Choosing Bathroom Wall Tiles
There are several types of bathroom wall tiles to choose from but generally, they fall into two groups: ceramic (including porcelain) and natural stone (including including granite, slate and limestone). Which you choose is a matter of personal taste and preference.
Ceramic tiles
Ceramic tiles are made of clay, minerals and water, which are crushed together and then fired at high temperatures until they harden. Traditional ceramic tiles can be naturally coloured and left unglazed or they can feature coloured surfaces which can be glazed either in a high gloss or matte finish.
Porcelain tiles are made of fine porcelain clays and are fired at much higher temperatures than ceramic tiles. This process makes them more solid, less porous, much harder and less prone to moisture and stain absorption than ceramic tiles, making them the most practical choice of tiling for a bathroom.
Easybathrooms have a wide choice of porcelain tiles such as the popular Odi Black Marble Random tile which has the added benefit of being suitable for both walls and floors.
Natural Stone
There are several types of stone tiles that can be used in bathrooms including granite, slate, limestone, travertine and carrara. Usually, the softer the stone, the more upkeep will be needed. Limestone is the softest of the stones, and would include travertine, next would be many (but not all) slates, then marbles, with granite ending the list as the harder and more dense stone to be used.
Polished stone gives a glossy finish that is ideal for walls that won’t be subjected to abrasive materials. Honed stone features the smoothness of polished stone without the reflective qualities, making it less likely to show damage. Slate offers an understated, natural beauty that resists fading, abrasion and chemicals. Travertine and carrara are cheaper alternatives, but they may be more brittle.
Style, colour and shape
Tiles come in a vast array of colours, sizes and shapes. Bold, bright, colourful tiles can look amazing in a bathroom but are not for everyone. Neutral coloured tiles allow you to dress up an area with bright paints, towels and accessories giving you the flexibility to change it any time you want a new look.
Tiles also come in many shapes - traditional squares, rectangles, diamonds, hexagons, octagons and circles. Mosaic tiles are very popular and easybathrooms have a wide range choose from such as the Modular Reflective Mox Mosaic.
Mosaics resist moisture and stains, don't chip easily and most use some type of mixed materials, such as glass, stone, metal or resin in the mix of chips so it is easy to achieve a sought after design style. They usually come in square open weave, cloth backing sheets, roughly 300mm in width and are sold in packs of 5 or 10.
Mosaics are often used to create feature panels surrounded by plain tiles and can create quite a stunning visual impact if surrounded by plain tiles.
Finger and pencil tiles are decorative tiles similar to mosaics, but are long and thin and can be used in the same way as mosaics or individually to create a thin strip.
The most common types of bathroom tiles are either square or rectangular but designs change all the time. As there are now so may to choose from it should be easy to select the style, shape, size or colour that suits you and reflects your personality.
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May 21st 2015 | 4 min read | By Owen
