Calacatta Porcelain Hallway Floor in Northbrook
This hallway floor in Northbrook was installed during a whole-home flooring refresh. Large-format Calacatta marble-look porcelain tiles — photographed here just after installation before the baseboard trim was re-installed — run the full length of the hallway and continue into two adjacent doorways for a continuous floor plane.
The hallway presented a specific challenge: the width of the hall meant the tiles needed to be centered so the cut tiles on each side of the run were equal width. A narrow cut tile along one baseboard reads as a mistake; equal cuts on both sides read as intentional. We snapped a centerline and confirmed the cut math before starting. The large-format tile also required self-leveling compound in one section where the original slab had a 3/16-inch dip over a 6-foot span — within tolerance for smaller tile, but not for 24-inch format.
Project Details
| Service | Floor Tile Installation |
|---|---|
| Area | Northbrook, IL |
| Materials | Large-format Calacatta marble-look porcelain, gray unsanded grout, self-leveling underlayment |
| Scope | Residential — hallway and adjacent doorway transitions |
| Timeline | Multi-day install |
What We Did
- Substrate leveling: Applied self-leveling compound to a low section to bring within large-format tolerance.
- Layout centering: Snapped centerline and confirmed equal cut widths at both walls before setting.
- Installation: Polymer-modified thinset, back-buttered, with leveling clips for consistent lippage control.
- Transitions: Set tile to match height of adjacent hardwood floor; installed metal transition strips at doorways.
Planning a hallway floor update in Northbrook?
