Your Guide To Bathroom Tiles

When it comes to tiles, there’s a lot of choice out there. But while variety means that you are more likely to find something that suits your taste and requirements, it also means that choosing the right tiles for your bathroom can become a bit overwhelming, to say the least.

There’s patterned, plain, glazed, textured, large and small tiles to choose from. Once you’ve made that decision, you realise they come in a range of materials too – ceramic, porcelain, glass, stone, metal… the list goes on. Your decision – like any decision when kitting out your bathroom – needs careful consideration.

The most popular colour choice for bathroom tiles is white because it reflects the light, creating a sense of space in what is typically one of the smallest rooms in the house. Another benefit is that white never goes out of fashion. However, if you want to inject some colour into your room, tiles can make a great statement, you can either add a touch of colour with a splash-back area or fill an entire wall with the tile of your choice.

In terms of material, ceramic or porcelain tiles are the first choice because they are durable, easy to keep clean, resistant to germs and come in a variety of colours and sizes. Natural stone tiles are another option. These are distinctive and luxurious, but with a price tag to match. They also tend to be porous so you will need to apply a sealant to prevent them from absorbing water.

Whatever tiles you choose, there are a few rules you should always stick to when it comes to tiling your bathroom:

Wall tiles, as the name suggests, are made for walls, not floors – they are usually thinner and not as durable as floor tiles, they are not designed to be walked on.

● Always make sure that the tiles you use are properly sealed – an area such as a bathroom needs to be water-tight, especially when it comes to shower enclosures and wet rooms.

● Think about the size of your bathroom – smaller tiles can be used to create visual effects, while larger tiles tend to make a space look bigger.

● Always add a contingency of 10% to your surface area when working out how many tiles to purchase in order to allow for errors, cutting and wastage.

● Look for mould-resistant grout for shower areas or coloured grout for floors to keep your tiles looking good for longer.