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Bathroom surfaces, like those in a kitchen, have to work hard — choose the right materials when you decorate your bathroom and it will emerge unscathed from the steamiest affair.

Inevitably, bathroom surfaces are subjected to the arch enemy of all decorative finishes — water. Spills and splashes cause puddles or worse, while steam insidiously works its way into every crack and crevice. The surfaces also receive their fair share of knocks — slippery fingers easily drop bottles of shampoo or hair colour, and junior can pack quite a punch with a plastic bath toy. Despite all the punishment, the surfaces must not attract dirt and harbour germs.

Moisture and stain resistant, durable and easy to keep clean — with such stringent requirements, the wonder is that there are so many suitable bathroom surfaces available.

When it comes to choosing the best for your bathroom, budget — as always — is probably the most limiting factor. Remember that affordability depends on more than just the price of the materials. The cost of installation should be taken into account and this, in turn, will be influenced by the size and shape of your bathroom. In a small bathroom, for instance, or one with lots of angles and alcoves, you should choose small tiles rather than larger ones which need a lot of cutting to size as this is expensive in terms of both labour and wastage.

You should also bear in mind the use that your bathroom will get. While all bathroom materials are easy to clean, some are more easy than others. In a family bathroom it is probably wisest to steer clear of dark colours (they show every splash mark), marble (it’s not sufficiently stain resistant) and carpet (children always seem to manage to get as much water out of the bath as there is in). Here’s a guide to the qualities of the most common bathroom surfaces.

Paint

It’s not as glamorous as many of the other surface materials, but paint is economical, relatively durable and comes in an unrivalled range of colours. Traditionally, gloss or semi-gloss (satin) finishes were used because they offered greatest resistance to moisture and were washable. Paint technology has improved, however, and you can now buy matt (flat) and low sheen finishes that have the same washable qualities — good if you are painting a lessthan-perfect wall or ceiling as irregularities will not be so conspicuous. If mildew is a problem in your bathroom, you can buy paint with a mould inhibitor — but this, of course, is not a permanent solution to the problem; the ventilation needs improving, too.

Wallcoverings Like paint, wallcoverings are an economical and quick means of introducing colour and pattern into the bathroom. For maximum durability, choose a vinyl covering with a paste containing fungicide to prevent mould growth behind the covering.

Vitreous china

This continues to be the most popular material for washbasins, toilets and bidets. It’s very easy to keep clean; colours do not fade or change with age; and it can be moulded into virtually any form. It is also durable, although it will break if a heavy object is dropped on to it.

Enamelled steel or cast iron

Steel has largely taken the place of cast iron in the manufacture of bathtubs, and offers advantages in terms of strength and reduced weight. The enamelling process gives colours that stay true and a surface that is easy to clean and durable — although it can be chipped by heavy objects.

Synthetic materials

The advantages of acrylic baths, basins and shower trays over vitreous china and metal are: cost (they are less expensive); their light weight, which makes the installation of baths, in particular, easy; and their thermal quality. Unlike metal baths, acrylic fittings always feel warm to the touch. This means that very little of the warmth of the water you put in is absorbed by the material, leaving more heat for you to enjoy. The disadvantages of acrylic are that it flexes and so must be adequately supported and that it can be difficult to keep clean in hard-water areas because you can’t use scouring cleansers.

There are also some newer synthetic compounds. These are more usually seen as kitchen worktops, but are becoming more popular for integral basin/vanity tops. They are expensive, strong and extremely durable and can be moulded into virtually any shape. The choice of colours continues to increase.

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