Why look at Cersaie

Every September, Bologna brings together ceramic and bathroom manufacturers from around the world. What is shown there takes a few months to reach catalogues and building sites, so the fair works as a preview of the year ahead. In this article we gather what the reports on the 2026 edition said and translate it into practical decisions for a home in Mallorca. The sources are linked at the end.

If you want to compare it with what we expected a year ago, see ceramic and porcelain tile trends 2026.

1. Ceramics moves from surface to system

The most repeated idea is that ceramics is no longer limited to covering floors and walls. It is used on worktops, cabinet fronts, washbasins, ventilated facades and outdoor paving, often with the same material from start to finish. Azure magazine sums it up as the move “from surface to system” and talks about tile drenching: dressing an entire room in a single ceramic to create enveloping spaces.

In practice, this fits what many bathroom and kitchen projects on the island already do: the same porcelain on floor, wall and worktop. Lines such as IMMENSA by Coem, in 162 × 324 cm, 12 mm slabs reinforced with mesh, are designed precisely to take ceramics onto the worktop. If the idea appeals, we explain it in our porcelain worktop guide.

2. Relief, texture and the mark of the hand

Surfaces become tactile: reliefs, undulations, crackle, small irregularities. The reports agree that imperfection stops being a flaw and becomes a quality. There are fossil imprints, finishes that echo handwork and pieces meant to be touched before they are looked at.

Among the examples highlighted by Archipanic is Fragments of Grace, a mosaic by Keope that combines woven patterns with fossil traces and metallic details. In the catalogue we already work with, the same idea appears in the relief travertine Incisa by Coem, in the 3D structures of Ragno and in the geometric relief of WOW’s ICON. The roots of this trend lie in handmade pieces such as zellige.

3. Small formats return

After years in which large formats dominated everything, several reports point to the return of small formats: pieces that are combined, mixed and play with colour and geometry. Large formats do not disappear, but they now sit alongside compositions with a more handmade rhythm.

For a bathroom or kitchen in Mallorca, this opens up a very sensible option: a wall in small, irregularly glazed tiles, such as Bejmat by WOW, next to a continuous large-format floor. It also brings the pattern of encaustic cement tiles back into focus.

4. Earth, terracotta and warm stone

The palette stays in earth tones: sand, beige, cream, soft browns and terracotta. The reports highlight terracotta-inspired collections and the presence of warm stones such as travertine and limestone. It is a clear continuation of 2026, more intense and more nuanced.

In Mallorca this palette feels almost domestic: fired clay, marés stone, lime. We cover it in WOW’s terracotta and in Amara by Inalco, a cream porcelain that echoes the island’s stone.

5. Sage green, the colour of 2027

Alongside earth tones come botanical greens (olive, sage, mint) and mineral blues. Outside ceramics, Dulux has chosen Soulful Sage, a soft, silvery sage green, as its 2027 colour of the year for the UK and Europe.

In ceramics, green works better on walls than floors, and in pieces with tonal variation that give it depth. It pairs naturally with terracotta and wood. You will find ideas in ceramic kitchen splashback ideas.

What 2026 confirmed and what changes

Trend	2026	2027
Large format	Leading	Stays, now also on worktops and furniture
Small format	Secondary	Returns strongly, in compositions
Palette	Earth and cream	Deeper earth tones, terracotta and sage green
Surface	Subtle relief	Tactile, handmade, imperfect
Use	Floor and wall	Whole room (tile drenching)

How to bring it home without it dating

• Trends on the wall, the base on the floor. A neutral, continuous floor lasts decades. Relief, colour or small tiles are easier to change if they are on a wall.
• Tile drenching works best in small rooms. A bathroom or guest WC dressed in a single material gains calm. In a large living room it can feel heavy.
• Sage green in measure. One wall, a kitchen splashback or a guest bathroom. With terracotta or wood, never with cold grey.
• Outdoors, technical first. If the trend goes onto the terrace, the material must perform first: slip resistance and low absorption. We explain it in outdoor porcelain paving in Mallorca.

Where to see it in Palma

Trends are easier to understand with the tiles in front of you. In our showroom you can see collections with relief, small formats, terracotta and warm stone, and combine them with large-format floors.

Gomila Cerámica
Carrer de Calçat, 16 · 07011 Palma (Mallorca)
Tel. +34 971 732 343 · info@gomila-ceramica.com
Opening hours and directions

Frequently asked questions

What are the ceramic tile trends for 2027?

According to reports from Cersaie 2026: ceramics used as a system across the whole room (tile drenching), surfaces with relief and a handmade look, the return of small formats, earth and terracotta tones, and sage green as the standout colour.

What is tile drenching?

It means dressing an entire room in the same ceramic: floor, walls and sometimes the worktop or furniture. It creates enveloping, calm spaces and works especially well in bathrooms and WCs.

Is large format still in fashion?

Yes. Large format stays and extends to worktops and furniture. What changes is that it now sits alongside small formats, which return in wall compositions.

Which colours will bathrooms use in 2027?

Earth, terracotta and warm stone tones as the base, with botanical greens such as sage and mineral blues as accents, better on walls than floors.

What is Cersaie?

It is the international exhibition of ceramic tiles for architecture and bathroom furnishings, held every September in Bologna, Italy. In 2026 it held its 43rd edition, from 21 to 25 September.

Sources

• Cersaie, official website: cersaie.it
• Azure Magazine, “At Cersaie 2026, Ceramic Moves from Surface to System”: azuremagazine.com
• Archipanic, “Best of Cersaie 2026: Eight Surface Design Collections”: archipanic.com
• Pissano Cerámica, “Cersaie 2026: trends in ceramics and a connection with nature”: pissanoceramica.com
• Dulux, Colour of the Year 2027 Soulful Sage: dulux.co.uk

What encaustic cement tiles are

Encaustic cement tiles appeared in the mid-19th century as a durable, affordable alternative to stone mosaic. They are not ceramic: they never go into a kiln. Each tile is made by hand in a mould. First a thin layer of white cement, marble dust and pigment is poured, separated by a metal template that draws the motif. The base layers go on top and a hydraulic press, which gives the tile its Spanish name, compacts everything. The tile then cures in water and rests for several weeks.

That process explains its character: colour that runs through the visible layer, a soft matt touch, thick pieces (around 2 cm) that are almost always square, 20 × 20 cm. It also explains its weak point: cement is porous, absorbs liquids and needs treatment to avoid staining.

A very Mallorcan floor

In Mallorca, encaustic floors are found in the apartments of Palma’s Eixample, in the modernist houses of Sóller and in many fincas renovated at the start of the 20th century. They are part of the island’s memory: carpets of geometry and flowers that change from room to room and, over the years, gain a patina no new material fully imitates.

That is why the first question for anyone renovating an old house is not which tile to buy, but what to do with the one they already have.

If you already have an encaustic floor: keep it

When it is worth it

If most tiles are whole and well bedded, an original encaustic floor is almost always worth keeping. A polishing specialist can bring back the colour, even out wear and seal it. Broken tiles can be replaced with reclaimed ones or made to order with the same pattern. The result is a floor with history that also adds value to the property.

When it is not

Sometimes keeping it no longer makes sense: when many tiles are missing and the pattern can no longer be completed, when the floor is hollow or lifted by damp from below, or when the renovation changes the layout and the original ends up split between two rooms. And there are places where cement suffers: the shower floor, behind the hob, or a patio exposed to the weather.

In those cases the usual answer is to keep the original where it shines and rests easy, and solve the rest with encaustic-effect porcelain.

