Tips for Selecting Bathroom Tiles

Due to its superior moisture resistance and ability to stand up to repeated cleanings; tile has always been an ideal decorating element for bathrooms.  In both floors and walls, tiles provide a finish that is pretty close to perfect.

If you’ve ever visited a vintage home you may seen bathrooms where seventy year old tile still looks good.  While color preferences and shape styles may change somewhat, tile is truly forever.

With that in mind if you like to use trendy designs and dramatic colors be aware that using these in tile selection may date your bathroom in time.   Instead of incorporating those wild designs and colors in the tile, consider employing them with shower curtains, towels and other bathroom accessories, which are easily replaceable.

For wall tiles, larger tiles give the illusion of a larger room.  Another advantage is cost of installation, as it takes more time to install smaller tiles.   Glazed ceramic are the most common type of wall tile and are available in an endless combination of colors and stylistic accent pieces.  A row of smaller, rectangular accent tiles strategically placed add a dramatic effect to the overall look of the finished room.  Individual designer tiles are also available, which can be incorporated into the wall pattern to provide a more decorative effect.

The only weakness of both wall and floor tiles is grout lines.  The space between tiles is filled with grout and when the grout fails, moisture can penetrate and get behind the tiles and lead to deterioration of the walls.  Generally speaking, grout lines in wall tiles are extremely narrow and will need to be regrouted in heavy moisture areas from time to time.

The best tip we can give you has to do not with the selection of the tiles themselves, but with the preparation for their installation.  If you have removed existing tiles or if you have an older bathroom with wavy, imperfect walls; you or your installer is facing a difficult installation.  Covering the existing walls with thin drywall provides a smooth surface on which to install the tiles.  This can be a tremendous time saver and will yield a far superior result.

Floor tiles also have potential installation issues.  While most people prefer larger tiles on bathroom tiles, they are more prone to cracking.  If the original floor has been removed and the subfloor is less than ideal, larger tiles will crack over time.   This is especially true in the case when they are applied over plywood subfloors where the seams are not properly sealed.  Many a disappointed homeowner is left with a lovely floor with a crack running the entire length of the room along a seam.  Install a subfloor material specially made for floors and make sure the seams are sealed with mesh tape and an appropriate compound.

While floor tiles are also available in a wide variety of colors and finishes, you should avoid glossy ceramic tiles, as they are slippery when wet.  Porcelain tiles with a textured finish provide a better surface for wet areas.  For a little variety there are border tiles which allow you to create a framing effect or you can stagger the placement of square tiles, creating a diamond pattern.  If you are installing the tiles yourself, be aware that diamond patterns will involve more cutting than traditional squared patterns.