The tile is easy.
The floor under it
is the job.

Good plank-look porcelain is printed in many different faces, so no two neighboring tiles are the same. We mix tiles from several cartons as we lay, so similar faces never sit side by side. Check the number of faces on the sample before ordering, because fewer faces means a more obvious repeat.

Longer planks look closer to real wood but need a flatter slab and a careful offset. Shorter ones are more forgiving. In a small room, a wide plank can look cramped, and a thin one looks busy in a large open plan. Lay a few samples on the floor before you commit.

Many makers advise a stagger of about a third or less on long tiles, because they can bow slightly, and a half offset makes the corners stand proud. We follow the maker's guidance and check the first rows with a straightedge. Random offsets look natural but must stay within that limit.

Yes. Stair treads need a non-slip surface, a nosing or a trim to protect the edge and a rise that matches the others. Risers can be tiled or painted. Because each tread is cut, stairs take longer than the rest of the floor. A rated tile and a tidy nose make the stairs safer.

Rectified tiles are cut after firing to give straight, square edges and nearly identical sizes. That allows a narrow grout joint, which many homeowners like. A narrow joint shows every height difference, so the slab must be flat. Wider joints are more forgiving and give the floor room to move.

Porcelain is hard and resists scratches, but a heavy pan dropped on an edge can chip it, especially on a rectified edge. Through-body tile hides chips better than glazed tile. Keep a few spare tiles from the same batch, so a damaged tile can be cut out and replaced.

Grout haze is a thin film of grout left on the tile surface after the joints are filled. It is cleaned off with a damp sponge while the grout is fresh, or a mild acidic cleaner afterwards, as the grout maker allows. Avoid harsh acids on colored grout, which can fade.

Yes, if the tile is rated for outdoor use and has a slip-resistant surface. Choose a frost-proof, textured porcelain, and slope the slab so rain runs away. Dark tile can feel hot in direct sun. We can show samples and suggest a color that stays cooler underfoot.