If a full bathroom renovation isn’t in your immediate future, adding new floor tiles may be a quick and affordable way to refresh your space. Choose a patterned pattern tile design to give your space some added character!
Mosaic tiles are stylish, versatile and adaptable tiling materials that add flair and texture. Their traditional yet contemporary decor schemes work beautifully well.
Ceramic
Porcelain and ceramic tiles both make great choices for bathrooms, but there are significant distinctions between them. While both options look similar and feature water resistance glazed surface coatings, each category requires specific manufacturing processes and must comply with specific industry standards to qualify as porcelain or ceramic.
The main distinction between porcelain and ceramic tiles lies in their moisture absorption rate; according to the Tile Council of North America, for a porcelain tile to qualify for certification it must absorb no more than 0.5% water absorption rate while ceramic tiles often feature higher porosity ratings that require regular maintenance to avoid staining and mold growth.
Both porcelain and ceramic tile come in an extensive array of styles. Glazed porcelain offers brighter color options than ceramic, while matte or glossy finishes bring chic modernity into the room. Furthermore, porcelain tiles come in multiple shapes such as hexagons or nonrectangular pieces which provide design flexibility for installation patterns.
Porcelain
Porcelain tile is hard, dense, and more resilient to damage than ceramic. It stands up well in wet environments while being easier to maintain than other forms of tile. Plus it looks better as it mimics natural materials such as stone or wood!
Both porcelain and ceramic are offered in an abundance of colors, patterns, finishes and textures – both glazed and unglazed versions can be found. Some rectified pieces have even been cut using lasers after firing to ensure 90-degree corners and near perfect sizing.
Porcelain tiles generally fall into two categories of tiles – through-body porcelains are those with colors mixed throughout their body rather than just on top, while through-body porcelain can also be glazed for glossy, satin, or matte finishes. Through-body porcelain is best used in areas that see light to moderate traffic while providing some level of moisture resistance.
Vinyl
Vinyl flooring has long been considered an affordable and budget-friendly flooring choice, thanks to its long life expectancy, soft underfoot cushioning, ease of maintenance and moisture resistance – plus it can even be designed to resemble natural stones such as tile.
Sheet vinyl comes in various colors and patterns that work well in wet environments like bathrooms and laundries, making them great choices for kids’ bathrooms as it can easily be cut to size or replaced if damaged.
Vinyl tiles have become increasingly popular due to their striking visual similarities with stone and wood flooring, as well as being easier for DIYers to install than ceramic tile. You can purchase pre-attached underlays that offer insulation, cushioning, sound absorption and moisture resistance; additionally thicker products like luxury vinyl tile (LVT) or vinyl composite tile (VCT) offer greater performance for durability and comfort.
Natural Stone
Natural stone tiles add a luxurious, timeless aesthetic to any bathroom, spanning rustic or contemporary design schemes with ease. Water-resistant and highly durable, natural stone tile floors can stand the test of time when properly maintained.
Marble, granite, slate and limestone tiles are some of the most commonly found natural stones used for tile applications in flooring, backsplashes or countertops. Each variety is quarried from quarries around the world before being formed into tiles for use as flooring, backsplashes or countertops. Due to variations in texture and veining patterns between each tile of one stone type, no two tiles will look alike when purchased for your home improvement project; so be sure to purchase an extra box.
Limestone tiles make an excellent addition to bathrooms that don’t get much foot traffic, and are more forgiving than other natural stones when it comes to footfall. Regular resealing will prevent moisture damage that could occur.