What to Look for in Hospital Tile

Image: Unica Stone 24 x 48 Large-Format Porcelain Tile Outdoor Patio from Arizona Tile

Large-scale hospitals have many unique considerations and challenges that need to be taken into consideration when making design decisions, including selecting hospital floor tile. The level of maintenance required, durability, safety, comfort, and aesthetics are a few important factors that play a role in determining which hospital flooring is best suited for various areas throughout your facility.

Read on to learn about the most common spaces in hospitals that require certain types of tile, as well as some of our top tile recommendations for each location.

Image: Ardesia Ash 24 x 48 Large-Format Porcelain Tile Patio from Arizona Tile

Hospital Floor Tile for Entryways

Entryways are the first area patients, families, and visitors see in your hospital. These are important spaces where design is concerned because they give a first impression of your facility and also experience a ton of foot traffic and rolling load traffic from wheelchairs. For these reasons, the hospital floor tile in these areas must be highly durable to stand up to a large volume of traffic, as well as be inviting and aesthetically pleasing to bring a sense of calm and comfort as people enter.

Tile that is best suited for entryways should have a matte finish, perhaps some texture, and should also be water and stain resistant. This is a good step in the right direction to avoid any injuries to patients, visitors, or staff. Large, neutral tile is also highly recommended for substantial, open areas like entryways. It provides an open feel and due to its size, less grout is needed which reduces the maintenance requirements.  A few of our top suggestions include Konkrete (in beige), More Wood (in Cillegio), and Ardesia (pictured above).

Terrazzo (in cream or white) is another smart hospital floor tile for entryways. The Cream, White, Pearl, and Grey are all good options for high traffic and they can even be combined to create a pattern. Our Terrazzo series is a premium quality porcelain, highly durable flooring option that requires minimal maintenance and lasts for decades. It also stands up well to rolling loads, is handicap-friendly (smooth finish), and offers great design versatility.

The neutral colors of these large-format tile styles will easily complement a wide variety of hospital entryway designs.

Image: Pietra Italia Beige 24 x 24 Porcelain Tile Floor and Linen-N Quartz Lobby Bench from Arizona Tile

Hospital Tile for Common Areas & Hallways

Hallways are the main passageways of your hospital and get a lot of use 24-7, including foot traffic and heavy rolling loads like wheelchairs, stretchers, equipment carts, and med carts. To minimize disruptions, particularly during a remodel project, flooring in hospital hallways needs to be easy to install and highly durable to minimize maintenance.

In both the common areas (like waiting rooms and reception areas) and hallways, brighter tile is best to help keep staff alert and uplift visitors. Themed and patterned flooring with lighter colors can help you create waiting areas that help reduce stress and provide a serene and pleasant look and feel.

Pietra Italia (pictured above) in Beige or White, Unica (in Moon), and Futura (in Ivory, Beige, or Silver) are three chic, large-format tile options that will work beautifully in both hallways and common areas.

Smaller and bolder, Geo-2 Metro Downtown Glass tile is perfect for adding some personality in any common area.

Image: Anthea Earth 24 x 48 (on the shower floor and side wall) & Anthea Dark 24 x 48 (on the main shower wall) Porcelain Tile from Arizona Tile

Tile for Hospital Patient Rooms

Research has suggested that patients tend to prefer a “warmer” ambiance during a hospital stay so they feel more like they’re at home. Since patient rooms don’t have the same design requirements as other hospital areas, there are more flooring options that are both practical and visually appealing.

In hospital patient rooms, darker, warm-colored tile creates a sense of calm and is best to help patients relax. The tile in patient rooms should also be durable and easy to maintain.

A few of our favorite warm, inviting hospital tile options for patient rooms include Anthea (in Earth, pictured above), CityLife (in Ash), Reflexion (in Mercury or Titanium ), and Tapestri (in Wool).

Another popular choice for patient rooms is wood-look porcelain tile. This tile has the gorgeous look of hardwood but is more durable and is easier to maintain. Our Aequa Castor wood-look porcelain tile and More-Wood are excellent options that deliver the beauty of natural wood that’s reminiscent of the comfort of home and will help patients feel more at ease during their stay.

As far as the bathrooms in patient rooms, particularly the shower floors, , tile featuring R11 Anti-Slip Finish is beneficial for the safety and protection of patients, visitors, and staff.

Shop Arizona Tile

While hospital facilities have different needs and requirements than other commercial spaces, there are still plenty of fantastic flooring options to choose from – all of which hit the mark on both aesthetics and function.

You’ll find a wide range of options to meet your design specifications at Arizona Tile. Our professional staff members are always available to help you with your design preferences and answer any questions you have.

Shop Arizona Tile for the hospital tile options shown in this post and more. For further information about tile, natural stone, quartz, or any other questions you may have,  reach out to us to speak with one of our design consultants or visit a store near you. Can’t make it in? We also encourage you to use our tile visualizer tool to get a better feel for how various tile and slab options will look in your space.