The bathroom is one of the rooms where your decorating choices are often more complicated than simple decisions on what coat of paint to use. In particular, choosing bathroom tile can be a difficult prospect, since there are plenty of different materials you can use for the floors and the walls, all with various advantages and disadvantages. To help you out with making your bathroom tile choices, we’ll take a little time to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of some of the most popular types of bathroom tile.

Ceramic

Made of fired and glazed clay, ceramic tiles are one of the most popular types of bathroom tiles you can find, and for good reason. Ceramic tile is generally very easy to clean and resistant to harboring germs, and also quite durable. The main problem with ceramic tile, though, is that tile can vary in size and color between lots. For this reason, if you’re purchasing ceramic bathroom tile, make sure that your lot number is the same throughout the order.

Terrazzo

Terrazzo tile is most commonly seen in public buildings; it’s the speckled, marble-like material that you see on the floors there. Made from marble chips that are imbedded in concrete and polished to a smooth finish, terrazzo is a beautiful material that can last for a long time if cared for, and it’s now available for purchase as bathroom tiles. While this tile is indeed beautiful, it’s disadvantage is that it’s slippery, so it’s best used as the bathroom tile for backsplashes or countertops, and not for flooring.

Slate

Slate makes for durable bathroom tiles, and has long been popular as a roofing material for its durability. Bathroom tiles made of slate add a great sort of rocky appearance and texture to your flooring, which can be quite beautiful. The down side to slate is that it can develop splits over time, creating unsightly cracks. Still, it will work fine as your bathroom if you’re not prone to abusing your floors.

Glass

Glass tiles can display a wide variety of colors and textures, which can make for beautiful bathrooms. However, glass is difficult to install, which means you’ll need to hire a professional to handle that, driving up the cost of your bathroom remodel. This increased price often makes glass too expensive to use as tile for bathroom floors. Still, if you can afford the price, this material should not be overlooked, even as just a wall accent tile or a backsplash for your sink area. As you can see, like all the other types of bathroom tile we’ve discussed, each one has advantages and disadvantages, but all have ways to enhance different bathroom styles..