We tile bathroom walls and floors as part of a renovation: the old finish is removed, walls are made flat and plumb, wet zones are waterproofed, the layout of the tiles is planned so cuts fall in sensible places, and the tiles are bonded with an adhesive suited to their format. Edges, niches and grout are finished carefully, then sanitaryware and fittings go back. You receive one itemised quote covering the whole sequence.
Why does the wall matter more than the tile?
Large modern tiles show every hollow and bump in the wall beneath. In older Spanish bathrooms the walls are rarely flat: decades of tile, render and patching leave them uneven, and stripping the old tiles often takes some render with it. Tiling directly onto that produces lippage, where the edge of one tile stands proud of the next, and hollow spots that crack later.
So the first job is to bring the walls back to a flat, sound, plumb surface. That may mean rendering, skimming or, where pipes need hiding, building out with a stud wall. Only then is the surface ready for waterproofing and tiles.
How do you plan where the cuts fall?
Before the first tile goes on, we set out the room: where the full tiles start, where the cuts will be, how the joints line up with the niche, the window, the basin and the edge of the shower. A good setting out avoids thin slivers in visible corners, centres the pattern on the main wall and keeps horizontal joints aligned around the room.
This is also when we decide how the floor and wall joints relate. With the same tile on both, joints can run continuously from floor up the wall, which makes a small room look calm and ordered.
Which tile formats suit a bathroom?
Almost any, with conditions. Large-format tiles reduce grout lines and suit walls and level floors, but need very flat substrates and careful handling. On a shower floor with a fall towards a point drain, smaller tiles follow the slopes more easily; with a linear drain and a one-direction fall, larger tiles work well. Textured or relief tiles, like a blue patterned feature wall, add character but need a cleaner hand with grout.
For floors outside the shower, a tile with suitable slip resistance for wet bare feet is worth considering. We go through the options before you order, so the format and the room are matched.
Is the area waterproofed before tiling?
Yes, in every wet zone. The shower floor and walls, and the floor of the bathroom where splashing is expected, receive a continuous waterproof membrane before any adhesive. Tiles and grout are not waterproof on their own; over time water passes through grout and reaches whatever is behind it. The membrane is what protects the structure and the neighbours.
The full build-up, from substrate to finish, is in the waterproofing guide.
How are edges, corners and niches finished?
External corners can be mitred, so two tile edges meet at an angle, or finished with a metal or PVC trim. Mitres look cleaner but need precise cutting and are more vulnerable to chips; trims are robust and suit busy bathrooms and rentals. Niches are tiled with the joints aligned to the surrounding wall wherever possible, and their base slopes slightly outward so water does not sit.
Where tiles meet the bath, the shower tray or the floor, a flexible joint is used rather than rigid grout, because these are the points where small movements happen.
What about grout and silicone?
Grout fills the joints between tiles; silicone seals the movement joints at corners and junctions. Using grout where silicone is needed, or the reverse, is a common source of cracks and black lines. The colour of the grout changes the look of the room as much as the tile itself; a close match makes the surface read as one, a contrast emphasises the pattern.
Grout and silicone need care over the years. The bathroom maintenance guide explains what to look out for and when to reseal.
Can I tile over the existing tiles?
It is sometimes done, but we rarely recommend it in a bathroom. It hides the condition of the pipes and the absence of waterproofing, thickens the walls and raises the floor, which affects doors and the shower threshold. If the old tiles are loose anywhere, the new ones inherit the problem.
The article on bathroom renovation mistakes explains why this shortcut tends to backfire. For tiling elsewhere in the home, such as kitchen splashbacks or living-room floors, our sister site quitargotelemalaga.eu covers floors and wall tiling outside wet rooms.
In what order do the trades work around the tiling?
Tiling sits in the middle of the job, and most problems come from trades arriving in the wrong order. Pipes and waste go in first, and the concealed shower valve and the WC frame are fixed at their final depth so the tile thickness is already allowed for. Electrical boxes are set flush with the future tile face, not with the bare wall. Then the walls are prepared, the wet zones waterproofed and only then does the tiler start.
After tiling come the grout, the movement joints, and finally the sanitaryware, taps, screen and accessories. Drilling for a towel rail or a mirror is planned so holes fall in the right place, ideally in a joint or at a marked point, never through a pipe run. Keeping this sequence is a large part of what you pay a single contractor for.
How do I get a quote for tiling my bathroom?
Send photos of each wall and the floor, the approximate dimensions or floor area and, if you have chosen them, the tile format and thickness. We reply with a first assessment. Tiling is normally part of a complete bathroom renovation, so the quote also covers strip-out, plumbing, waterproofing and fitting.
Bauman Raymond Attila · Reforma Baños Málaga · Avenida Antonio Belón 3, Marbella. Last reviewed: 05/11/2026.