Encaustic-effect porcelain: what it is and when to choose it

Encaustic-effect porcelain reproduces the patterns and palette of cement tiles on a porcelain stoneware tile fired at high temperature. The look is the familiar one; the behaviour is that of a technical material.

Absorption and stains

The key difference is water absorption. Porcelain absorbs ≤ 0.5 % of its weight: oil, wine or coffee stay on the surface and clean off with water and a neutral detergent. No sealing or waxing is needed. If you want to understand that figure on a data sheet, we explain it in how to read a tile data sheet. And if you are weighing glazed stoneware against porcelain, see stoneware vs porcelain tile.

Bathrooms, kitchens and patios

Where there is water, grease or direct sun, porcelain is the calm choice. In the bathroom, an encaustic-look porcelain floor can run into the shower, as long as the finish has the right slip resistance: we cover it in walk-in, level-access showers: which materials. In the kitchen it withstands stains that would stay in cement forever; you have the zone-by-zone criteria in kitchen tiles and flooring by area.

On patios and terraces, porcelain is not afraid of frost or salt air. Outdoors, ask for a slip-resistant finish, generally R11 or Class 3: the full explanation is in our guide to R9, R10, R11 and slip classes, and the outdoor criteria in outdoor porcelain paving in Mallorca.

Thickness and underfloor heating

A porcelain tile is considerably thinner than a cement tile. That helps in renovations where you do not want to raise the floor level much, and it works very well over underfloor heating, because it transmits heat quickly.

Original or porcelain: the comparison

	Encaustic cement tile	Encaustic-effect porcelain
Material	Cement, marble dust and pigment, unfired	Porcelain stoneware fired at high temperature
Water absorption	High: needs sealing	≤ 0.5 %
Maintenance	Periodic sealing and treatments	Water and neutral detergent
Bathroom and kitchen	Possible with great care	Yes
Outdoors	Delicate with frost and salt air	Yes, with a slip-resistant finish
Thickness	Around 2 cm	Thinner
Character	Patina, unique pieces, history	Consistent pattern, stable tones

There is no absolute winner. Cement has a depth of colour and a touch that are lovely in a living room. Porcelain wins on everything to do with water, stains and heavy use.

Combining old and new

In many Palma renovations the best answer is a mix. The original floor stays in the living room or hall, where it is seen and walked on without water. The bathroom and kitchen are solved with an encaustic-inspired porcelain in a related tone, or with a plain tile that lets the old pattern breathe. The meeting point is marked by a threshold or a change of room, never halfway across a space.

If the house has a patio, the same reasoning works outwards: a porcelain that continues the interior tone links both spaces. We develop it in the same floor inside and out.

How to design an encaustic floor that does not tire

• A rug, not a sea. In large rooms, the pattern works better as a rug framed by a border or a plain tile than covering the whole surface.
• Two or three colours. Short palettes (black and white, earth tones, muted greens) age better than very busy ones.
• Mix with judgement. Several collections let you combine different decorated pieces in one floor, patchwork style. It works if they all share the palette.
• A fine joint in a close tone to the background colour, so the pattern reads as continuous.
• Quiet walls. With such a characterful floor, the wall asks for a plain finish, lime plaster or a single-tone handmade tile such as zellige.

Encaustic-effect collections at Gomila Cerámica

These are the encaustic-inspired collections we work with. You can see them all in the showroom and in porcelain flooring.

• Fioranese · Cementine 20, which turns classic designs into contemporary patterns with modular solutions where colour is the key. And Cementine Black&White, a minimalist reading of encaustic tiles built on the balance between black and white.
• Apavisa · Hydraulic, which captures the beauty of encaustic tiles with the quality of porcelain stoneware, in a wide palette of colours and motifs, for interiors, patios and terraces, on floors and walls. And Senso, a vintage tile with a floral design of geometric figures, made for lovers of encaustic mosaic.
• WOW · on the wall, as a companion, Bejmat, a tribute to the handmade tile, with a tonal variation that sits well next to an encaustic floor.

If you are looking for a warm alternative to pattern, terracotta is the other great Mediterranean heritage: we tell its story in WOW’s terracotta.

Where to see it in Palma

An encaustic floor is best chosen with the tiles in your hand, seeing several joints and how the colour changes with the light. In our showroom you can see the encaustic-inspired collections and combine them with plain and wall tiles.

Gomila Cerámica
Carrer de Calçat, 16 · 07011 Palma (Mallorca)
Tel. +34 971 732 343 · info@gomila-ceramica.com
Opening hours and directions

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between encaustic cement tiles and encaustic-effect porcelain?

Encaustic cement tiles are made of cement, marble dust and pigment, pressed and unfired, so they are porous and need sealing. Encaustic-effect porcelain reproduces the same pattern on fired porcelain stoneware, with water absorption of ≤ 0.5 % and minimal maintenance.

Is it worth restoring an old encaustic floor?

If most tiles are whole and well bedded, yes: a polishing specialist can bring back the colour and seal it, and broken tiles can be replaced. If many are missing, there is damp in the base or the renovation splits the floor between rooms, it is usually wiser to keep it only where it shines and solve the rest with porcelain.

Can encaustic tiles go in a bathroom or kitchen?

With cement tiles it is possible, but it requires periodic sealing and care with stains. With encaustic-effect porcelain there is no problem: it does not absorb liquids and cleans with water and neutral detergent. In the shower, choose a suitable slip-resistant finish.

Can encaustic-effect porcelain be used outdoors?

Yes, as long as the collection has an outdoor, slip-resistant finish, generally R11 or Class 3. Because it does not absorb water, it withstands frost and the salt air of the Mallorcan coast.

Can encaustic-effect porcelain go over underfloor heating?

Yes. It is thinner than cement tile and transmits heat well, so it is one of the most common choices over underfloor heating.

Where can I see encaustic-effect tiles in Palma?

In the Gomila Cerámica showroom at Carrer de Calçat, 16 in Palma, with encaustic-inspired collections from Fioranese and Apavisa that can be combined with plain and wall tiles.

Porcelain stoneware is one of the most rewarding materials to look after: it absorbs almost no water, does not stain easily and withstands most household cleaning products. Even so, in Mallorca one question keeps coming back: why the floor is left with rings, why the shower screen and the shower wall turn whitish, and why the grout darkens before its time.

The answer is almost always the same: limescale. This guide explains how to clean porcelain tiles with hard water, what to use, what to avoid and in what order.

Why limescale is the issue in Mallorca

Across much of the island the water is hard. Mallorca’s subsoil is largely limestone, and the water that runs through it picks up calcium and magnesium. EMAYA, Palma’s own municipal water company, describes the water it supplies as hard or moderately hard, depending on the area and the time of year.

That hardness is not a health issue, but it is a cleaning one: when water evaporates on a surface, the calcium carbonate stays behind. On porcelain tiles it shows up as a whitish haze, marked droplets or rings. The good news is that the limescale sits on top of the tile, not inside it: porcelain with water absorption ≤ 0.5% does not let it in. If you want to know where to find that figure, we explain it in how to read a tile’s technical data sheet.

Everyday cleaning

1. Sweep or vacuum first. Sand is abrasive and, once walked on, ends up marking polished surfaces. Even more so in homes near the sea.
2. Mop with lukewarm water and a pH-neutral cleaner, at the dose stated on the bottle. More product does not clean better: it leaves a film.
3. A well wrung-out mop. With hard water, the less water left on the floor, the less limescale is deposited as it dries.
4. A final pass to dry in glossy or high-traffic areas, with a dry dust mop or microfibre cloth.

If rings still appear, a simple trick is to mop now and then with distilled or demineralised water, which leaves no limescale when it evaporates.

