Should you tile up to the ceiling on your next shower remodel?
With the many customization options available when you are buying a new shower, one question many ask is,
âShould I go up to the ceiling with my tile?â
The answer is⌠ITâS UP TO YOU!
BUT:
As a tile installer and bathroom re-modeler, I recommend going to the ceiling if the conditions are right.
There are a few reasons I encourage my clients to tile up to the ceiling:
Tile is meant for a wet area.
No one likes to see wet paint and drywall. When youâre taking about a shower, water gets everywhere. If the tile doesnât go to the ceiling, the section of the shower with paint and drywall will get wet. Paint and drywall is not water proof, so, overtime you may have problems with mold and decay. The paint and drywall wonât perform well in a wet area, like your shower. It may take a long time, but it is a possible problem.
Some people solve this problem with a higher quality paint, but letâs remember this is a shower. Tile should be the norm in the entirety of the space.
EVERYTHING GETS WET IN YOUR SHOWER!
Save yourself the head ache and tile it!
An example of a shower that has not been tiled to the ceiling. The paint and drywall is seeing a lot of moisture.
2. The tile installer is on site, have them tile it!
Why not spend the extra money and have the tiler go all the way? !n builder grade homes, I see it all the time, tile stopping well below the ceiling. The tile installer is there, why wouldnât you have them tile all the way to the ceiling?!
Well, we know the answer. Itâs to save money. Over the course of many houses it adds up, but when youâre having your bathroom remodeled, spend the extra money and time, while you can, to have the tile brought to the ceiling.
I recommend water proofing to the ceiling, as well. Whether that is a waterproof backing board, a water proof membrane or a liquid waterproofing. Have your installer continue the water proofing all the way to the ceiling. Make sure you request it.
3. Tiling up to the ceiling makes the space feel more spacious.
You can trick the eye with this decoratorâs trick. Take the tile to the ceiling. On the tub surround below, you can tell what I mean. Tiling up to the ceiling really makes the space feel and look much larger!
4. Tile to the ceiling makes the bathroom look more modern!
Iâm mostly seeing 3/4 showers in older, less updated homes. If youâre looking to UPDATE your home, tiling to the ceiling is a must! It makes the space look more luxurious.
5. Bull nose edging or profile edging will be MORE expensive than tile!
Itâs unsightly to have unfinished edges in a tiled area.
So, anywhere you stop your (porcelain) tile you will need some sort of edging, (excluding miters) whether that is bull nose or profiles. Bull nose is EXPENSIVE! More expensive, in fact, than the tile itself. The bull nose edging on the top of a shower costs more money than the tile itself and is also more work for the installer to put in! JUST TILE IT!
There are a few situations where itâs NOT advantageous to to tile to the ceiling! Let me explain those here:
When you have 12 foot high ceilings, (or more) we will usually stop below the ceiling. It allows us to go well above the shower head so you still have the illusion of height.
In the photo below, we were boxed in by what would look visually pleasing.
We looked at the room and thought the window was a good stopping point for the tile. The question with tile is often, where do you stop? Itâs very subjective as to what looks best , and sometimes you need to determine the most logical point that gets you your desired look.
If you have high ceilings, unless you want to spend some serious coin tiling everything, you need to make a decision on where you want the tile to stop.
If you have crown wrapping a room, I recommend stopping below the ceiling or removing the crown and having a finish carpenter come in to rearrange it. In the situation below, the crown goes against the wall to zero, where as the tile will stick out proud of the crown 1/2â. No way to make that look great.
The builder didnât âbuild outâ the crown, so, where the tile met the crown received a large bead of silicone! Doesnât look as good as it could:
If you have crown and you donât want to re-do it all, to accommodate tile to the ceiling, Iâd say you should stop it below the crown.
Hereâs an example of what it means to âbuild it outâ:
If you have crown and you want to go to the ceiling, the solution is to build out the crown to accomodate for the thickness of your tile. This way, the wood crown trim to tile transition doesnât look FUNNY!
In closing,
Buying a custom tile job is your personal expression. So, what happens in your home is your personal choice.
When Iâm speaking to my clients, I frame the project like this:
Not only does tiling up to the ceiling have an aesthetic element, but it also has a functional element. Tile functions better than any other finish. Tile lasts longer than any other finish! Yes, it also can look better than any other finish.
You pay more for tile than most other residential coverings, but it ultimately lasts longer and you get more use out of it, so over time it is the least expensive option! Remember, that cost over time!
Tiling to the ceiling will be an added expense but tile is a luxury, it is inherently expensive! Go all the way because you are dealing with a permanent finish. Itâs not something that can be easily added after the fact.
Tile to the ceiling and enjoy the benefits of tile for the life of your home.
