Choosing tiles is one of the most exciting parts of any bathroom renovation project because your choice of tile will set the aesthetic for the rest of the project. So, you want to get it right. The excitement you feel before you set foot into the tile shop is going to be short lived unless you’re armed with some good information and a set of questions that’ll make sure you’re choosing the right tiles, from a functional as well as aesthetic point of view.

First though, let me explain the difference between porcelain and ceramic tiles because that’s going to be first words you hear bandied about when you step into the store.

Porcelain and ceramic tiles are made with very similar materials and processes, but the two have slight differences. In general, porcelain tile is harder than ceramic and offers greater design flexibility as it can be used in a larger variety of applications. Although both are made from clay and other naturally occurring materials and fired in a kiln, the clay used to make porcelain tile is more refined and purified. It's fired at a higher temperature and greater pressure, producing extremely dense and solid material.

Porcelain tiles can be either full bodied or glazed. Think of full bodied porcelain as having a uniform colour through the entire tile, whereas glazed porcelain tiles has one colour as the body with the glaze printed on top.

Are these wall or floor tiles?

As a general rule of thumb, you can use floor tiles on the wall but you can’t use wall tiles on the floor. And there’s a number of factors that come into play that make many wall tiles unsuitable for use on the floor including thickness of the tile, it’s slip rating and it’s durability to withstand heavy foot traffic. Floor tiles are inherently engineered to endure heavy foot traffic, making them significantly more durable than their wall tile counterparts. Wall tiles are often thinner, softer, and more ornamental, designed primarily for aesthetic purposes rather than withstanding extensive wear and tear or foot traffic. To keep things safe when choosing tiles for a project I always ask the question can this be used on the floor? If you’re planning on using both floor and wall tiles on the vertical application, like we did above at The Grove, you’ll need to alert your tiler or builder to this fact so that they can prepare for the difference in thickness.

Are these tiles rated for wet areas?

So, now that you’ve verified that your chosen tile can be used on the floor, you need to ascertain whether or not it can be used in a wet area. I know, I know! I feel your frustration, but believe me, it’s better to know this now. But if you’ve ever been tile shopping, you’ve probably already heard terms like Slip Rating and R10 or P3. So, what the heck are all these terms and why should you care? Well it’s your slip rating and it’s important because it’ll help you choose the right tile for the slipperiest part of the bathroom - the floor of the shower! There’s a lot of information out there already about Slip Ratings, what they are and how they apply. All you need to ask your tile shop is can I use these tiles on the floor in the shower? As a general rule of thumb you’re looking for an R9 or R10 or a P2 or P3 for a residential application. Make sure you actually find out what the R or P rating is so that you can verify the tile is suitable for a shower floor for yourself once you leave the tile shop.

Can you mitre these tiles?

If your design calls for a niche or ledge or shelf in your bathroom, then you need to know about mitred edges. Using this technique allows you to achieve a modern and minimalist look and ensure your tiles remain the focal point. When you mitre the tiles, you make a 45° cut on two tiles and then join those two edges together to create a 90° corner (exactly as the tiler has done at The Grove (above right). The cutting of the tiles does add to the overall cost of the bathroom but I feel that this detail is definitely worth pursuing particularly if you’re going for a single tile format on both walls and floor or you’re trying to achieve a particular aesthetic. In case you were wondering, without the mitred edges you’ll need to use an aluminium strip (it can be colour matched) to cover the join of the tiles. Full bodied porcelain tiles are going to be the best option for the cleanest, neatest and most hard wearing mitre edge.

Are these tiles rectified?

If you’re looking for a sleek and seamless look with your tiles then you may well want to choose rectified tiles. They're called 'rectified' tiles because that's what the process actually does - it rectifies their sizes. Baking or firing a tile never gives an exact, predictable result. Even if the tiles go into the kiln looking exactly the same, the change in moisture through the firing process isn't something that can be precisely controlled, and tiles will slightly shrink and warp. When they come out of the kiln, the tiles will always vary slightly in terms of their shapes and sizes. Rectified tiles are normally a bit bigger than they need to be when they're put in the kiln, to allow for them to be cut back to precisely the right size once they've been fired. The 'rectification' process involves either grinding or cutting the tiles with a diamond saw. One easy way to quickly tell if a tile is rectified or not is to look at the edge of the tile; if it’s slightly curved then you’re not looking at a rectified tile.

Is there a matching exterior or feature tile?

If you’re looking to achieve a seamless indoor-outdoor look and visually extend the space beyond the interior, using the same flooring from the interior to the exterior is an easy way to achieve this, particularly if you’re doing a new build or extension. Likewise, a feature tile from the same manufacturer will ensure consistency in colour if you’re looking to add some texture to a particular space. Think feature wall but with texture rather than colour.

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