Matt or glossy: the slippery floor worry, answered

One of the most common worries we hear at the showroom comes from families with elderly parents or small children. They love the look of a polished floor but are afraid of falls. It is a sensible worry, and the answer is more about where and how a tile is used than about how it looks.

Any floor becomes slippery when it is wet or dusty. The shine of a tile is not a reliable guide on its own. What matters is the surface texture, which tile makers describe with an anti-slip rating; ask to see it for any tile meant for wet areas. A matt or textured tile gives the foot more grip when water is present, which is why we suggest them for bathrooms, kitchens, balconies and entrances in every home.

Polished vitrified slabs and polished terrazzo are perfectly sound for dry rooms such as living rooms and bedrooms. The risk comes when they are laid at the front door, where people walk in with wet feet in the monsoon, or near a washbasin outside the bathroom. Plan for a matt tile or a doormat in those spots.

A few other details help. Choose smaller tiles in showers, because more grout lines mean more grip. Slope wet floors properly towards the drain so water does not sit. Avoid wax polishes on stone and terrazzo. And for elderly family members, grab bars in the bathroom do more than any choice of tile. Our mock-up bathrooms have floors you can stand on with wet feet to feel the difference yourself.