Pebble Tile Shower Floor Problems, Pros and Cons

Pebble tiles provide a natural, relaxing, and spa-like feeling in showers. Pebble tiles in the shower feel like someone is giving you a soothing foot massage. These tiles come in a wide range of colors and are readily available. If you are planning to buy pebble tiles for your shower, I recommend you read this guide before buying them for their pros and cons. After reading, decide whether you are going to buy them or not.

Pebble Tile Shower Floor Pros and Cons

Pebble Tiles Pros

The visual appeal of pebble tile is undeniable, and it’s a great alternative to regular shower tiles. Pebble tiles are many advantages over regular tiles. The pros of these tiles are discussed below in detail. 

Slip Resistant

It’s a scary experience to slip in the bathroom and get injured. Bathroom tiles are slippery, and many people fall over them taking a shower. The best thing about pebble tiles is that they are slip-resistant. The uneven finish provides an excellent grip on the feet, and the risk of falling and slipping reduces to a minimum. An extra texture is added between the stones through grout and sealer. This added texture increases the traction under your feet. You will not need a shower mat if you have a pebble tile under your feet. 

Affordable

Pebble tiles are cheap as compared to the other bathroom tiles. You can even collect pebbles from beaches, lakes, and rivers. It will not only add sentimental value to your shower but collecting pebbles are also free of cost. But if you cannot collect pebbles, you can purchase pebble tiles as they are cost-effective also. 

Pebble tiles installation costs between $4 and $8 per square foot. The natural stone flooring installation cost is between $5 and $10. The overall cost depends on where to get it, the size of your shower base, and the price of pebble tiles. 

Easy to Install

Unlike other bathroom tiles, there isn’t any need for specialized skills in installing pebble tiles. Pebble tiles are easy to install as you only need some helping hands to complete the installation quickly. The major part of the installation comprises placing the pebbles near each other on the floor. 

Visually Appealing

There isn’t any doubt that pebble shower tiles look aesthetic and traditional. Especially if you have collected different types of pebbles, you have a variety of pebble tiles. Your bathroom will look sleek, rustic, modern, and luxurious at the same time if it has pebble tiles. These tiles are available in various colors, sizes, and shapes so that you can choose them as per your choices and to match your home or bathroom’s interior. You can create various patterns and designs by using pebble tiles and customize your shower. 

Durable

Pebble tiles are one of the most durable tiles as they don’t wear out or scratch easily. If you accidentally dropped something heavy on your pebble tiles, you only have to repair those 2 to 3 pebbles that need to be managed. They are more durable than other bathroom tiles, and you need much weight or force to break them. 

Comfortable 

Thinking of standing on pebbles may seem like torturing, but indeed it’s so comfortable and relaxing to stand on pebble tiles. Usually, pebbles have round finishing and are not sharp at all. The roundness of these pebbles feels comfortable on standing. Moreover, they provide a spa-like feeling, and you might feel that you are getting a foot massage. 

Pebble Tiles Cons

Water Retention

Pebble shower floor leaking is a major drawback of pebble tiles. The Pebble tile floor is uneven, so water accumulation between the individual pebbles causes water retention. If the water stays here for a long time, it will cause mold and mildew growth. You can sense moldy growth in your shower with a musty smell. River rock holds moisture more than other pebble tiles types. You need to seal and dry them better to avoid such issues. 

To combat this issue, you should select a flat pebble shower floor or a sliced pebble tile shower floor. These two kinds retain less moisture than other types of pebble tiles. Moreover, they are also less complicated to clean. 

A lot of grout

Pebble tiles installation requires 2.5 times more grout than the mosaic floor. Regular bathroom tiles and mosaic floor tiles have smooth surfaces after installation. Grout used to fill the gaps in these tiles is symmetrical. On the contrary, the unevenness of pebble tiles requires much grout to get even coverage. Moreover, the grout is more exposed on a pebble tile floor because of the different shapes and sizes of pebbles.

Hard to Clean

Due to the grout exposure, the pebble tile shower floor is hard to clean. If you use harsh chemicals for cleaning, your pebbles may get damaged. The structure of pebble tiles makes it difficult to clean them. If you use too much water, the floor will retain moisture. So, you will have to carefully clean your pebble tile floor and dry it quickly afterward. 

Require High Maintenance 

Although the pebble tile floor looks aesthetic and attractive, maintaining it requires a lot of energy. As many grout and sealers are used for these tiles, you will have to repair and replace them frequently compared to the other floor tiles. Usually, the sealant last 6 to 12 months on pebble shower floor tiles. So, you have to reseal your floor once a year, which will be costly. Each time you re-grout, you have to reseal also. It will increase your maintenance cost as well. 

Not Suitable For Hard Water

Hard water isn’t suitable for pebble tiles cleaning. If you live in an area of hard water, you may face serious problems cleaning your pebble tile floor. A thin chalky film will be formed on pebbles if hard water isn’t properly cleaned. So, when you clean your pebble floor with hard water, you have to dry it immediately after cleaning. 

Summary of Pros and Cons of Pebble Tile Shower Floor

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to fix uneven pebble shower floor?

If your pebble shower floor is uneven, you need to remove the floor and reinstall it. Remove the pebble stones carefully with a chisel, and then remove the grout afterward. Use a chisel again to remove mortar with care, and do not damage your subfloor. Remove any debris left behind with a shop vac. Use a good sealant to reinstall the pebbles evenly and add grout. 

2. How to clean the pebble tile shower floor?

If you feel that the pebbles in the tiles are dirty, take a nylon bristle scrub brush and carefully scour the pebbles and grout in a circular motion. Scrub the entire pebble shower floor thoroughly. Rinse the pebble floor with warm water in the end.

3. How to seal pebble tile shower floor?

To fix your uneven pebble tile shower, take some sealant into a container or a bucket. Choose one section at a time, and apply the sealant over the selected section with the help of a brush or roller. Do not over-saturate your pebbles but apply enough seal that must be sufficient to your pebble tile shower. Wait for 24 hours at least for your sealant to fully dry and cure.

4. How to repair pebble tile shower floor?

• Remove the pebbles along with the grout carefully.
• Apply the waterproof sealant to the removed and affected areas. 
• Wait until the sealant gets fully cured.
• Apply a good adhesive.
• Place the pebbles on your floor in the pattern.
• Install grout to the newly installed tiles and apply a second coat of sealant.