What Is the Best Tile to Use for Shower Pans and Surrounds?

With many tiles to choose from at your local tile shop, does this mean that you can use any one of them in your shower? Due to the extremely high amount of moisture and the need for skid resistance, only certain tiles can work in the shower.

Best Answer

For shower pans (floors), choose porcelain tiles in mosaic (1-inch by 1-inch) size. For shower surrounds (walls), choose any size of porcelain or glazed ceramic tile.

Details

When it comes to shower tile, it is important to separate shower floors from shower walls, as they have a few different needs. Shower floors need both moisture-resistance and friction. Shower walls need moisture-resistance but no friction. Floors have to be able to drain; walls do not have drainage issues.

Vitreous is a tile term that means that water absorbs into the surface of the tile very reluctantly, if at all.  With truly glazed, vitreous tile, the surface is completely waterproof. Grout seams are the only potentially non-vitreous area you will need to worry about. However, grout lines can be sealed.

Size matters, too. Mosaic tiles are excellent on shower floors for two reasons.

• Mosaic tiles create lots of grouted seams, which provide excellent slip resistance under your bare feet. The effect is much like those lines you often see etched into concrete sidewalks to help with pedestrians’ footing.
• Mosaic tiles allow you to better form the tiles to the slope in the shower pan. A slope is necessary in order to send water to the central drain area.

Trusted Sources

Houzz is a Class 1 source for home improvement advice from industry professionals. However, its article Top 10 Tips for Choosing Shower Tile is written by an anonymous author and isn’t the most helpful article I have seen on that site, since it veers off-topic. But it does make a number of good points, such as mosaics’ excellent slip resistance.

Martin Moss General Contractor is a Class 1 source and makes a good point: wider grout lines are better than thin because they are easier to clean.