A shower fills up with tiles fast because you tile higher than anywhere else and have to cut around the mixer and shelves. Here's a quick way to get it right.
A typical 80 × 100 cm shower tiled to 220 cm comes out at 4–5 m² of wall. With 30 × 30 cm tiles that's 50 tiles including 10 % waste – more if you have a window or a niche.
Measure every wall in the shower area – usually 2 or 3 walls. Add them up and multiply by tile height.
Showers tile higher than the rest of the room – often 200–240 cm. That's where most of the tile m² goes.
Add 10–12 % waste. Cuts around the mixer, valve and any built-in niche easily eat 4–5 extra tiles.
A 90 × 90 cm shower with two 90 cm walls at 220 cm high = 2 × 0.9 × 2.2 = 3.96 m². With 30 × 30 cm tiles that's 44 tiles. Add 10 % waste and you're at 49 tiles – 5 boxes of 11.
Enter your wall area and tile size – the calculator works out the exact box count.
At least to the top of the showerhead (210–220 cm). Many tile right to the ceiling for a clean look.
Yes – use cement board or a waterproof membrane. Standard plasterboard wicks moisture behind the tile and you'll have problems.
Yes, in smaller fields or as a border. They come on a mesh which makes them easier than they look – but they use more grout.
It depends on tile size and joint width. Check the coverage on your specific grout – this calculator focuses on tiles and boxes.
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