All About Tiles
Selecting The Right Tiles For Your Space
Not just a pretty picture! There are a few technical considerations when choosing your tiles. In this section, our experts guide you through choosing winning tiles for your area so your space is a practical as it is pretty.
There are a few things to consider when choosing your tiles. Here's what we cover on this page:
Click on any topic below and we’ll take you directly to our tips. Come back to this index at any time if you need more information.
| Tiles for every space - the basics | Everything you need to know to ensure you choose the correct tiles for your space. |
| Difference between floor & wall tiles | A floor tile can be used on the floor and wall while a wall tile can only be used on the wall and there are good reasons for that. |
| Ceramic Vs Porcelain | Everything you need to know about the two including a comparison between their composition, uses, installation and cost. |
| What you need to know when choosing a tile for a wet area. | |
| How to choose bathroom tiles | Being a wet area, there are a few rules to consider when choosing floor and wall tiles for your bathroom - we run you through everything you need to know. |
| How to choose splashback tiles | Subject to splashes and spills, we guide you through choosing the best tile and grout for your splashback. |
| How to choose hallway tiles | We guide you through selecting the right tiles that can endure this high traffic area that's almost always the first path from outdoors. |
| How to choose slabs | These beauties are super versatile and impactful so there's not much to worry about with slabs but we run through some handy installation information. |
| How to choose mosaics | We have a huge range of mosaics fit for different purposes - we give our top tips to ensure you choose the correct mosaic for your project. |
| How to choose decorative tiles | It can be tempting to use decorative tiles for a big WOW factor on your floor but some aren't always suitable - we explain why. |
| How to choose bedroom tiles | How to bring tiles into your bedroom. |
| How to choose study/home business tiles | Tiles are the best option when flooring a study or office - we explain why. |
| How to choose pool tiles | Your pool can become a true work of art with the right tile choice - we give you our top tips to choose the perfect tile for you. |
| How to choose outdoor tiles | We run you through how to continue your indoor tiles, out for a practical, hard-wearing, safe and attractive option to jazz up your exteriors. |
| How to choose patio tiles | How to choose a patio tile that adds charm and welcomes everyone to your home. |
| How to choose garage & carport tiles | Tiles are also strong enough to use on your driveway, all the way into a carport and garage, yes your garage! |
Featured Products
Floor Tile: Antique Gold Calacatta
Tiles For Every Space - The Basics
The tiles you choose must be suitable for the type of project you’re working on. For example, many floor tiles can be used on both the floor and wall, whilst wall tiles are only suitable for the wall (due to their ratings). Some floor tiles are especially suited to high traffic areas, while outdoor areas require tiles with greater slip resistance to ensure you’re kept safe when it rains, splashes from the pool, or party spills. To help you choose the best tile for each area, our experts hand out their handy hints below.
Featured Tiles
Floor Tile: Sidewalk Charcoal
The products featured were available at the time of renovation. Our beautiful range changes from time to time, so please check with our friendly sales teams first.
Our Hot Tip: Before you commit to your tiles, please consult with your local Beaumont Tiles expert to ensure you've chosen a winner for your project.
Our Hot Tip: Everything you need to know about tiles is in our handy guide to tiles! Download our guide before making your selections.
What’s The Difference Between Floor And Wall Tiles?
Floor Tiles
A floor tile can be used on the floor & wall but a wall tile can only be used on the wall and there are good reasons for that.
Floor tiles are generally denser and are fired at higher temperatures than wall tiles, making them much stronger and therefore, safe to walk on unlike wall tiles.
How to tell if a floor tile will suit your project
All Beaumont floor tiles have wear ratings and indicative slip resistance ratings to help you quickly select suitable floor tiles.
A wear rating (Link to wear rating information) gives you information on what area of your project the floor tile while suit, while the slip rating will give you information on the risk of slipping (link to slip rating information)
Slip ratings range from P0 to P5; the higher the number, the lower the risk of slipping. The rating is given to tiles using a Pendulum Test which measures the friction between a wet tile and a standard shoe.
