Comparing bathrooms with totally vs partially tiled floors

Choosing between half- and full-tiled bathrooms is crucial to the design. It’s a matter of taste, but it also affects the cost and functionality of your bathroom makeover.

When it comes to bathroom design, one of the most frequently asked topics is, “Should the walls be totally or partially tiled?” According to mothernbathrooms, there is no “correct” way to do something. It is not the case that fully-tiled is superior to partially-tiled. Both are distinct but equally effective methods for decorating the bathroom walls. The optimal method for tiling your bathroom relies on a variety of criteria, which we shall discuss below.

Bathroom design considerations: fully-tiled versus partially-tiled walls.

When picking between a fully-tiled or partially-tiled bathroom, cost is neither the only nor the most important aspect. In actuality, the half-tile bathroom is an excuse to spend extra on a specialty tile. However, one thing is certain: the bathroom’s moist parts must be tiled to protect the walls. This often includes the shower screens frameless enclosure or cubicle, the bathtub, and the space surrounding the sink. Consider the following factors when determining whether to totally tile or partially tile the bathroom walls.

Completely tiled bathrooms are practical, especially for smaller or secondary bathrooms. Covered walls are easier to maintain and need less decoration, and many homeowners appreciate their uniform appearance.

Half-tiling, or tiling around appliances, is a conventional method. It provides for greater design customization, including statement tiles. You are free to paint and decorate the surrounding walls as you see fit, including the installation of mirrors, bookcases, and picture frames.

• Overall available budget for decorating.
• The desired interior design style for the bathroom.
• Which sanitary gear products to include and their arrangement
• The bathroom’s size, such as a family bathroom or a guest toilet.

The Positives and Negatives of a Fully Tiled Bathroom

One of the primary benefits of entirely tiling the bathroom walls is their waterproofing supplies. Porcelain tiles specifically. There is simply no better method of damp-proofing walls. But there are also more practical and aesthetic reasons why a fully tiled bathroom is recommended:

Still uncertain as to whether a half-tiled or fully-tiled bathroom is your best option?

Here are some advantages and disadvantages of each alternative: half-tiled versus full-tiled

Advantages of a Bathroom with Complete Tiling

• The appearance of a completely tiled bathroom may make smaller bathrooms appear larger.
• By tiling the walls from floor to ceiling, the smaller bathroom may be turned into a wet room with more ease at a later date.
• It gives a smoother transition between tiled walls and floors with fewer intricate details.
• All niches, alcoves, and window sills can be tiled to match the walls, so integrating the décor and adding depth.
• No further wall treatment is necessary, thus the decorating process may be initiated and completed more quickly.

Negatives of a Fully-Tiled Bathroom

• Spa-like seamless finish
• There is an associated fee. Initial expenditures for the tiles, glue, grout, and labour are increased when tiling an entire room.
• Future usage of your bathroom as a wet room is possible.
• To keep the grout in pristine condition, more upkeep and a more rigorous cleaning schedule will be necessary.
• The walls are simple to wash off and clean.
• Before tiling the walls, they must be absolutely level. Otherwise, there will be breakages.
• No decoration other than tiling.
• Too many tiles can be aesthetically overpowering, especially if they all have intricate designs.

The Pros and Cons of a Bathroom with Half-Tiles

• increasing prices for tiling.
• It is challenging to fit elements such as shelving.

By mixing tiles with various wall coverings, you may create a focal point or demarcate distinct regions in the bathroom. This configuration can be customised in a variety of ways. in particular sections, sheltering the wet regions (inside shower enclosures and behind the WHB), as a wainscot effect (up to roughly 90cm above the completed floor level) or as a highlight wall that contrasts with other finishes. There are innumerable options, so let your imagination go wild.

Limited selection of tiles (large, neutral styles work best)

The Advantages of a Half-Tiled Restroom

• The tiles become a focal point.
• In general, half-tiled bathrooms are less expensive to decorate. With less labour and fewer tiles to purchase, there are savings.
• You may select premium tiles because they cover a smaller surface area.
• With fewer tiles, it will take less time to decorate the bathroom.
• You are allowed to personalise the walls with portraits, mirrors, etc.
• With paint colours, wallpaper, and other cladding possibilities, there is greater freedom for individual creativity.
• Fewer grout lines must be cleaned and maintained.

