The Heavy Truth Behind Large Tiles: Why It Costs More?

Eyeing those large format tiles for your renovation? Without a doubt, they make the house more seamless, as grout lines are reduced, accentuating the tiles themselves.

But let’s get one thing straight - these tiles will cost 20% more to install.

Here’s why.

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They’re heavy. Like really really heavier than normal tiles.

Normal tiles are often 30/60cm x 30/60cm, and weigh approximately 5kg.

Large format tiles, on the other hand, are often 60cm x 120cm. But look at the weight difference below.

One large format tile = 15kg.

That’s almost 3x the weight of a normal tile.

Let’s do the math: A typical 4-room flat in Singapore is about 1,000 sqft.

Assuming you are tiling the entire house (kitchen, living room, bedrooms), that’s about 700sqft.

With a large format 60cmx120cm tile (0.72sqm = 7.75 sqft), and including 20% wastage for chipped tiles, you are looking at 108 tiles, at 3x the weight.

And truth be told, it’s not just about the weight.

It is much bulkier than a normal-sized tile. As a result, you often need 2 people to lay these tiles. And you still require the same level of precision, such that the eventual tiles have a symmetrical and aligned finish. This takes time, patience, and really just, sweat.

This is why, on top of the tiles themselves costing more, the labour to lay the tiles increases as well.

And rightfully so.

(But of course, to a proportionate level of 20%, and not one that is exaggerated)

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