Tiles with a P0 or P1 slip rating possess a very high slip risk and should not be used in any application requiring slip resistance. A P3 rating is suitable for indoor flooring. Tiles with a P4 or P5 rating have a very low slip risk and are suited for use in outdoor locations.
It should be noted that tiles with a very high slip resistance rating are more suited to outdoor use and may require more effort to keep clean when used in an indoor setting due to the rougher surface.
Featured Tiles
Floor Tile: Arkitek Grey Lappato
Splashback Wall Tile: City Charcoal Gloss Mosaic
Our Hot Tip: With our live visualiser, you can see your floor tile picks in your own main floor areas! Try it out and start designing here.
When you shop in-store, you'll see our tile tickets (below) that are packed with information so you can decide if the tile is suitable for your project. You'll also notice that our tiles online display this information too with a product PDF available to download (psst, your builders will love these handy PDFs!)
Generally, a standard hallway in a family home would need a tile with a wear rating between 3-5 and a slip resistance between P1-P3. On the other hand, a bathroom floor would need a wear rating between 2-5 and a slip resistance between P2-P3. Of course, ask one of our team members to help and we’ll confirm you are making the right choice.
If we wanted to get technical when selecting a floor tile, it is also important to also look at a few other tile characteristics. In a bathroom, we suggest steering clear of using polished or glossy tiles on the floor. It is also a good idea to look at characteristics such as moisture absorption, abrasion resistance, mechanical breaking strength, stain and chemical resistance on top of slip resistance and wear ratings.
Our Hot Tip: Any tile that is classified as porcelain has low moisture absorption and high strength and the average floor tiles are generally between 9 and 12mm thick.
Here's our handy guide to reading these ratings to help decide if you can choose the tile for your project.
Wall Tiles
Wall tiles are show-offs! Bright, colourful, incredible patterns and unusual textures.
These stunners are created to add drama or atmosphere to the walls of your space but are not your heavy-duty floor tile, so can not be used on floors.
Wall tiles are strong but not as strong as floor tiles. They are less dense and often have more colourful, brighter, glazes than floor tiles which would scratch if used on the floor. Some very glossy wall tile glazes are fired twice to give an extra smooth, bright finish which can scratch if not treated carefully when installing. Wall tiles are generally between 6 and 10mm thick.
How to tell if a wall tile will suit your project
When you shop in-store, you'll see our tile tickets (below) that are packed with information so you can decide if the tile is suitable for your project. You'll also notice that our tiles online display this information too, we use a few different acronyms for this information. To make it easy we’ve created this product PDF which is available to download (psst, your builders will love these handy PDFs too!)
Our Hot Tip: Everything you need to know about tiles is in our handy guide to tiles! Download our guide before making your selections.
What’s Best - Ceramic Or Porcelain?
All porcelain tiles are ceramic but not all ceramic tiles are porcelain.
Ceramic simply means that a tile is made from clay that has been permanently hardened by firing. The tiles on your bathroom wall and the tiles on the floor in the highest traffic areas in your local restaurant for example are all ceramic tiles. For a ceramic tile to be classified as porcelain, it must have very low moisture absorption in the fired clay body of the tile (less than 0.5%), meaning the tile will be very dense as well as hard and strong.
Porcelain ceramic tiles are fired at higher temperatures than regular ceramic tiles and are made from different clay compositions which are generally more expensive.
The majority of ceramic tiles are glazed, making the surface impervious to water. Porcelain tiles can also be glazed for decorative effect but a lot of porcelain tiles used in high traffic and commercial areas outside are unglazed because their technical characteristics mean they are impervious to water and are often textured to give a higher slip-resistant finish.
