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 bathroom decoration

 bathroom flooring

 bathroom walls
 bathroom cladding
 ceramic wall tiles
 bathroom paint
 bathroom wallpaper
 tongue and groove

 bathroom ceiling

 bathroom window

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Ceramic Bathroom Tiles

Ceramic tiles are still the most popular choice of bathroom wall covering in the UK, and with some very cheap tiles on the market, they will probably remain so for the foreseeable future.

 

 

The choice available is vast which can enable a whole host of designs to be applied to bathrooms of all shapes and sizes. By utilisng different size ceramic tiles and combining them with separate mosaic tiles for a border you can achieve a design that is totally unique to your bathroom.

There are ceramic tiles that are available for bathroom floors, bathroom walls and some which are suitable for both, giving the decoration and integrated look. You can limit the use of tiles to certain areas of the room or kit-out all of the walls and the floor. Sometimes wall tiles are just installed in a shower cubicle or around the bath (if there is an over-bath shower). A small splashback behind a bathroom sink is another popular area of use.

Most bathrooms tend to be quite small so if you are going to use floor tiles it is usually best to do the whole room as dividing the floor area into different finishes does not usually look that impressive in a confined space.

If you need a hard wearing finish then ceramic tiles are an ideal material. Unlike natural stone they are easily cleaned - natural stone tiles need to be cleaned carefully to ensure strong chemicals do not spoil the surface finish. Ceramic tiles tend to be easier to install as they are a uniform size and thickness and have a wider range of suitable adhesives and grouts. Natural stone tiles also need to be sealed prior to use or they will be very susceptable to staining.

The main disadvantage with bathroom tiles is that they need to be grouted, and the grout used to fill in between the tiles can get mouldy.

Once this happens keeping the grout looking clean can be a nightmare, as the mould tends to get behind the surface of the grout.

The only way to completely eradicate it is to rake out the grout and start again. Installing and extractor fan in the bathroom will help reduce the amount of condensation and can help reduce mould growth.

There are grout protectors available but these need to be re-applied periodically to ensure its effectiveness. Epoxy grout is also available that does not suffer from mould growth but these are very expensive and more difficult to apply.

The preparation of the walls prior to tiling also needs to be spot on, as any bulges or irregularities can show through. Dark tiles will highlight the grout line and make any irregularities more obvious.

Mosaic Tiles

Mosaic tile effect panel by Decos
click image to enlarge

 

The tiles used when fitting a mosaic wall are very small and require very flat walls to ensure a consistent finish, as there are so many grout lines to show up imperfections. Because of this problem,  some bathroom cladding manufacturers have developed waterproof wall panels with a mosaic effect finish, such as the Onyx Mosaic panel by Decos, shown here. See our bathroom cladding section for more details of waterproof wall panels.

 

PROS

CONS

very inexpensive to buy
large choice of  colours
waterproof (if installed correctly)
 

walls need thorough  preparation
grout can be difficult to  clean
cold to the touch
can promote condensation

Buying Online

If you are thinking of some home improvements then we hope the following links will help...

Bathroom cladding is the modern alternative to tiles, and the range offered by The Bathroom Marquee is one of the most comprehensive available online.

 DONT BOTHER scouring the net for the best deals on bathroom decoration products - Kelkoo will do it for you.
Kelkoo.com is Europe’s leading shopping search engine and is linked to 1000’s of quality retailers and brand names.

 

 

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