What To Consider When Choosing Tile for Your Bathroom Remodel

Choosing tile is primarily a personal choice based on a customer’s style and what they think is aesthetically pleasing in the space. From bathroom floors to shower walls to backsplashes, their vision is key.

But of course, the decision is also predicated on a customer’s budget. Some tile choices are much more price-friendly than others; for instance, natural stone tends to be significantly more expensive than manmade materials like ceramic or porcelain.

In addition to style and cost, it’s important to recognize a third consideration – making sure a customer chooses the right size tile with regard to size and scale. The dimensions of the tile must fit the space that it’s going into.

This sounds logical, but it is common for a homeowner to lose sight of that when looking at colors and patterns in a showroom. You don’t want a very large shower built with lots of small tile, as that tends to look busy with too many grout lines. Some people do like that look, but the bigger tile is more popular and a better choice. Tiles appropriate to the space lay out properly and are symmetrical; there are no small pieces cut off or uneven edges.

The last consideration is material. Manmade materials like ceramic and porcelain are a very nice, very low maintenance choice. They provide plenty of finishes and design choices with various appearances so customers have countless options. Manmade materials also assure consistency because they are “factory true”.

Natural stone tile can be a beautiful addition to a project—but keep in mind that with natural stone comes a great deal of variation in appearance and in dimension. Tiles within the same batch are often a little thicker or thinner when unpacked, by the very nature of stone. There is also a greater maintenance requirement for natural stone versus ceramic or porcelain. As natural stone is porous, tiles need to be sealed and can be more difficult to keep clean, especially over time.