Product Overview

Kraken Matte 24" × 48" Porcelain Tile captures the luminous depth of pale marble and quartzite in a durable, low-maintenance porcelain surface. Its creamy off-white field is crossed by delicate light-gray and warm-beige movement, creating an elegant natural-stone appearance without the sealing, staining, or acid sensitivity of genuine marble.

The smooth matte finish softens reflections and allows the layered veining to remain visible under both natural and architectural lighting. Measuring 24" × 48", Kraken minimizes grout lines across floors and walls, producing a clean, expansive surface suited to contemporary bathrooms, open living areas, kitchens, fireplaces, and commercial interiors.

Manufactured in Spain by Ecoceramic and distributed under the Elysium Tile collection, Kraken features rectified edges, inkjet graphics, a V2 shade-variation rating, and PEI 4 wear performance for residential and medium-commercial applications., Ecoceramic

Technical Specifications

Recommended Applications

• Open Living and Dining Floors: The 24" × 48" format creates a quiet, uninterrupted foundation across large residential spaces.

• Primary Bathrooms: Suitable for bathroom floors, vanity walls, tub surrounds, and full-height shower walls.

• Kitchen Floors and Backsplashes: Provides a light natural-stone appearance without marble’s sensitivity to food acids and household spills.

• Fireplace Surrounds: Creates a nearly slab-like surface with fewer grout joints and soft, flowing mineral movement.

• Foyers and Hallways: PEI 4 wear performance supports regularly used residential entries and circulation areas.

• Commercial Interiors: Appropriate for boutiques, offices, reception areas, restaurants, and other medium-traffic spaces when installed over a suitable substrate.

• Feature Walls: The large format allows the veining to read continuously across tall walls and architectural panels.

Installation & Handling Guidelines

⚠️ IMPORTANT: LARGE-FORMAT PORCELAIN INSTALLATION PROTOCOL

• Inspect Before Installation: Confirm the color, caliber, finish, dimensions, shade range, and condition of every carton. Installed tile is generally considered accepted.

• Blend Multiple Cartons: Kraken carries a V2 variation rating and approximately 8–10 visual faces. Mix pieces from several boxes and rotate tiles to prevent repeated graphics from appearing beside one another.

• Prepare a Flat Substrate: Large-format tile requires a particularly flat, stable surface. Correct irregularities before setting rather than using excess mortar to compensate.

• Use LHT Mortar: Install with a polymer-modified Large and Heavy Tile mortar approved for porcelain and the substrate. ANSI A118.4 or A118.15 performance is generally appropriate.

• Directional Troweling: Comb mortar in one direction and back-butter each tile. Shift the tile perpendicular to the ridges to collapse the mortar and remove trapped air.

• Coverage Requirements: Achieve a minimum of approximately 80% mortar contact in dry interior areas and 95% in wet areas, including full support beneath edges and corners.

• Control Lippage: A mechanical tile-leveling system can assist with alignment but does not replace correct substrate preparation, mortar application, or joint spacing.

• Limit Running-Bond Offset: If installing in a staggered layout, use an offset of approximately 33% or less unless the tiles have been checked for flatness. A 50% offset can place the highest point of one tile beside the lowest point of another.

• Use Appropriate Grout Joints: Rectified edges permit narrow joints, but the tile should not be installed without grout. Approximately 1/8" is a practical starting point, subject to tile calibration and site conditions.

• Provide Movement Joints: Include perimeter and field movement accommodation joints according to applicable standards.

• Waterproof Shower Areas: Porcelain tile and grout are not waterproofing systems. Shower installations require an approved waterproof membrane beneath the tile.

• Wet-Cut the Tile: Use water-fed cutting equipment and suitable silica-dust controls. Never dry-cut porcelain with power tools.

• Order Extra Material: Allow approximately 10% additional material for cuts and future repairs and 15% or more for complex patterns or numerous corners.

Care & Maintenance

• Sweep, vacuum, or dust-mop regularly to remove abrasive grit.

• Clean with warm water and a neutral porcelain-tile cleaner.

• Remove grout haze promptly after installation using products approved for porcelain and the selected grout.

• Do not apply natural-stone sealer, impregnator, polish, or wax to the tile surface.

• Cement-based grout may benefit from sealing; epoxy and certain high-performance grouts generally do not.

• Avoid oily soaps and excessive detergent, which can leave a dull film on matte porcelain.

• Use felt pads beneath furniture and protective mats at exterior entrances.

Design Profile

• Aesthetic Direction: Quiet Luxury, Warm Minimalism, Modern Mediterranean, Contemporary Organic.

• Visual Character: Luminous off-white and pale-cream foundation with understated gray and warm-beige veining.

• Natural-Stone Reference: Taj Mahal quartzite, pale onyx, and softly veined cream marble.

• Complementary Cabinetry: White oak, walnut, warm white, mushroom, taupe, or charcoal.

• Complementary Fixtures: Brushed brass, champagne bronze, polished nickel, chrome, or matte black.

• Grout Suggestions: Ivory or warm white for continuity; pale taupe or light gray for subtle definition.

• Coordinating Pieces: Kraken polished field tile, 3" hexagon mosaic, 2" square mosaic, and 3.5" × 24" bullnose.

Frequently Asked Questions

What color is Kraken Matte?

Kraken has a luminous off-white to pale-cream background with delicate light-gray and warm-beige movement. It is not a dark gray or black tile.

Is Kraken genuine marble?

No. It is porcelain manufactured with inkjet graphics to reproduce the layered appearance of marble, onyx, or pale quartzite.

What does V2 variation mean?

V2 indicates slight variation between pieces. The color remains cohesive, but subtle differences in tone and veining should be expected.

Is Kraken Matte suitable for floors?

Yes. Its PEI 4 rating makes it suitable for residential floors and many medium-commercial installations.

Can it be installed on shower walls?

Yes. The large format reduces grout joints and creates a clean, slab-like shower-wall appearance when installed over an approved waterproofing system.

Can 24" × 48" Kraken be used on a shower floor?

Only when the shower is designed with a suitable single-plane slope and linear drain and the surface meets the project’s wet-area slip requirements. Smaller matching mosaics are preferable around traditional center drains.

Does Kraken Matte require sealing?

No. The porcelain tile does not require sealing. Cementitious grout may require sealing according to the grout manufacturer’s instructions.

How much does one box cover?

One box contains two 24" × 48" tiles and covers approximately 15.5 square feet.