The best tile is the one most suited to the application. If a floor area receives heavy traffic, a harder wearing porcelain tile will probably be best. Many areas do not require higher wear ratings or extremely low moisture absorption in the tile body so a ceramic tile that is not classified as porcelain, will be ideal for residential walls or low traffic floors. Any higher technical performance that a porcelain tile can provide will be unwarranted. On the other hand, if you really like a tile that also has the higher technical characteristics of porcelain, it is the better tile for you as you will enjoy looking at it for many years to come.
| Ceramic Tile | Porcelain Tile | |
| Composition | Less dense. Softer than porcelain. Red, brown, pink, white tile body colour | Dense, Hard, White, grey colour tile body colour |
| Most suitable for | Walls, low traffic, low abrasion, interior floor areas | High traffic floor, exterior areas, wet areas. Different finishes to suit matching indoor and outdoor use |
| Installation | Easier to cut, score and snap | Harder to cut, score and snap or wet saw. |
| Cost | Generally lower | Generally higher |
Featured Tiles
Floor Tile: Exile Ash Gl-Porc Lappato Rect
The products featured were available at the time of renovation. Our beautiful range changes from time to time, so please check with our friendly sales teams first.
Our Hot Tip: Whether searching for a specific colour and textured high-quality tile for your next project or just starting to explore your dream renovation, choose Beaumonts and you're choosing from Australia's biggest tile range backed by a Price Beat & Quality Guarantee.
Which Tiles Are Waterproof?
Tiles are an ideal choice for wet areas, as they have maximum resistance to water. Not all tiles are the same, and are classified by their moisture absorption and method of production. How much water a tile could possibly absorb in its body is directly related to the density of the tile.
Areas that are subject to exposed areas outdoors, especially those that are subject to freezing temperatures, are better suited to a tile with tiny moisture absorption such as a porcelain tile (<0.5% water absorption); also referred to as a highly vitrified tile (meaning a tile that has a glass-like or non-porous internal body).
Tiles that have slightly higher water absorption are generally ceramic, specifically vitrified (0.5%< 3% water absorption) or semi-vitrified (3%< 6% water absorption), and are just as good choice for inside your home or project as a porcelain/high-vitrified tile.
Featured Tiles
Pool Tile: Mos Glass Snowflake
Our Hot Tip: Not sure where to start? Find your style with our exclusive What's My Style quiz to receive personalised style and design advice that's uniquely you. Click here to get started.
How To Choose Bathroom Tiles
As an incredibly durable floor (and wall) material, tiles continue to look good-as-new for years and years. As mentioned above, tiles are the ultimate in water resistance which is a must for a wet area like a bathroom. Tiles repel water and keep everything underneath them nice and dry and of course, they are easy to clean...say no more!
Bring your dream bathroom to life by choosing the perfect bathroom tiles for your style, personality and budget. Remember, floor tiles with the slip resistance between P2-P3 and a wear rating between 2-5 are necessary for any bathroom floor. On your walls, you can choose any tile. There are no Australian Building Code or Australian Standard requirements as to what type of tiles can be used on a bathroom floor. As the bathroom is a wet area, considerations such as the amount of water that is likely to be left on the floor (we suggest using bath mats) and the potential slipperiness of the tile should be taken into account. Some tiles are more textured than others, making them more suitable for wet areas such as bathrooms.
A few tips if you want fewer grout lines (hello easier cleaning!) choose larger tiles. We also suggest thinking about under tile heating before you start - it not only provides toasty toes but keeps your bathroom warm and dry and helps to avoid mould and other allergy-causing yuckies.
There is a reason tiles are such a popular choice for bathrooms, mainly because tiles on all your wet area surfaces will ensure you won’t be battling with plasterboard moisture issues over time and warping of non-tiled walls etc. Their benefits already make tiles a winner but another huge reason why tiles are the best comes down to the sheer impact they can bring to your space.
Featured Tiles
Floor Tiles: Agatte White Terrazzo
Wall Tiles: Vast White Gloss
Our Hot Tip: We've taken the guesswork out of designing a bathroom with our Complete Bathroom Packages - everything you need from the tiles to the vanity. Stop guessing and start designing! Explore our range here.
How To Choose Splashback Tiles
A splashback is quite often the focal point of the kitchen, using a contrasting material to your kitchen cabinetry. And tiles are by nature, easy to clean and upkeep. Just by sealing the grout, you can have confidence that a quick wipe over is all it needs year after year. Now that’s something to smile about.
