Tricks of the Trade is an article series dedicated to providing answers to commonly asked questions. The interviews are conducted with ProSource Wholesale® trade professional members, looking to offer their insights and experience to these thoughts that arise during the building or remodeling process.

Trent Longstreth is the owner of JT Tile and Flooring and an installer member at ProSource of Tulsa (OK).

Two common elements help shape the decision as to what tile would work best for a bathroom: durability and how easy is it to clean. The majority of my clients are not wealthy enough to afford a housekeeper, so maintaining bathroom tile with easily cleanable grout falls on their shoulders.

They want a product that will look great for years and that goes with their vision for the space. If I had to say, porcelain is the best tile for a bathroom for its durability and high-end looks and finishes.

Meeting The Client
When I’m first meeting with my clients, they sometimes show some trendier options in bathroom tile, and typically, I can make their vision work, so long as I can find a material within their budgetary restraints. However, most clients don’t find the trend to be the tipping point for selecting the tile right for them.


Before the client makes their selection, I typically measure the bathroom and its framing prior to their order. This comes in handy during the client’s selection step. For example, if they have a four foot shower and they want three foot tiles, the four foot wall will have a partial small cut on one side or both sides of that tile and create a significant amount of product waste.

Being able to talk about these types of pitfalls allows for a more honest approach to the project and may affect the choice.

Navigating Expectations
Client expectations often factor into the decision, which is why it is important to keep those lines of communication open. With the popularity associated with larger tile sizes, it can be a challenge just getting those pieces onto the wall during installation. The early measurements are key in helping complete a client’s vision.

Some customers go into a bathroom remodeling project with a vision of having large tiles on their wall without any cuts. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way, forcing us to reselect tiling or readjust the layout.

This can come up with certain patterns selected without me being present. For example, if they want a basket weave on subway tile, that requires two tiles to run vertically, followed by two tiles that run horizontally. That two horizontal tiles must be the exact same width as one tile running vertically, and often times, the two simply do not line up. You can’t make magic every time.

Tile Differences
I’ve noticed in that selection process that non-rectified tile has become a big issue in the industry. Everybody wants a tile in a larger format. It’s trendy. They want fewer cuts and grout lines in their tile design; however, when the tile is non-rectified, there is a ton of lippage and the tiles are thicker in the middle, causing leveling issues and the need for cut tiles to fill in empty areas.

With porcelain tile, there are plenty of rectified options to choose from, especially with a polished finish. They’re usually flat, smooth, and exact cuts. The higher quality tiles in porcelain are even more exact, usually within a 1/16 of an inch of one another when laid out.

For natural stone, polish marble and travertine are consistent in their thickness, making them a friendly option for bathroom installation. However, thicker natural stone, like slate and other heavily-textured stone, can present installation challenges. Many people simply don’t think about what it’s going to feel like walking across a bumpy floor with tiles of different thicknesses.

Homeowners also need to be aware of the maintenance required for natural stone tile. For example, everybody wants marble in their bathroom. It’s incredibly popular, but not everyone thinks about what it’s going to take to keep that tile white and prevent it from absorbing colors from hairspray, conditioner, cleaning products, and other commonly-used bathroom accoutrement.

Buyer Education
Most people do not know what they’re buying. The more a client understands what their tile selection entails moving forward, the more often their choice can change to a quality product that may require less maintenance than their previous pick.

Buyer education is crucial. Even after they’ve made their selection, I’ll often talk to clients about how to clean specific types of tile and what not to use, so that they can maintain those surfaces to the best of their ability.

I don’t always have all of the answers on every product. I rely on ProSource Wholesale for product knowledge. In the region I live and work in, we don’t have continuous training. We don’t have seminars that we attend because we’re a part of a larger organization.

I have no issue with telling a client that I don’t know an answer to their question right away, but that I will go find out for them. More often than not, I turn to ProSource. They’re excellent partners that help provide resources and knowledge to me and my business on a regular basis.

Tagged: Tile Bathroom