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The narrow module is back in the specification set — but not the way it was a decade ago. Subway tile stretched and turned vertical, mosaic sheets got finer, and somewhere between the two a format emerged that behaves like neither. A slim plank tile — a single long, narrow field tile laid piece by piece — gives a surface something a mesh-mounted sheet cannot: a joint you actually control.
Plankette is Pera Tile's version of that format. A 1½″ × 15″ pressed, glazed porcelain field tile made in Italy, 9mm, in seven colorways and two finishes. Below is how the format behaves in a real specification — and where the technical data, not the mood board, makes the decision for you.
What a slim plank tile is — and what it isn't
Three formats get conflated in conversation, and they detail very differently.
Mesh-mounted finger mosaic (often called kit kat tile) is a set of small sticks bonded to a sheet. It sets quickly, but the sheet fixes the joint spacing, and on a large field the sheet seams can telegraph.
Wood-look plank is a flooring format — 8″ × 48″ and similar — with an aspect ratio around 1:6. It reads as a board.
Slim plank tile is an individual field tile at an extreme aspect ratio. Plankette runs 1:10. That ratio is the argument for the format: long enough to draw a line across a wall or a deck, narrow enough that the grout joints become the pattern rather than an interruption of it.
The grout joint is a design decision, not a detail
Plankette specifies a 3/16″ minimum grout joint. On a face only 1½″ wide, that is not a technicality — it is roughly 11% of the module. Every ninth of the surface you're looking at is grout.
Which means grout color is a primary design decision on this tile, taken at the same time as the colorway. Matched grout lets the field read as a continuous ribbed plane. Contrasting grout turns the same layout into a drawn grid. There is no version of this specification where the joint quietly disappears, so decide what you want it to do.
Five layouts a 1½″ × 15″ module makes possible
Vertical stack. The most common use of the format, and the reason most designers reach for it: uninterrupted vertical lines that lengthen a wall. Also the least forgiving — plumb and substrate flatness show immediately.
Horizontal running bond. Note the constraint. Pera's installation guidance, following ANSI A108 and TCNA, calls for offsets no greater than one-third (33%) on long-plank tiles, to accommodate natural dimensional variation. A 50% brick offset is not an option here. Call the offset out on the drawing rather than leaving it to the field.
Herringbone. At 1:10, herringbone reads as a dense woven texture rather than a classic chevron. Strong on a feature wall; demanding on labor and waste.
Stacked blocks (parquet). Groups of pieces stacked and rotated 90° in alternating blocks — a basketweave rhythm built from a single SKU, no accent piece required.
Two-color banding. Because the module is narrow, a color change reads as a stripe rather than a patch. Nude with Brick, or White with Petroleum, produces a graded or banded field with no custom work.
Matte or gloss is a performance decision before it is an aesthetic one
Plankette comes in White, Nude, Brick, Olive, Petroleum, Sky Blue and Charcoal — three quiet neutrals and four saturated tones — each in matte and glossy. Fourteen stocked SKUs.
But the finish also decides where the tile can go. The DCOF of ≥ 0.42 and the R10 rating apply to the matte finish only. Matte is the recommended finish for residential interior floors and for light-to-medium-traffic commercial floors, and gloss is not recommended for barefoot or wet zones. Specify gloss for walls and vertical work; specify matte anywhere feet land.
Where Plankette is rated to go
| Application | Residential | Commercial |
|---|---|---|
| Floors | Interior — matte | Interior, light–medium traffic — matte |
| Walls | Interior & exterior | Interior & exterior |
| Shower walls | Interior & exterior | Interior & exterior |
| Shower floors | Not suitable | Not suitable |
| Pool & spa, submerged | Interior & exterior | Interior & exterior |
The submerged rating is the one worth underlining. Plankette is rated for submerged pool and spa applications, and the body is frost resistant — which means a single 1½″ × 15″ module can run from a spa interior across a pool surround and into an adjacent interior floor without a material change. That continuity is difficult to get from any other format at this scale.
Shower floors are the exception: not suitable, in either occupancy. Specify a compatible mosaic for the pan.
Technical data at a glance
- BodyPressed glazed porcelain, 9mm, made in Italy
- Water absorption≤ 0.5% (porcelain)
- DCOF≥ 0.42 — matte only
- Slip ratingR10 — matte only
- AbrasionPEI IV (light colors), PEI III (dark colors)
- Frost resistanceResistant
- Stain resistanceClass 5
- Shade variationV2
- Minimum grout joint3/16″
- Packaging38 pcs / box · 5.928 sf / box · 22 lbs / box
- Pallet108 boxes · 640.22 sf · 2,409 lbs
The collection is offered as field tiles; there are no trim or bullnose pieces. On a narrow module an unresolved edge is visible, so resolve outside corners and terminations with a metal profile or a returned edge detail at design stage.
The complete Plankette SKU list
All fourteen are stocked.
| Colorway | Matte | Glossy |
|---|---|---|
| White | 270642 | 270649 |
| Nude | 270643 | 270650 |
| Brick | 270644 | 270651 |
| Olive | 270645 | 270652 |
| Petroleum | 270646 | 270653 |
| Sky Blue | 270647 | 270654 |
| Charcoal | 270648 | 270655 |
Estimating a narrow module
At 38 pieces to 5.928 square feet, Plankette runs 6.41 pieces per square foot — a 100-square-foot wall is roughly 640 individual pieces. That number is the practical headline for the trade: this is not a large-format install, and the labor line should reflect it.
Two more things to carry into the estimate. Increase the waste allowance meaningfully for herringbone or any diagonal layout. And order the full project quantity in a single release — V2 is a slight variation, but it is a variation, and it holds best within one run.
Specifying Plankette
The narrow module rewards intent. Layout, joint width and grout color are one decision on this tile, not three — and the finish decision is made by the application, not the rendering.
See the full Plankette collection →
All seven colorways in matte and glossy, with specifications and sample requests.
Frequently asked questions
What size is Plankette tile?
Plankette is a 1½″ × 15″ field tile in 9mm pressed glazed porcelain, made in Italy, with water absorption of 0.5% or less.
What is a slim plank tile?
A slim plank tile is an individual long, narrow field tile — an aspect ratio of roughly 1:8 or greater — set piece by piece rather than supplied on a mesh sheet.
How is slim plank tile different from kit kat tile?
Kit kat tile is a mesh-mounted mosaic; the sheet fixes the joint spacing. A slim plank tile is laid individually, so layout and joint width are specified rather than predetermined.
Can Plankette be used in a pool?
Yes. Plankette is rated for submerged pool and spa applications, interior and exterior, in both residential and commercial settings, and the body is frost resistant.
Can Plankette be used on floors?
Yes, in the matte finish — DCOF ≥ 0.42 and R10 apply to matte only. Matte is recommended for residential interior floors and light-to-medium-traffic commercial floors. It is not suitable for shower floors in any occupancy.
What grout joint does Plankette require?
A minimum 3/16″ joint, with running-bond offsets no greater than one-third per ANSI A108 and TCNA guidance.
How many pieces are in a box of Plankette?
38 pieces, covering 5.928 square feet — 6.41 pieces per square foot. A pallet holds 108 boxes, or 640.22 square feet.
