to the next tile, but they are often not uniform in shape and size, and would not fit properly if installed without any gaps. These gaps are most commonly filled with grout, and as such, are often referred to as grout size or grout lines.
Grout is a form of concrete, and the gap between tiles can range from anywhere between one-sixteenth of an inch to half an inch in size. Different sized tiles, materials, and design needs all affect the size of the gaps.
Although it is typically more difficult to have small gaps between tiles due to a lack of uniform shape and size, the use of rectified tiles (tiles that undergo additional processing to ensure they are uniform) can allow for smaller spacing, though at an additional cost. For more uniformly cut tiles such as granite, smaller grout spacing can result in less visibility of grout lines between each tile.
In some cases, such as with roofing tile or the wood siding of a wall, rather than having a gap between them, tiles overlap to prevent leakage. The tile calculator can account for both of these situations. Enter a positive value if there is a gap between the tiles being used, or a negative value if the tiles overlap.
Tile size can range anywhere from smaller mosaics that are 3/8", to 24" × 48" slab tiles and everything in between. Square sizes (same width and length) are the most popular, accessible, and easiest to install. While straight edge tiles (rectangular, square, parallelogram) are the most common, unique tile shapes also exist, though installation is not as easy.
Large tile sizes can make smaller rooms appear bigger, as well as more open and clean because there are fewer grout lines. However, installing larger tiles results in more wastage, while using smaller tiles can help add texture to a room.
There are a number of different classifications of tiles, including ceramic, porcelain, glass, quarry, and stone.
There are many different patterns used when installing tiles.