Now, as you won’t be walking on your splashback (unless you’re really clever!) any tile will work, wall or floor, it’s your choice.
This is the opportunity to introduce your personality and style into your open plan area. From textural contrast to a colour burst, the opportunities for splashback tiles are endless. Popular styles include subway tiles and mosaics for a special feature.
Mosaic tiles add detail on a small scale. With bold colours, shapes or combined materials, some options work so well with your cupboards, benchtops and paint choices.
Subway tiles are timeless for their vintage appeal, and the laying pattern options turn these humble tiles into a real talking point.
Or for a real show-stopping wow factor, our slabs come in sizes up to 1m by 3m – big enough to run your entire splashback in one piece in a marble, stone or cement design.
Featured Tiles
Splashback Wall Tiles: Agrestic Black Gloss
Our Hot Tip: Have fun with your splashback! Why not try a funky mosaic with contrasting grout or a subway tile laid in a fun pattern? Click here for more laying pattern inspiration!
How To Choose Hallway Tiles
Tiles are perfect for high traffic areas like entryways, hallways and passages. The strength and hard-wearing nature of ceramic tiles make them more suitable than almost any other flooring material. A porcelain tile is a particularly dense and hard-wearing type of ceramic tile that stands up to even the highest traffic wear in shops and commercial premises, so they should be able to stand up to all the wear and tear of the average family home.
Better still, tiles will look great for years to come and are available in a wide range of styles including marble, stone, terrazzo, concrete and timber looks as well as an incredible range of colours and finishes.
When looking for hallway tiles look for a tile with a wear rating between 3-5 and a slip resistance between P1-P3 just be mindful that it is not recommended to use mosaic tiles in hallways.
Featured Tiles
Floor Tile: Timeless Ceppo Gris Polished
Our Hot Tip: With our live visualiser, you can see our tiles LIVE in your own hallway - how cool is that?! Try it here.
How To Choose Slabs
What is a slab? It’s a really, REALLY BIG tile!
Our range of slabs is HUGE too, with our largest being 1000mm x 3000mm.
Technically tiles that are 800x1600mm and above are classified as slabs.
You’ll need the experts to lay any slabs, as they need special equipment and experience to get it right.
The benefits of slabs are HUGE too, with the ultimate WOW factor and hardly any grout lines so if used in a bathroom, it just about cleans itself!
Slabs can be used for bathroom walls, floors, living areas, feature walls, a grand entry, seamless kitchen splashback, countertop, exterior facades, even a dining room table!
Everything you need to know about slabs is right here if you want more information.
Featured Tiles
Splashback Wall Tile: Grand Atlantis Gold Silk 6mm
Our Hot Tip: Slabs are best left to the experts to install. We can help you find a tiler who is trained in slab installation. When searching for your tiler we suggest getting a couple of quotes and checking out their previous work before locking them in! Click here to find a Beaumonts tiler.
How To Choose Mosaic Tiles
Mosaic tiles are by nature, the tile show-offs. Bright, colourful, dramatic and nearly always for walls only. The odd show-off may be rated suitable for a floor, but it’s rare, so please check with our team members before you commit.
Some mosaic tiles may be suitable for use in pools, but please speak to our consultants to ensure they are fit for the purpose.
We have a huge range of glass, ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, wood look, and so much more to get your creative juices flowing.
Featured Tiles
Wall Tile: 1209392 Urban Carrara Rhomboid Honed Mosaic
The products featured were available at the time of renovation. Our beautiful range changes from time to time, so please check with our friendly sales teams first.
Our Hot Tip: Not sure where to start? Find your style with our exclusive What's My Style quiz to receive personalised style and design advice that's uniquely you. Click here to get started.
How To Choose Decorative Tiles
Take your home design to the next level by choosing the perfect decorative tiles from Beaumonts for your project. Decorative tiles are by nature bolder and more colourful and are often for walls only. Some will be rated as suitable for floors, but please check with our team members before you commit.
Some decorative tiles may be suitable for use in pools, but please speak to our consultants to ensure they are fit for purpose.
