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6x6 or 10x14 tile in the shower?

13 years ago

We are putting in a 42" by 60" shower. We will be using 12x12's on the bathroom floor and 2x2's on the shower floor. Is there any pro's or con's to using 6x6 or 10x14 tiles on the shower walls besides personal preference?

Comments (3)

  • 13 years ago

    The larger the tiles the less grout you will have to keep clean and mildew-free. Your space is large enough to handle the larger format tiles. As you said, the rest is personal preference.

  • 13 years ago

    We've had both--6x6 with a decorative 2x8 decorative listello 1/2 way up in one bath in the last house and 10x13s set vertically in the other bath with the top row of tile having a raised design. We are building our last house and we've gone a different direction somewhat due to things we learned with the previous house. Here's how I see it:
    6x6 pros-Potentially more design opportunities with laying the tile at different angles, it's a very common design, and you are truly getting every penny of your $6.50 per square foot install fee out of your tile guy.

    6x6 cons-LOTS of grout lines to clean (better than 3x3s but still alot of grout), smaller tiles can make the shower look smaller visually, it's a very common design & it takes longer to complete.

    10x14 pros-Fewer grout lines to clean, can make the shower look more open/larger visually, it's different and may look a little higher end, & quicker completion than a 6x6 design.

    10x14 cons-Fewer design opportunities due to the tile being oblong in shape--do you want it vertical or horizontal, there is no in between & it's different.

    You could always go with a mix of sizes to add visual interest--say large on the bottom 1/2 and small on the upper half with a decorative listello or chair rail piece placed in between or even just setting the 6x6s on an angle in between. Ours is just completed--our master shower is slightly bigger than yours at 48x94. (Note the listello got placed about 1-2 large tiles too low--I wanted it higher to help avoid the subway tiles getting wet to cut down on cleaning, but I didn't want to delay the job by having them rip it out and redo it so it stayed like this.) Looks pricey, but actually came in significantly underbudget (budget was $10sqft installed). Would I have been thrilled with all 10x14s on the wall like is in the 2nd picture below--with that particular tile design & size I do believe the answer is yes. Would I have been as thrilled with all 6x6s, I don't think so. In the end it all comes down to personal preference. Do you have a design in mind?

    Here's a visual for you from our master-

    Here's a tub/shower combo using all 10x14s in a brick pattern-

    Here is a link that might be useful: 6x6 tile thread

  • 13 years ago

    I had the exact same setup (down to floor tile sizes and all!) and dilemma. I ended up, rather last-minute, going with the 10x14s in the shower, set on a horizontal brick pattern. Seriously, I love it. I'm so glad I did it, it looks so good and really makes the shower feel more open. I think I would have been disappointed in the 6x6s because that seems to be just a tiny bit outdated, and somewhat common and boring looking. Also, as everyone else says - less grout lines! That is a huge plus!