How to remove limescale from porcelain tiles

Which product to use

Limescale is calcium carbonate, and it dissolves in acid. For porcelain tiles you use a mild acid descaler, one formulated for ceramics, or a diluted white vinegar solution for light deposits. The porcelain tile tolerates both without any problem. The care lies in what surrounds it.

How to apply it without damaging the grout

1. Wet first the surface and, above all, the grout with clean water. Grout saturated with water absorbs far less acid.
2. Dilute as the manufacturer indicates and apply only to the affected area.
3. Leave it on briefly and scrub with a soft brush or non-abrasive sponge.
4. Rinse with plenty of water and dry.

It is an occasional treatment: every few weeks in a shower with heavy limescale, or whenever the haze appears. Used daily, the acid ends up wearing away cement grout.

Grout: the weak point

On a porcelain floor, the grout is almost always the first thing to age. Cement-based grout is more porous than the tile: it holds dirt, builds up limescale and is attacked by acids, because cement is also calcium-based.

• To clean it: a pH-neutral or mildly alkaline cleaner and a brush with firm but non-metallic bristles. Rinse well.
• To prevent problems: dry damp areas and, if the grout manufacturer recommends it, apply a water-repellent grout sealer.
• If it is already badly worn: the grout can be cleaned out and renewed without touching the tile. This is best done by a professional.

If the floor has yet to be laid, epoxy grout is worth considering: it is far less porous and resists stains, limescale and chemicals better than cement grout. It is a material decision made at the laying stage; we cover it in our guide to laying porcelain floor tiles.

Polished, matt or anti-slip: they are not cleaned the same way

Polished or lappato. The shine gives away every drop of limescale and every mop mark. Here the final drying is what makes the difference. Avoid abrasive powders and hard scourers, which can scratch the shine, and check the data sheet to see whether the manufacturer recommends any specific care for that surface.

Matt or natural. The most forgiving. It hides limescale and footprints, and a pH-neutral cleaner is enough for most of the year.

Anti-slip (R11 and above). The texture that provides grip also holds dirt. It is better cleaned with a brush than with a mop, and benefits from a slightly more frequent deep clean. If you are unsure which class you need in each area, it is explained in our guide to R9, R10, R11 and slip resistance classes.

All of this applies to porcelain. If your floor is red-body glazed stoneware, the difference is explained in stoneware or porcelain: which to choose for each use.

Cleaning after tiling

A newly laid floor is usually left with a greyish haze that does not come off with normal mopping: it is residue of cement from the grout and the adhesive, known as grout haze. Removing it is the post-installation clean, and it is worth doing properly, once.

• Wait until the grout has set, for as long as the grout manufacturer indicates.
• With cement grout: a dedicated acid after-tiling cleaner, diluted, on a floor that has been wetted first, and a thorough rinse.
• With epoxy grout: the residue is not cement and acid will not work; use the cleaner recommended by the epoxy manufacturer, usually alkaline or solvent-based.
• Protect first metal trims, taps and any nearby natural stone or marble, which acid can attack.

Shower and bathroom walls

This is where hard water shows most. The most effective approach is not to clean harder, but sooner: running a rubber squeegee over the walls and screen after every shower removes most of the water before it evaporates and leaves limescale.

For existing haze, the same method: mild descaler, grout wetted first, rinse and dry. Take care with metal trims, drain grilles and taps: not all of them tolerate acids. Large-format wall tiles or a shower tray flush with the floor mean less grout, and therefore less maintenance; we cover this in how to choose a shower tray and, compared with microcement, in microcement or porcelain in the bathroom.

Terrace and pool surround

Outdoors, limescale from hosing down combines with salt and soil. For everyday care, a brush and water with a neutral cleaner; for ingrained dirt on anti-slip surfaces, an alkaline degreasing cleaner for outdoor use. Limescale, as indoors, with a mild descaler and the grout wetted first.

Around the pool, watch the rinse water: acid products must not end up in the pool. The key points for choosing that paving are in outdoor porcelain paving in Mallorca and in anti-slip flooring for pools. If the pool is lined with mosaic, the waterline has its own logic, explained in glass mosaic for pools.

What not to use

• Hydrofluoric acid or products containing it: it is the only acid that attacks ceramics and glass.
• Strong undiluted acids (hardware-shop hydrochloric acid, for example) on a regular basis: they damage cement grout and nearby metals.
• Waxes, polishes or oil-based soaps: porcelain does not need them; they leave a film, trap dirt and can make the floor slippery.
• Wire wool and abrasive powders on polished surfaces.
• Mixing products, especially bleach with acids or with ammonia: they give off toxic gases.

If you are coming from a worktop, the logic is the same; you will find it in porcelain worktops: resistance and maintenance.

Where to see it in Palma

The simplest way to know how a floor will age is to see the finish up close: polished, matt and anti-slip surfaces behave differently with limescale. At our showroom you can compare porcelain flooring surfaces side by side.

Gomila Cerámica
Carrer de Calçat, 16 · 07011 Palma (Mallorca)
Tel. 971 732 343 · info@gomila-ceramica.com
Opening hours and how to find us

Frequently asked questions

How do you clean porcelain tiles day to day?
Sweep or vacuum, then mop with lukewarm water and a pH-neutral cleaner, with the mop well wrung out. With hard water, a final pass to dry the floor prevents limescale rings.

How do I remove limescale from porcelain tiles?
With a mild acid descaler for ceramics, or diluted white vinegar for light deposits. Wet the surface and the grout first, leave it on briefly, scrub with a non-abrasive sponge and rinse with plenty of water. Use it occasionally, not daily.

Do vinegar or limescale removers damage porcelain tiles?
Not the porcelain tile itself: it withstands household acids. What they can damage, with frequent or undiluted use, is cement grout and some metal trims or taps. The only acid that attacks ceramics is hydrofluoric acid.

How do I clean the grout on a porcelain floor?
With a neutral or mildly alkaline cleaner and a non-metallic brush, rinsing well. If the grout is badly worn, it can be renewed without touching the tile. For a new floor, epoxy grout resists limescale and stains much better than cement grout.

How do you remove grout haze from porcelain tiles after tiling?
Once the grout has set, with a diluted acid after-tiling cleaner on a floor that has been wetted first and a thorough rinse, if the grout is cement-based. If it is epoxy, use the cleaner recommended by its manufacturer. Protect nearby metals and natural stone first.

Do porcelain tiles need waxing or polishing?
No. Porcelain needs no waxes or polishes: they leave a film that traps dirt and can make the floor more slippery. On polished finishes, the shine is kept by cleaning with a pH-neutral product and drying.

A staircase is looked at head-on and used edge-first. What you see as you walk into a house is the sequence of treads; what decides whether the stair is well resolved is the edge of each step, the exact point where the foot lands on the way down. That is why a porcelain staircase is not chosen only by the colour of the floor it continues: it is chosen by how it finishes, how it grips and how clearly one step stands apart from the next.

Anatomy of a step

Tread and riser

The tread is the horizontal surface you step on; the riser, the vertical face that separates it from the next one. Their dimensions are set by the design, not by the material, but they are worth knowing because they determine the format. The CTE (DB-SUA 1) requires, on stairs for general use, a minimum tread (going) of 28 cm and a riser between 13 and 18.5 cm, with the relationship 54 cm ≤ 2R + G ≤ 70 cm. Inside a private home, which the CTE treats as restricted use, the minimums are relaxed: a tread of at least 22 cm and a riser of no more than 20 cm.

