Grout and about looking for tiles

Many factors come into play in choosing the perfect shower tile and often the shower’s design will dictate the type of tile that can be used.

If you love a curved shower bench, you will need to use a smaller tile. That might seem like an easy task but remember, you need a tile that is suitable for floor and wall use. This same tile also needs to be approved for a wet location. So when it’s installed, 95 per cent of the back side of the tile needs to be in contact with the thinset (tile concrete).

Using a large- format tile is great for barrier-free design and aging in place. But is that tile safe? Smaller tiles offer more grout lines and slip resistance, so if you’re searching for a large tile, look for one with a good slip-resistance rating. A tile with an A or B rating is far safer than a tile with a C slip-resistance rating.

A little-known fact is that if you’re using glass tile or any sheet mosaic tile, it is up to the manufacturer or retailer to inform you if the tile is acceptable for submersion or pool use. Your shower floor should be built like it will be submerged. It is also the responsibility of the manufacturer of glass tile to specify the type of setting materials you need.

Use smaller tiles on curves

Depending on your shower bench design, you may need smaller tiles to handle the curves. Smaller tiles handle curves much better. By having the tile onsite before the shower’s bench is designed, the angle of the curves and natural arcs can be worked out.

Think about how it will feel

A slab feels nicer to sit on than smaller tile, and a curved edge will feel great on the back of the legs. Sitting on a shower bench with no eased edge can be hard on the backs of your legs. Plan to use a slab or a tile that offers up a bullnose or a radius edge for your shower bench.

Be careful when selecting mosaic tiles

Pick out a mosaic tile that offers at least 95 percent contact from the tile to the backer board. You need that contact from the wall to the tile! You don’t want to trust the glue on a sheet of tile.

Small colored glass is easier to work with than large clear glass. Glass is hard to work with. Some clear glass tiles can show moisture trapped behind them and make a great shower look awful after just a few uses. Picking smaller colored glass tile is better. Many glass tiles have directional arrows so they all can be installed with the same orientation. Use a second tile choice to make a feature wall

Adding a second tile choice as a feature is a great look. Pick a smaller tile for a sloped ceiling

Building a sloped ceiling is one of the many requirements of a commercial steam shower. Using smaller tiles makes for more graceful slopes.

Keep cleaning in mind

If you hate cleaning your shower, use larger slabs or glass panels, since they making cleaning much easier than small mosaic-type tiles.