I currently have 12x12 glossy tiles and the only time I had a problem was when one of the cleaning people washed the floor with something they shouldn't have. But after I rewashed it with a mild soap and water I didn't have the problem. The new tile I picked is polished and 18x18 so
I hope it will be OK

V

The only real issue is with slippage. The glossier the tile, the more slippery it'll be, especially when wet. That said, I can't even count the number of polished stone floors I've done in master bathrooms.

For our bathroom floor, I am looking at a shiny-ish tile, but it comes in 3x3 squares. It is right to assume that having the grout lines between the tile will cut down the slippage?

Yup. :-)

is it ok to have glossy tiles (i.e. absolute black granite tiles) in a small powder room (and have little to no grout lines)?

We have 12x12 ceramic tile - textured, not shiny - throughout our entire home, though we started with the kitchen and baths and progressed from there bc we like it so much. I would hate the look of shiny, but setting that aside, they are also dangerous.

Don't kid yourself. Tile of any kind, unless specially treated and rated as "non-skid" and specially designed for wet areas, is super slippery when wet or damp and more than once, I have almost gone flying off my feet. Hubby and I are athletic and love the tile for its cleanliness, but for safety, I have a runner mat (3'x12') in the kitchen in front of the sink and don't go near the bath and shower areas without having a mat on the floor.

Inside the shower, the tile is 6x6, and the extra grout lines do help. But the tile is too big and should have been smaller.

The very best advice I can give anyone considering tile floors in the bath and vanity area is to use the smallest ones you can. My health/swim club used 2"x2" shiny tiles on their shower and steamroom floors (believe me, it was after a lot of consulting with their liability insurance company and risk manager!) and they are the best "non-skid" floors I have ever walked on.

Glossy or not, tile is very slippery unless you use small ones, in which case the extra grout lines are terrific. We are gettting ready to do some remodeling and when we do, all the shower and bath area tiles are going to be replaced with 2x2 tiles with visible grout lines. If you want shiny, that's the only way to pull it off safely, in my opinion.

Lynne

Lynne, I disagree that tile is inheirently slippery. A good textured, unglazed porcelain isn't, no matter the size.

C'mon, people: don't trade style for saftey in the most dangerous room in your house!

And don't expect the paramedics to compliment your shiney tile floor while they try to manuver your nekid bum onto the stretcher without aggravating your broken femur.

There are plenty of great looking, slip resistant tiles out there, it really isn't much of a sacrifice to choose one that may prevent very serious injury, or worse.

Thank you for all of your comments. In leu of them, this is the tile I am now considering for the floor, the shower, and surrounding the tub. Do you think it would be safe in the floor of the shower? And what about just the bathroom floor? I appreciate all of your input. Thank you.
http://americanolean.com/series.cfm?series=100

I am doing a bathroom remodel and definitely the first thing to go is the glazed faux marble tiles, although if they were polished or glazed marble tiles my thoughts wouldn't be any different. If you don't have mats and towels all over the floor it is dangerous. I've almost killed myself slipping on those infernal tiles. Next time it is a dampness absorbing textured tile--like I have in my sunroom. I don't want any tile that causes water to bead on top, or gives no traction with wet feet. If someone else showers and uses it, it could be a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Greg

Lisa, a wet COF of .4 is not so hot: Check out Olean's Vallano, with a wet cofficient of .6, or crossvilles Buenos Aries Moods, where the textured tile has a wet COF of .7

There are plenty of tiles that are at least as beautiful, but safer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Moods

Hi Oruboris,

Thank you for your comments!! I had no idea of those cofficients! That is why I come here, and I really appreciate that information. Would it be safe if the floor of the shower were something else, and the floor of the bathroom were of that tile, or should it all be the COF of 0.7? Thank you and sorry to be so uneducated about this stuff!! (also, thanks Greg, Lynne and Bill V for your comment)

Where do you find the cofficients?

Thanks
V

The COFs are for the tile itself: adding grout lines makes it less slippery. Smaller tiles on the shower floor conform to the slope of the pan better, but they also make it less slippery-- more lines, less slipping.

You can use a smaller version of the same tile as on the bathroom floor, or go with something completely different: your taste, your call. In one of my bathrooms, I'm going to use the mosaic from the shower floor as an accent stripe in the bath, and the floor tile from the room will be the walls of the shower...

Most bigger companies list the COF somewhere in the tile info, right on the website. In the case of the Crossville I linked to above, they give the COF for the polished tile dry, but not wet: good indication that you shouldn't use it in a wet area, IMO.

If you find tile you like that doesn't have the COF listed, email the company and ask for it. They may or may not respond, but doesn't hurt to let them know that consumers want the information!

Get a sample of the tile you are considering and put it on your existing tub or shower floor. Bathe the way you normally do and stand on the wet. soapy tile. If it feels slippery underfoot, don't use it on a bathroom floor.
I did this test when I was choosing bathroom tile. I reluctantly gave up on a really beautiful tile because it failed the test. I ended up with Ilva Pietra Blanco, which is non-slippery, doesn't show water spots, and is actually lovely.

We settled on a tile w/ a COF of .60 wet (Mohawk Borgehsi) and so far (4 months use) it doesn't seem slippery. It is approved for indoor/outdoor use, commercial use, and is slip resistant...but no tile is slip-proof.

We are not wild bathroom people...we carefully step out on a cotton looped rug and finish toweling off. We've seen friends and family (many younger than we are) who b/c of accidents in the home, are doomed to months and sometimes years of pain, surgeries and rehab. Don't ask for trouble, skip the glossy tile. ; )

Susan

The quartzite tile that I have isn't the least bit slippery. It's actually so rough it's a bit harsh on bare feet so we have mats not for safety but for comfort. Anyway, my DD regularly uses my shower so it was an easy sacrifice to make for safety and peace of mind. Plus it look gorgeous, so it's not much of a sacrifice! But getting back to your original question, my natural-cleft quartzite isn't the least bit glossy but some tiles are a bit sparkly.

cheifneil and mpwdmom suero, do you have links to your tiles? That is a good idea, to bathe and step on the tile. Thanks.

Here's our tile, Lisa. And good luck!

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Mohawk Borghesi

Here's some photos. Bill V has warned that quartzite is porous, but that hasn't been my experience at all. So far it's been absolutely bulletproof. But as with all natural stones, YMMV.

Here is a link that might be useful: Master bath

Here's a link to my bathroom tile.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ilva Pietre Travertine Bianco

Yes, I have glossy pennyrounds -- you can see them in the link on the "Steam This Bathroom" thread.

We have a shag rug on that floor with a rubber back and use a bath mat so it isn't an issue when we're wet.

Otherwise, the floor feels wonderful.

Here is a link that might be useful: Glazed pennyrounds

Thank you all for the comments and links. I am looking into possibilities.

My grandmother had 4x4" glossy tile on her bathroom floor.

Gave a sheen of terror to taking a bath.

It was tremendously slippery when wet--or even in socks or slippers. I cannot express how much I DO NOT recommend glossy tiles on the floor if they are to be larger than the old-fashioned 1x1"/1x2"/2x2" mosaic pattern.

I have semi-glossy tiles and it's downright dangerous. I plan to change them as soon as I figure out what I want to do in my bathroom. Yes, it has been that long.