Nosing

The nosing (mamperlán in Spanish) is the front edge of the step. It can be square, slightly rounded or project a little over the riser. It is the hardest-working part of the stair. A stair tread with nosing made in a single piece protects that edge; a cut tile leaves the arris exposed.

One regulatory nuance: on stairs for general use the CTE does not allow a projecting nosing, that is, an overhang of the edge beyond the riser that could catch the toe. At home there is more leeway, but the underlying principle is still useful.

Stair skirting

The stair skirting (or stringer skirting) is the skirting board of the stair: the stepped piece that follows the treads along the wall side. It protects the wall and makes the stair look finished. When the same series offers it, it is worth ordering together with the treads.

Special piece or tile cut on site

There are two ways to clad a staircase in porcelain.

With special pieces: factory-made treads, with the nosing already formed and the edge finished, plus a matching riser and skirting. The edge is continuous, the texture of the nosing matches that of the tread and the result ages without surprises.

With cut tiles: the floor tile is cut to the depth of the tread and the edge is resolved with a mitre (two pieces cut at 45°) or with a profile. This allows any collection to be used, even those without a step piece, but it demands a very precise hand: the mitre leaves a thin arris that, in a busy area or outdoors, is the first thing to chip.

The rule is simple: if the chosen collection has a step piece, use the step piece. If it does not, decide how the edge will be finished before buying the floor, not afterwards.

The stair as a continuation of the floor

The calmest staircase is the one that does not interrupt the floor: same collection, same tone, same reading of grain or texture. That is why treads are ordered together with the floor, from the same batch, and not at the end of the project, when finding the exact tone is much harder.

If the floor has a grain, like a wood-effect porcelain, the direction is decided in advance: the natural choice is for the grain to run along the length of the tread, as a plank would. With a stone-effect porcelain the question is the variation between pieces: it is worth distributing it so that two consecutive steps do not repeat the same pattern.

If the indoor floor continues out onto the terrace, the outdoor stair follows the same logic as the paving: the same design inside and out, with the anti-slip finish of the same series on the outside.

Slip resistance: why stairs ask for more

On a stair the foot does not land fully or flat: going down, the front of the foot lands on the edge while the body is in motion. That is why the Spanish Technical Building Code requires stairs to have a higher slip class than the flat floor of the same space. Table 1.2 of DB-SUA 1 sums it up as follows:

Location	Floor with slope < 6%	Slope ≥ 6% and stairs
Dry indoor areas	Class 1	Class 2
Wet indoor areas (entrances from outside, covered terraces, bathrooms, kitchens)	Class 2	Class 3
Outdoor areas, pools (barefoot areas and pool basin up to 1.50 m deep) and showers	Class 3

The class is obtained with the pendulum test: Class 1 is 15 < Rd ≤ 35; Class 2, 35 < Rd ≤ 45; Class 3, Rd > 45. Many data sheets also give the R value (R9, R10, R11…) from the ramp test; these are different scales and do not map one to one. We explain it in detail in our guide to R9, R10, R11 and slip class.

An honest clarification: this CTE requirement applies to buildings for public residential, healthcare, educational, commercial, administrative and public assembly use. In a private home it is not mandatory, but it is the best criterion available, and it is the one we follow when we make a recommendation.

Indoor stairs

For a dry indoor stair, Class 2. If the stair starts next to the front door or the terrace door, where water comes in on people’s shoes, it is wise to treat it as a wet area and go up to Class 3. Polished or lappato finishes, lovely in a living room, are not a good choice for the tread.

Outdoor stairs

An anti-slip outdoor stair requires Class 3, without exception. In Mallorca you have to allow for the autumn rain, which arrives all at once. A structured finish takes care of grip; an excessively rough one holds dirt and is harder to clean. Which paving to choose outdoors, and why, is covered in outdoor porcelain paving in Mallorca.

Pool steps

The steps into the pool and the steps on the pool surround are walked on barefoot and wet: Class 3. The full criteria for the water zone are in anti-slip flooring for pools.

The edge you can see

Most trips on a stair are not slips: they are misjudged steps, because the eye cannot tell where one step ends.

In urbanised public spaces, Spanish accessibility regulation (Orden TMA/851/2021, art. 15) requires each step to be marked along its full length with a 5 cm strip, flush with the tread and set 3 cm from the edge, contrasting in texture and colour with the rest of the step. At home it is not mandatory, but the idea is useful: a nosing in a slightly different tone, an edge with another texture or a low light in the riser or the skirting makes the stair legible without breaking the continuity of the floor.

Outdoors: thickness and format

Outdoors, 20 mm porcelain is very common for terrace and garden paving, and several outdoor collections pair it with special pieces in the same thickness. For a stair it has an obvious advantage: a thicker edge that stands up better to knocks.

The format is set by the tread: first measure the stair, then look for the piece that resolves it with the fewest cuts; on wide stairs, with long pieces or with several pieces in a row per step. If the floor is large format, check beforehand that the collection has a step piece or that cutting allows a well-resolved edge.

Collections with stair treads and special pieces

These are the lines in our porcelain flooring catalogue that work best for a staircase:

• Cerámica Mayor: a long tradition in flooring and special pieces in extruded material. Its Crosscut collection, inspired by travertine, offers a range of formats, stair treads and pool pieces to keep the same look inside and out.
• Kronos: a selection of ceramic cements, stones and woods dedicated specifically to outdoor use, with 2 cm thickness and special pieces. Its Les Bois collection, in a wood effect, is suitable for indoors and outdoors.
• Rosa Gres: in the Mistery collection, the Blue Stone colour combines an anti-slip finish with a range of special pieces in the same colour to coordinate the whole exterior of the house.
• Ragno: Realstone Argent and Stratford feature StepWise anti-slip technology, for indoors and outdoors.
• Coem: the Sinai collection, a stone effect, in the R11 Soft & Safe anti-slip finish suitable for outdoor areas and pools, with 20 mm pieces for outdoor use.

The availability of tread, riser and skirting pieces varies with the format and finish of each series: we confirm it with you, collection by collection, before the order is placed.

What to have decided before you order

1. Actual dimensions of tread, riser and width of each flight, and the number of steps, including those at landings.
2. Type of edge: tread with factory-formed nosing, mitre or profile.
3. Slip class according to where the stair is: dry indoor, wet indoor, outdoor or pool.
4. Complementary pieces: riser, stair skirting, landing skirting and, at a pool, coping.
5. Same batch for floor and treads, with a reserve margin for cuts and replacements.
6. How the edge will read: contrast of tone, texture or light.

The general laying criteria are in our guide to laying porcelain flooring.

Where to see it in Palma

A stair tread needs to be held in the hand: look at the edge, run a finger along the nosing, compare the texture of the tread with that of the floor. At our showroom you can see the special pieces alongside the floor collections, and bring the measurements of your stair to go over them calmly.

Gomila Cerámica
Carrer de Calçat, 16 · 07011 Palma (Mallorca)
Tel. 971 732 343 · info@gomila-ceramica.com
Opening hours and how to find us

Frequently asked questions

What is a stair tread with nosing?
It is a step piece with the front edge already formed at the factory, square or slightly rounded. It protects the arris, which is the part of the stair that takes the most wear, and avoids having to mitre the edge or fit a profile on site.

What slip class does an outdoor stair need?
Class 3 under the Spanish building code, CTE (Rd > 45). DB-SUA requires Class 3 in all outdoor areas and pools, whether flat or stepped.

And an indoor stair?
Class 2 if it is a dry indoor area. If it is in a wet area, such as an entrance from outside or a covered terrace, Class 3. Indoors, a stair always asks for one class more than the flat floor of the same space.

