ceramic/porcelain floor tile

We're going to replace all the carpet in our house with ceramic tile because the carpet and foam pad make us light-headed if we get too close. Today I learned that houses with gray or blue tile take longer to sell. Good thing I squelched my preference for slightly bluish slate, recognizing that it'd look silly in Tucson. I moved on to a mottled, tannish-reddish Southwestern looking thing that reminds me of a calico cat, not that I've known any calico cats.

I can detect the chemicals in thin-set, the goop you stick the tile to the floor with, for days after it has cured. For the enviromentally injured, the thin-set of choice is Laticrete 317 (for commercial use, or the equivalent 200's for residential, which I can't find). I still get heart palpitations from it, but it's a whole lot better than the stuff with more additives, and it'll be under tile and sealed grout.

The thing is that you can't use it with porcelain tile because it needs more additives to stick correctly. Porcelain tile is better, but ceramic is cheaper and it'll work with the Laticrete 317. Life is hard; my floor will be less expensive.