Our decorative range is huge, so let us help you narrow down the choices with our online What’s My Style quiz. It only takes two minutes and at the end, you’ll even get tailored recommendations for what decorative tiles and features will bring out the personality in your space.
Then browse our range to find the decorative tiles to make it happen. Our range includes coloured tiles, patterns, mosaics, wall and even floor tiles in all different formats and materials including porcelain tiles.
Featured Tiles
Splashback Wall Tile: Majorca Flower Black
Our Hot Tip: Decorative tiles are the key to showing off your style! Not sure of your style? Take our fun 2-minute quiz to find out here.
How To Choose Bedroom Tiles
While we normally first think of tiles in bathrooms, laundries and kitchens due to their low maintenance requirements, their suitability for wet environments and the incredible hard-wearing nature of tiles, maybe it's time to consider the use in other areas of the home such as the bedroom.
Bedroom tiles are the perfect floor choice if you have allergies of any description, they will not harbour dust mites or promote mould growth. Any spills are also easily taken care of and being so hard-wearing, they will outlast any other floor surface. And another bonus, they don’t dent if you wear heels whilst you’re getting ready.
As bedrooms are not usually ‘wet’ areas you can use most floor internal floor tiles. Be sure you double-check that they are right with our experts before you buy.
If you're now working from home and your bedroom doubles as your study, even more reason to use tiles. Your office chair will ruin other floor coverings, however, tiles are perfect for this space. If you have a coffee spill that's no problem for tiles either.
Featured Tiles
Floor Tile: Napoli Pearl
Our Hot Tip: Our team of specialists are here to help! BOOK A FREE IN-STORE OR ONLINE CONSULTATION NOW and get your project started.
How To Choose Study or Home Business Tiles
More and more of us are now working from home whether it be full-time, part-time or running a business from home. Dining rooms and spare bedrooms have been transformed into dedicated workspaces and we strongly advise anyone who's starting a reno or new home build to consider adding a study space for your benefit and to add to your home's value.
Offices, art studios, hair dressing salons, beauty services, massage/therapy rooms are some examples of home businesses that all benefit from floor tiles thanks to their forgiving hardness, slip resistance and easy cleaning properties. If you are running a business from home, consider choosing a floor tile with a slip rating between P1-P3 and a wear rating between 3-5.
Whether you work from home or run your business from home, we recommend that you choose tiles for this high use area with quality Beaumont Tiles. Office chairs, desks, and home business equipment all create havoc with vinyl and carpets as they literally rip them up and timber floors end up very much worse for wear. Tiles, however, can handle the pressure...even the odd spilt cup of coffee and still come up looking fantastic.
When choosing your study floor tiles, consider choosing matt finish tiles that won't scratch from your office chair and are easy to clean from coffee spills, paint splatters
Featured Tiles
Floor Tile: Elmina White Lappato
Splashback Wall Tile: Navona Fan Ice Mosaic
Our Hot Tip: Our team of specialists are here to help! BOOK A FREE IN-STORE OR ONLINE CONSULTATION NOW and get your project started.
How To Choose Pool Tiles
Pool tiles transform any swimming pool into an inviting, attractive feature with the right tiles. Glass mosaic tiles are the ideal choice for lining your pool. Properly grouted and installed, they are completely waterproof, won’t wear out, fade or discolour and they look amazing!
Other than mosaics, you can also use decorative tiles that have a water absorption under 3% and are chemical and chlorine resistant.
When making your decision for your pool tile, take a sample home and see how moving water and changing light can affect the colour, it’s amazing the changes you see. Our range is really fun and inspiring.
Featured Tiles
Pool Tile: Splash Mosaic
Pool Tile: Artisan Oxford Gullwing (Special Order Tile)
Our Hot Tip: When choosing your pool tiles you can think outside the box and use other tiles in your pool just like Sarah & George from The Block - see their amazing outdoor area and funky pool design featuring our Artisan Oxford Gullwing decorative tile here.
