Can I Use Brick Slips In A Bathroom?
Yes, you can. The only extra consideration when using brick slips in a bathroom is the moisture from showers, baths etc. which means tweaking the installation process.
Brick does absorb some of this so you just need to take a couple of simple steps to ensure this isn’t a problem.
Why is a Bathroom Installation Different?
Whilst moisture on bricks outside is not a problem- you need to consider where that moisture goes when the brick dries.
When you have a hot shower or bath, the vapour will spread in the room and brick will absorb some of it. In reality, this isn’t actually a problem, as the amount absorbed will most likely be very small and evaporate under normal conditions very quickly. However, we’d always advise you to be extra cautious. The brick itself will be fine, as will the mortar, if you’re using our adhesive that will also be fine with taking in moisture- just like when it rains outside.
So What Do I Need To Do Differently?
Firstly, we’d recommend using a brick slip sealant, once the installation is fully dry (it can take up to a couple of weeks!) you simply paint on this solution, and it just adds an extra waterproofing layer but without affecting the look.
At this stage, you need to remember that this is only precautionary and will probably only ever be useful on already wet days outside where there are 4 or 5 consecutive hot baths/showers in a small bathroom, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Can I Use Them In A Shower Cubicle?
Of course, they will look amazing!
The area you need to be cautious with here is what is behind the adhesive. As they are exposed directly and consistently to water you need to make sure that you use a cement-based fibreboard that won’t be damaged if it were to become damp. That way any moisture will stay in the brick, mortar and adhesive until it has evaporated. You also need to ensure the gaps between the fibreboard are sealed properly with a silicone sealant.
Using the brick sealant will also help this quite a lot, but you have to make sure that it’s a waterproof surface behind the tiles, so there is no chance for moisture to soak into it and cause damage.
As long as that’s the case- no problem!
How Will The Conditions Affect The Look?
When water is absorbed into brick, it will become darker and can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of days to dry depending on the conditions. If you’re bathroom simply has a feature wall, in all likelihood, it won’t look noticeably different at all on a day-to-day basis as the moisture that the brickwork is exposed to is negligible. However, if you’re using them in a shower cubicle then the product will be darker when wet, as we’ve said it’s not a problem but that’s how they will look, you can test this with your sample panel if that’s where you want your brick tiles!
Can I use them on the Bathroom Floor?
You can indeed, you should have a look at our flooring guide for more information, the same principle applies with moisture, only this time you need to bear in mind that gravity will assist the moisture soaking through the brick down into whatever is beneath, so make sure that is waterproof to allow it to evaporate rather than soak through.
What Blends Can I Use?
The above applies to all of our blends, have a look at our range by clicking on the button below.
You can order samples to make sure you have chosen the right ones.
