What Type of Tile Should You Use for Bathroom Floors?

Choosing what type of tile for bathroom floor applications doesn't require a degree in material science, but it does help to know the key differences between a tile that looks good in a showroom and one that'll still look great (and function perfectly) five years down the track. 

In this guide, we'll walk you through the practical differences between tile types, what actually matters for bathroom floors versus shower areas, and how to choose options that tick both the aesthetic and performance boxes.

Why Bathroom Tiles Need Special Consideration

Bathrooms aren't like other rooms in the house, and the tiles you choose need to reflect that reality. Between daily showers, bath overflow, and steam that settles on every surface, bathroom tiles are essentially living in a humid microclimate. This isn't just about the occasional splash; it's sustained moisture exposure that can penetrate porous materials, weaken adhesives, and create the perfect environment for mould growth beneath the surface. 

Understanding what type of tile should be used in a bathroom starts with recognising that you need a low water absorption rate to prevent moisture from seeping through and causing issues that may not be visible until they become expensive problems. This is where understanding what waterproofing is in a bathroom becomes vital. 

Safety is equally critical. A tile that's perfectly fine in a living room can become dangerously slippery when wet. This is especially important for shower floors and the immediate area outside the shower, where water is a constant presence. Choosing tiles with appropriate slip resistance protects the people using the space every day.

Then there's thermal stress. Bathrooms shift from warm and steamy during use to cool and dry in between. Not all materials respond well to these constant changes, and choosing the wrong one can lead to grout failure or tile movement over time.

What Type of Tiles Are Best for Bathroom Floors?

Porcelain Tiles

If there's one tile type that consistently ticks every box for bathroom floors, it's porcelain. With a water absorption rate of less than 0.5%, porcelain is essentially impervious to moisture, making it ideal for Auckland's humid climate and high-moisture bathroom environments.

What sets porcelain apart is its density. It's fired at higher temperatures than ceramic, creating a harder, more durable surface that resists scratching, staining, and wear. 

For architects and designers working on high-end residential projects, porcelain offers something equally important: design versatility. Modern porcelain tiles convincingly replicate natural stone, timber, concrete, and terrazzo, providing the aesthetic flexibility your clients desire without the maintenance headaches associated with actual stone or wood in wet areas.

Ceramic Tiles

Ceramic offers a great middle ground. They are more affordable than porcelain but still offer solid performance in many bathroom applications. When weighing up what type of tile for bathroom floors works within your budget without sacrificing quality, ceramic deserves consideration. They're made from clay fired at lower temperatures, resulting in a slightly more porous material with a water absorption rate typically between 0.5% and 3%.

High-quality ceramic tiles with proper waterproofing and installation can perform well in general bathroom areas where water exposure is moderate. However, we generally don't recommend ceramic for shower floors or immediate shower surrounds where constant water exposure occurs. The higher porosity means more potential for water penetration over time, particularly if grout lines are compromised or the waterproof membrane beneath isn't perfect.

Natural Stone Tiles

For boutique builders and high-end residential clients seeking genuine luxury underfoot, natural stone offers an aesthetic impact that manufactured tiles cannot replicate.

Marble brings timeless elegance, travertine offers warm, organic texture, while slate provides contemporary sophistication with inherent slip resistance. However, choosing natural stone for your bathroom tiles requires informed specification and ongoing commitment. 

Most natural stones are porous and need regular sealing to prevent water absorption, staining, and etching from bathroom products. Marble, while stunning, can be susceptible to acidic substances (think certain cleaning products or even some soaps). The sealing process isn't a one-time event either; depending on the stone and usage, resealing might be needed annually or bi-annually to maintain protection.

Polished marble or granite can also become treacherously slippery when wet, making them unsuitable for shower floors unless you opt for honed or textured finishes. Slate and textured travertine naturally offer better grip, making them more practical choices for wet areas.

Despite the maintenance requirements, when natural stone is specified correctly and clients understand the care involved, it creates bathrooms with genuine character and luxury appeal that never go out of style.

Mosaic and Smaller Format Tiles

Mosaic tiles (typically 50x50mm or smaller) and small-format tiles (100x100mm to 200x200mm) offer distinct advantages for bathroom floors, particularly in shower areas. 

If you're wondering what type of tile to use for shower floors, smaller formats are often the answer: more tiles mean more grout lines, and more grout lines mean significantly better slip resistance, creating a small ridge that provides grip underfoot when wet.

Beyond safety, smaller tiles offer design flexibility. They can navigate curved shower bases, create gradient transitions, and incorporate decorative patterns or borders that would be impossible with large-format tiles. For designers seeking to add visual interest or delineate distinct zones within a bathroom, mosaics offer creative opportunities while maintaining practical functionality.

The trade-off? More grout lines mean more maintenance over time, as grout requires periodic cleaning and occasional resealing. Installation is also more complex and time-consuming, which typically translates to higher labour costs. But for shower floors and feature areas where safety and design impact are priorities, the investment often makes perfect sense.

Shower Floors vs General Bathroom Tiles

While it's tempting to treat your entire bathroom floor as one continuous surface, the reality is that your shower floor has very different performance requirements than the rest of your bathroom. 

While your general bathroom floor may get splashed during hand washing or see the occasional puddle from a wet towel, your shower floor is submerged in water multiple times a day. Sustained exposure to flowing water, steam, and soap residue tests a tile's water resistance and slip properties in ways that general bathroom flooring doesn't experience. 

So what type of tile for shower floors actually works best? Surface texture and tile size are your primary safety tools. A matte or textured finish provides more grip than polished surfaces when wet. Smaller tiles with a grid of grout lines also create natural grip points across the surface, with each line acting as a small traction ridge. This is why many experienced designers opt for smaller format tiles with a rougher surface, specifically for shower floors, even though larger and smoother tiles might work beautifully in other parts of the bathroom. 

Your shower needs a precise fall (typically 1:100 or 1:80 gradient) to effectively channel water toward the drain. Proper drainage protects your waterproofing membrane and prevents water from accumulating on grout lines, which can accelerate wear over time. 

Smaller tiles offer much greater flexibility when creating these gradients, particularly around drains and in corners, while larger format tiles can make achieving consistent falls more technically challenging.

Let’s Create Your Perfect Bathroom

Even the highest-quality tiles can only deliver on their promise when they’re installed correctly. Regardless of what type of tile should be used in the bathroom, proper waterproofing, precise falls, appropriate adhesive selection, and expert grouting are essential to protecting your investment. 

If you’re planning a high-end bathroom project, look no further than Cutting Edge Tiling. Our team collaborates with architects, designers, and boutique builders across Auckland to bring beautiful concepts to life, creating bathrooms that perform as well as they look. 

Contact our team to discuss your tile selection and installation requirements, and discover how we can support your next project with our bathroom tiling services today!