Why small porcelain wins
- Grip. Grout lines give your feet something to hold. More lines means more traction.
- Slope. A shower floor slopes toward the drain from every direction. Small tiles bend around that shape. Big tiles cannot, so they end up with raised edges or cuts.
- Water. Porcelain is dense and absorbs very little water, so it does not stain or break down.
- Hard water. Porcelain does not etch from minerals or from the cleaners used to remove them.
Shower floor options compared
| Tile | Grip | Upkeep in hard water | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matte porcelain mosaic | Good | Low | Best all-around choice |
| Large-format porcelain | Depends on finish | Low | Works with a linear drain and one-way slope |
| Pebble or river rock | Good | High. Lots of grout, holds water | Looks great, more cleaning |
| Marble or travertine | Varies | High. Needs sealing, can etch | Only with soft water and regular sealing |
| Polished or glossy tile | Poor when wet | Low | Walls only |
How to check slip resistance
Do not judge by how a tile feels dry in the showroom. Ask for the manufacturer's spec sheet and look for two things: that the tile is rated for wet floors or shower floors, and its wet slip rating, called DCOF. A wet DCOF of 0.42 or higher is the common industry benchmark for wet interior floors, and more texture is better in a shower. If a tile has no rating for wet floors, keep it on the wall.
Grout matters as much as tile
A mosaic floor has a lot of grout, and grout is where Phoenix hard water leaves scale. Epoxy or another high-performance grout resists staining and does not need sealing the way cement grout does. Pick a mid-tone grout color. Bright white shows everything and very dark grout shows mineral haze.
Large tile and curbless showers
If you want the same large tile running from the bathroom into the shower, it can be done with a linear drain, because the floor then slopes in one direction only. This is common in curbless and accessible showers. For those we use slip-resistant tile as standard. Walk-in showers run $9,800 to $24,000 and accessible bathrooms run $9,500 to $28,000.
Key facts
- Best material
- Porcelain
- Best size
- Mosaic, about 2 inches or smaller
- Best finish
- Matte or textured
- Best grout
- Epoxy or high-performance grout
- Avoid on floors
- Polished or glossy tile
Related questions
Where we do this work
Services: Walk-In Shower Remodel · Accessible & Aging-in-Place Bath
Bathroom remodeling in Scottsdale, Gilbert, Sun City, and across the Valley.