Which Tile Works Best in a Bathroom?

Short answer For most bathrooms I recommend porcelain: it absorbs very little water, needs no sealing and holds up on floors and in showers. Ceramic is fine for walls outside the shower. Natural stone works if you accept sealing and more careful cleaning.

Porcelain, ceramic or stone

Material	Where it fits	What to know
Porcelain	Where it fitsFloors, shower walls, shower floor	What to knowDense, absorbs very little water, no sealing needed
Ceramic	Where it fitsWalls, especially outside the shower	What to knowSofter body, easier to cut, many wall tiles are not rated for floors
Natural stone	Where it fitsFloors and walls if maintained	What to knowNeeds sealing, marble and limestone scratch and etch

Porcelain and ceramic are both fired clay, but porcelain is fired harder and denser. That is why it suits a shower floor that is wet every day. Ceramic wall tile is a good choice for a wainscot or a backsplash, and it often comes in colors and glazes porcelain does not.

Natural stone

Marble, travertine and limestone are softer than porcelain. Acidic cleaners, some shampoos and hard-water treatments can leave dull spots, called etching, that do not wipe off. Stone also needs a penetrating sealer before grout and again on the schedule the sealer maker gives. I put stone in bathrooms when the client wants it and knows the upkeep, and I usually suggest it for a vanity wall or floor rather than the shower floor.

Slip resistance on floors

A bathroom floor gets walked on wet, so the tile's slip rating matters more than its look. The ANSI A137.1 standard, using the ANSI A326.3 test, calls for a DCOF of at least 0.42 for tile on level interior floors that will be walked on when wet. Check the spec sheet before you fall in love with a polished finish.

In the shower pan, smaller tiles help. A 2 by 2 inch mosaic has many more grout lines per square foot than a large tile, and each line gives your foot a little grip. Small tiles also follow the slope to the drain more easily.

Large-format tile needs flat surfaces

Tiles of 24 inches and longer look clean, with fewer grout lines, but they show every dip in the wall or floor. If the surface is not flat, one edge sits higher than the next, which is called lippage. Before large tile goes up, we flatten the walls and floor, and that prep time is part of why large format costs more to install. In old houses with wavy walls, I sometimes recommend a smaller tile on the walls and large tile on the floor only.

Large-format porcelain: mortar spread on the back of each tile for full contact (left), and leveling clips at every joint so the edges sit flush (right).

How much to order

About 10% extra for a straight layout, to cover cuts and breakage.
More for patterns such as herringbone or diagonal, where more tiles are cut.
Order it all at once, from one production batch, so the color matches.
Keep 1 or 2 spare boxes after the job. If a tile cracks in five years, the same color may not be made anymore.

Our estimate lists tile as a named allowance, so you know what the price assumes. If you choose something outside the allowance, I tell you the difference before ordering. You can see options on our bathroom page.

Can I use the same tile on the floor and in the shower?

Yes, if it is porcelain and meets the slip guidance for wet floors. Many clients use one tile for the floor and walls and a matching mosaic for the shower pan. That keeps the room calm and simplifies ordering.

Is more expensive tile always better?

No. Price often follows design and brand, not performance. A plain porcelain tile that meets the slip guidance will outlast a costly polished stone on a wet floor. I compare spec sheets with you before anything is ordered.

Which tile works best in a bathroom?