How to choose finishing materials for the toilet?

What to use to decorate the walls in the toilet?

Before choosing materials for finishing the walls in the toilet, consider what characteristics they should have:

• Hygiene. Small bathrooms often require wet cleaning, which means that the wall covering in the toilet should withstand even the aggressive effects of chemicals.
• Durability. In order not to change the wall covering in the toilet every 2-3 years, choose the most durable materials that will not lose their appearance for a long time.
• Moisture resistance. Of course, the humidity level here is much lower than in the bathroom. But contact with water is inevitable, so for finishing instead of paper wallpaper, for example, choose washable non-woven wallpaper.
• Protection from fungus. High humidity creates ideal conditions for mold growth, so it is essential to protect surfaces.

Tiles

The first thing that comes to mind when choosing wall decoration in the toilet room is ceramic tiles. It is chosen by many apartment and house owners for its variety of designs, strength, durability and ease of maintenance.

However, this finishing material also has its drawbacks – relatively high cost, complexity of installation and dismantling. In addition, such finishing is cold, which does not fit with the comfort of the house.

Read how to choose and use tiles in our article. And we will consider other materials for the toilet besides tiles.

Plastic panels

Plastic is one of the simplest and most budgetary alternatives. It is hygienic, easy to install, impresses with a choice of designs and is inexpensive. Plus, you don’t have to waste time on leveling and preparation, the frame will hide all the surface imperfections.

Thanks to plastic panels, you can make brick or wooden walls in the toilet, finish it with tiles or stone, or create a simple, single-color surface.

But this finishing option also has its drawbacks:

• Firstly, the panels are installed on the sheathing, which steals 5-7 cm from the total area. And such luxury cannot be afforded in an already small room. But it is easy to hide all communications in the box, due to which the plastic finishing improves the appearance of the bathroom.
• Secondly, cheap finishing materials often emit toxic substances into the air, which will negatively affect the health of your family. Thirdly, most panels are fragile and easily damaged. But replacing a segment is not difficult.
• And the last drawback is the likelihood of mold forming under the panels is quite high. Therefore, you will need to treat it with high-quality products.

Wallpaper

Unlike the bathroom, the toilet can be finished with wallpaper. But to avoid damage after repair work, give preference to moisture-resistant samples. For example, vinyl, non-woven or liquid wallpaper.

Finishings are sometimes combined. The easiest way to create a combination of two materials is wallpaper with ceramic tiles, paneling or panels.

You can read more about choosing and gluing wallpaper in the toilet in another article.

Painting the walls in the toilet

Paint and varnish finishing materials are some of the most popular and loved by many. But in order for the end result to look really good, the walls must be leveled before finishing.

Of all the variety of paints and enamels, choose moisture- and wear-resistant ones. Usually they are marked with the markings “for the bathroom”, “washable”, etc. Such a coating in a couple of layers easily tolerates both regular wet cleaning and washing with aggressive compounds.

The color range is absolutely unlimited – order a tint in the store or mix the paint of the desired color yourself.

The photo shows an option for finishing the walls in the toilet with slate paint

Monochromatic painting is often found in modern minimalist interiors, but if this design option seems boring to you, combine it with other materials. For example, with tiles, wallpaper or brickwork.

You can paint not only smooth plastered walls, but also timber, clapboard, brick, and other textures.

Clapboard

If you are a fan of eco-style or just like natural finishing materials, choose clapboard. Wooden panels are warm, cozy and easy to paint, which allows you to diversify the design of a toilet with a toilet.

The advantages of the boards also include ease of finishing and durability – with proper treatment and care, the repair in the toilet will last for many years.

The disadvantages of natural wood are susceptibility to fungus, insects and absorption of odors. But all of them can be solved with the help of varnish, paint or impregnation.

The photo shows the walls in the toilet finished with painted clapboard

MDF panels

Wood panel panels have the same advantages as plastic ones: ease and speed of installation, reasonable price, large selection of designs. Plus, due to their thickness, they are more durable, which means they are not easy to damage. This also provides increased sound and heat insulation.

The feature of butt-joint and clamp installation allows you to create a seamless wall surface – and this is what is needed in toilet finishing.

MDF has one big drawback: lack of moisture protection. If exposed to water or constant high humidity, the panels will simply swell.

