When people ask what tile effect panels are available, the answer is quite a few!
From small mosaic to large rectangular styles there is something to suit most tastes and budgets. This article will attempt to highlight the different options available to householders. But each of the patterns shown will have the same advantages over tiles. They will all be easy to install, they will be easy to clean and they will have no grout.
Small Mosaic Tile Effect
When using real mosaics, the smaller the tile the more grout there is. And grout being a problem area in bathrooms means that smallest mosaics present the biggest headaches.
Luckily there are panels with a tile effect available that replicate smaller mosaics. They do away with grout and as a consequence all of the associated problems disappear. No mould will grow on these panels and there is nothing to scrub or bleach.
Another problem with smaller mosaics is that they will emphasise any imperfections on the wall. Any high spots or hollows will show up in the grout lines. The bigger the contrast between the tile and the grout the worse the problem will appear. But obviously this not an issue for panels. They will fly up over rough surfaces on cover up and irregularities in the underlying substrate.
Here are some examples:
Larger Mosaic Effects
These photos really show off tile effect panels at their best. The slightly larger mosaic are totally on-point when it comes to style.
Some designs employ an oblong tile-effect with several tiles per “row”. Others appear to be the full width of the panel.
The white carrara style marble mosaic are light and reflective – perfect for smaller bathrooms. The silver grey mosaic work well as part of a mixed pattern employing larger tile design as well as the smaller mosaic ones.
Installing the Carrara design requires that the panels line up with each other. This enables the pattern to flow from one panel to the next. The wider, silver grey mosaic effect panels are designed to be installed in a random fashion. In fact it is not possible to line them up because the patterns are not equal on each sheet.
Large Tile Effect Panels
Despite their obvious good looks mosaics have never been as popular as tiles. If you wander around any tile showroom you will always see a lot more tiles than mosaics. Maybe the grout problems highlighted previously put people off. They are certainly more fiddly to install and the grouting takes ages. So most people opt for bathroom tiles.
They look great initially but the grout invariably lets them down. Which is why tile effect panels were introduced. These have consistently been top sellers in the world of panelling and it is easy to see why. They are easy to install and give you the look of real tiles but with none of the drawbacks.
There are several different designs available. The pattern is regular rather than random. We would only recommend trying to line the grout lines up if the panels have been digitally printed. The more common roller method of printing is not accurate enough and can result in grout lines not matching up.
Here are some examples of the most popular designs:
What Is The Verdict?
Now you know what tile effect panels are available. As you can see these panels look amazing. They are perfect for use in showers as the above photos demonstrate. And, unlike tiles, they keep looking good without any need for maintenance.
Tile effect panels can be installed straight over your existing tiles so there is no plastering required. This saves time, money and mess. Our guide to installing panels over tiles has more information on this.
