Large-Format Wood-Look Tile: The Warmth of Wood with the Practicality of Ceramics

When you want wood but need practicality

Natural wood is one of the warmest and coziest materials in an interior. It creates a feeling of comfort, brings you closer to nature and never goes out of fashion. But wood has significant limitations: it fears moisture, needs regular care, and wears and scratches over time. What if you could get all the beauty of wood without its drawbacks? Large-format wood-look tile is exactly that solution.

M-STONE professionally lays large-format wood-look tile, creating a surface that is visually indistinguishable from natural parquet or planks but lasts for decades without special care.

Why wood-look tile is a sensible choice

Comparison with natural wood

Characteristic	Natural wood	Wood-look tile
Moisture resistance	Low (it deforms)	Absolute
Wear resistance	Medium (scratches)	High
Care	Regular (varnishing, oil)	Minimal
Underfloor heating	Limited	Ideal
Bathroom	Not recommended	Ideal
The kitchen	Limited	Ideal
A terrace	Special species	No restrictions
Service life	15-30 years (with restoration)	50+ years
Eco-friendliness	A natural material	Needs no logging of forests

Advantages of wood-look tile

Practicality

• Not afraid of water and moisture
• Does not deform with temperature changes
• Needs no sanding and varnishing
• Easy to wash with any products
• Leaves no marks from furniture

Durability

• Does not wear away from walking
• Does not fade in the sun
• Does not darken or yellow over time
• Keeps its original look for decades

Versatility

• Suitable for all rooms, including the bathroom
• Can be used with underfloor heating
• Suitable for outdoors (frost-resistant options)
• Goes with any interior style

Hygiene

• Does not absorb odours
• Is not a medium for bacteria and fungus
• Easy to disinfect
• A hypoallergenic surface

Wood-look tile formats

Classic formats (imitating parquet and planks)

20×120 cm

• Imitates a narrow parquet plank
• A classic look
• Many joints (less monolithic)
• Suitable for small rooms

20×180 cm

• Imitates a long plank
• An elegant elongated format
• Fewer joints along the length

30×120 cm

• Imitates a wide plank
• A modern look
• A popular format

30×180 cm

• A wide long plank
• A premium look
• For spacious rooms

Large formats

40×240 cm

• Imitates a massive plank
• A minimum of cross joints
• A modern luxurious look

30×300 cm

• An extra-long format
• Continuous lines
• For long corridors and large halls

50×300 cm

• The maximum wood-look format
• A monolithic look
• The effect of a real deck plank

Square formats (imitating parquet modules)

60×60 cm, 80×80 cm

• Imitates modular parquet
• A “herringbone” or “squares” pattern
• A classic look

Designs and textures

Imitated wood species

Oak The most popular imitation. An expressive texture with characteristic knots and veining.

Options:

• Natural oak (warm beige)
• Bleached oak (light, almost white)
• Grey oak (Scandinavian style)
• Bog oak (dark brown)
• Smoked oak (rich dark)

Walnut A noble dark wood with a refined pattern.

Characteristics:

• A rich brown colour
• Contrasting veining
• A luxurious look

Ash A light wood with a delicate pattern.

Characteristics:

• Light warm shades
• A soft texture
• Scandinavian style

Teak An exotic wood for special interiors.

Characteristics:

• A golden-brown colour
• A dense texture
• Associations with yachts and terraces

Wenge A dark African wood.

Characteristics:

• Very dark, almost black
• Contrasting light veining
• An exotic look

Olive A Mediterranean wood.

Characteristics:

• Warm beige-brown tones
• An expressive, unique pattern
• Every tile is unique

Pine A light wood with pronounced knots.

Characteristics:

• A light yellowish colour
• Many knots
• A rustic look

Types of surface finish

Natural

• A smooth surface with a light texture
• A universal option
• Ease of care

Brushed

• A texture imitating brush treatment
• A pronounced wood structure
• A tactile effect

Rustic

• Imitates aged wood
• Irregularities, traces of working
• A vintage effect

Sawn

• Saw marks
• An industrial look
• Loft style

Planed

• Perfectly smooth
• Modern minimalism
• An elegant look

Colour variations

Light

• Bleached oak
• Natural ash
• Scandinavian pine
• Birch

Medium (natural)

• Natural oak
• Honey oak
• Olive
• Teak

Dark

• Bog oak
• American walnut
• Wenge
• Ebony

Grey

• Grey oak
• Smoky oak
• Bleached grey oak
• Loft grey

Coloured (trendy)

• White (painted wood)
• Black (charred wood)
• Blue-grey (stained)

Ways of laying wood-look tile

Plank laying (Straight / Running Bond)

Description: the tiles are laid parallel to each other with an offset of 1/2 or 1/3 of the length.

1/2 offset (brick bond)

• Each row is offset by half a tile
• A classic symmetrical look
• Suitable for any room

1/3 offset

• Each row is offset by a third of a tile
• A more dynamic pattern
• A modern look

Random offset

• A random offset of varying size
• Imitates a real wooden floor
• The most natural look

Herringbone

Description: the tiles are laid at an angle of 45° or 90° to each other, forming a fishbone-like pattern.

Classic herringbone (45°)

• Tiles at 45° to the walls
• An elegant classic pattern
• Visually enlarges the space

Straight herringbone (90°)

• Tiles parallel and perpendicular to the walls
• A stricter look
• Easier to lay

Double (triple) herringbone

• Two or three tiles in each “tooth”
• A larger-scale pattern
• For large rooms

Chevron

Description: similar to herringbone, but the tiles are cut at an angle and meet in a clean line.

Characteristics

• More elegant than herringbone
• Needs special tile or trimming
• A premium look

Modular laying

Description: a combination of tiles of different sizes in a repeating pattern.