How To Choose Outdoor Tiles
Tiling an outdoor area is a great way to add some more sophistication and form to your space while keeping it as low maintenance and easy to use as you like. Whether you opt for tiles that emulate natural stones like travertine, sandstone or marble or traditional encaustic tiles or you opt for something more contemporary like terrazzo or concrete look tiles, you’ll find the perfect outdoor tiles at Beaumonts.
Outdoor tiles have all the features and characteristics of your favourite indoor tiles, but with some extra advantages for outdoor use. Outdoor tiles are just as resistant to moisture, damage and even changes in temperature as their indoor cousins but are often much more resistant to slip and wear as well.
Outdoor tiles have a grippy, textured finish that makes them the perfect choice for outdoor applications. Tiles with a slip resistance rating of P4 or P5 indicate they are more suited for outdoor use. We recommend porcelain tiles as they are non-porous so they will also stand up to any heavy frosts, snow or freezing conditions your region may encounter and they’re still easy to keep clean no matter how much grip they have. Porcelain tiles are ideal for outdoor areas with many options available for creating a seamless indoor to outdoor look from tiles from the same series with different slip-resistant values as they are so hard-wearing they are even suitable for driveways or paths and come in thicknesses right up to 20mm for the toughest porcelain tile pavers.
We have a stunning and exclusive range of inside|outside tiles called Homestone that seamlessly run from inside to outside. Homestone tiles are produced with exclusive Microtec technology that's revolutionised the tile industry. Microtec delivers a finish that's smooth to touch when dry and is activated when wet with super high slip resistance. Homestone with Microtec is the ultimate choice for a breathtaking seamless look. Find out more about our exclusive ranges with Microtec technology via our catalogue here.
Our Tile Of The Year, Rock Salt is also a perfect choice for a seamless inside\outside tile. Available in multiple sizes and finishes, explore our Rock Salt range here.
Featured Tiles
Floor Tile: Homestone Pearl Microtec Textured
Our Hot Tip: Our exclusive Homestone with Microtec ranges are the ultimate choice for seamless indoor|outdoor design. Explore our brochure here.
How To Choose Patio Tiles
Porcelain tiles are ideal for outdoor patio areas with many options available for creating a seamless indoor to outdoor look from tiles from the same series with different slip-resistant values for indoor and outdoor. As they are so hard-wearing they are even suitable for driveways or paths and come in thicknesses right up to 20mm for the toughest porcelain tile pavers.
Ceramic tiles made from porcelain clays that are frost-resistant, slip-resistant and strong enough to drive a car over are made in thicknesses up to 20mm. Tiling your patio area is a great way to add some more sophistication and form to your space while keeping it as low maintenance and easy to use as you like.
When looking for Patio or Alfresco tiles look for a tile that has a wear rating between 3-5 and a slip resistance between P3-P5.
Whether you opt for tiles that emulate natural stones like travertine, sandstone or marble or traditional encaustic tiles, something more contemporary like terrazzo or concrete look tiles or you opt for a traditional terracotta look, we have a tile to suit your patio.
Featured Tiles
Floor Tile: Florence Stone Star Black
Our Hot Tip: Find your style with our exclusive What's My Style Quiz and you'll receive expert style and design advice for creating a porch that's uniquely you! Take the quiz here.
How To Choose Garage & Carport Tiles
Surprising to most people, tiles are one of the most durable, stain-resistant and beautiful flooring options for your driveway and garage!
We suggest porcelain tiles for their hardness and durability. Porcelain has been used for years in professional garages as the flooring of choice. Porcelain tiles will stand up well to abuse, moisture, oils, stains, road salts, and more! Tiles are also very easy to keep clean.
You can inject your character and personality with a funky tile or choose a simple tile for classy sophistication depending on your style plus, you get a floor that is easy to maintain and one that all your neighbours and friends will envy.
What's even better, when you tile your garage, it immediately becomes a second entertaining space that's easy to clean up afterwards - two rooms in one...winning!
Featured Tiles
Floor Tile: Ottimo Pure White
Our Hot Tip: Our team of specialists are here to help! BOOK A FREE IN-STORE OR ONLINE CONSULTATION NOW and get your project started.
