How to Pick the Right Bathroom Tile
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy.
Designing a new bathroom or hoping to upgrade your existing one? There are so many things to consider when picking new tile for your bathroom. Sharing the designer tips to picking bathroom and shower tiles.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Bathroom Tile Materials
Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tile is a popular choice because it is affordable and durable. Glazed ceramic tile protects against stains and damage.
Porcelain Tile
Porcelain tiles are more durable and often more expensive than ceramic. DIY projects that include porcelain can be challenging because they require a diamond blade wet saw to cut.
Glass Tile
Glass tile is a great choice for walls and backsplash but not for flooring because it cracks and chips easily.
Marble Tile
White Marble Tiles are one of the more expensive natural stone materials. Marble can be used on bathroom floors and walls. They require extra sealing to protect against stains and special products to clean without damaging the tile/seal.
Granite Tile
Granite is another natural rock tile that you can use for flooring and is much harder than marble and less prone to chipping and cracking.
Other Natural Stone Tile
There are many other natural stones that you can use for flooring such as slate and limestone. It is important to know that they are prone to staining and discoloration so regular sealing is important.
Popular Bathroom Tile Patterns
Brick
When laying tiles in a brick pattern, you offset each tile by half of the width of the tile. This style of pattern creates long horizonal lines of tile that can make a space feel wider.
Stacked
The stacked tile pattern is made up of rectangular tiles in the same size. The first is horizontal stack where the widest sides of the tile runs horizontally with the floor. To install this pattern of tile, you would stack them without an offset. The second, is vertical stack where the narrowest sides of the tile is running horizontally with the floor. Just like in horizontal stack, you install these tiles one on top of the other without an offset.
Herringbone tile
Herringbone tile is a classic tile pattern that you can find in homes dating back to the 1600’s. It features a pattern of rectangular tiles laid at 90 degrees next to each other. This is a very popular choice of tile pattern right now, especially herringbone marble floor tiles in showers.
Chevron tile
The Chevron tile pattern is similar to herringbone tile pattern but they are cut to shape and slot together at an angle. Chevron tile pattern is another popular choice for shower floors and backsplash.
Hex tile
Hex tile is popular in bathrooms and made up of hexagons pieced together to look like a honeycomb.
Bathroom Floor Tile
When selecting the best type of tile for a bathroom floor there are a few things to consider. The type of type, the size of the tile, and the size of the space. A popular choice for bathroom floors is often ceramic and porcelain tile due to their durability but ease of cleaning. In contrast, natural stone tiles have restrictions on the cleaning products that can be used.
A large format tile is great for small spaces due to the grout joints. The fewer gout lines you have, the more spacious the space will feel.
Another factor to consider is that the smaller the tile, the more grout lines, the more cleaning. Yes, there are grouts that are better at resisting stains but they still collect dust and dirt!
Best Tile for Shower Floor
When you are selecting a bathroom tile for the shower floor, think about how slippery the tile will be when it is wet. Often designers will recommend using a smaller format tile which assists in being non slip. Non slip bathroom floor tiles are very important to ensure people of all ages do not slip when in the shower. Shower floor tiles in a pattern also add personality and style to the bathroom, especially when the rest of the space has a different, large format tile.
PRO TIP: Pick a small tile for the shower to make it non slip but pick a larger tile for the rest of the bathroom to reduce grout maintenance and cleaning issues.
Best Tiles for Bathroom Walls
You should pick a large format tile when shopping for bathroom wall tiles. This makes the space feel more spacious and does not create visual busyness. Large tile is also great for shower walls and easy to clean.
FAQs
It is often recommended to pick porcelain tile for bathroom floors because it is waterproof, aesthetically pleasing, and cost effective. Today, you can find marble-look porcelain tile at most stores.
Selecting bigger tiles can make the space feel larger.
Small format tiles to ensure the shower is non slip. Ceramic and Porcelain are often seen are the best choices.
Designers often pick a different tile for the shower floor and the rest of the room. This adds personality and visual interest. Pick a small format tile for the shower for non slip purposes.
Hello,
Your bathroom looks lovely and relaxing, however I was wondering how you clean behind the bath tub. It looks very close to the wall?
The reason I am asking is because I chose a similar tub but am now having second thoughts!
OET
It is possible but challenging! Not 100% positive I would go with this design when redesigning, but sometimes it is what works best with the layout!