Can I use the same porcelain on the stairs as on the floor?
Yes, and it is the best way to keep continuity. Ideally, use the step pieces from the same collection; if there are none, the tile is cut and the edge is resolved with a mitre or a profile. Outdoors, use the anti-slip finish of the same series.

Do I need 20 mm porcelain for an outdoor stair?
It is not mandatory, but it is very common outdoors: the edge is thicker and stands up better to knocks, and it allows the stair to continue a 20 mm terrace without changing pieces.

Do stair edges need to be marked?
In public spaces, yes: Orden TMA/851/2021 requires a 5 cm strip set 3 cm from the edge, contrasting in colour and texture. In a private home it is not mandatory, but an edge you can see at a glance reduces trips.

Choosing kitchen tiles usually starts with an image: a green zellige splashback, a pale stone floor, an island that looks carved from a single block. And it is right that it starts there. But a kitchen is not one surface, it is several, and each one works in its own way. The floor takes the water and oil that fall on it; the wall behind the hob, the heat and the greasy steam; the worktop, all of it at once. What is perfect in one place can become a small daily annoyance in another.

This guide walks through the kitchen area by area, in the order in which the decisions are made, and ends with a table to keep at hand when you visit the showroom.

One kitchen, five different surfaces

Before talking about collections, it helps to break the kitchen down into its parts. Not to complicate it, but because each area asks something different of the material, and knowing that makes the choice simpler:

• The floor: foot traffic, dropped objects, stains, water and grease, and continuity with the rest of the house.
• The splashback, that is, the strip of wall between the worktop and the wall units: heat, steam, splashes and constant cleaning.
• The remaining walls: few technical demands, a lot of visual presence.
• The worktop: the working surface, with its own rules (and its own articles).
• The transition to the living room, when the kitchen is open-plan.

The kitchen floor

It is the hardest decision to change later, and the one you notice most every day. If you are unsure what flooring to put in the kitchen, start here.

Stains, grease and water: why porcelain

Everything ends up on a kitchen floor: oil, wine, coffee, tomato, water from the sink. The property that deals with it is water absorption. Porcelain stoneware absorbs ≤ 0.5% of its weight: the stain stays on the surface and comes off with the mop. A more porous material lets it in, and what gets in does not come out. If you are hesitating between glazed stoneware and porcelain, we explain it calmly in stoneware or porcelain: which to choose for each use.

The finish matters as much as the material. A high-gloss polished finish is beautiful in a living room, but in the kitchen it shows every drop, every footprint and every step taken with damp feet. For kitchen floor tiles, the sensible choice is a matt or satin finish: it looks just as refined and is far more forgiving.

Slip resistance: the right balance

A kitchen is a wet area even if it does not look like one. Water beside the sink, oil next to the hob, someone coming in barefoot from the garden. The usual reference for a kitchen floor is R10 on the ramp scale and Class 2 under the Spanish building code, which requires it in kitchens for public use and which works as a good reference in homes.

It is not worth overdoing it either. A very rough surface grips more, but it also holds grease and is harder to wash, which is exactly the opposite of what you want in a kitchen. The full explanation of the scales, with their equivalences, is in our guide to R9, R10, R11 and slip ratings.

Format, colour and grout

Format. The fewer the joints, the fewer the places where dirt builds up. Large, rectified formats leave a minimal joint and give a continuous plane that makes the kitchen feel larger. You will find the sizes and uses in large-format tiles. In small kitchens or those with many cuts (islands, pillars, L-shaped units), a medium format can resolve the junctions better.

Colour. Extremes become tiring in a kitchen: pure white shows every crumb and black shows every dried drop and every limescale ring, something you notice in Mallorca, where the water is hard. Mid tones with a little movement (sand, greige, warm stone, natural wood) keep a visual calm through the real life of a home.

Grout. The weak point of any kitchen floor is the joint, not the tile. Good-quality grout, in a shade close to the tile and never white, makes the difference two years on. The general criteria for grout and setting out are in how to choose porcelain flooring for each room, where the kitchen has its own section.

One last planning detail: if the floor runs underneath the units, changing the layout one day does not mean redoing it. It is a conversation worth having with whoever will carry out the work before it starts.

The splashback: the hob and the sink

The splashback is the hardest-working wall in the kitchen. Here the question is no longer whether it is slippery, but whether it cleans. We covered the style ideas (zellige, stone, microcement) in ceramic kitchen splashbacks: ideas in zellige, stone and microcement. Here we deal with the technical side.

Behind the hob

Behind the hob there is heat, steam and a thin film of grease that settles day after day. Ceramic resists it well: it does not warp with heat or absorb oil. What decides whether that wall looks clean in five years is something else: the number of joints and the texture of the surface. A smooth or satin surface with few joints wipes clean in one pass. A pronounced relief or a wide joint holds grease, and grease holds dust.

That is why, behind the hob, large format works especially well (one or two pieces and hardly any joints), as does the worktop material continuing up the wall.

Beside the sink

At the sink the enemy is water, and in Mallorca, water full of lime. White rings show more on dark tones and high-gloss surfaces. Good-quality grout and an impermeable material do the rest. Here the splashback also works as protection: it should reach as far as the tap really splashes, not just as far as looks pretty.

Zellige, gloss or large format

Zellige is one of the most beautiful tiles you can put in a kitchen, with its living surface and its irregular reflections. It has a handmade character that is a pleasure to live with, and also joints and small irregularities that, behind the hob, call for more cleaning. If you love it, do not give it up: place it where there is less splashing, or accept that gaining a patina is part of its charm. We explain it in what zellige is.

Gloss tiles and small formats (metro, hexagon, elongated rectangle) are the classic choice for kitchen splashback tiles: they clean well and reflect light, which is welcome in a kitchen with a small window. Large format, on the other hand, is the most serene option and the easiest to maintain.

The remaining walls

Away from the splashback, kitchen walls barely suffer. This is the area where ceramic can stop being protection and become an aesthetic decision: a half-height dado in the breakfast area, a whole wall in colour, a relief that plays with raking light, or a floral motif.

This is exactly where ceramic wallpaper makes sense: decorative porcelain that dresses the wall like wallpaper, but withstands steam and cleans with water and neutral soap, which is precisely what real wallpaper cannot cope with in a kitchen.

The rule that puts everything in order is simple: only one star. If the splashback is green zellige, the other walls stay quiet. If the star is a decorated wall, the splashback becomes discreet.

The worktop, in brief

The worktop deserves an article of its own, and it has four. In short: large-format porcelain has become one of the reference materials for the working surface because it does not absorb liquids, does not hold stains and withstands heat with no visible effect up to around 200 °C. Lines such as IMMENSA by Coem (162 × 324 cm slabs, 12 mm thick, reinforced with mesh) are designed precisely for worktops.

To decide at your own pace:

• What it is, its advantages and how to choose it: porcelain worktops: a guide.
• Compared with other technical surfaces: porcelain worktop vs Dekton vs quartz.
• Compared with the classic materials: porcelain, quartz, granite or marble.
• How it behaves over the years: porcelain worktop durability and care.

What does matter for this article is the relationship with the splashback: if the worktop rises up the wall in the same material, the splashback is resolved in the cleanest way possible.

Open-plan kitchen: a single floor

When the kitchen opens onto the living room, the floor stops belonging to the kitchen and starts belonging to the house. The most common mistake is to change flooring at the edge of the kitchen: visually it splits the space in two exactly where you wanted to join it.

