When it comes to home interior design, there’s nothing more important than choosing the right materials, colours, and styles for your personal preference. In terms of the bathroom, this is especially important as you need to choose a material that is practical and works well in humidity, as well as one that is affordable and stylish. Many people opt to have a tiled bathroom as this checks most of those boxes, but once you have considered the costs of buying tiles and having them installed, are they really the most affordable option?
In many cases, wall panels offer a more cost-effective price point and you don’t have to compromise on functionality or style. There are even tile-effect panels if you want the look of tiling without the cost. In this article, we’ll be discussing the costs involved with both of these options. However, if you’re looking to read more about the benefits of tiles as an alternative, you may wish to visit our blog ‘The Benefits of Bathroom Wall Panelling’.
What is the cost of tiles?
There isn’t a straightforward answer to this question as the cost will depend on things such as the size and style of your chosen tiles, as well as how many you’ll need to cover the walls of your bathroom. According to Checkatrade, the average cost of bathroom wall tiles per square metre is £50, but this can range anywhere from £20-£400 depending on what tiles you choose. This cost does not include the grout, adhesives, or labour costs.
How much does a tiler cost?
Of course, once you buy tiles you are going to need somebody to install them if you don’t know how to do it yourself. It’s important that they’re adhered and sealed correctly to stop them from falling and to prevent water from entering behind the tiles. Depending on who you choose, tilers will have different quotes, so it’s best to get a few options and weigh up which one will provide the best value for money. However, generally speaking, Checkatrade estimates that a tiler will charge £50 per hour. As such, it’s important to factor in this cost. Based on these estimates we can calculate that the average cost to tile a bathroom would be £110 per metre squared. You will need to bear in mind that this is very much a ballpark cost and the prices could vary greatly depending on tile and labour costs.
What about if I use bathroom panels instead of tiles?
Using PVC panels can be a considerably cheaper option, and if you still want a tiled look you can opt for this effect. Alternatively, you could choose to have a mix of the two to help keep costs down. For example by using showerwall panels in the area where your bath or shower resides, and using tiles on the surrounding walls. If you want to avoid tiles altogether to keep costs down, you could also use this method in larger bathrooms and paint the surrounding walls instead as shown in the image below. Alternatively, you can choose a tiled effect like the stone graphite panels which are also shown below.
Large Brushed Silver Shower Panel
Stone Graphite Tile Effect Panels
Again, it is hard to calculate an average cost for tile-effect panels as this will depend on the size of your bathroom and which panel style you choose. But when taking into account our prices, even a large wall panel can cost as little as £50, already much cheaper than buying tiles by the square metre. Additionally, you won’t have to pay for grouting materials, though you will need to buy adhesives and sealant. Our panel installing kits start at just under £50 for two panels, meaning that you could have a whole wall covered for only £100 if you choose to install the panels yourself. If you choose to hire a handyman, plumber, or other trade specialist to install your panels you are likely looking at a similar base rate to tiling, but the installation process is much quicker and as such will be cheaper overall. With this in mind, we can estimate that the cost of PVC panel installation would be around £100 per wall without labour costs.
It should be noted that panel installation is so easy that we would recommend DIY if you’re confident enough in your abilities. This will significantly reduce the costs of bathroom renovation and it’s very unlikely that you’ll need anyone to come and fix your DIY job, as many people do when they try to tile themselves.
One other benefit to consider when thinking about cost is that PVC panels can be fitted over existing tiles, meaning you won’t have to pay to get these taken down or for walls to be repaired. Therefore, panels are ideal if you’re just looking for a refresh in your bathroom and if you’re on a budget. They’re also very cost-effective long term because they do not need grout and with proper maintenance, you will not have to deal with mould as you would with tiles.
Create your dream bathroom with ease and affordability with The Panel Company
In conclusion, panels are a much more affordable option than tiles with many of the same benefits. This is because they’re bigger than tiles, much easier to install, and simple to maintain without requiring specialist installation. To get further inspiration on how these panels could look in your home, we recommend that you browse through our full range of bathroom wall panels to find a style you like and weigh up costs. You can also use our wall panel calculator to help you figure out what you need and whether it is within your budget.
