Choosing bathroom tile that lasts

How slippery is too slippery?

Slip resistance is measured by coefficient of friction, and manufacturers publish it. The relevant point for a homeowner is simpler: the wetter the floor, the more texture it needs.

Mosaic on a shower floor is the traditional answer for a practical reason beyond grip: the many small joints let the floor be sloped to the drain in more than one direction. A large tile cannot follow a compound slope without being cut, which is why large-format tile on a shower floor either requires a linear drain or does not drain properly.

Which tile materials belong where?

• Porcelain. Dense, effectively non-porous, no sealing, high strength. Suitable everywhere, including the shower floor if rated. The default for good reason.
• Glazed ceramic. Excellent on walls, less hard than porcelain, and typically less expensive. A perfectly good wall tile.
• Marble. Beautiful, porous, etches with acid, requires sealing, and shows soap and hard-water marks. Reasonable on a wall or a vanity, demanding on a shower floor.
• Limestone and travertine. Softer and more porous still. They can work, and they need a committed owner.
• Glass. Beautiful in a niche or as an accent; needs a flat substrate and the right adhesive, because everything behind it shows.
• Handmade and zellige. Irregular and characterful on walls. Their variation is the point; do not use them where a straight grout line matters.

Dallas water is hard, which is worth factoring in. Hard water leaves mineral deposits on glass and on polished stone, and it is more visible on dark tile than on light. If the shower glass and a dark marble wall are both going in, expect to squeegee.

Format, and where large tile fails

• Large-format tile on walls reads calm and modern and reduces grout dramatically. It requires a genuinely flat substrate — any deviation shows as lippage at the edges.
• Large-format on a shower floor is a problem unless there is a linear drain, because the floor must slope in two directions to a center drain and a big tile cannot.
• Mosaic on a shower floor handles compound slopes and provides grip. It is the reliable answer.
• Small tile everywhere means a great deal of grout, and grout is the maintenance item. Use it where it earns its place.
• Rectified tile has machine-cut edges that allow very narrow joints, which is what makes a modern wall look seamless.

Grout, sealing and maintenance

• Epoxy grout in wet areas. It is harder to install and costs more, and it resists staining and does not require sealing. In a shower it is worth the difference.
• Grout color decides how the tile reads. Matched grout makes a quiet surface; contrasted grout draws the pattern and shows every imperfect joint.
• Mid-tone grout is the practical choice on a floor. White shows soil, very dark shows mineral deposits.
• Movement joints, not grout, at every change of plane — where the wall meets the floor, at inside corners, and at the tub or shower pan. Silicone there, always. Grout in those joints cracks within a year, and that crack is a water path.
• Sealing is for natural stone, not for porcelain. Test with water: if a few drops darken the stone within fifteen minutes, reseal.
• Avoid acidic and abrasive cleaners on stone. They dull the surface faster than use does.

None of this substitutes for waterproofing behind the tile. Tile and grout are not waterproof — the membrane behind them is, and it is the single thing in a bathroom most worth getting right. The detail is in the bathroom remodel planning guide.

Setting out, and why it must be drawn

The difference between a bathroom that looks professionally done and one that does not is almost entirely setting out. Decide these before ordering:

1. Where the full tiles start. Center the pattern so cuts of equal size fall at both ends, rather than starting full at one corner and finishing with a sliver at the other.
2. Where the niche sits. Its edges should land on grout lines, and it should be centered on something — the shower head wall, or the bench below it.
3. How wall tile meets floor tile. Either aligned deliberately or clearly offset. Nearly aligned is the worst outcome.
4. Where the drain falls relative to the pattern, and whether it is center or linear.
5. How tile stops at an outside corner: a mitered edge, a metal trim, or a bullnose. Decide, and specify the trim with the order.
6. Where valves and controls land in the pattern. A valve trim plate that straddles two grout lines awkwardly is permanent.

Where to spend and where not to

• Spend on the shower floor. It is small, it takes the most water, and a good mosaic costs little in absolute terms.
• Spend on the feature wall if there is one — the wall you see from the door.
• Save on the field. A good porcelain in a large format on the remaining walls is inexpensive and looks calm.
• Never save on waterproofing, the membrane, or the grout in a shower. These are invisible and they are what fails.
• Order 10 to 15 percent overage, more for patterned layouts, and keep the offcuts for repairs.

A small room can carry a floor tile that would overwhelm anywhere else, which is why the powder room is the one place worth being bold.

Jan Revels

ASID Allied Professional Interior Designer · Chateau Concepts, Dallas

Jan has practiced interior design in Dallas since 1997 and founded Chateau Concepts in 2001. She holds a BFA in Interior Design from the University of North Texas. She designs and general-contracts residential and commercial projects across the Park Cities, Preston Hollow and North Dallas. Read her full profile →

Written and reviewed by Jan Revels before publication