How high should bathroom tiles go?
There is no single tile height that suits every bathroom. Shower walls normally need a suitable waterproof finish throughout the area reached by water, while tiles around a bath or basin should extend high and wide enough to catch regular splashes. Elsewhere, half-height or full-height tiling is mostly a practical and design choice.
How high should tiles go in a shower?
Tile the full shower splash area, usually from the tray or floor to at least above the shower head. Many bathrooms take the tiles to the ceiling for a cleaner finish and fewer painted surfaces exposed to steam and spray.
Tiles and grout are not the waterproofing on their own. The wall behind a shower should have a suitable tanking or waterproof backing system, with careful detailing around corners, valves and pipe openings.
What about around a bath?
For a bath without a shower, the tiled area should protect the wall from splashes along the bath edge and at the taps. A short upstand can work in a lightly used space, but a taller tiled section is easier to live with in a busy family bathroom.
If a shower is fitted over the bath, treat that end like a shower area. Continue the waterproof finish high enough for the shower spray and far enough along the bath to protect the wall outside the screen.
How high should a basin splashback be?
A basin needs enough protection for handwashing and cleaning splashes. This might be a small splashback, tiles up to a mirror or cabinet, or a continuous half-height band around the room.
Look at the tap height and how close the basin sits to the wall. A shallow basin or tall tap may throw water higher and further than expected, so a very low splashback may leave painted walls marked.
Is half-height or full-height tiling better?
Half-height tiling can soften the room, reduce the amount of tile needed and make future decorating simpler. Its top line should relate neatly to features such as the basin, window ledge, bath or concealed cistern rather than ending at an awkward random height.
Full-height tiling is highly wipeable and gives a more continuous finish, but it usually costs more in tiles and labour. Large uninterrupted tiled areas also make careful setting-out especially important.
Decide the tile height before work starts
Your fitter should set out the room before tiling begins. Tile size, grout joints, trims, niches, windows and ceiling level can all change where a row finishes. Moving the proposed line slightly can avoid narrow cuts and create a much more balanced result.
Quick tile-height checklist
- Protect every area reached by direct shower spray.
- Use proper waterproofing behind tiles in wet areas.
- Allow extra splash protection around baths and basins.
- Line up half-height tiling with nearby room features.
- Check how tile size affects cuts at the top and bottom.
- Agree every finished tile height before installation begins.