Ceramic Tiles
Ceramic tiles are still the most popular choice of bathroom wall covering and with some very cheap tiles on the market, they will probably remain so for the foreseeable future.
There is a vast choice of tiles on the market from small mosaic tiles to very large wall tiles as well as a myriad of finishes and colours. This means that you should be able to find something to suit your tastes regardless of what they might be.
The main disadvantage with ceramic tiles is that they need to be grouted and the grout used to fill in between the tiles can get mouldy. Once this happens, keeping the grout looking clean can be a nightmare, as the mould tends to get behind the surface of the grout. Mould will only grow if there is continuous moisture so this usually implies that moisture has got behind the grout either through cracks and pin holes in the grout or that the bathroom has a condensation problem. Cracks are usually caused by different rates of expansion between the tiles and the backing board (especially if plywood is used) and pin holes are the result of the grout not being applied correctly.
The only way to completely eradicate it is to rake out the grout and start again. Installing and extractor fan in the bathroom will help reduce the amount of condensation and can help reduce mould growth. Alternatively you could look at alternatives to tiles such as bathroom cladding, some of which are available in tile effect designs (click the image below for more information).
The preparation of the walls prior to tiling also needs to be spot on, as any bulges or irregularities can show through. Dark tiles will highlight the grout line and make any irregularities more obvious.
Mosaic Tiles
The tiles used when fitting a mosaic wall are very small and require very flat walls to ensure a consistent finish, as there are so many grout lines to show up imperfections. The tiles usually come attached to a gauze or mesh to keep all the small tiles lined up. The mesh is usually flexible enough to allow to allow you to tile around curved if required. Again, due to the problem of mouldy grout, some bathroom cladding manufacturers have developed waterproof wall panels with a mosaic effect finish, such as the Onyx Mosaic panel by Decos, shown here.
See our bathroom cladding section for more details of waterproof wall panels.
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PROS |
CONS |
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very inexpensive to buy |
walls need thorough preparation |