Bath Tile Wainscoting
Flooring, Joe's Blog, Kitchens and Baths, Repairs and Installation by Joe Truini
When I designed our master bath, I knew from the onset that I wanted to use glazed porcelain floor tile that resembled tumbled marble. It has a weathered, old world look that I find more interesting than traditional polished marble. Plus, porcelain tile is much stronger and harder than real marble, so it’s less likely to crack. It’s also less porous and more stain resistant.
In any case, while buying the floor tile I saw a catalog photograph that showed the same tile applied to a bathroom wall, similar to wainscoting. I loved the look and immediately ordered enough tiles to cover the bottom 36” of my bath walls.
The wainscoting is made up of 10”x 10” tiles, a stone bead, 4”x 4” tiles and a stone chair rail. It wraps around the room, visually tying together the entire bath.
Besides the visual appeal of the wainscoting, I also like the fact I didn’t have to install any baseboard molding. The wall tile simply sits right on top of the floor tile.
6 Comments on “Bath Tile Wainscoting”
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November 9th, 2009 at 08:31
thinking of doing a ceramic stone wainscoting idea in my bathroom .my ceiling is 90 inches,how high should I go with my wainscoting.
joe t. Says:November 9th, 2009 at 12:07
Hey Yve, Wainscoting can be anywhere from about 32 to 36 inches high, although it’s typically closer to 36 inches. In your case, with the lower ceiling, you’d be ok with 32 to 34 inches high. However, the final height will be dependent somewhat on the tile size you choose. There’s no sense in cutting a bunch of tiles just to meet some arbitrary height. I’d suggest picking a tile size and pattern that you like, and not worry too much about the overall height. Good luck, Yve, and thanks for writing!–JT
December 17th, 2009 at 16:10
where do I purchase the tall ceramic wainscoting?
joe t. Says:December 17th, 2009 at 16:48
Hi Susan, I’m not sure what you mean by “tall ceramic wainscoting.” The wainscoting shown in the photo is made up of individual tiles of various sizes. Any well-stocked tile showroom will be able to create the size, color and pattern of wainscoting you desire. It’s always a good idea to bring photos of the space you’re interested in tiling, along with all relevant dimensions; it’ll help the salesman/contractor create the proper design.
January 23rd, 2010 at 14:24
The wainscoting looks great, is the floor the same porcelain tile?
joe t. Says:January 23rd, 2010 at 16:08
Hey John, Yes, the floor was done in the same porcelain tile. I used 13×13-in. tiles on the floor. The wainscoting was done in smaller sizes of the same tile. In fact, that’s a good point. If you’re considering tiling a floor and wall, be sure to choose a tile that comes in a variety of sizes and shapes. Thanks for writing.–JT