Options for bathroom wall

Wallpaper?

That's what I did. A thick waterproof type - been up for years, and still looks good.

Something usually fitted to a floor?? - Cushioned Sheet Vinyl Flooring cut from 3m wide rolls or 2m x 2m tiles @ <£15 per sq metre - I've seen plain off white coloured rolls.

How smooth is you backing board? Some waterproof backing I've used in the past has had a slight dimpled rough surface to aid adhesion for what is attached over it.

I put up some 'cushion' type wallpaper in a bathroom many years ago, and thought at the time that it was more like laying lino vertically than wallpapering...

Its not the greatest resistance to splashed water, but takes steam ok, so think about thin MDF. It is dead flat and takes emulsion extremely well.

And its probably no worse than plasterbaord.

Think you'd probably want Moisture Resistant (MR) MDF for that, rather than the regular stuff. MR MDF is green inside.

Actually, I dont.

Ive got extensive MDF construction in my main bathroom, and after 20 years there have been no problems at all, nor in my kitchens. In fact the only case of MDF suffering from damp was where the ex's cats used to pee on the bottom of the MDF staircase and turned the MDF to pulp. On the other hand, plasterboard has been destroyed by plumbing leaks

What makes you think that plasterboard is more resistant to moisture than regular MDF?

Tricoya MDF, guaranteed waterproof 50 years, 6mm is about £100/sheet though ...

How long is a normal bathroom plasterboard ceiling guaranteed waterproof? Seriously, have any of you guys actually ever BUILT houses or bathrooms, or is it all studying online marketing bollocks?

Thanks, think I'd like something a bit more moisture resistant that emulsion, but that could be arranged.

I'm liking the wallpaper idea at the moment, mainly for a splash of colour. But as my papering skills are a couple of notches below my abysmal tiling ability, I'll be keeping the MDF in mind.

Consider "paste the wall" wallpaper. I've found it much easier than applying paste to the paper and then having to hang the paper.

You may/will have seal any highly porous surfaces first and size the wall and let it dry before applying your final paste layer.

It's also recommended that you use a "paste the wall" type paste with these wallpapers.

Prior to fully tiling my bathroom many years ago I had tiles at the bottom of the wall and vinyl wallpaper from the tiles to the ceiling (9ft ceilings). It was OK for a while but damp/steam/condensation got into the joins between the lengths of wallpaper and the edges started lifting.

The alternative to an actual wallpaper may be a "paste the wall" lining paper and paint for kitchens and bathrooms.

It's this:

I really don't see what your problem is. Emulsion doesn't have to be water resistant. Neither does plasterboard, in the wall or ceiling of a bathroom

If you glue it up with polyurethane foam its a straight paintable surface within minutes

steam from bathing activities will make wall paper peel off....

Personally I'd tile up to the ceiling and relax knowing its a low maintenance bathroom

Well, they're 9' ceilings. Now the room's clear I think too many tiles might make it look a bit clinical.

The wallpaper I put up many years ago, has not yet started peeling off.

My bathroom ceilings are 9 foot and I've tiled up to the ceiling. What I've done is break up the large areas of the same tile with horizontal runs of (thinner) contrasting border tiles. I've placed mine at a height that would be approx dado rail height in another room. In retrospect another horizontal row at a picture rail height would have broken up the large areas a bit more but I'm not sure it matters that much as the eye seems to be drawn to the single row of contrasting tile.

Example tiles

If tiling floor to ceiling and using largish tiles just make sure that you don't end up with a small slither at the top or bottom. Your eye will definitely be drawn to tiles that have been cut down too much. I made sure that there was at least there was half a tile at the top and bottom. In my case I had to buy a few extra boxes and waste the off cuts that didn't fit anywhere else. If your ceiling slopes across the room not having small slithers of tile is more important. Not having a small slither horizontally is also important, again especially important if the corners of the room are not plumb. I planned my tile positions on squared paper before starting.

If you are not going to tile to the ceiling then you avoid the problem of tiles possibly being cut down too much in the vertical direction. However, you may run into longer term problems such as wallpaper lifting at the edges as I previously experienced.