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Do Bathroom Walls Have to be Tiled? 3 Tile Alternatives

Bathroom renovations are an excellent way to boost the potential value of your home. In fact, they can add as much as 4%[1] to the value of a UK property and allow you to charge a higher rate for rentals or holiday lets.

When redecorating your bathroom (for yourself or your tenants), you may be wondering whether tiles are the right option. If so, here are our thoughts on tiles in the bathroom and what the other alternatives are.

Can You Have No Tiles in the Bathroom?

Many landlords and homeowners opt for tiles because of their long-lasting structure, water repellent nature and wide range of designs. But it’s not essential to have tiles on your bathroom walls.

Tiling is considered an inexpensive way of renovating your home, but you can still find cheaper solutions. You can find more expensive options too if you want something even more luxurious for your bathroom walls.

What Are the Benefits of Tiled Bathroom Walls?

Having a tiled bathroom doesn’t necessarily have an impact on the value of your home, but they do provide many benefits for homeowners and landlords.

Tiles are typically:

Anti-mould Your walls are 100% protected from moisture

Easy to clean Particularly beneficial for rentals or holiday lets

Inexpensive Even though there are expensive alternatives, tiling is considered a cheaper way to renovate

Long-lasting Tiles are strong and don’t break easily, so you can usually expect them to last a long time

Universal in style You can find tiles in all different designs, so you have a wide-ranging choice

What Can You Use Instead of Tiles in a Bathroom?

1. Paint

A cheaper alternative to tiles is to simply paint the walls of your bathroom. This can look particularly sleek if your bathroom is half-tiled, half-painted – which can actually be more desirable for some people since you can hang shelves and pictures on the painted space.

Just remember that paint may not last very long. It can easily be splashed with water or start to flake away from the moisture of the bathroom if it isn’t kept well-ventilated, so you may need to repaint regularly.

2. Marble

Instead of tiles, you can add marble to your bathroom walls. It’s harder to come by and is often much more expensive than the cost of tiles, but marble can provide a more high-end look.

The only downside to having marbled bathroom walls is that they can be harder to maintain. It’s a natural mineral, so the marble absorbs water and therefore requires regular squeegeeing after showering and routine sealing to keep it looking fab – both of which might put potential buyers off when you eventually sell.

3. Panels

Whether it’s plywood, acrylic or PVC, you can find a range of panel designs to line your bathroom walls. Panels are usually more cost-effective and very easy to install. You can even fit them directly over a tiled wall, reducing removal time.

Some high-end panels can last a long time and provide a flawless finish, with no need to clean grouting regularly. Many designs are waterproof, too, so you won’t have an issue with flaking as you may do with paint.

Are You Renovating?

If you’re renovating your home to prepare for a sale, our expert agents at Warren Powell-Richards are happy to help provide a valuation of your home.

Get in touch today for a chat with our friendly team by calling us or sending us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..