I have found that a tile that has a variety of color and or movement in it disguises water spots.

Are light colors better?

Does texture play a role in camouflaging?

I'm not getting much action on this thread.....

Has anyone used the faux wood tiles on their shower walls? I would like to know if that is a good idea. I saw one photo of the faux wood floor which continued up on the walls and into the shower. I hadn't thought about it before, but it looked interesting. If you have a busy granite pattern on the counters, a busy tile in the shower may be a bit much.

Hi kroze, camouflaging water spots may not be the best option. Based on other similar discussions in Design Dilemma, better ideas might be to try to treat your water, to use liquid soap (not hand soap), to use a squeegie after every use, to have ample ventilation to keep the shower area dry, and regular cleaning and removal of water spots to keep the shower clear of them completely.

Bummer..... : (

We don't use bar soap. We have used a squeegee for years, and our water isn't that hard in this new house. It is not like I don't ever intend to clean it. I clean frequently. But, I would like to quit the squeegee routine. I was just hoping I could get something that would somewhat forgiving of water marks.

Thank you SawHorse. Your post is music to my ears. Thanks for the link to toto. Do you happen to know how to direct me to the tiles?

One of my designers told me about them and I have not spoken to the rep directly. I believe that they come out of Germany. Let me do a quick Google search to see if I can find them, if not will talk to our tile supplier tomorrow.

Many thanks.

Did a search for "self cleaning tiles" and it was the first link- http://www.active-ceramic.com/about.php?n=idrofilia

They are also used to clean the air in European buildings and can help them reduce their CO2 emissions.

As far as wood tile in the shower you must first use cement board then follow with a waterproof membrane. Then add the tile. this goes for fax wood tile or any tile. Cement board is not waterproof so as the grout joints fail more and more water will hit the cement board. If the grout joint is maintained/sealed and regrouting when you see the grout is starting to look a little bad you will not have to do anything more for a very, very long time. As far as the water spots try fixing the hard water first.

Do the faux wood tiles have a texture or are they slick?

Thanks for that link SawHorse. I'm going there now!

SawHorse, I am hitting dead ends on my attempts to find these tiles. No one in the DFW area carries them. I have sent Active a message on their website inquiring about where to buy them in the U.S., but I had to fib and act like a business.

I know that Specialty Tile here in Atlanta, GA carries them or at least hosted the rep. They can ship them anywhere. http://www.specialtytile.com/

Ask for Arlene in the Atlanta showroom

Many thanks again SawHorse. I'm contacting them now!

I just requested some literature and samples for our showroom. Thanks for the question to remind me. If you have water spots on your shower door, there are some sealers that I have my glass guys install that can keep them clean as well as the tile.

No door on my large walk in shower, but thanks for the tip.

I am working with a large tile supplier here and trying to get them to start carrying these innovative tiles. Maybe I can work a special deal in the process... : )

You have been a tremendous help on this subject!

Arlene was a big help. They don't actually carry the tile but they have a supplier there near Atlanta. She wouldn't give me their number but said she would call them and see if there is a supplier in Texas. She also took my address and said they would send me samples. Whoopie!!!!

That is great.

By the way, even though we are a design + build firm, many of us came from GA Tech so we appreciate the building science aspect of design as well. We are going to be bringing more of the ideas to Houzz and to the forums. Feel free to "follow us" if you want to get "geeked out" on the science behind building as well as see some good design ideas.

Done! I am now a follower.

Boy, I should have found you earlier. I have been working a difficult design on another thread. Maybe you should follow me too : )

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/need-new-master-bath-floor-design-dsvw-vd~564898

wow- that was a long thread. Where are you at with the design? Have you all established a budget? We try to not give too much advice outside of your money comfort zone. Even if you are DIY- I would get a designer to work with you to get exact measurements and design a space for you. You can always share the design with us for us to comment on.

Thanks SawHorse. I am still in design mode. Any changes are appreciated. I want the best use of the space. I have somewhat nixed the idea of moving the toilet because of foundation integrity concerns.

I am looking at about 20k for a budget but it is not hard and fast. And I will be putting it out for bid when I finish the design and spec list.

I am TOTALLY flexible at this stage. Have at it !!!!

Am I under your price range, Sawhorse? : )

We work at all different price-points. When it comes to bathrooms, tile and plumbing fixtures are huge drivers on the cost. Also moving the plumbing costs a lot if you end up re-plumbing the rough parts of the bathroom. I ask about the budget so we can make suggestions that come to fruition. Only about 30% of what gets drawn by independent architects gets built since they are overdrawn. Numbers are pretty close when it comes to designers as well. We have a 90% closing rate since we design to what you want and keep the budget in mind. Otherwise, you can spend all this time designing something that does not fit your budget.

I understand. Sounds like a smart philosophy.

I am spending a lot of time perusing the tile website and am learning a lot. They have a cool video showing how it works..
http://www.jasba.de/en/kollektionen/ht/die_loesung.html?pe_id=12&pe_id=28

Kroze, Don't know if you already found your tile, but Crossville Tile now licenses this coating from TOTO under the name Hydrotect. Looks amazing.

Thanks toddhsims. I found a distributor near me. I will definitely check it out.

Sawhorse design. I would like to know more about the coating you put on the shower glass to help reduce spotting? We are starting a bathroom update and will be looking into new shower doors. Anything we should be looking for in a shower glass ? Thanks.

Oops sorry that pic was not suppose to be there.

If you have followed this thread an update can be seen here........

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/master-suite-remodel-dsvw-vd~2887761