Options

• Squares + rectangles
• Different plank sizes
• Imitates modular parquet

Diagonal laying

Description: the tiles are laid at 45° to the walls.

Effect

• Visual enlargement of the space
• Dynamism
• More waste when cutting

Technology of laying wood-look tile

Features of laying long formats

The problem: long narrow tiles (20×120, 20×180 cm) tend to warp, becoming “bananas” or “propellers”.

The solution

Checking the geometry:

• Before laying, check every tile on a flat surface
• Reject clearly warped pieces
• The permissible deviation is up to 1 mm per metre

Preparing the base:

• A perfectly flat screed (a difference of up to 2 mm over 2 m)
• Thorough priming
• Using self-levelling compounds if needed

Applying the adhesive:

• Double application is mandatory!
• A notched trowel with a 10-12 mm tooth
• 100% coverage of the space under the tile

Levelling:

• A tile levelling system (TLS) is mandatory!
• More fixing points on long tiles
• At least 6-8 clips per 20×120 cm tile

Minimising the visibility of joints

Joint width

• Minimum: 1.5-2 mm
• Recommended: 2-3 mm
• Wood imitation allows wider joints (up to 4-5 mm), as between planks

Grout colour

• Matching the tile: the joints blend in
• Contrasting: emphasises the geometry
• Recommendation: grout 1-2 tones darker than the main colour of the tile

Laying direction

Along the light

• Tiles are laid perpendicular to the window
• The light emphasises the texture
• The classic approach

Along the long wall

• Visually lengthens the room
• Fewer cuts
• More economical

Along the short wall

• Visually widens the room
• More cuts
• For narrow rooms

Diagonally

• Visually enlarges the space
• The most waste (15-20%)
• Harder to lay

Using wood-look tile in different rooms

Living room and bedroom

Advantages

• The cozy look of wood
• The practicality of ceramics
• Compatible with underfloor heating
• Ease of care

Recommendations

• Large formats (30×180, 40×240 cm)
• Natural warm shades
• Plank or herringbone laying
• Matching grout

The kitchen

Advantages

• Water resistance (unlike parquet)
• Resistance to stains and grease
• Easy to wash
• Durability in a high-wear zone

Recommendations

• A matt or brushed surface (not slippery)
• Medium or dark shades (more practical)
• Epoxy grout for easy cleaning

Bathroom

Advantages

• The warmth of wood in a wet room
• Absolute water resistance
• Suitable for underfloor heating
• Creating a spa atmosphere

Recommendations

• A structured surface for slip resistance
• Dark tones of teak or walnut: an association with an exotic spa
• Or light oak: Scandinavian style
• Combined with stone-look tile

Corridor and hallway

Advantages

• High wear resistance
• Easy cleaning after coming in from the street
• A presentable look
• A visual continuation of the rooms

Recommendations

• Wear-resistant porcelain stoneware (PEI IV-V)
• Medium shades (more practical)
• A textured surface
• Laying along the corridor

Terrace and outdoors

Advantages

• The look of a wooden terrace without the upkeep
• Frost resistance
• Does not rot or turn grey
• Slip resistance

Recommendations

• Porcelain stoneware 20 mm thick
• A structured surface R11-R12
• Imitates teak or thermally treated wood
• Laying on supports or on adhesive

Commercial premises

Application

• Offices
• Clothing shops
• Cafés and restaurants
• Hotels

Recommendations

• PEI V wear resistance
• Large formats for fast laying
• Neutral colours (natural or grey oak)

Combining wood-look tile with other materials

Wood-look tile + stone-look tile

Zoning of spaces

• Kitchen (stone) + living room (wood)
• Bathroom (stone in the shower) + floor (wood)
• Hallway (stone) + corridor (wood)

The transition

• A straight junction with a profile
• A smooth transition without a profile
• A diagonal junction

Wood-look tile + plain tile

Accents

• Bright tile in the area of the kitchen backsplash
• Contrasting tile in the shower
• Decorative inserts

Wood-look tile + natural wood

Combining

• Tile on the floor + wood on the walls
• Tile in wet zones + parquet in dry ones
• Matching shades

Popular wood-look tile brands

Italian manufacturers

ABK (Italy)

• Soleras collection: an authentic imitation
• Nest collection: modern wood

Fondovalle

• VeDa Collection: large formats
• Komi: Japanese style

Provenza (DERA)

• W-Age collection: vintage wood
• Alter collection: industrial style

Caesar

• Meet: a wide choice of species
• Aextra 20: for outdoors

Spanish manufacturers

Porcelanosa

• Starwood: premium quality
• Oxford: classic wood

Vives

• Faro: large formats
• Nora: rustic style

Peronda

• Foresta: natural textures
• Grove: modern design

Other European manufacturers

Villeroy & Boch (Germany)

• Lodge: premium
• Oak Park: classic oak

Marazzi (Italy)

• Treverkcharme: authenticity
• Treverkhome: homely comfort

Contact information

M-STONE: experts in laying wood-look tile

📞 Phones: +38 068 100 27 96, +38 050 914 18 99 📧 Email: [email protected] 🌐 Website: https://mstone.ua/

Social media

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mstone_kiev/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mstone.kyiv/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@M-Stone_Kyiv/

Geography of work

Kyiv: all districts Kyiv region: Brovary, Irpin, Bucha, Vyshhorod, Vyshneve, Boiarka, Kozyn, Koncha-Zaspa and others All of Ukraine: travel to projects

M-STONE advantages for wood-look tile

✅ Laying experience: all formats and methods ✅ Herringbone and chevron: complex patterns ✅ Large formats: up to 50×300 cm ✅ Work with levelling systems: a perfectly flat surface ✅ Consultations: help choosing a design ✅ Underfloor heating: correct laying

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.