Non Slip Shower Floor Tile: Best Options That Grip Wet Feet

Non slip shower floor tile is tile with a textured or matte surface, small size or high slip rating that helps wet feet grip. The best choices are small mosaics like 2x2 porcelain or penny tile, river pebble, and matte or textured porcelain with a DCOF rating of 0.42 or higher. Small tiles work because the many grout lines add grip and follow the slope to the drain. Avoid polished marble and glossy glass on a shower floor.

Key Takeaways

• Look for DCOF 0.42 or higher: that is the ANSI A137.1 minimum for level indoor floors that get wet.
• Go small: 2x2 mosaics, penny tile and hex grip better than large tile.
• Pick a matte or textured finish: honed, unglazed or a "grip" finish beats polished.
• Slope matters: a shower floor drops about 1/4 inch per foot to the drain.
• Real price: replacing a leaking shower floor with a Kerdi tray and new curb runs $4,100 to $4,500 on our jobs.

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What Is DCOF and What Rating Do You Need?

DCOF is the number that tells you how slippery a tile is when wet. Look for 0.42 or higher on any tile you put on a shower floor. Most tile makers list it on the spec sheet or box.

What is DCOF?

DCOF stands for dynamic coefficient of friction. It measures how much grip a wet tile surface has while a foot is moving across it. The test method is ANSI A326.3, and the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) publishes guidance on it.

• 0.42 or higher: the ANSI A137.1 minimum for level interior floors expected to be walked on wet.
• Higher is grippier: textured tile often rates well above the minimum.
• Keep in mind: a shower floor is sloped, soapy and barefoot. Treat 0.42 as a starting point, not a guarantee.

Picking a floor tile for a shower that feels slippery today? Send us photos of your shower floor for a same-day estimate, and we will help you pick a non slip tile.

Which Shower Floor Tiles Are Most Non Slip?

Small mosaics and natural pebble are the most non slip shower floor tiles. Textured porcelain is a close third. Each has a trade-off between grip and cleaning.

Tile costs are for the tile only (based on current material prices). You buy the tile, and we recommend suppliers.

Why Are Small Tiles Less Slippery?

Small tiles are less slippery because every grout joint is a little ridge your foot can catch. A 2x2 mosaic has far more joints per square foot than a 12x24 tile. Small tiles also bend with the slope, so the floor drains without flat spots that hold water.

• Grip: more grout lines mean more texture under your feet.
• Drainage: mesh-mounted sheets follow the four-way slope to a center drain.
• Trade-off: more grout to clean. Good grout helps, and we use Laticrete Permacolor.

Can You Use Large Tile on a Shower Floor?

Yes, with a linear drain and a tile rated for wet floors. A linear drain lets the floor slope one way, so a big tile can stay flat. Choose a matte or textured finish, never polished.

• Center drain: needs small tile to handle the four-way slope.
• Linear drain: allows 12x24 or larger. See linear drain vs center drain.
• Curbless: large tile can run from the bathroom into the shower. See is a curbless shower worth it.

Which Finishes Should You Avoid on a Shower Floor?

Avoid any tile that feels slick when you wipe it with a wet hand. Polished stone and glossy glass are the usual problems.

• Polished marble: beautiful on walls, slippery underfoot. Choose honed. See our marble shower ideas.
• Glass mosaic: keep it on walls and niches.
• High-gloss glazed ceramic: made for walls, not wet floors.
• Simple test: wet a sample and try it with bare feet before you buy.

How Do You Keep a Shower Floor From Getting Slippery?

Soap film is what makes most tile floors slippery over time. Even a grippy mosaic loses traction when a layer of body wash and hard-water film builds up. Simple habits keep the grip you paid for.

• Rinse and squeegee: clear the floor after each shower so film cannot build.
• Clean weekly: use a pH-neutral tile cleaner. Skip oily or wax-based products.
• Watch the grout: cracked or missing grout holds water and soap. A re-grout fixes it.
• Skip suction mats: they trap water and mildew against the tile.

If your floor tile is sound but the grout is failing, a re-grout may be all you need. If the floor is soft, cracked or leaking, plan on a new pan.

What Does a New Non Slip Shower Floor Cost?

Replacing just the shower floor runs $4,100 to $4,500 on our jobs when the walls stay. These are our recent ranges, labor and setting materials included, tile not included (based on current Greater Boston rates).

• Replace a leaking shower floor with a Kerdi tray and new curb, walls stay: $4,100 to $4,500.
• Full shower tear-out and rebuild: $5,000 to $7,000+.
• Bathroom floor plus shower in one job: $7,500 to $11,500.
• Re-grout and re-caulk an existing shower: $700 to $1,800, if the floor tile is sound.
• Extra: tile rip-out jobs carry a $450 disposal fee. Moving a drain needs a plumber.

How We Build a Non Slip Shower Floor

A non slip floor only works if it drains well. We build the slope and waterproofing first, then set the tile.

1. Tear out the old pan and haul it away.
2. Set the floor: a Schluter Kerdi foam tray or a mud pan. Our Kerdi shower pan vs mud bed guide compares them.
3. Connect the drain: we connect the Kerdi drain ourselves. Only moving a drain or valve needs a plumber.
4. Seal the seams: Kerdi-Band where the tray meets the RedGard walls.
5. Tile and grout: mosaic sheets, then Laticrete Permacolor grout.

A two-person crew sets roughly 100 sq ft of tile a day. Most bathrooms take 2 to 5 working days.

Get a Non Slip Shower Floor Quote

The right non slip shower floor tile pairs a good slip rating with a floor that drains. Aguirre Modern Tile has built shower floors in Greater Boston since 2016. We are a registered Massachusetts home improvement contractor (HIC #655072) and fully insured. Ready for a shower floor you feel safe on? Send us photos of your shower and get a same-day non slip shower floor estimate.