You should also know that tiles are generally sold in two distinct groups, one for walls, and one for floors. Wall tiles are thinner and much softer than floor tiles, and should not be used on floors. Floor tiles can be used on walls; however a good tile retailer should offer plenty of tiles that offer floor and wall tiles that match in design and vary in size, to allow you to customize the design.

Mosaic Tiles

Any tile 2 inches or smaller is considered a mosaic tile. Usually, they are sold mounted on 12" x 12" sheets. Mosaic tiles are a particularly good choice for floor installations where the floor is uneven, as the many grout lines allow the tiles to bend with the floor (of course our goal would be to level the floor, if possible, before installation).

The negatives regarding mosaic tiles is that the very sheets that hold them together can interfere with the quality of tiles adhesion to the bonding material and floor. Also, since the tiles are so small, the grout lines so numerous and the goal is to obtain 100% bonding material coverage on the backs of each small tile, the thin set used to bond the tiles is used as the grout as well (white or light gray, only).

Natural Stone

Frequently used in bathrooms, their beauty is unparalleled, although many porcelain tiles come very close. An especially nice touch is matching the floor tile with the countertops. Note, that if you are considering marble, green and black marbles are extremely porous and require an expensive epoxy to be applied to the back of each tile to prevent warping.

What Tile Size

While you can pick any size tile you like, the general rule of thumb in designing is, small rooms, small tile, big rooms big tile. That being said, most tile dealers will recommend a 12"x12" floor tile, saying it will make the room look bigger. However the primary reason they say that is because there are many more floor tiles to select from in the 12"x12" size than in a smaller size like, 6"x6".

When considering the size tile you should select, you should consider the size of the area to be tiled. Most tile jobs start at the center point of the tile area, with the cuts being made along the perimeter. So if you have a bathroom that has a floor area of 52" needing tile and you select 12"x12" tile, your perimeter tiles will be cut at either 2"x12" or 8"x12" and you will have either 4 or 3 full tiles in each row. Same situation, but you select 6"x6" tiles. You have either 2"x 6" cuts or 5"x6" cuts with 8 or 7 full tiles. You can imagine that the final look of the floor varies significantly, based on the size of the tile in relation to the size of the room.

On walls, you usually have much more area to tile (in a bathroom) than on the floor. These days, 4"x4" (the standard in the old days) tiles are less popular and rectangle (8"x12", 9"x13") tiles are being used to give the illusion of a higher ceiling. These larger tiles also reduce the amount of grout lines in the shower, which is a preference for many homeowners.

Where to Buy Your Tile

I recommend buying your ceramic tile from a tile store. I believe the tile they sell is of a higher quality than the tile sold at the big box retailer. As an example, American Olean tile I recently installed was purchased fro one of those big box retailers. This brand of tile is typically very good and it is widely sold at tile stores. The tile purchased from L---- contained a lot of imperfections such as chips, dimples and portions of the tile surfaces were sometimes not glazed properly. Other brands I've installed from the other big store have had similar problems.

Less expensive tiles from tile stores can also experience these problems, but I have found that good tile stores know the quality of the tiles they sell. So discuss your budget range and quality concerns with the sales people and they will guide you to the brands/tiles that fit your needs and financial situation.

CABINETS

Your bathroom cabinet will get a lot of use and abuse over its life. Purchase the best cabinetry your budget will allow. Take particular note of the type of drawer slides and how they are attached to the wood and how thick is the wood they are attached to (especially the back panel). Also, look at how each side is joined with the other. Simple staples in pressboard just don’t hold up. Generally, speaking the basic brands sold in abundance at the Home Centers fall into the lower quality ranking.

BUILDING CODES

Bathroom remodeling is governed by numerous requirements of the Plumbing, Electrical and Building professions.  Any residential bathroom being updated in the state of Massachusetts must comply with the codes, rules and regulations, in force, during the time of the remodeling project, regardless of the date the home was constructed. Here are a few rules that are usually the most surprising to homeowners:

1. Any bathroom remodeling project that involves the alteration of existing wall board or any other “structural” material, requires the issuance of a Building Permit* by the town or city the home is located in.
2. New or updated bathrooms must have a 20-amp. electric wall outlet (most current bathrooms have a 15-amp plug).  This means that a new electrical line must be run from the electrical panel in your basement to the bathroom being updated.
3. Every toilet room (bathroom) must have an exhaust fan that is vented directly to the outside of the house (not in the attic).
4. Showers must have a two inch diameter drainpipe; bathtubs only need a 1 ½” drainpipe (which complicates the process of switching from and existing bathtub to a stand alone shower).
5. Only a licensed plumber may legally perform any plumbing.
6. All drains must vent thru the roof of your house.  The rules governing how this can be accomplished are complex but well know to my licensed plumber.
7. If the existing bathroom drainpipes are made of galvanized iron, they must be replaced with currently accepted material.
8. If your bathroom plumbing uses a Drum Trap instead of a P Trap, it must be replaced.

While these rules may seem onerous to you, your Licensed Construction Supervisor (me) will take care of all of them for you, ensuring that your new bathroom is safe, sound and in compliance.

*YOU SHOULD NEVER PULL A BUILDING PERMIT ON BEHALF OF YOUR CONTRACTOR.
The state of Massachusetts and many cities and towns offer the homeowner financial recourse from contractors that do not perform their responsibilities in accordance with the laws and regulations governing the various trades.  These assurances are not available to homeowners that obtain their own permit.

COMMON HEIGHTS

Shower Head 6 ft. 7 inches
Shower Rod 6 ft. 6 inches
Toilet-paper holder 24 inches
Towel bars 48 inches