Shower Floor Tile And The Shower Pan

Choice of shower floor tile means a lot to the finished appearance of the tile but is a relatively minor part of the whole shower pan installation project. In truth most kinds of tile can work just fine as shower floor tiles. Here are just a few considerations.

Glazed tiles are less likely to let water past the floor. Certainly the less water that makes it into the shower base the better. Unglazed tiles are more likely to soak up water and let it get into the base.

Another consideration is traction. Slick porcelain tile and soap will make for a slick and dangerous combination on floors. Only get floor tile that provides some traction to shower occupants.

Tiles that are overly rough in texture may be difficult to clean though. There must be some kind of balance between rough texture for traction and smoother texture for ease of cleaning.

Whether the tile is used over a mortar base or a preformed shower pan, tile that holds back water makes it less likely that you have trouble with water below the floor. You can seal any kind of tile but you cannot keep water back at all times with just a sealer. Tile that holds water back makes for less trouble in several ways.