Snap-Together Tile Flooring: Is It Right for You?

Snap-together tile flooring is taking the flooring industry by storm. But why are these porcelain floating floors so popular? And are they the right choice for your home? 

Let’s talk about snap-together tile flooring: what it is, how it works, and if it’s right for your home.

What is click-together or snap-together flooring?

Click-together flooring, snap-together flooring, interlocking flooring, snap-lock flooring… it goes by many names. 

But whatever you call it, these terms refer to a floor that installs via a system of interlocking grooves rather than being glued or nailed to a subfloor. The result is a smooth, seamless floor that “floats” on top of the subfloor (aka a “floating floor”).

These terms—click-lock, snap-together, click-together,  etc.—differ depending on the manufacturer. For our purposes, we’ll be using the terms “click-together” and “snap-together”.

How does snap-together tile work?

Homeowners looking for affordable, hard surfaces often debate between tile and laminate floors. 

While traditional tile can challenging to install, snap-together tile floors click together just like any other modular type of flooring (like laminate or LVT). Only instead of laminate or LVT, they produce a floating floor made of genuine porcelain! 

You do have to grout in the edges to a certain extent, but snap-together tile floors are infinitely easier to put down than traditional tiles. And speaking of which:

How to install snap-together tile floors?

If you’ve done any research on do-it-yourself flooring, you’ll know that tile is far down on the list of DIY-friendly options. Though it’s one of the most durable flooring options around, tile is tedious as heck. Snap-together tile flooring, on the other hand, is pretty simple:

1. Place the underlayment.
2. Click the tiles together.
3. Grout between the tiles immediately.

There is no need to manually space the tiles, grout them to the floor, or wait for the binder to dry before grouting between the tiles. The result is a beautiful, genuine, waterproof flooring option. You can even use it as mudroom flooring. It’s that durable.

How much does a snap-together tile floor cost?

While it all depends on the manufacturer, color, and style, snap-together tiles cost about $5–$6 per square foot. Given that normal porcelain tiles can run a huge price range (from $1 to $15 per foot), snap-together tile flooring offers an affordable price point. 

And remember: these are just ballpark numbers; all types of flooring can vary widely in price depending on location and demand.

Snap-together tile is a total game-changer

If you love the look of tile but have been put off by the pricey installation or lack of DIY options, snap-together tile is a total game-changer.

In the same way that modular peel-and-stick carpet tiles completely changed the flooring industry by offering an easy, authentic alternative to a material that’s difficult to install, so too has snap-together tile flooring. But regardless of whether or not snap-together tile floors are right for you, make sure you buy your flooring from a trustworthy shop.