The Negatives of Half-Tiled Bathrooms

• Skirting boards are obligatory.
• In the bathroom, different trades (builder, painter, etc.) will need to collaborate or work sequentially. Plastering walls in non-tiled areas will take longer since they must cure completely before being painted.
• You must prepare and then paint the walls.
• Walls may not provide complete protection from water and steam.
• For safety, walls that are not tiled must be skirted. This may appear uneven in a tiny bathroom.

Completely tiled Half-tiled

The Pluses

• It possesses waterproofing properties.
• Create the illusion of a larger area by
• may be transformed into a wet room more quickly.
• It creates a more distinct transition between walls and floors.
• Create a cohesive décor.
• No additional wall treatment is necessary.
• Cheaper
• It requires less time to execute.
• This facilitates more inventiveness.

Cons

• There is an associated fee.
• Extra upkeep
• The walls must be completely horizontal.
• Visually, it might be overpowering.
• It needs the engagement of various tradesmen.
• Walls that aren’t tiled must be skirted.
• Ideas for fully and partially tiled bathrooms

Here are some design tips to help you maximise your bathroom, whether it is entirely or partially tiled:

Ideas for bathrooms with tiled walls

The bathroom is unlike any other room in the house, both in terms of its function and decoration. This may involve imagining the family bathroom as a luxurious spa with floor-to-ceiling tiles. The fully-tiled bathroom acknowledges the bathroom’s potential as a health, soothing, and cleansing zone. Mixing and matching tiles may produce a modern and inventive aesthetic. To make the most of a totally tiled setting, use plants and other things that flourish in a moist atmosphere.

Ideas for half-tiled bathrooms

Combining tiles with painted plaster, wallpaper, or wood cladding enhances inventiveness and complements a variety of designs. The secret is to view the bathroom as a room, as opposed to a utility room. This method is quite typical of Victorian bathroom design: tiling to the height of the wainscot and wallpapering above. The Art Deco bathroom featured mirrors, polished plaster, or wallpaper set inside tiled frames.

Similarly, a rustic-style bathroom may be created by tiling only the regions of a shower enclosure and covering the remaining surfaces with marine-grade plywood or painted tongue-and-groove cladding. Combining floating shelves, mirrors, and painted surfaces on top of a dado-height tiled wall treatment may also provide a cutting-edge contemporary half-tiled bathroom design.

A shower in a half-bathroom that is tiled.

Regardless of whether you go for partially tiled or fully tiled walls, the shower enclosure or cubicle must be tiled to the height of the showerhead. If the shower is incorporated into the bathtub, the tile height must exceed the statutory 190 cm. By selecting a unique tile for the shower, you may add visual appeal to the bathroom.

FAQs

Is tiling required behind a toilet?

No, tiles are only essential when the wall must be protected from water intrusion due to dampness or splashes. As a self-contained bathroom fixture, the toilet poses little risk of dampness spreading to surrounding walls. In contrast, the floors beneath and around the toilet bowl should be tiled.

How high should shower tiles be installed?

The standard recommendation is to raise the tiles 190cm above the finishing level of the shower tray, not the bathroom floor. The showerhead should be positioned roughly one tile below the highest tile.

How far beyond the bathtub should tile extend?

Bathtubs are 51 centimetres above the ground. It is advisable to install two tiles, or around 30 centimetres, over the bathtub’s perimeter. For the wall close to the bath’s rim, it is advised to extend it approximately 15 centimetres. It is recommended to use tile borders or profiles to produce a tidy finish that prevents water penetration where the tile meets the painted plaster finish.

Which is superior: tiling or painting a bathroom?

Due to their resistance to moisture, which inhibits the growth of mould and mildew, tiles are highly recommended for use in bathrooms. Paint cannot match these characteristics, however anti-condensation paint (with fungicide) is significantly superior to standard paint in this regard. However, the investment in a quality tile will pay for itself over time because to its easy maintenance and cleaner finish.

How can a tiny bathroom be tiled to make it appear larger?

Using big format tiles with few seams or gaps to create a cohesive floor surface in the small bathroom. This makes the area appear bigger. Rectangular tiles put horizontally in tiny bathrooms will make the walls look larger than they are. Small bathrooms that are completely tiled appear larger than those that are partially tiled, especially if the tiles are glossy or have a reflecting quality.

We hope that these advantages and drawbacks have been helpful, and that you now have a better idea of whether you prefer a half-tiled or fully-tiled bathroom.