Tiles are the biggest visual decision in a bathroom and one of the easiest to get wrong, because showrooms are set up to sell on appearance alone. Appearance is the last thing to settle. Material, format and finish come first, and they are what decide whether the room is safe, flat and easy to live with.
Material
Porcelain is fired hotter and denser than ceramic, with water absorption typically under 0.5 percent. That makes it the right choice for any floor and for shower walls. Through body porcelain hides chips because the colour runs all the way through, which is worth paying for on a floor.
Ceramic is softer, lighter and cheaper, and it cuts more easily. On walls it performs perfectly well and can save a few hundred pounds across a room. It is not suitable for wet floors.
Natural stone such as marble, travertine or slate looks superb but is porous, needs sealing on installation and periodically thereafter, and can be marked by acidic cleaners. Beautiful in a low traffic en suite, demanding in a family bathroom.
Glass and mosaic work best as an accent, in a shower niche or a feature band. A full wall of mosaic is a huge amount of grout to keep clean.
Slip resistance
The R rating measures slip resistance on an inclined ramp. R9 is a normal indoor tile, R10 gives useful grip in a shower, R11 is what we specify for level access wet room floors. Textured and matt finishes grip better than polished. Never put a polished porcelain on a shower floor no matter how good it looks in the showroom, and be aware that a very heavily textured tile is more work to keep clean.
Size and format
- 600 x 300mm is the everyday workhorse. Enough scale to look modern, small enough to handle in a tight room.
- 600 x 600mm and larger gives a calm, seamless look with few joints, but demands a very flat substrate and generates significant waste in cuts.
- Metro and subway, 200 x 100mm is forgiving on uneven old walls and suits period properties across the Potteries.
- Plank format wood effect works well on floors and reads warmer than stone effect, especially in a downstairs shower room.
- Mosaic sheets are the practical choice on a curved or four way falling shower floor.
Layout patterns
A straight stack lay is the most modern and the least forgiving, because any deviation in the grid is visible. A brick bond with a third offset hides small variations and is the safest pattern on old walls. Herringbone looks excellent but adds roughly 30 percent to the labour time and 15 percent to the material through cuts. Vertical stacking of rectangular tiles lifts a low ceiling; horizontal running widens a narrow room.
Grout and trims
Use a flexible grout in wet areas and a matching flexible silicone at every internal corner and at the wall to floor junction. Grout cracks at movement joints, silicone does not. On floors, a mid grey grout stays looking right for years, whereas white grout on a floor will disappoint you within months. Finish external corners with a metal or matching trim, or ask for a mitred edge if you want the neatest possible result and are prepared to pay for the extra hours.
How much to order
- Measure each wall and floor area in square metres and total them.
- Do not deduct the door or window unless it is a large opening.
- Add 10 percent for a straight lay, 15 percent for patterns or diagonals.
- Order the whole quantity in one batch and check batch numbers on delivery.
- Keep a box back for repairs, because ranges get discontinued.
What we advise most Stoke customers
For a typical family bathroom, a 600 x 300mm matt porcelain to walls in a light neutral, a contrasting R10 floor tile, mid grey grout, and one feature area such as the shower wall or a niche. It looks considered, it does not date quickly, and it is straightforward to keep clean.
Bring your tile choice to us
We will tell you honestly how it will behave on your walls and what it adds to the labour. Free survey, fixed written price within 24 hours, and all tiling carried out by our own time served fitters.
Common questions
Porcelain or ceramic, which is better?
Porcelain for floors and wet areas because it absorbs almost no water and is far harder. Ceramic is perfectly fine on walls and usually costs less to buy and to fix.
What slip rating do I need on a wet floor?
R10 as a sensible minimum for a shower floor, R11 for a level access wet room. On a dry bathroom floor R9 is acceptable but R10 gives more margin.
How much extra should I order?
Ten percent on a straight lay, fifteen percent for herringbone, diagonal or any pattern with lots of cuts. Order it all in one batch so the shading matches.
Is dark grout a bad idea?
Not at all, and on a floor it stays looking clean longer. On walls it draws a strong grid, which suits a metro tile and can overwhelm a small room.
Can I tile over existing tiles?
Sometimes on walls if the originals are sound and well bonded, but we normally advise against it. You lose the chance to check the substrate and you gain thickness at every reveal.
Do large format tiles need special preparation?
Yes. The wall or floor has to be genuinely flat, and we use levelling clips and a suitable adhesive bed. That preparation is the difference between a flat wall and a lippy one.