The practical questions worth asking before choosing bathroom tiles, from slip rating on the floor to waterproofing underneath.
For a bathroom floor, ask for a tile with a slip rating suited to a wet area, since bathroom floors are a common slip risk and not every attractive tile is rated for it. For walls and shower areas, confirm the waterproofing membrane is applied and signed off before tiling starts, since this sits underneath the tile and is the part you can't see or fix later without ripping tiles back out. Larger format tiles generally mean fewer grout lines to maintain, but can be less forgiving on an uneven substrate.
Choosing bathroom tiles often starts with colour and finish, but the practical questions, slip resistance, waterproofing, and tile size, matter just as much for how the room performs day to day.
Here's what's worth asking your tiler before you commit to a design.
A polished or glossy tile can look great in a showroom but become genuinely slippery once wet, which is exactly the condition a bathroom floor is in most of the time. Ask your tiler or supplier for the slip rating of any floor tile you're considering, and be specific that it's going in a wet area, not just a bathroom in general (a vanity-only area has different needs to a shower floor).
The waterproofing membrane underneath your tiles is arguably more important than the tiles themselves, since it's what actually stops water getting into the floor and walls behind the shower. This work should be completed and, in many cases, should be checked or signed off before tiling begins.
Ask directly: who is doing the waterproofing, is it a separate trade or part of the tiler's own scope, and will you see evidence it's been done properly before the tiles cover it up for good.
Larger format tiles are popular for a cleaner, more modern look with fewer grout lines to clean, but they need a flatter, more even substrate to sit properly and can show lippage (uneven edges) more obviously than smaller tiles if the surface isn't prepared well.
A good tiler should be asking you about slip rating, waterproofing responsibility and substrate condition before quoting, rather than leaving you to figure out the technical side yourself.
Our researched Top 5 Tilers lists are checked against genuine local reputation and real completed bathroom work, so every business on them already raises these questions.
See our independently researched Top 5 Tilers in Hamilton.
Compare vetted local businesses for this job.
There's no single number that applies everywhere, but a tile specifically rated for wet areas is important for a bathroom floor, especially inside and around the shower. Ask your tiler or supplier to confirm a tile is suitable for a wet floor before choosing it on looks alone.
This varies by project, sometimes it's part of the tiler's scope, sometimes a separate waterproofing contractor. Confirm this explicitly before work starts, since it's critical work that gets covered up once tiling begins.
They require a flatter, more carefully prepared substrate than smaller tiles, since unevenness shows more obviously on a large tile's surface. A skilled tiler can still achieve a great result, but it's worth discussing substrate preparation specifically if you want large format tiles.
This depends on the size of the bathroom, tile size, and whether waterproofing and substrate work are needed first, but a full bathroom retile commonly takes one to two weeks including drying and curing time between stages.
Put your business in the spotlight with a prominent placement and a dedicated profile on the exact pages homeowners in your city are searching right now.
Explore Spotlight