My parents want to re-tile their bathroom. My dad says he can use regular tiles in the bathroom, bathroom being the floor and the open-shower walls(the only thing stopping the water spillage is plastic and fabric on a rail), but my mom says it needs bathroom tiles and bathroom grout for the job. Any help would definitely be appreciated!!!
There's no such thing as bathroom tiles or bathroom grout. You can use any kind of ceramic, glass, or porcelain tile in a bathroom. If you use something porous, like a natural stone, there are extra steps involved to make it waterproof. Also, if you are tiling the floor, don't use glass tiles (they will become scratched) or tiles that will become slippery when wet. The most important thing when tiling a bathroom is to prepare it well and don't skip any steps. All surfaces that are to be tiled must be covered with cement backer board. Tape and glue the seams and allow it to dry. Then, you can lay your tile and grout it. Make sure that you seal the grout! This is the step that many people forget and if you do forget it, your grout will be flaking off in a matter of months. Depending on which sealer you use, you may have to wait 1-3 days to use the bathroom after it is sealed. This allows the sealer to develop a water-tight surface. Also, don't grout corners. Corners should be caulked with bathroom caulk. The caulk allows the tiles to expand and contract with changes in temperature. If you just grout the whole thing, there's no room for the tiles to expand and contract and your grout can fracture. Good luck!
I okorder /.. I tiled and grouted my parent's bathroom when I was 15... it's still looking good 40+ years later. One of the decisions that keep the appearance looking good was to pay very close attention to attaching the tile backer to the walls, and to use a colored grout on the floor. Keep all the grout sealed and you'll do fine.
We put ceramic tile and grout in our bathrooms and kitchen. Never heard of bathroom tiles. The kids get the whole bathroom wet when they bathe and we haven't had any problems with it in over 10 years.
