Your bathroom floor serves as a base for a good bathroom design same as in any other room. It needs to have a durable and stylish design that won’t easily go out of fashion. Although there are numerous bathroom flooring options available, such as vinyl, concrete, cork, etc.; bathroom tiles prove to be among the most practical and beautiful bathroom floor coverings.
Contents
Look for Water-resistant Flooring Options
When it comes to choosing your tiles, or any other type of bathroom floor, you should first make sure that it’s waterproof. Water is everywhere in the bathroom – it splashes from the toilet, the sink, and the shower. Even if you have a shower cabin, the steam can quickly mist up the entire bathroom.
A wet bathroom is something normal, which is why every element in this area should have some level of water resistance. The bathroom floor is no exception to this trend. If you choose the wrong type of flooring, the water will wreak havoc on it. If you want to design a beautiful and practical bathroom, look for durable, water-resistant, and trendy bathroom tiles.
Marble Bathroom Tiles
My first suggestions are these classy and elegant marble tiles. They’re made from a natural stone and come in unique variations of colour and texture. Marble is a popular material that graced many royal palaces throughout the centuries. It’s associated with beauty, elegance, and luxury, and it’s widely used even today. You can see it in both residential and commercial buildings, often used for countertops, floors, and wall tiles.
Intricate marble floor and wall tiles are the most attractive natural option for your bathroom. They elevate the style of your bathroom and also add real estate value. However, marble also has a few drawbacks that you should be wary about. Firstly, it’s not completely waterproof, like some other options. This means that it requires sealing if you use it in the bathroom. The second drawback is its slipperiness. If you decide on marble for your bathroom, make sure to be extra careful when getting out of the shower. Alternatively, you can opt for marble look bathroom tiles that are equally stylish, but not as slippery as genuine marble.
Marble is a metamorphic rock that forms from a sedimentary stone that is transformed under heat and pressure. The result is a sturdy and durable stone with stunning colour and veiny patterns. A lot of people confuse this material with granite, but granite is a type of rock that comes from volcanic magma. Granite has a pebbly pattern, whereas marble is popular for its waves.
Ceramic Bathroom Tiles
Moving on from the marble tiles, the ceramic tiles are another great option for your bathroom. Even though they lack the charm of natural textured marble, ceramic tiles bring a dose of chic minimalism to your bathroom. They are durable and low-maintenance, and you can cut them in smaller shapes, such as triangles, rectangles, and hexagons to create an interesting design. They are water-resistant, so you won’t have problems with humidity and moisture.
Cement Bathroom Tiles
Cement tiles have started gaining a lot of popularity recently, both in residential and commercial spaces. They have impressive durability and a wide variety of design options. The bathroom is where these quirky and interesting tiles shine the most. They add a pop of texture and pattern, making your morning and night bathroom routines more interesting.
Apart from the fun designs and patterns, cement tiles offer you several other benefits as well. They’re durable, waterproof, slip-resistant, and low-maintenance. Cement tiles are manufactured using immense pressure, without using glazes or kilns.
This makes them resistant to any chips or cracks. The bathroom is a high-traffic area, and these sturdy tiles hold up extremely well to the usual wear and tear, without being a victim of fading and water damage. Their design and pigment are set inside the tile, making sure that it doesn’t fade or wear out over time.
How to Tile a Bathroom Floor?
After you choose the ideal tiles for your bathroom floor, it’s time to get to work. You can either hire a professional for this job, or you can do it yourself as a fun practical project. Tiling a shower or bathtub is different from tiling a bathroom floor. In case you go for the second option, here are a few steps that will help you properly install your tiles:
- If you’re redesigning your bathroom – remove the old tiles with a chisel, and use a floor scraper to remove any residue from under the tiles.
- Measure your bathroom to make sure you have enough tiles for the job. Get some extra tiles in case of mistakes or broken tiles.
- The next step is to dry-fit your tiles to see what your floor will look like. Don’t forget to use tile spacers to ensure that all your gaps are correct.
- Apply a layer of mortar and start installing your tiles. You can add a layer of specialized membrane to add extra safety to the floor underneath.
- When installing your tiles, make sure to apply tile spacers and occasionally check for high spots. If you notice any high spots, you can gently even out your tiles using a rubber mallet.
- After the mortar dries, carefully apply grout in the spaces between the tiles. When the grout dries, you can remove the excess with a wet sponge.