The most serene solution is one continuous floor, laid in the same direction, and let that floor meet the demands of the kitchen (porcelain, matt finish, R10). In practice, open-plan kitchen flooring usually leads to two families:

• Wood effect, for those who want the warmth of a living room without the worry of real wood next to the sink. We compare them in depth in wood-effect porcelain versus parquet.
• Stone or cement effect in large format, which gives a continuous plane and leaves the leading role to the furniture and the island.

Once the floor is decided, the kitchen wall tiles are chosen from it, not the other way round. You will find examples of integrated kitchens in inspiration for kitchens open to the living room.

What to ask of the material in each area

Area	What to ask of the material	Typical porcelain or ceramic option
Floor	Absorption ≤ 0.5%, R10 / Class 2, a finish that forgives stains and footprints	Matt or satin porcelain, stone, cement or wood effect, medium or large format
Hob splashback	Resistance to heat and grease, few joints, easy-to-clean surface	Large format or the worktop continued up the wall; smooth or satin tile
Sink splashback	Impermeable, does not show limescale, good-quality grout	Porcelain or glazed tile in a mid tone; zellige if you accept its patina
Remaining walls	Aesthetics and occasional cleaning	Decorative tile, relief, colour, ceramic wallpaper
Worktop	Heat, scratches, stains, contact with food	12 mm large-format porcelain
Open-plan kitchen	Continuity with the living room without losing kitchen performance	A single matt porcelain across the whole floor, wood or stone effect

Collections that work in a kitchen

These are some of the collections we carry that suit the areas in this article. You can see them all at the showroom and in porcelain flooring.

For the floor.

• Ragno · Realstone_Argent, stone in warm tones with StepWise anti-slip technology, in several formats, thicknesses and colours for coordinated floor and wall projects. And Stratford, a matt surface with StepWise and a wide palette of neutral tones.
• Kronos · Les Bois, a wood effect that reproduces the texture and tonal variation of wood, suitable indoors and outdoors.

For the splashback and walls.

• WOW · Bejmat, a tribute to the handmade tile, with slightly variable dimensions and designed to dress everything from patios to kitchens.
• Ragno · Glacé, a three-dimensional structure and clay tones inspired by 1980s artisan ceramics; Gleeze, gloss surfaces with concave and convex shapes; and Papers, a wall tile inspired by wallpaper.
• Atlas Concorde · Marvel Pro, a marble effect with a gloss surface, easy to clean and resistant to stains and chemicals.
• Vallelunga · Bloom and Grandiosa, floral and botanical motifs that unfold across the wall like ceramic wallpaper.

For continuity across floor, wall and worktop.

• Keope · Ikon, a cement effect in Gris, Beige, Silver and White, with a maxi format of 120 × 278 cm and 6 mm to cover floors and walls seamlessly.
• Inalco · Amara, a cream finish with a natural relief that recalls Mallorcan stone, for worktops, floors and walls, indoors and outdoors.
• Coem · IMMENSA for the worktop, bringing the brand’s stone-effect surfaces, such as Sinai or Travertino Reverso, to the working surface.

Where to see it in Palma

Kitchen tiles need to be seen together: the floor sample next to the splashback sample and the worktop, in natural light. It is the only way to know whether they get along. At our showroom you can put that composition together at your own pace, and bringing a photo or a plan of your kitchen helps a great deal.

Gomila Cerámica
Carrer de Calçat, 16 · 07011 Palma (Mallorca)
Tel. 971 732 343 · info@gomila-ceramica.com
Opening hours and how to find us

If you want a patterned floor, encaustic-effect porcelain gives you the character of cement tiles without their porosity, something you appreciate every day in a kitchen.

Frequently asked questions

What flooring should I put in the kitchen?
Porcelain stoneware with water absorption ≤ 0.5%, in a matt or satin finish and with a reference slip resistance of R10 / Class 2. It does not absorb stains or grease, cleans with water and neutral detergent, and comes in stone, cement or wood effects.

What slip rating does a kitchen floor need?
The usual reference is R10 on the ramp scale and Class 2 under the Spanish building code, which requires it in kitchens for public use. In homes it is a good reference: enough grip with water or oil, without a roughness that holds on to dirt.

Can I use the same porcelain on the kitchen floor and walls?
Yes, and it gives a very serene result, especially in large format. Many collections are made as coordinated floor and wall tiles. You only need to check that the finish chosen for the floor has the right slip resistance.

Is zellige a good idea for a kitchen splashback?
Yes, if you embrace its character. Its joints and irregular surface call for more cleaning behind the hob, so it works best in areas with less splashing, or for those who value the patina it gains with use.

What grout is best in a kitchen?
Good-quality grout, in a shade close to the tile and never white. In a kitchen the joint gets dirty before the tile does, so fewer joints (large, rectified formats) and a better grouting material is the combination that ages best.

Should an open-plan kitchen have the same floor as the living room?
It is the most advisable option. One continuous floor joins the two spaces; that floor just needs to meet the demands of the kitchen: porcelain, matt finish and R10.

In some bathrooms the floor never breaks. You walk in and the same surface carries you all the way to the water, with no step, no edge, no change of material cutting the room in two. Light runs across the floor and the bathroom feels larger than it is.

Behind that feeling lie several technical decisions, and almost all of them are made before the first bag of adhesive arrives. This guide puts them in order: which materials to choose for a walk-in shower or a level-access shower, and what to agree with your installer from the very start.

Wet room, flush tray, trayless shower: what we mean

Three terms often used as synonyms, though they are not quite the same:

• Tiled walk-in shower (wet room style, or trayless shower): the shower floor is built on site. The bathroom floor tiles run into the wet area and form the falls towards the drain, over continuous waterproofing.
• Flush shower tray: a prefabricated tray (resin, ceramic or mineral) set at the same level as the floor, with no step.
• Level-access shower (known as a curbless shower in the US): the result both of the above are aiming for. No upstand, with a flat entry.

The first decision: continuous floor or flush tray

A continuous floor is the most architectural option. One surface, one material, one texture from the basin to the corner of the shower. It works especially well in small bathrooms, where every change of material takes away visual space (we cover this in tiles for a small bathroom). In return, it means choosing a floor tile that serves both the dry area and the wet area, and it needs careful work on falls and waterproofing.

A flush tray separates the roles: the tray deals with the water and the floor tiles with everything else. Its advantage is predictability: the fall comes built in from the factory, and many resin models can be cut to size. The full comparison of materials and sizes is in our guide on how to choose a shower tray.

If you want total continuity with no joints at all, first compare microcement and microcement-effect porcelain in the bathroom.

Floor tile size depends on the falls

This is the link most often forgotten: tile size is not chosen for looks alone, it is chosen for how the water drains.

Large format

A large tile is rigid and flat, so it works best with a single sloping plane. That happens when the drain is linear: the floor falls in one direction towards the grate and the porcelain can run into the shower with almost no cuts. Few joints and a continuous reading that makes the bathroom look bigger. Formats, thicknesses and the limits of large pieces are covered in large format tiles.

Small format and mosaic

With a point drain in the centre, the floor forms four falls that meet at the drain. A small tile follows those planes with ease; a large one has to be cut diagonally along the ridges. More grout per square metre also means more grip underfoot. That is why mosaic is still so common in tiled walk-in showers.

A rule of thumb: linear drain, any format; point drain, small format or cut pieces. It is best to decide the two together.

Slip resistance for wet, bare feet

A shower is the only floor in the house that is always walked on barefoot, wet and soapy.

What the Spanish building code requires

The Spanish Technical Building Code, the CTE (DB SUA 1, table 1.2), classifies floors into four classes by their slip resistance Rd, measured with the pendulum test. Bathrooms, as wet indoor areas with a slope under 6%, require Class 2. Showers, like outdoor areas and swimming pools, require Class 3 (Rd > 45).

