Wall Tiles

Wall tiles remain the classic bathroom finish, offering a range of looks that panels cannot match. The trade-off is grout — more work to fit, and more upkeep afterwards.

Ceramic or porcelain?

Ceramic is lighter, easier to cut and cheaper. Perfectly adequate for walls, which take no foot traffic. Porcelain is denser and less porous, harder to cut but more durable — and the better choice if the same tile continues onto the floor.

Size and layout

Larger tiles mean fewer grout lines, which looks cleaner and takes less scrubbing. Small tiles and metro formats suit period bathrooms and awkward walls where large tiles would need constant cutting.

Buy around 10% more than your measured area to allow for cuts, breakages and future repairs. Tile batches vary in shade, so a replacement bought two years later rarely matches.

Waterproofing behind the tiles

This is what people miss. Tiles and grout are not waterproof in themselves — water passes through grout over time. In a shower area you need a tanking kit or backer board behind them. Skipping it is the usual cause of damp appearing in the room next door.

Finishing

Order trims, adhesive and grout at the same time. Prefer no grout at all? See shower wall panels.