An Easy Guide to Choosing Bathroom Tile
When selecting the best tile for your bathroom, you need to consider more than colour and style. Bathrooms are subject to the most moisture and humidity in the entire house, so choose wisely. With thousands of tile choices, the stress and overwhelm of deciding where to start is real. Help is here! From the floor to the shower stall, backsplash, and walls, think about these key elements prior to creating your new bathroom sanctuary.
CHOOSE YOUR TILE
These are the most common types of bathroom tile used:
Ceramic, Porcelain, & Quarry
Ceramic tile options include ceramic, porcelain, and quarry. All are ideal choices for moist bathroom atmospheres and budget friendly. Ceramic tile is also allergen-free, PVC-free, VOC-free, and formaldehyde-free.
Ceramic is not only resistant to moisture, but also available in slip, stain, and scratch resistant treatments. Ceramic can be installed in floors, walls, backsplashes, showers, and ceilings. It also comes in glazed or unglazed, as well as other finishes. Beware that high gloss ceramic can be slippery, so is not ideal for floors.
Porcelain tile is also a common bathroom choice, although more expensive and more challenging to install. It’s also durable like ceramic. Glazed ceramic and porcelain are the most popular. Porcelain is denser and less porous, and further offers greater stain and water resistance than ceramic tile.
Quarry tile is commonly available in natural tones like tan, brown, grey, black, and red. Quarry is ideal for outdoor bathrooms as it withstands extreme heat fluctuations. Terra cotta tile looks similar, but does not provide Quarry’s moisture resistance and durability.
Glass
Glass tile is available in a wide array of colour options and can bring design zing to your bath area. Although more expensive than ceramic styles, glass tile is great for backsplashes. However, glass is slippery and therefore not a good floor alternative.
Stone
Stone appeals to anyone with an appreciation of natural material with a luxurious quality. Stone tile is excellent for shower walls; however, they’re not waterproof and must be properly sealed when installed. Also more expensive, stone tile requires extra maintenance and can easily stain and scratch.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
BUDGET: What is your budget? Ceramic is the most budget-friendly choice.
MAINTENANCE: Will you have time to do the regular maintenance required?
SAFETY: Who will be using the bathroom? How much traffic will it take? Does it need to be wheel chair accessible?
WATER RESISTANCE: Are you installing the tile yourself? Porcelain is more water resistant than ceramic. The installation process is integral to maintaining proper water resistance of any tile material. If you’re doing it yourself, ceramic will be your safest bet. Otherwise, a professional will ensure safe and waterproof installation.
DESIGN OPTIONS
Design options are abundant when it comes to tile. First, choose your colour palette and combinations (eg. Blue and White; Cream and Tan). Next, start looking at tile patterns and designs.
BEST COMMON TILE PATTERNS A-Z
Arabesque
Basket-weave
Brickwork
Checkerboard
Diamond
Grid
Herringbone
Hex
Octagonal
Penny Mosaic
Perpendicular
Random
Rectangular
Square
Subway
Versailles
Windmill
A FEW MORE TIPS
1.Keep tile choices to no more than three.
2.Measure and re-measure the space to be tiled. Ideally, order 10-15 percent extra to compensate for breakage and future repairs. There’s nothing worse than discovering a tile has been discontinued later.
3. Try to stay in the same colour palette as other parts of the home for a unified design.
4. Bring home tile samples to see what they look like under varying lighting conditions.
5. Take your time in choosing—bathroom tile selection and design should not be rushed.
6. Write down all your bathroom tile choices for quick reference.
7. Take photos of designs you like.
Now you’re well on your way to creating a stylish, well-designed bathroom! Focus on practicalities, design, shape, colour, and texture; then, choose your tile with confidence. Your new bathroom will provide rest and rejuvenation while giving you peace of mind that the shell is protected by the best tile.