An honest caveat: this requirement is mandatory in buildings used as public residential (hotels and similar), healthcare, education, retail, administrative and public assembly premises. In a private home it is not mandatory, but it is the best reference available, and in a tiled walk-in shower the shower floor is the floor tile itself: its class matters.

R11 does not tell the whole story

Many porcelain data sheets express slip resistance on the R scale (R9 to R13, DIN 51130). That test is carried out with shoes and oil. For barefoot areas there is another scale, DIN 51097, with classes A, B and C, where C offers the most grip. If the data sheet of a tile you like for the shower states its CTE class and also its A, B or C rating, you will have a far more accurate idea of how it behaves under a wet foot. All the equivalences, and their limits, are in our guide to R9, R10, R11 and slip resistance classes, and how to read the rest of the figures in how to read a tile data sheet.

The same design, two finishes

The most elegant solution for a continuous floor is to choose a collection that offers the same design in two finishes: a natural one for the bathroom and an anti-slip one for the shower area. To the eye it is a single surface; underfoot, each area has the grip it needs. One last point: the rougher a surface, the more it grips and the harder it is to clean. Touch the sample, wet it, and decide.

The grout, the hardest-working detail

In a shower, the porcelain tile itself absorbs almost no water. The grout is what does the work: it takes water every day, plus soap, limescale and cleaning products. It is the first thing to darken and the thing you notice most.

• Grouting material. Ask your installer which grout they propose for the wet area and whether a material with greater chemical and stain resistance than standard cement grout, such as epoxy grout, would be advisable.
• Colour. Grout in the same tone as the tile disappears; very light grout on a shower floor ends up showing every use.
• Junctions. The corner between floor and wall and the edge around the drain are the critical points. They are resolved with the right waterproofing and sealing, not with more grout.

To speak the same language as your installer, read through our guide to laying porcelain floor tiles.

The drain is part of the design too

The position of the drain decides how the floor looks, so it deserves the same attention as the tile.

• Linear drain along the back wall. The floor falls towards the wall and the entry stays perfectly flat. It is the most discreet option and the one that best suits large formats.
• Linear drain at the shower entrance. It acts as an invisible border between the wet area and the rest of the bathroom.
• Point drain. More traditional, with four falls. It calls for small formats or careful cutting.
• The grate. It can be metal and visible, or a tile-insert type finished with the same floor tile, so the drain is reduced to a line.

Before choosing, check with your installer whether there is enough depth to fit everything flush: when renovating older flats, the level of the existing waste pipe is often what decides between a tiled walk-in shower, a flush tray or a raised tray.

The walls: how high the material goes

If the floor is continuous, the wall is the second half of the decision. Three common approaches:

• The same material from floor to wall. The bathroom reads as a volume carved from a single material. With large format tiles on the wall, the number of joints drops to a minimum. The marble effect is one of the most requested for this gesture: we explore it in marble-effect bathrooms.
• A feature wall. Only the shower wall changes: a relief, a mosaic, a texture that catches the raking light of the water.
• Half-height or wainscot. The shower material rises to a line and the rest of the wall stays lighter.

Either way, ask for walls and floor to be set out together, so the joints line up.

Taps, niche and vanity unit: decide them before the walls are closed

A tiled walk-in shower is designed from the inside out. Anything concealed has to be chosen before tiling begins:

• Concealed shower fittings. Ceiling or wall-mounted rain head, hand shower, thermostatic or single-lever mixer: each option has its own concealed body and position in the wall. The metal finish and the tile tone are chosen together.
• Niche. A recess in the shower wall does away with shelves and bottles on show. Its size should match the tile format so that joints are not cut in the middle of the recess.
• Glass screen or open shower. It determines where the water splashes and, therefore, how far the fall and the waterproofing need to extend.
• Vanity unit. In a bathroom with a continuous floor, a wall-hung unit lets the floor show underneath and strengthens the sense of space.

All of this also counts in the budget: if you want to see how the costs break down, it is in how much a bathroom renovation costs.

An accessible shower that does not look like one

A level-access shower is, from the outset, the basis of an accessible bathroom: no step to negotiate, and a flat entry for a wheelchair, a walking frame or simply for anyone growing older in their own home. Done well, it never looks clinical:

• A Class 3 floor in the wet area and a finish that does not shine under the light.
• A soft contrast between floor and wall so the limits of the space are easy to read.
• Thermostatic fittings, which keep the temperature steady, and controls that are easy to operate.
• Reinforcement planned in the wall for a fold-down seat or grab rails, even if they are not fitted today.

Collections and brands for bathroom and shower

Some of the collections and brands we work with for bathrooms and showers:

• Coem, Sinai collection. Stone-effect porcelain in five tones (Avorio, Beige, Dorato, Grigio and Terra) and three finishes: natural rectified, polished and the anti-slip R11 Soft & Safe. Designed to cover a complete project, including bathrooms and wet areas. From the same house, Travertino Incisa brings a linear relief designed for wall cladding in design-led bathrooms.
• WOW, Abbey Stone. Aged stone with an anti-slip surface, ideal for wet areas, and a finish that is soft to the touch so the look stays consistent across the whole project. Its Marble collection is designed for wellness spaces.
• Inalco MDi. Large formats up to 160 x 320 cm and thicknesses of 4, 6, 12 and 20 mm. The Amara collection, with a natural relief that recalls Mallorcan stone, covers both floors and walls.
• Shower trays: Acquabella. If you opt for a flush tray, the Base Zero model is customisable, with a smooth, anti-slip finish and a choice of three grates.
• Taps and shower fittings. Ritmonio, Italian fittings with collections such as Elementa, designed to organise the whole bathroom with freedom of configuration; and CEA Design, in AISI 316L stainless steel, with thermostatic mixers in its Lutezia and MILO360 collections.
• Bathroom furniture: Mapini. A bathroom furniture maker based in Mallorca. Its Randa series, with a mitred finish, is modular and includes a wide range of worktops and basins; the Aleph series leaves natural wood on show.

Our full selection of taps, sanitaryware, shower trays and furniture is in bathroom and shower.

What to ask your installer

Taking these to the first visit saves changes halfway through the work:

1. Is there enough depth to set the shower flush with the existing waste pipe?
2. Which waterproofing system do you propose under the shower floor, and how high does it go up the walls?
3. Linear or point drain? Where will it go, and with which grate?
4. With that drain, which tile format is feasible on the shower floor?
5. Which grout do you propose for the wet area?
6. Where will the concealed valve body, the niche and any reinforcement for a seat or grab rails go?

Where to see it in Palma

A shower floor is chosen by hand and by foot: touching the texture, wetting it, comparing two finishes of the same tile under the same light. At our showroom you can compare floor and wall tiles side by side, which is how they will be lived with, and settle the fittings and furniture for the same project with us.

Gomila Cerámica
Carrer de Calçat, 16 · 07011 Palma (Mallorca)
Tel. 971 732 343 · info@gomila-ceramica.com
Opening hours and directions

Small tiles also let you take a pattern into the shower: encaustic-effect porcelain, with a slip-resistant finish, brings the look of cement tiles without their porosity.

Frequently asked questions

What is a tiled walk-in shower?
A shower built into the bathroom floor itself, with no prefabricated tray. The floor tiles continue into the wet area and form the falls towards the drain, over continuous waterproofing.

Is a tiled walk-in shower better than a flush shower tray?
It depends on the project. A tiled walk-in shower allows a completely continuous floor, but it needs careful work on falls and waterproofing. A flush tray has the fall built in from the factory and is more predictable. Both options give you a shower with no step.

