Gray Marble Floor in a Belmar Living Room

About This Project

This living room floor in the Belmar neighborhood of Lakewood was a full slab-to-finish install. The homeowner chose a large-format, 24x48-inch gray marble-look porcelain tile in a polished finish. That size of tile demands a substrate that is exceptionally flat, because any low spots under a tile that large will result in a visible rocking or "lippage" between adjacent tiles.

We applied self-leveling compound over the existing concrete slab before setting any tile. After the compound cured, we snapped chalk lines to establish the layout from the center of the room outward, which placed the cut tiles at the walls where they are least visible. Medium-bed mortar was used throughout, with full back-buttering on every tile to achieve complete coverage. The joints were kept tight at 1/16 inch, consistent with the marble-look aesthetic. After grouting, a penetrating grout sealer was applied.