Not all shower tile is created equal. After installing tile in hundreds of Hamilton County bathrooms, here's our honest assessment of which tile materials, sizes, and styles perform best in Indiana showers — and which ones to avoid.
Choosing tile for your shower is one of the most important decisions in a bathroom remodel — and one of the most overwhelming. Walk into any tile showroom in Indianapolis and you're facing hundreds of options. After installing tile in bathrooms across Hamilton County for years, here's what we've learned about which tile actually performs well in Indiana showers and which tile causes problems.
Porcelain tile is the gold standard for shower walls and floors. It's dense, low-porosity, extremely durable, and available in virtually any color, size, or pattern. Porcelain absorbs less than 0.5% water, making it ideal for wet environments. Most of the shower tile we install in Hamilton County is porcelain — it performs flawlessly for decades when installed correctly on a proper waterproofing system.
Ceramic tile is a step below porcelain in density and water resistance, but it's perfectly acceptable for shower walls (not floors). It costs 20-30% less than porcelain and comes in a huge range of styles. For budget-conscious bathroom remodels, ceramic tile on the walls with porcelain on the floor is a smart combination that saves money without sacrificing performance.
Natural stone tile (marble, travertine, slate) is beautiful but requires more maintenance in a shower environment. Stone is porous and needs regular sealing — typically every 6-12 months in a shower. Marble is particularly susceptible to etching from acidic products (shampoo, body wash, cleaning solutions). If you choose natural stone for your shower, commit to the maintenance schedule or you'll see deterioration within a few years.
Large-format tile — 12x24 inches and larger — has become the dominant choice in Hamilton County bathroom remodels. The advantages are significant: fewer grout lines means a cleaner look, easier maintenance, and less opportunity for mold and mildew to develop. Large-format tile requires a perfectly flat substrate for proper installation. This is one of the key reasons we use the Schluter Ditra system — it provides the flat, stable surface that large-format tile demands.
The tile nobody talks about but should: your shower floor tile matters as much as your wall tile. Shower floor tile needs to be textured for slip resistance — smooth porcelain on a shower floor is a safety hazard. Small mosaic tiles (2x2 or 1x1 inch) are the traditional choice for shower floors because the many grout lines provide traction. Larger tiles can work on shower floors if they have adequate texture.
What matters more than the tile itself is what's behind it. We've seen beautiful tile installations fail within 3-5 years because the waterproofing was inadequate. Standard cement board absorbs moisture over time, leading to mold, rot, and tile failure. The Schluter waterproofing system — Kerdi on walls, Ditra on floors — creates a 100% waterproof barrier that protects your investment for 25+ years. We install Schluter on every shower, with every tile type, at every price point.
Our tile recommendations for Hamilton County homeowners: For most budgets, large-format porcelain tile (12x24 or larger) on walls with small mosaic porcelain on the shower floor. For luxury remodels, consider porcelain that mimics natural stone (you get the look without the maintenance). For budget remodels, ceramic on walls with porcelain on the floor. And regardless of tile choice, insist on the Schluter waterproofing system — it's the foundation everything else depends on.
Ready to choose tile for your bathroom remodel? HomeStar provides 3D design renderings so you can see exactly how your tile selection will look before we set a single piece. Call (317) 279-4798 for a free consultation.
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