Choosing kitchen floor tiles in Malaysia starts with one question: is this the wet kitchen or the dry kitchen? The wet kitchen floor takes water, oil and heavy washing every day; the dry kitchen usually opens onto the living area and follows its floor. Itoli Ceramic carries porcelain, homogeneous, glazed porcelain and ceramic tiles from Alpha, Guocera, White Horse and Venus, and a showroom in Sungai Buloh where the tiles can be seen in full-size pieces before you decide.
Shop kitchen tiles by material
Porcelain for the wet kitchen floor
Dense and hard-wearing, porcelain is the usual pick where the floor is washed down and oil gets underfoot. Choose a matt finish for the wet kitchen and confirm the specific tile at the showroom.
Homogeneous for the busiest floor
The colour runs through the full body of the tile, so a chip on the edge of a heavy pot does not show a different colour underneath. A common choice for a dry kitchen that carries most of the household traffic.
Glazed porcelain and ceramic for the backsplash
Lighter, easier to cut around sockets and the hob, and offered in the widest range of colours and patterns. The glazed face wipes clean of oil splashes.
Kitchen floor tiles in Malaysia
The newest porcelain and homogeneous tiles in the range, the two materials usually laid on a kitchen floor.
See all porcelain floor tiles · See all homogeneous tiles
Kitchen backsplash tiles
Glazed porcelain, ceramic and decorative kitchen wall tiles for the strip between the countertop and the wall cabinets, and the wall behind the hob.
See all glazed porcelain tiles · See all ceramic tiles · See all wall tiles
How to choose kitchen tiles
Wet kitchen: matt, smaller, laid to a fall
A Malaysian wet kitchen is washed down like a bathroom, so treat the floor the same way. A 300 x 300 or 600 x 600 matt tile is the usual choice: the smaller tile follows the fall to the floor trap more easily, and a matt or textured surface gives grip when the floor is wet and oily. Gloss and polished finishes belong in the dry kitchen. In a terrace house the wet kitchen often opens to a back yard and takes rain as well, which is one more reason to keep the finish matt. Ask the showroom which finishes in the range are suited to a wet floor rather than judging from a photo.
Dry kitchen: continue the living room floor
In most condominiums the dry kitchen is open plan, and the same 600 x 600 or larger tile runs from the living room into the kitchen with no threshold. Choose that tile from the floor tiles range first, then pick the backsplash to suit it. A large format needs a flat screed; on an older floor, have the tiler check flatness before committing to 600 x 1200 or 800 x 800, or the joints will lip.
Backsplash: 300 x 600 between counter and cabinets
The strip between the countertop and the underside of the wall cabinets is usually about 600 mm high, so a 300 x 600 wall tile fits in two courses with few cuts. Behind the hob, tile up to the cooker hood. Gloss and glazed faces wipe clean of oil; a heavily textured tile behind the hob holds grease in the relief. Rectified edges take a thinner joint, which means less grout to keep clean.
Grout and adhesive for a humid kitchen
Cement grout behind the hob darkens with oil and, in Malaysia’s humidity, mildews in a wet kitchen. Ask the tiler about an epoxy or stain-resistant grout for the backsplash and the wet floor, and a tile adhesive matched to the tile: porcelain and large-format tiles need a stronger adhesive than ceramic. Tilers in Malaysia quote labour per square foot; tiles are sold by the box with coverage printed in square metres, so work out the quantity in both before comparing quotes. Mapei and Davco tile adhesives and sealants are in the range, and the kitchen sinks and kitchen taps can be matched to the tile in the same visit.
Kitchen tile questions
What are the best kitchen floor tiles in Malaysia?
For the wet kitchen, a matt porcelain or homogeneous tile in 300 x 300 or 600 x 600. For a dry kitchen that opens onto the living room, the same tile as the living room floor, usually 600 x 600 or larger. Confirm the finish on a full-size piece at the showroom.
Should the wet kitchen and dry kitchen use the same tile?
Not necessarily. The dry kitchen usually continues the living room floor for a seamless look, while the wet kitchen needs a matt surface and a smaller tile laid to a fall. Many homes use a matching colour in two finishes.
What size tile is best for a kitchen backsplash?
300 x 600 is the usual size in Malaysia, because the gap between the countertop and the wall cabinets is about 600 mm and two courses fill it neatly. Smaller wall tiles and mosaics work too, with more grout to clean.
Is gloss or matt better behind the stove?
Gloss or glazed tiles wipe clean of oil more easily and reflect light in a small kitchen. Matt tiles hide fingerprints and water marks but hold grease in any texture, so keep textured tiles away from the hob.
Can I lay new kitchen tiles over the old ones?
Often yes on a floor that is sound and flat, using an adhesive made for tile-on-tile, but the floor level rises by the tile thickness and doors and cabinet kick boards may need trimming. A tiler should check the existing tiles are not hollow first.
How many tiles do I need for a kitchen?
Measure the floor length and width, and each backsplash wall by its length and height, then use the tile calculator. Add 10% wastage for a straight lay and 15% where there are many cuts around cabinets, pipes and sockets.
Bring the room size to the showroom
Bring the kitchen plan, the cabinet colour and a photo of the living room floor if the dry kitchen joins it. See the wet kitchen tiles and backsplash tiles side by side in full-size pieces, check the box coverage and take a quote away with you. Monday to Saturday, 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, Sungai Buloh.