It’s easy to get in a muddle over bathroom floor tile sizes, especially with many available options. Before you make a decision, we’ve put together an informative guide to help you choose the perfect floor tile size for your bathroom space.
From small mosaic tiles to large porcelain tiles, we’ll explore the full range of bathroom floor tile sizes so that you can go ahead and make your purchase with complete confidence.
Bathroom Floor Tile Sizes: Does Size Really Matter?
Some would argue that large spaces including bathrooms demand large floor tiles, and vice versa for smaller bathrooms. However, others will tell you the bathroom floor tile size you choose shouldn’t be determined by the room’s dimensions. In other words, small bathrooms can really benefit from larger floor tiles as there are fewer grout lines to distract the eye which enhances the overall appeal, making the room appear bigger.
Whatever your preference, you’ll find a vast number of bathroom floor tile sizes on the market, so you’ll never be short of decorating options. These range from intricate mosaic tiles to highly popular 600x600mm tiles to whopping 150cmx120cm tiles and more. Ultimately, the bathroom floor tile size you go for boils down to the floor space you need to cover and your personal taste.
Why is it Important to Select the Right Bathroom Floor Tile Sizes?
One of the biggest mistakes people make is purchasing bathroom floor tiles before hiring or consulting a professional tiler. After all, it takes plenty of skill and experience to plan a tiling installation so that all the cuts look balanced and in proportion with the room.
Get this part wrong, especially in a smaller bathroom, and you may need to make a succession of tricky, awkward cuts to navigate around your furniture and doors while trying to maintain a perfect visual balance. Not only is this time-consuming, but the amount of cutting required is likely to generate large quantities of waste and off-cuts that can’t be reused. This can be uneconomical for your bathroom project and also detrimental for those who are redesigning their space in the most sustainable way possible.
Another reason why selecting the right bathroom floor tile size is important is that it can affect the drainage when used in a wetroom or walk-in shower. However, at CCL Wetrooms we offer a wide range of drains for all types of wetroom floors including tiled floors, concrete floors, screeded floors, and wooden floors. Not only do our wetroom drains offer maximum performance, but they also allow you to be as creative as you like with your choice of bathroom or wetroom floor tiles.
How to Find the Ideal Bathroom Floor Tile Size
Selecting the right size of floor tile can have a significant impact on the overall look of your bathroom. Before we go any further, it’s worth pointing out there are no hard-and-fast rules, and it’s often wise to experiment with different tile sizes to discover what looks best and which style compliments the surrounding space.
Without further ado, let’s dig deeper into the world of bathroom floor tile sizes.
Small, Medium, Large, or Extra-Large Bathroom Floor Tiles?
It’s important to distinguish between what we mean by small, medium, large, or extra-large bathroom floor tiles.
- Small bathroom floor tiles: Anything up to 200x200mm.
- Medium bathroom floor tiles: Anything between 200x200mm to 600x600mm.
- Large bathroom floor tiles: Anything from 600x600mm to 900x450mm.
- Extra large bathroom floor tiles: Anything from 750x750mm upwards.
These are among the most common bathroom floor tiles sizes, but by no means cover every available measurement. The perfect size for your project will depend on the dimensions of the room and the look you’re trying to achieve. However, it’s worth remembering that small tiles aren’t necessarily the best option for smaller bathrooms. Why? Smaller tiles equal more grout joints, and busy patterns will make the surface appear smaller and too busy because the eye is drawn to the breaks in the tiling. On the other hand, larger tiles have fewer grout lines which enhances the feeling of spaciousness and free-flowing aesthetic.
If you have a wetroom or walk-in shower and have gone for larger tiles, you’ll also need the correct drain to go with it like the linear screed wetroom drain because of its shallow drainage channel. This allows you to position the drain anywhere in your wetroom so that you can create the perfect bathroom floor you desire.
Do Larger Bathroom Floor Tile Sizes Make the Space Look Bigger?
There’s no straightforward answer to this common question, so we recommend thinking about tile sizes in proportion to the space you have available.
For instance, an average 300x600mm tile can make a small bathroom look bigger because only a few grout joints are needed. However, a 1200x600mm tile may be too big and clumsy for the space as it will be out of proportion with the rest of the room. Not only that, but you’ll probably need to make unsightly cuts to the tiles, so they fit the room’s dimensions. This can ruin the overall effect you’re trying to achieve, especially if you’re forced to cut patterned tiles to size. Larger floors typically require a linear screed drain which features a shallow drainage channel and is suitable for most floor applications.
What about rectangular floor tiles for smaller bathrooms?
Go for it! Rectangular tiles can make smaller bathrooms appear longer and wider. They should be installed in a portrait fashion, so the grout joints are stretched out, giving an illusion of a bigger bathroom space. We would suggest either a 200x600mm or 300x600mm tile for a small bathroom floor.
While bathroom floor tile sizes can undoubtedly create an illusion of spaciousness, the fitting pattern you install can also have a similar effect. When rectangular floor tiles are laid in a landscape fashion across the entrance, a bathroom will appear wide. Similarly, when the same shape and size tile is fitted in a portrait style, the room will appear longer.
If you are using square floor tiles, a handy trick is to fit them in a diamond pattern which also has the effect of making your bathroom look bigger than it actually is.
What Bathroom Floor Tile Sizes and Styles are Most Suitable for Wetrooms?
Tiles are the most popular choice of flooring when it comes to wetrooms or walk-in showers. Porcelain, natural stone, or mosaic tiles are perfect for wetroom floors, and the huge variety of sizes and styles provides enormous scope for the design of your wetroom.
Another advantage of a tiled wetroom floor finish is that you’ll be able to select from a wide range of wetroom trays and drains as most options have been developed for use with tiled floors.
Most options of bathroom floor tile sizes work with wetrooms and walk-in showers. A large format porcelain tile is popular with many wetroom designers, though an envelope cut will need to be made so the tiles follow the fall of the tray or drain. For wetrooms with a linear drain, it’s possible to add a tile-able insert to create an unbroken look to your floor and improve the aesthetic appeal.
Like porcelain tiles, natural stone tiles come in all shapes and sizes and are ideal for wetroom floors. However, natural stone tiles may need to be sealed with a protective membrane before use to ensure they don’t absorb any water and begin to leak over time.
Similarly, mosaic tiles are another great option as they follow the contours of the wetroom tray or drain, providing maximum drainage capacity. Mosaic bathroom floor tile sizes can vary, but most are available in sheets measuring approximately 300x300mm, making them quick and easy to lay. If you’re using mosaic floor tiles, you’ll need a solution like the Solo4 wetroom drain to provide the correct drainage you need.
Ultimately, the vast array of bathroom floor tile sizes provides you with almost endless possibilities when it comes to bathroom or wetroom design. While there are plenty of tips and tricks that can help you select the right bathroom floor tile sizes, the choice often depends on personal preference, the amount of available space, and the most effective drainage options.
Unsure Which Bathroom Floor Tile Sizes to Use with Your Wetroom Project?
At CCL Wetrooms, our team of experts will help you plan and design your dream wetroom and advise on the bathroom floor tiles sizes you need. For professional advice, contact us today.