What slip resistance class does a shower floor need?
The Spanish building code (CTE, DB SUA 1) assigns showers Class 3 (Rd > 45). It is mandatory in buildings for public use and the recommended benchmark in a private home. For bare feet, it is also worth checking the A, B or C rating under DIN 51097.

Can large format porcelain be used in a tiled walk-in shower?
Yes, especially with a linear drain, because the floor falls in a single plane. With a point drain and four falls, the usual choice is a small format or large pieces cut along the falls.

Which grout is best for a tiled walk-in shower?
Grout is the part that suffers most from water, limescale and soap. Ask your installer about a more resistant grout for the wet area, such as epoxy grout, and choose a colour close to that of the tile.

Is a level-access shower suitable for an accessible bathroom?
Yes, it is the basis of one: no step and a flat entry. Complete it with a Class 3 floor, thermostatic fittings and reinforcement planned in the wall for a seat or grab rails.

There are two ways to tile a pool in Mallorca, and both are right. The question is not which material is better, but what you are asking of your pool: whether it has curves or straight lines, whether you want the water to read deep blue or sand, whether the terrace floor should continue inside or stop at the edge.

This guide compares glass mosaic and porcelain against checkable criteria, so you reach the decision with the questions already answered.

What each material is

Glass mosaic

Glass mosaic comes in small tesserae — usually 2.5 cm a side — held together on mesh or paper-faced sheets so they can be laid in panels. Because the pieces are small, the sheet folds: it climbs a Roman step, turns a tight radius and resolves an organic shape without forced cuts.

Glass does not absorb water. That is its starting advantage in a shell that stays full all year. In exchange, it multiplies the grout surface, and the grout becomes the critical part of the assembly.

At Ezarri we work with mosaic made from recycled glass, with collections such as 50mm — tesserae four times larger than the usual 25 mm — Aquarelle, with soft anti-slip textures, and Gemma, with a gloss finish and distinctive veining. At Onix and Mosaico+ you will find other mosaic families for water and wet areas.

Porcelain

Porcelain is a ceramic tile pressed and fired at high temperature until the body is very dense. For pools you want the kind that declares a water absorption of 0.5 % or less and is expressly rated for permanent immersion: not all porcelain is.

Its logic is the opposite of mosaic: few pieces, few joints, continuous surfaces. In a rectangular shell the result is clean and quiet, and it lets you carry the same material — or its outdoor version — out to the beach area and the terrace.

At Rosa Gres you will find collections made for pools and terraces, such as Trésor — Bali, in turquoise tones, and Java, volcanic — or Mistery, whose Blue Stone is described as «perfect for terraces thanks to its resistance and excellent anti-slip finish». Also Sophy, with anti-slip, low-maintenance surfaces, plus Cuore and Coral in a light Mediterranean range.

Head to head

	Glass mosaic	Porcelain
Format	2.5 cm tesserae; also 5 cm	Medium up to large format
Water absorption	None: glass does not absorb	≤ 0.5 % in immersion-rated tiles
Curves and steps	Adapts without forced cuts	Needs trim pieces and cuts
Grout lines	Many: they define the result	Few: a more continuous surface
Continuity with the terrace	Material changes at the coping	Same floor inside and out
Water colour	Gradients and blended tesserae	Even, stable tone
Substrate demands	High	Very high in large format
Upkeep	Keep an eye on the grout	Easy cleaning, less grout

Zone by zone: where each one fits

The decision is rarely «all mosaic» or «all porcelain». Combining them is the norm:

• Inside the shell, with curves or a Roman step. Glass mosaic. This is where its ability to fold makes the difference.
• Inside the shell, rectangular. Either. Immersion-rated porcelain gives a more continuous finish; mosaic gives more depth of colour.
• Coping and edge. Specific trim pieces, with a rounded nose and an anti-slip finish.
• Beach area and terrace. Anti-slip outdoor porcelain. Mosaic does not compete here: you want broad surfaces, easy cleaning and comfort underfoot.
• Steps and level changes. They should be legible. A change of tone or texture helps more than any signage.

If you like the idea of the terrace floor continuing indoors, we cover it in our guide to the same floor inside and out.

The three things that actually decide it

Water absorption

This is the figure that separates a suitable tile from an unsuitable one. It appears on the data sheet as water absorption and must be 0.5 % or less for permanent immersion. The glass in mosaic does not absorb, so the question only applies to porcelain. Learning to read that figure — and the rest — is more useful than it sounds: we explain it in how to read a tile data sheet.

Slip resistance

Inside the shell it matters less; around it, it comes first. In barefoot, wet areas the usual reference is R11 and Class 3. It is a declared value, not an impression: if it is not on the data sheet, do not assume it. We have a dedicated guide to which anti-slip class a pool needs.

The grout

This is where the service life of the finish is decided, and where the budget is most often underestimated. Grout and adhesive must be rated for permanent immersion and compatible with the water treatment — chlorine or salt chlorination. Excellent mosaic with the wrong grout ages badly; perfect porcelain over a shell that moves does too.

We sell and advise on the material; the installation is your fitter’s job. What we can give you is everything they need to know in order to specify the right system: you can pass on our guide to laying porcelain floor tiles.

The water colour changes with the finish

This is the part that surprises people most. Water has no colour: it reflects the shell. A white finish gives a very pale, almost crystalline blue; sand gives green-turquoise tones; grey or black give depth and the look of a still sheet of water.

It is worth settling the colour before the material, because it shapes the choice more than you would expect. We go into it in what colour your pool water will look, and in the specific case of Trésor Bali by Rosa Gres.

What you will find at Gomila

In our Palma showroom you can see and handle both families before deciding: glass mosaic from Ezarri, Onix and Mosaico+, and pool and outdoor porcelain from Rosa Gres, among other brands in our porcelain flooring and mosaic catalogue.

We work with private clients and with professionals across Mallorca, advising on formats, finishes, trim pieces and material compatibility. If you already have the shell measurements or the project drawings, get in touch and we will go through it with you.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for a pool, glass mosaic or porcelain?
It depends on the geometry. For shells with curves, a Roman step or organic shapes, glass mosaic adapts better. For rectangular shells and continuous finishes, immersion-rated porcelain gives a cleaner result and lets the same floor continue onto the terrace. Combining the two — mosaic inside, porcelain outside — is very common.

Can I use ordinary porcelain in a pool?
No. Only porcelain with a water absorption of 0.5 % or less and expressly rated by the manufacturer for permanent immersion. Indoor porcelain is not designed to sit submerged continuously or to withstand chlorine or salt chlorination.

What slip resistance does a pool edge need?
In barefoot, wet areas the usual reference is R11 and Class 3. It is a value declared on the product data sheet and worth checking before you choose, especially for the beach area, coping and steps.

Does glass mosaic need more maintenance than porcelain?
It has more grout surface, so the grout is the thing to watch. With a grout rated for permanent immersion and compatible with the water treatment, maintenance is perfectly reasonable. Porcelain, with fewer joints, makes cleaning simpler.

Can I use the same material in the shell and on the terrace?
You can use the same collection in different finishes: the immersion-rated one inside the shell and the anti-slip outdoor version on the beach area. That is the usual way to get visual continuity without giving up grip.

Where can I buy pool mosaic and porcelain in Mallorca?
At Gomila Cerámica in Palma de Mallorca. We have a showroom with glass mosaic and with pool and outdoor porcelain, and we advise on formats, finishes and trim pieces for private clients and professionals across the island.