Bathroom Tiling: Tiles, Waterproofing and Mistakes to Avoid

Bathroom tiling looks simple, but it is one of the most demanding tiling jobs in a home. The tiles must handle water every day, steam, cleaning products and years of foot traffic. When bathroom tiling goes wrong, the result is not just ugly.

It is leaks, loose tiles and damp walls. Good bathroom tiling is mostly about the work you cannot see once the job is done.

In this guide we cover how to choose bathroom tiles, why waterproofing matters so much, and the most common mistakes that lead to a job being redone.

Choosing bathroom tiles that work

Good bathroom tiling starts with where each tile will go. A wall tile, a shower floor and the main bathroom floor all have different needs.

For floors, slip resistance matters most. A shiny polished tile looks good in the shop but becomes slippery when wet.

Ask for a matt or textured finish for bathroom floors. Our guide to floor tiling explains tile types and ratings in more detail.

Waterproofing: the step under your bathroom tiling

Here is the part most people do not know. Tiles and grout are not waterproof.

Grout is porous, and water slowly passes through it. Without a membrane underneath, that water reaches the wall or the slab.

In a shower, this shows up as damp patches on the other side of the wall, peeling paint, or a stain on the ceiling below in a double storey home. By then the only fix is to strip the tiles and start again.

1. 1
   Prepare the surface
   Walls and floor must be sound, clean and flat. Loose plaster is removed and patched.
2. 2
   Prime
   A primer helps the waterproofing bond to the surface.
3. 3
   Reinforce corners and joints
   Corners, wall to floor joints and pipe points get reinforcing tape. These are where cracks and leaks start.
4. 4
   Apply the membrane
   Two coats of membrane over the shower floor and walls, and over the rest of the wet floor. The second coat goes on once the first is dry.
5. 5
   Check for gaps
   Every corner, pipe and drain edge is checked before any tile goes on.

How good bathroom tiling is done

Once the membrane is cured, the bathroom tiling starts. A careful tiler spends time on the layout before mixing any adhesive.

• Plan the layout. Start from the centre or the main focal wall. Avoid thin slivers of tile at edges and around the window.
• Use the right adhesive. Wet areas and porcelain need a flexible tile adhesive. Mix it as the bag says.
• Get full coverage. Use a notched trowel and full beds of adhesive. Large tiles are also back-buttered.
• Keep joints even. Spacers and levelling clips keep lines straight and edges flat.
• Cut neatly around fittings. Holes around taps, mixers and the drain should be clean so the cover plates sit well.
• Grout, then silicone. Grout fills joints between tiles. Corners and junctions get silicone, not grout.

For wall tiling, the wall must be plumb and flat. Uneven walls should be fixed with plaster first, not with thick lumps of adhesive. If you want an expert to handle it, our wall tiling team works across Cape Town.

Bathroom tiling mistakes to avoid

These are the problems we find most often when home owners call us to redo bathroom tiling. Most of them come from rushing.

Bathroom tiling around a bath

The bath is a weak spot in many bathrooms. Water runs down the wall tiles and sits along the edge of the bath. If that joint fails, water gets behind the bath and into the wall or floor.

Before tiling, the bath must be fixed firmly so it does not move when someone steps in. The wall behind the bath is waterproofed, with tape at the joint. The tiles then sit just above the bath edge, and the gap is filled with a good bathroom silicone.

Fill the bath with water before you apply the silicone. The bath drops slightly under the weight, so the silicone is not stretched later when the bath is in use.

Grout, silicone and caring for your bathroom tiles

Grout colour changes the whole look. A matching grout gives a calm finish. A contrast grout shows off the tile shape, such as hexagon tiles, but also shows dirt more.

In showers, epoxy grout is harder wearing and resists stains and mould better than standard cement grout. It costs more and takes more skill to apply. Standard grout can be sealed to help it stay clean.

Cape Town winters are wet, and bathrooms often stay damp for hours. Open a window or run an extractor fan after showers.

Replace silicone when it turns black or starts to peel. This is a small job that protects the waterproofing behind it.

Bathroom tiling as part of a renovation

If your tiles are old, cracked or loose, it is often worth looking at the whole room. Pipes, the shower tray and the waterproofing can all be done at the same time. Our bathroom renovations team handles the full job, from stripping out to tiling and new fittings.

To plan your budget, read our guide on bathroom renovation cost. When you are ready, you can get a free quote for your bathroom.

Ask what waterproofing system and products will be used, and keep the product names for your records. National standards for building products in South Africa are published by the SABS. Experienced tilers in Cape Town will explain their system without fuss.

Bathroom tiling questions