The Best Materials for Installing Large-Format Tile: Recommendations from the M-STONE Pros

Choosing materials for working with wide-format porcelain stoneware is no place to save. When one slab costs as much as a used car, using cheap adhesive or grout is an unjustified risk. In 2026 construction chemistry has made great strides, and the M-STONE team has tested hundreds of products to pick out the “gold standard” for the Kyiv market.

In this article we look at which brands of tile, adhesive and chemicals deliver that very “lifetime” result.

1. Top porcelain stoneware brands: what the pros work with

Today in Kyiv you can buy tile from any manufacturer, but for flawless geometry and a clean pattern we recommend:

• Laminam (Italy): pioneers of ultra-thin porcelain stoneware (3-5 mm). Ideal for cladding walls and furniture facades. Their slabs have minimal internal stress.
• Florim / Ariostea (Italy): the benchmark of design. If you need “marble” that cannot be told from the natural one, this is your choice. Excellent calibration (dimensional accuracy).
• Porcelanosa (Spain): a leader in the premium bathroom finishing segment. A very durable glaze and a superb imitation of natural textures.
• Atlas Concorde: a universal choice for heavily loaded floors (lobbies in the RiverStone residential complex or commercial areas on Khreshchatyk).

2. Adhesives: why class S1 and S2 matter

Large format does not absorb water, so the adhesive must have colossal adhesion and, even more importantly, flexibility.

• Mapei Ultralite S2: our favourite for slabs of 3000×1500 mm. It is a lightweight adhesive with the highest deformability. It “stretches” together with the house, not letting the slab crack.
• Litokol K100 (Hyperflex): ideal for underfloor heating systems. It has excellent thixotropy: a heavy slab on a wall does not slide down by a millimetre.
• Kerakoll H40: an eco adhesive that we often use in children’s rooms and bedrooms. Completely safe and with a phenomenal setting speed.

3. Epoxy grouts: forget cement forever

For slabs we use only two-component compounds. Cement grout in large-format joints is last century.

• Litokol Starlike EVO: the widest palette (more than 150 colours). It lets you match the shade to the tile exactly. It does not absorb coffee, wine or grease.
• Mapei Kerapoxy Design: a texture as smooth as glass. Ideal for bathrooms and kitchen backsplashes in elite apartments in Pechersk.
• Additives (glitters): for exclusive projects we add gold, silver or mother-of-pearl so that the joints become part of the decor.

4. Primers and waterproofing: the hidden heroes

Without quality substrate preparation even the best adhesive is useless.

• Mapei Eco Prim Grip: a primer with quartz sand. It creates a “sandpaper” surface on smooth concrete that the adhesive grips “for good”.
• Mapei Mapelastic: a two-component flexible waterproofing. We apply it in all wet zones (showers, terraces in the Royal Tower residential complex). It can bridge cracks in the substrate of up to 2 mm.

5. Equipment and consumables: the diamond standard

The quality of the cut depends on the blade. We use:

• Distar diamond blades (Ukraine/Italy): the Esthete and Edge series for a clean cut without chips.
• Baumesser core bits: for drilling holes for mixers in porcelain stoneware 20 mm thick.

Expert advice from M-STONE:

“Never buy materials of different brands for one assembly. We recommend using system solutions (for example, the whole line from Mapei).

Contacts for consultation and ordering:

We will help not only with installation but also with correctly calculating the amount of chemicals so that you do not overpay for leftovers.

• 📞 Call M-STONE:+38 (068) 100-27-96
• 📱 Write on Viber/Telegram:+38 (050) 914-18-99
• ✉️ Email for projects:[email protected]
• 📸 Our Instagram:@mstone_kiev
• 📘 Facebook:mstone.kyiv
• 📺 Our YouTube:M-Stone_Kyiv

The current cost of work for your project can be calculated in the online calculators or confirmed by the manager: it depends on the material, the slab format and the condition of the substrate. The consultation is free.