Is Black Tile Hard To Keep Clean

doorsixteen_blackpennyrounds1

I get a surprising amount of traffic hither on the blog from people searching for pictures of blackness tiles with blackness grout (or black pennyrounds, or just black bath floors in general), and a lot of those people then email me to inquire about whether I similar having all of those things in my business firm and what the maintenance is like. It's been well-nigh 4 years (!!!) since we put them in our downstairs bathroom, so I experience like I can speak with a fleck of experience about them at this point.

What kind of tile, grout, and caulk is that?

We used matte blackness pennyrounds from Nemo tile (the mode lawmaking is m890) in our bathroom with Polyblend sanded grout in Charcoal, which really does read as black to my centre. It took a bit of hunting to observe it locally, but Tec makes sanded black caulk (Raven) that matched the grout pretty perfectly. (Grout is for between the tiles, and caulk is for joints — like where tiles meet at a corner or where your tile meets the tub.) Including the tile underlayment and all of the "ingredients," the whole floor cost about $350.

doorsixteen_blackpennyrounds2

The caulk line looks a little grayish here, simply that's really simply the photo. After iv years, the color hasn't faded at all — it still looks rich and black. Several people have asked me whether using products like talcum powder in the bathroom would be an effect with black grout. That's non something I ever use, but I practice wear loose face up pulverisation every day that I brush on with wild carelessness…and I've never noticed it showing up in the grout. I have dropped bits of cleaved pressed pulverisation onto the floor, though, and that does definitely require some clean-up, but goose egg that a regular sponge and warm water can't take care of. (Note: I did utilise a sealant later grouting. Not sure if that actually makes a difference, just information technology can't hurt.)

Doesn't everything bear witness on a black floor?

The other thing that comes up a lot is the question of whether grit and water spots show on the tile. In brusque: No. Cypher shows on this tile. Fifty-fifty if I were a total pig and didn't regularly clean my bathroom, I could go for a really, really long time before the flooring looked dirty. Like…months. At to the lowest degree. I'm not going to try it to find out, but seriously, this is NOT a nightmare floor. I think that's probably because the tiles are tiny/visually busy and considering they're matte. If I had 2×3′ polished blackness marble tiles, I might be singing a different tune!

doorsixteen_blackpennyrounds3

How do you clean little tiles similar that??

Next upwardly, cleaning! I don't do anything special to make clean the pennyrounds. The first thing I practice when I'thou cleaning any bathroom is vacuum, because otherwise I'm just pushing hair around with a sponge and EW. Usually I just follow upward with a wet Swiffer cloth, but every couple of months I do go downwardly on my knees with a bucket and a sponge and go to town on all the nooks and crannies. Again, though, this is just something I'd practise regardless of the type of tile, not because the floor looks grimy or anything.

doorsixteen_blackpennyrounds4

doorsixteen_blackpennyrounds5

Alright, so you tin can't actually see the tiles at all in these pictures, but I'1000 including them anyway considering I love this bathroom so, then, and then much. I'm still really proud of all the work Evan and I did in in that location (even though it did take u.s.a. the better role of a year!). Information technology was such a sad, ugly room when we bought the house, and now it'due south 1 of my favorite places to be. Maybe that's a weird thing to say about a tiny lilliputian bathroom? I actually practise dearest everything about information technology, and we learned so much in the process. That was my first fourth dimension tiling!

Bonus pictures!!

I recently saw this black-floored Brooklyn bathroom on Remodelista and fell in looooove. Information technology looks to me like they used polished black marble hexagons with a slightly lighter grout than I did, just the effect is very like. For your ogling pleasance…

doorsixteen_sargisson_remodelista
Photos by Sean Flattery for Remodelista. (There are more photos on designer Elizabeth Roberts' website — click through the slideshow for more bathroom shoots!)

I'm a volume cover designer and art managing director based in New York and New United mexican states. I've been blogging nearly home renovation, interiors, graphic design, DIY, food, cosmetics, dogs, art, music, books, and life in general since 1998. I could really use a loving cup of coffee right at present. If yous savor reading Door Sixteen, delight consider becoming a supporter of the blog on Patreon.