Kitchen tiles take more abuse than any other surface in the house. Dropped pans, standing water at the sink, oil spatter, and appliance feet loaded to 80kg all land on the same few square metres, usually while somebody walks over it in wet socks.
Which is why the specification matters more than the photograph. Two tiles can look identical in a showroom and behave completely differently once a kitchen is running around them. These are the six numbers to check before you order.
1. Water absorption: why porcelain wins
The technical difference between porcelain and ceramic is water absorption. Porcelain is fired at higher temperatures from denser clay, and true porcelain absorbs under 0.5 percent of its weight in water. Ceramic typically sits between 3 and 7 percent.
In a kitchen that gap decides everything downstream:
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Spills sit on the surface rather than soaking in, which is what makes porcelain genuinely easy to clean rather than just marketed that way
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The body of the tile needs no sealing, unlike natural stone
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Density resists chipping when something heavy lands edge-on
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Colour runs through the tile in through-body porcelain, so a chip stays almost invisible
This is also why the same product works for kitchen, bathroom, and hallway floors. One specification covers every wet and high-traffic room in the house, which simplifies both ordering and future repairs.
2. PEI wear rating
For a domestic kitchen floor you want PEI 4 or above, which covers heavy residential and light commercial traffic. Anything rated PEI 2 or 3 is a wall or low-traffic floor tile regardless of what the room name in the product photo suggests.
The porcelain floor tile range at Axar Tiles is specified for high-traffic areas, and our team can confirm the absorption and wear figures for any product before you buy.
3. Slip resistance
This is the spec most people skip, and it only becomes obvious after the floor is down.
UK tiles carry an R rating from R9 to R13, measured on a ramp test. R9 is the minimum for internal dry areas. For kitchen floor tiles, R10 is a sensible baseline and R11 is worth considering if you have young children, elderly relatives, or a back door opening onto a garden.
Some manufacturers publish a Pendulum Test Value instead. A PTV of 36 or above counts as low slip potential in wet conditions, which is the figure to look for on any tile going near a sink, dishwasher, or fridge dispenser. Ask for the rating in writing before ordering.
4. Finish: are glossy floor tiles right for a kitchen?
Glossy floor tiles bounce light around a room, which genuinely helps in a galley kitchen, a north-facing space, or anywhere with one small window. The visual case is real.
The practical case is more mixed:
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Polished and glossy surfaces have lower wet grip than matte or textured equivalents, so check the R rating rather than assuming
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Water marks, footprints, and dried splashes show clearly on a dark gloss floor
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Reflected downlights can create glare across a large open-plan floor
A workable compromise is gloss where the light gain matters and matte or textured kitchen tiles in the working zone around the sink and hob. Alternatively choose a mid-tone polished tile rather than a dark one, since marks show far less. Our stylish tile collection carries matte, glossy, textured, and polished finishes across a wide range of colours, so the two can be combined without a visible mismatch.
On colour: mid greys, warm sands, and stone effects hide daily marks better than either brilliant white or near-black. If you want a dark floor, matte will stay looking clean for longer than gloss.
5. Size: why 600x600 floor tiles suit most kitchens
600x600 floor tiles have become the standard kitchen format for good reason. The proportions suit most UK kitchen footprints, the grout line count is low enough to read as a continuous surface, and each tile is still light enough for one person to handle.
How size changes the room:
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Larger formats such as 600x1200 suit open-plan kitchen diners and make a space read wider, but demand a very flat subfloor
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600x600 is the practical middle ground for a typical 10 to 20 square metre kitchen
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Smaller formats add grout lines, which means more visual texture and more cleaning
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Rectangular tiles laid lengthways along the shortest wall will visually widen a narrow galley
Fewer grout lines also means a floor that stays easy to clean, since grout is what discolours first in a kitchen.
6. Subfloor and underfloor heating
Large format tiles need a subfloor flat to within roughly 3mm over 2 metres. If your floor is uneven, either level it first or drop to a smaller format, because lippage between big tiles is very hard to disguise afterwards.
On timber subfloors, check deflection before ordering. A floor that flexes will crack grout lines and eventually the tiles themselves, and no adhesive compensates for movement.
Porcelain conducts heat well and pairs well with underfloor heating. Use a flexible adhesive and a grout rated for heated floors, then bring the system up to temperature gradually after installation rather than switching straight to full output.
How many kitchen tiles to order
Measure the floor area in square metres, then add 10 percent for cuts and breakages. For diagonal or herringbone layouts, or a room with several alcoves and appliance recesses, add 15 percent.
Order the full quantity in one go. Tiles are produced in batches and shade varies slightly between them, so a top-up placed three weeks later may not match. Keep the batch number from the box and set aside four or five spare tiles for future repairs.
Ordering kitchen tiles from Axar Tiles
We have supplied porcelain, ceramic, and mosaic tiles across the UK for a decade, and every order comes with the guarantees that matter on a project this size:
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Free delivery on orders over £500
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100-day returns on unused, undamaged tiles
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Price match promise against any UK retailer on the same tile
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Samples before you commit, so you can judge the finish in your own kitchen light
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Bulk pricing on larger orders
Browse the floor tile collection, or call 0203 355 1197 and tell us your room dimensions, light levels, and whether you have underfloor heating. We will shortlist kitchen tiles that meet the specification rather than just the brief.
FAQ
Are porcelain tiles good for a kitchen floor?
Yes. Porcelain absorbs under 0.5 percent water, resists staining and chipping, needs no sealing, and is easy to clean with mild detergent. For a kitchen floor, look for a PEI wear rating of 4 or above and a slip rating of at least R10.
What slip rating do I need for kitchen floor tiles?
R10 is a sensible baseline for a domestic kitchen. Choose R11 if you have children, elderly household members, or a door opening directly onto a garden. If the manufacturer publishes a Pendulum Test Value instead, look for 36 or above.
Are glossy floor tiles a bad idea in a kitchen?
Not necessarily, but check the slip rating rather than assuming. Gloss adds useful light in small or north-facing kitchens. The trade-offs are lower wet grip and more visible water marks, so many people use gloss across the room and matte or textured tiles in the sink and hob zone.
What size floor tiles are best for a kitchen?
600x600 suits most UK kitchens. It reduces grout lines without needing a perfectly level subfloor. Larger formats such as 600x1200 work well in open-plan kitchen diners but require a subfloor flat to within about 3mm over 2 metres.
Can I use the same kitchen tiles in a bathroom?
Yes. Porcelain rated for kitchen bathroom use covers both, provided the slip rating suits the room. Bathrooms usually need R11 or a textured finish because bare feet on a wet floor have less grip than shoes.
Which kitchen floor tiles are easiest to clean?
Matte or polished porcelain in a mid-tone colour, in the largest format your subfloor allows. Porcelain does not absorb spills, and fewer grout lines means less of the surface that discolours over time.
How many kitchen tiles should I order?
Take the floor area in square metres and add 10 percent for cuts and breakages, or 15 percent for diagonal and herringbone layouts. Order everything in one batch, since shade varies slightly between production runs.
Do Axar Tiles deliver across the UK?
Yes. Axar Tiles delivers nationwide from our base in Stanmore, with free delivery on orders over £500 and a 100-day return policy on unused tiles.
