Should I be worried about high slip risk bathroom tiles?

Question

Hi Brain Trust,

We are choosing the bathroom floor tiles and discover that porcelain is the material that suits us. (e.g. durable in a high stress environment, more impervious to water penetration, easier to keep clean).

https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/5s9pb9/what_tile_type_did_you_choose_for_your_bathroom/

But some of the bathroom floor tiles we like are labelled as "high SLIP RISK"  when the finish is Matt (and low Slip Risk for Texture finish)

Should we be cautious about this and stay away from Matt finish?

Wont Matt Finish be easier to clean compared to texture finish? which one do you prefer?

ivanptr · Answer

@redbournreno @EricL 
Many thanks for the excellent , detailed, professional advice!

redbournreno · Answer

Hi @ivanptr ,

Slip rating for tiles is important but it should be considered in the context of it's use and the people using it.

For example, if it was for elderly people in the bathroom then it's always best to go up the P rating to reduce the risk of slips and falls even more.

For floor tiles in the bathroom of a family home you need to strike the right balance between ease of cleaning and non-slip.  The main thing is NOT to go for P0 or P1 because they definitely are too slippery for floors, but would suit walls well  especially if you want a smooth or glossy finish.

Porcelain is a great material for bathroom floors and a P2 or P3 would be fine on the floor of an internal family bathroom.  The best thing to do is take a bottle of water with you to select the tiles in store.  Pour a little water on the tile and feel how slippery it is. It's too hard to be sure just from the rating.

But you are correct - too rough and the tiles hold dirt more - but for a bathroom, the grout is usually the worst bit to clean anyway.

Bunnings have most of their tiles on display in store for you to test the roughness.  Often you can get the same tile in different finishes too.

Good luck!

EricL · Answer

Hello @ivanptr

A textured finish means that it will be safer to use in a wet environment. A little bit of extra cleaning is a small price to pay for extra safety. I recommend looking at darker coloured tiles so that blemishes will not be easily seen.

Let me call on our experienced members @redbournreno, @Peggers and @lifestylebymari for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric