Panels of 120 × 240 cm and larger behave differently from ordinary tiles long before they are laid. Planning for them avoids broken panels and uneven floors.

Handling and access

Large panels are carried on frames with suction lifters, by two or more people. Check lift sizes, stairs and door openings before delivery, and plan where the panels will be stored and cut.

Substrate

The larger the tile, the less the substrate can depart from flat before the edges show. National standards set the flatness tolerances; for large formats, levelling the substrate before tiling is usually cheaper than making up the difference with adhesive.

Adhesive and coverage

Large panels need full contact with the adhesive. Buttering the back of the panel as well as combing the substrate, then pressing out the ridges, avoids voids that crack under load. Deformable adhesives, class S1 or S2 in EN 12004, take up the movement a large, stiff panel sees; the manufacturer names a suitable one.

Lippage and joints

Rectified edges allow narrow joints, but a slight bow in a long panel shows at its edges. Levelling clip systems hold neighbouring edges level while the adhesive sets. Offset patterns are limited on long formats: ANSI A108.02 recommends an offset of at most a third for tiles with a side longer than 18 in (457 mm).

Cutting and openings

Straight cuts are made on a rail cutter as long as the panel. Openings for sinks and sockets are cut with water-cooled diamond tools, with rounded inside corners so that cracks do not start there.