If you want to use them for wall cladding, look for options with special impregnations.

Decorative plaster

A relatively new method of finishing walls with special texture pastes allows you to easily create an amazing surface. For toilets and bathrooms, experts recommend synthetic compounds, as they are resistant to moisture.

Applying plaster requires certain skills, but it is quite possible to cope with this task yourself. You can create a smooth coating, make decorative streaks, imitate stone or wood. And depending on the finishing coating, the wall will be glossy or matte.

The photo shows a combination of finishing materials

Decorative stone or brick

Artificial decorative stone is not inferior in appearance to its natural counterpart, but is much cheaper. The wear resistance and durability of this finishing material is also comparable to expensive natural stone.

At the same time, the choice of colors and textures for artificial stone is much wider. Another advantage is the ability to withstand dynamic loads without mechanical damage and cracks.

When asking what to decorate a toilet with other than tiles, the first thing that comes to mind is stone. In terms of its characteristics, it is not inferior to tiles, and looks even more noble and expensive. At the same time, decorating a toilet will not be more difficult than with tiles – do it yourself or ask professionals for help.

An industrial replacement for stone is brick. Often, it does not even need to be imitated, it is enough to clean the wall from plaster. Choosing this method of decoration, rest assured: brickwork does not go out of fashion.

The wall does not need to be treated at all, but to make it easier to care for, it is better to cover it with a special varnish. This process eliminates the porous texture and unhygienic nature of the material, allowing you to wash it with anything.

Red brick is not suitable for every interior, but it can be easily painted in any shade: white, blue, black and even pink. Light shades will make the toilet look wider.

If your toilet walls are not made of brick or you don’t want to get rid of the putty, you can imitate the brickwork in several ways:

• plaster and masking tape;
• hog tiles;
• brick cut lengthwise;
• PVC or MDF panels.

The photo shows the walls covered with natural stone

Concrete wall

Loft style toilet decoration is not limited to brickwork and black pipes. Add another texture – concrete. As with the previous material, you can use the original texture of the wall, treating it with a protective agent. Or imitate it using:

• Microcement. It is also called decorative concrete. In fact, it is the same plaster, which, when dry, creates an ideal concrete texture. The advantages include high strength, the ability to apply to any surface (even plasterboard or tiles), vapor and water resistance. Plus, there will be no seams or joints on the wall – which means it will be easier to care for the coating.
• Tiles. Modern ceramics have a huge number of textures, including imitation concrete. This type of toilet finishing looks industrial and unusual, but has the same advantages as any other tile.

What material to choose for finishing the floor?

The floor in the toilet is subject to the greatest load. Therefore, the material must be wear-resistant, protected from moisture, easy to care for. The most popular options:

• Tiles. Just like with the walls, there is nothing more optimal and universal. Often, it is the floor that is made an accent, using patchwork tiles, contrasting black and white laying, or creating a pattern of small mosaics.

The photo shows the toilet floor finished with tiles

• Self-leveling floor. It is superior to any analogues in terms of hygiene due to the absence of seams and resistance to chemical influences. The finishing options are unlimited: from a single-color to a 3D image.
• Microcement. It is used to make a concrete floor that is easy to keep clean. Thanks to the quartz in its composition, such a floor is almost impossible to damage or scratch.

Ceiling finishing options

Ceiling finishing materials for the toilet are generally no different from other rooms. These include:

• waterproof paint;
• stretch ceiling;
• plastic panels;
• lining;
• washable wallpaper.

Read about the pros and cons of all materials in our article.

Examples of renovation for a private house

In a wooden house, wood trim is a given, but the texture of the wood in a small toilet will visually make it even smaller. Therefore, this method is suitable only for large toilets.

By painting timber or lining, you can get completely unexpected results: colored wood is still textured, but not as active. In addition, colored wood, unlike natural wood, suits any interior style.

The photo shows tiled walls in a toilet in the attic

But wood is not the only option for finishing a toilet. Use any options that suit your style: microcement, brick, tiles and plastic panels. At the same time, do not ignore the recommendations on the size of the rooms: a small toilet is decorated in the lightest possible colors, using lightweight materials. If the toilet has a window, a darker color scheme is available.

In country houses, a combination of clapboard finishing with wallpaper or painted walls looks appropriate.