Split face marble tiles and bathrooms

[Orangepop]

Can anyone help? I have fallen for some split face marble tiles and wanted them on one feature wall, at the back of a bathroom, which will also be the back wall of a wet room type shower. There is no way this will not get wet. The adverts for these tiles show them in bathrooms or as sink splashbacks but a showroom today told me they are not bathroom suitable.
I can see why, they sit tight together and leave no room for grout and so arn't water tight, and they are going to be hard to clean but....i still love them.

Now, i am guessing if they were the showroom would have been keen to secure a sale, they have no reason to tr and convince me not to use them. But, hoping against hope that someone will have positive experience of split face marble tiles in this sort of application.

I am not going to try diying them whatever,i just do not want to land the tiler and builets with an impossible task.

 

[The D]

Do you have any pics or a link to the tiles so we can give an informed opinion. Having said that if the showroom have said they are not suitable then it is a safe bet that they are not.

 

[Orangepop]

Do you have any pics or a link to the tiles so we can give an informed opinion. Having said that if the showroom have said they are not suitable then it is a safe bet that they are not.

Than
k you, yes, i did not know if i could link to a product here which is why i didn't in the OP.

Different showrooms seem to be saying different things as to suitability, For example, in the link below they say suitable for bathrooms

Split Face Marble - Stone Collection

 

[DHTiling]

Yes they will attract crap into the joints.. where bacteria will thrive.

 

[The D]

They may be suitable for bathrooms as a feature wall away from the wet area but that is as far as I would go with them.

 

[Orangepop]

Yes they will attract crap into the joints.. where bacteria will thrive.

Thank you, this is the sort of thing i needed to hear .

Before i give up entirely with the rough hewn look, have any of you come acroos a groutable marble with this split face/rough surface that might be suitable? Larger ones maybe?

Otherwise i am looking for alternatives. Atm i seem to me liking the very expensive mother of pearl tiles. I would have prefered a white stone with texture, but these do much the same thing with light rippling on them and 'cleaness' though are not as chic i do not think.

 

[Orangepop]

They may be suitable for bathrooms as a feature wall away from the wet area but that is as far as I would go with them.

Thank you.

Oh, what a shame. They are so beautiful.

 

[DHTiling]

It is just the showering etc... they will be a nightmare to keep clean... ok for a feature wall in a bedroom or living room but i wouldn't use them if they are going to get wet.

 

[John Benton]

As Deano said if you are to do this keep well away from wet areas.

This is a photo of a recent one I did with the feature at the opposite end to the shower over the bath. Tiles were ceramic but it shows how they fit as a feature strip.

<broken link removed>

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

I don't really see a issue here but would seal them before putting them on. Then possibly as they are going up put a very fine skim of white epoxy grout between them without it oozing out. Then depending on the sealer and maintenance of them re-apply every 2 years or so.

The oldest method though the way they split the stone.

War horse at the ready:24:

 

[DHTiling]

I don't really see a issue here but would seal them before putting them on. Then possibly as they are going up put a very fine skim of white epoxy grout between them without it oozing out. Then depending on the sealer and maintenance of them re-apply every 2 years or so.

The oldest method though the way they split the stone.

How would you keep shower gels and body fats from entrapment in the open joints..? .. back filling will not fill the face of the joints Tony IMHO mate... but open to discussion if you have seen them done other ways.

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

Every shower taken rinse it down thoroughly have only seen it done in slate to be fair!

 

[Orangepop]

It is just the showering etc... they will be a nightmare to keep clean... ok for a feature wall in a bedroom or living room but i wouldn't use them if they are going to get wet.

I only plan to have tiles in the wet room area and behind the sink. Its not a huge bathroom, so simplicity is going to be important and i want only one wall tile across the whole tiled area. I live in an old lusted house, so a bathroom is my only opportunity to use something like this and the other features of the room mean the back wall and sides of the wet room and immediately in front of that area are the only areas that will be wall tiled, so no room else where in the room for a feature wall.

 

[The D]

Every shower taken rinse it down thoroughly have only seen it done in slate to be fair!

ungrouted ???

 

[DHTiling]

Every shower taken rinse it down thoroughly have only seen it done in slate to be fair!

It's just that over time bacteria will fester IMHO... lol... nowt worse than a smelly shower room..

i have seen quite a few of these split face mosaics sheets and split face slabs entering the uk market..