How to pick the best wood look tile: a buyer's checklist

"Best wood look tile" has no single answer, because the tile that suits a covered patio is not the one that suits a bedroom. What does transfer between projects is how to judge one, and most of it can be done with a sample in your hand and four questions to a supplier.

We make these tiles, so use this list on us as well. Every item below is something you can check rather than something you have to take on trust.

1. Feel the edge before you look at the print

Pick up a sample and run a finger across the long edge.

A rectified tile is pressed as a large sheet and sawn to size, so the edge is sharp and square. A calibrated or non-rectified tile is pressed to size in its own mold, so the edge comes out softly rounded.

For a wood look, the rounded edge is the one that matters. Real boards do not have knife edges, and a formed edge makes the joint read as the shadow line between two planks rather than a grid drawn on the floor. Every tile we make is calibrated with a formed curve edge.

The trade-off is joint width: a formed edge needs a 3 to 5 mm joint, so if your design needs a 1/16 inch line, you want rectified tile and a different supplier.

2. Ask how many randomized faces the design has

This is the single most useful question and the one almost nobody asks.

A wood look tile is a printed image. If a design has four faces, every fifth plank on your floor is identical to the first, and across an open-plan room the eye finds that repeat. Across our plank range the count runs from 1 to 18 depending on the design.

Ask for the number for the specific design you are buying, not for the collection. A supplier who answers with a range for the whole series has not answered the question.

3. Get the absorption figure, and the standard it was tested to

In the United States, porcelain is a threshold rather than a quality grade: 0.5% water absorption or less, measured by ASTM C373 under ANSI A137.1. The Tile Council of North America explains how that classification works.

Our tiles are glazed ceramic and absorb 6 to 8%, which is group BIIb under EN 14411, the European standard we certify to.

Two things to take from that. First, the figure describes the body under the glaze, not the surface you walk on and mop. Second, the standards differ, so if a specification names ASTM C373, ask for the report instead of assuming the numbers convert.

Any supplier who won't give you a number is worth a second look. "Low absorption" is not a number.

4. Match the surface to the room, not to the photograph

Three surfaces, and the choice is functional rather than aesthetic:

• Matt Texture: matte, low sheen, grain relief you can feel. The one for bathrooms, kitchens, laundries and outdoor floors, because the relief gives grip when the floor is wet. 71 designs.
• Satin Texture: soft sheen over light relief. Living rooms and bedrooms. 74 designs.
• Satin Plain: smooth, no relief. Dry interiors and walls. 62 designs.

A showroom photograph will not tell you which you are looking at. The name on the spec sheet will.

5. Check thickness and breaking strength together

Ours are 9 to 9.5 mm, about 3/8 inch, with a breaking strength of 280 to 300 kg/cm². Thickness on its own tells you little; thickness with a strength figure tells you something.

6. Ask for certification you can actually verify

We hold CE, ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001, and certify to EN 14411. The point is not the acronyms. It is that a certificate can be looked up and a marketing line cannot.

Be wary of any slip rating quoted without a test report for the exact design. We do not publish slip ratings, and if a project needs one we will say so rather than supply a number.

7. Ask about batches and calibre codes

Tiles are fired in batches and sorted into calibre codes for small size differences. One room should be laid from one calibre and one batch, or the joints stop lining up part way across.

Ask whether the quantity you need is available from a single batch. On a large floor this matters more than any other item on this list, and it is the question that separates a supplier who ships from stock from one who does not.

How to test a sample properly

• Ask for a full plank, not a cut square. Edge behaviour and the print repeat only show at full size.
• Look at it in the actual room, at the time of day you use that room. Showroom lighting flatters everything.
• Put it on the floor and stand on it in bare feet, wet if it is destined for a bathroom or kitchen.
• Lay two or three together to see how the joint reads and whether the faces differ.
• Try to stain it. Oil, coffee, turmeric if you cook with it. The glaze should shrug all of them off.

The three answers that should worry you

"It's porcelain" used loosely, with no absorption figure behind it. Porcelain is a measured threshold, not a compliment.

A slip rating with no test report for the design you are buying.

No number at all, for absorption, face count, thickness or batch availability. Each of those exists on a spec sheet somewhere, and a supplier either has it or does not.

Two designs worth requesting as samples are Cerezo and Notaio, both 200x1200mm (8 x 48 in) in Satin Texture.

The short version

Feel the edge, ask for the face count, get the absorption figure with its standard, and match the surface to the room. Those four cover most of the risk. Metro is India's No. 1 brand specialised in wooden tiles, and we make only calibrated, curve-edge wood look tile, which is a deliberate limit rather than a gap in the range.

Browse the formats on the 150x900mm (6 x 36 in) and 200x1200mm (8 x 48 in) pages, see every design on the all designs page, or read the honest pros and cons first. Specifications are in the downloadable catalogs.

Request samples and test them under your own lighting before committing. Talk to our team.

Frequently asked questions

What makes one wood look tile better than another?

The edge type, the number of randomized faces in the design, and whether the surface suits the room. Print quality matters, but a realistic print on the wrong surface is still the wrong tile.

How can I tell if a wood look tile will look repetitive?

Ask how many randomized faces the design has. The range across plank tile is wide, and a low count shows as a visible repeat across a large floor.

Is porcelain always better than ceramic for wood look tile?

No, it is different. Porcelain is defined as 0.5% absorption or less and is specified where the body matters. On a glazed floor the surface does the work, so the right question is what the room needs.

What is the most realistic wood look tile?

The one with a formed curve edge, a high randomized face count and a surface with real grain relief. Those three do more for realism than the print resolution alone.

Should I ask for a slip rating?

Ask if your project requires one, and expect a test report for the exact design rather than a general claim. We do not publish slip ratings and will say so.

How much extra tile should I order?

About 10% over your measured area, and keep the offcuts and spares. A damaged plank in year four is then a swap instead of a hunt for a discontinued batch.