Notaio

Notaio is Italian for notary, and the tile has the dark coffee brown of an old office floor, set on a satin textured face with four random faces per design. Planks are 8 x 48 inches in glazed ceramic at 9 to 9.5 mm, a carton of 5 covering 12.91 sq ft at 25 kg. Dark brown belongs in a study, a library or a dining room, with bookshelves, leather and warm lamps rather than downlights. The satin texture keeps a dark floor from mirroring the ceiling. With four faces on a long plank, open several cartons and mix them before setting.

• How is Notaio sold?

  Notaio comes in 8 x 48 inch planks, 5 to a box. One box covers 12.91 sq ft and weighs about 55 lb.

• How many boxes of Notaio do I need for a 12 x 15 ft family room?

  A 12 x 15 ft room is 180 sq ft. With 10 percent added for cuts and breakage that is 198 sq ft, or 16 boxes at 12.91 sq ft each.

• Can Notaio go over radiant floor heating?

  Yes. It is a glazed ceramic plank 9 to 9.5 mm thick, so it does not gap, cup or split as the floor warms, and it has no 80°F (27°C) surface limit the way engineered wood does.

• What grout joint does Notaio need?

  Notaio is a curve-edge plank, not rectified, so plan on a joint of 3 to 5 mm, about 1/8 to 3/16 inch. The wider joint gives each board its own line, the way real planks sit.