Wall tiles

What wall tiles are

Wall tiles are thin glazed tiles made for vertical surfaces: bathroom and kitchen walls, splashbacks and feature walls in living rooms. Most are ceramic with a light, porous body and a glazed face. The Quintessenza data sheet for Cromia26, a typical range of this kind, describes it as a glazed white-bodied porous single-fired wall tile, dry-pressed, with water absorption above 10% — group BIII GL under EN 14411:2013, Annex L.

High absorption is not a fault on a wall. A porous body grips tile adhesive well and is light to hang, but it is weaker under load than the dense body of a floor tile.

Types, sizes and grades of wall tiles

Modern wall tiles come in three broad kinds. Sizes below are those Tanzanian shops listed on 12 November 2026.

Types, sizes and grades of wall tiles

Type	Body and water absorption	Sizes listed in Tanzania	Where it suits
Glazed ceramic wall tile (white body)	porous; above 10% (EN 14411 group BIII, per the Cromia26 sheet)	25 × 40 cm (15 pieces, 1.50 m² a box) and 30 × 60 cm (8 pieces, 1.44 m² a box) at Kamaka; 200 × 200, 300 × 600 and 265 × 800 mm at CTM	bathroom and kitchen walls, splashbacks
Porcelain tile used on a wall	dense; 0.5% or less (EN 14411 group BIa)	600 × 1200 mm and larger formats at CTM	feature walls, showers, outside walls
Glass or ceramic mosaic	small pieces on a sheet	300 × 300 mm sheets at CTM	splashbacks, shower niches, borders

The same Cromia26 sheet sets the grade figures a wall tile must meet: a breaking load above 600 N for tiles 7.5 mm thick or more and above 200 N for thinner ones, and a reaction-to-fire class of A1. Ask for a data sheet with these lines when you compare ranges.

Floor tiles on walls, wall tiles on floors

Putting tiles on the wall works in one direction only. Italtile’s guide to living-area wall tiles says practically all floor tiles can be applied to walls, while wall tiles should not be used for flooring; a floor tile has to carry the hardness (PEI) and slip ratings its room needs. A porcelain floor tile on a wall is therefore a normal choice, especially in a shower, where the porcelain tiles page explains why low absorption matters.

The reverse — a 25 × 40 cm ceramic wall tile on a floor — puts a porous, thin tile under feet and furniture it was never made to carry.

What to check when you buy wall tiles

1. The word “wall” on the box or data sheet. Some ranges are sold for walls only; others carry floor ratings as well.
2. Water absorption group. Above 10% (BIII) is normal for indoor walls. For outside walls, pool surrounds and shower walls, ask for porcelain or a group the maker states is suitable.
3. Pieces and area per box. Shops sell wall tiles by the box, so divide the wall area by the m² per box. Italtile adds 10% for cuts and spares.
4. Shade or batch code. The Cromia26 sheet lists a shade variation class (V2); buy every box for one wall from the same batch.
5. Adhesive and grout. A wall tile needs an adhesive meant for walls, so the tiles do not slide while it sets; the tile adhesive page sets out the types.

Where wall tiles are used: bathroom, kitchen, living room

In a bathroom, tiles cover the shower walls and often the whole room to door height. The surface behind them has to be waterproofed first. The JUYONS data sheet for the K11 Polymer Cement Waterproof Coating (Two-Component) lists toilets and bathrooms among its uses and states that tiles can be laid over the cured coating; Kitovu holds it in stock in Zanzibar. The bathroom tiles page covers floor and wall choices together, and the waterproof cement price page what a bucket of the coating covers.

In a kitchen, a band of tiles between worktop and wall cupboards protects the wall from splashes and heat. Both 300 × 300 mm mosaic sheets and 30 × 60 cm wall tiles are in the size table above.

Wall tiles for living room spaces are usually a single feature wall behind a television or sofa, or a half-height band. Lounge wall tiles take no water or wear, so the choice is about look and format: large porcelain, wood-look or stone-look tiles. Kitovu’s Beige Porcelain Tile 1200x600 mm, Matt Anti-Slip R10, a stone-look tile listed for floors and walls, is one option held in Zanzibar.

Wall tiles price

This page carries no prices. Listed tile prices with seller, unit and date are on the floor tiles price page, which includes skirting, and other materials under prices in Tanzania.