Tile Effect Panel

We have just added a new panel to our website - Florentine 25 tile-effect waterproof wall panels:



Each panel appears to be 2 tiles wide with each tile being offset vertically by half a tile to give a staggered effect. Our other tile effect panel, Mineral Beige or Grey Tile Marble, have a butt-jointed appearance with a black joint line but the Florentine panels have a white grout line incorporated in the design.

Although many customers will instantly think of tiles when re-decorating their bathroom many are now switching to cladding the walls as they prefer the easy-clean, no-maintenance advantages of this type of wall covering. The main drawback with bathroom tiles has always been the grout, which can prove to be difficult to keep clean, especially if it is incorrectly specified or applied. The grout line on Florentine tile-effect panels is just part of the printed design so you just wipe over the whole surface when cleaning.

The cladding is available in two colours: grey (left below) or beige (right below)



Florentine tile effect panels are suitable for use in a shower cubicle or wet room and can be fitted to just the shower area or installed around the whole room - the more panels you install the less maintenance required.

Over Bath Shower

If you are looking to use your bath for showering then the walls will need to covered in a suitable waterproof material. For many the first thing they think of is tiles but there are downsides in using these as can be seen in the following photo.



The main concern is the grout. Bathroom tiles frequently get wet and the grout used to fill the gaps between the tiles can retain moisture enabling mould to grow. Many customers are opting for our waterproof panelling as an alternative to tiles for this application as they use no grout in their installation and there is therefore nowhere to harbour moisture - no moisture equelas no mould.

The following image shows the same bathroom after the tiles have been replaced with our Bali Grey cladding:



The result is a bright, light, attractive surface that requires no maintenance and will look good for years to come after the installation.

Tiled Bath Ends

Some baths are installed in such a way that the end of the bath does not fit against a wall. The "gap" is then taken up by boxwork with the surface covered in ceramic tiles. This can prove reasonably successful if the bath is used purely for bathing but less so if a shower is to be used over this end of the bath.

If a small masonry wall is created to fill the gap then this can work quite successfully but a timber framed box covered with plywood or plasterboard can be problematic. Any slight movement in the bath can caused the grout to crack. This can lead to water ingress and damage to the underlying area. The damage can take place for some time before it becomes aparent as the box effectively covers up what is going on underneath. Also water can remain on the surface without draining away which can mould to grow in the grout which can evetually lead to its failiure.

We were recently asked if an Outasight concealed shower curtain could be used in such a situation. It could, but there are few provisos.

The Outasight should be watertight along the tiled area. If the bath is slightly lower than this level there will be a small gap underneath the curtain where the tiled area ends and the bath begins. You could use a fillet of silicone to prevent water from escaping underneath at this point.

If the tiled is level with the bath the joint between the tiles and the bath will usually mean that there is a slight "trough" which can hold water and cause the grout to turn mouldy. It can also conduct water under the Outasight shower curtain and lead to leaks.

If the tiled area is lower than the bath then showring is not recommended at all as the water landing on this area cannot drain into the bath.

Our overiding advice would be to re-site the bath against the end wall rather than try and fill the gap.