100x300mm tiles: what this collection holds
This collection holds two tiles, the same white ceramic wall tile in two finishes. Wategos is listed in satin and in gloss, 100 x 300mm, with a non-rectified edge, a V1 appearance and a wall only application. Shoppers search for the size as 100x300, 100 x 300 and 300 x 100, and the listings print it as 100x300mm.
The size is a slim rectangle, one third as wide as it is long. That proportion is the reason it exists: it is the shape most people picture when they say subway tile, and both Wategos listings carry the subway style tag. A page for two products is a reference page, so the sections below stay close to what the listings say and to what the layout of a slim rectangle involves.
You'll find the size and the maths, what the Wategos listing prints, what wall only means, how to lay a 1 to 3 rectangle, why a shade batch matters, and what to check before you order. If you'd rather start wider, the main tiles collection sorts every tile by room, size, colour and material.
How many tiles to a square metre
A 100 x 300mm tile covers 0.03m2. A square metre takes 33 whole tiles before grout lines and cuts, and the listing prints the box as 1.50m2 of coverage, which works out at 50 tiles. The listing prints coverage and not a piece count, so the arithmetic is yours to check against the box.
That count is high. A 300 x 600mm tile covers 0.18m2, so it takes between five and six to a metre. A narrow tile means more pieces, more joints and more cutting for the same wall, which is worth remembering when you read about the size on retailer pages that call it simple to lay.
Measure the wall, divide by 1.50 and round up to whole boxes. Then ask your tiler how much to allow for cuts and breaks, since these listings print no allowance. The 75mm x 300mm tiles collection and the 300mm x 450mm tiles collection list the neighbouring sizes if you want to compare how many pieces each takes.
Wategos, the range
The description is short. It calls the tile a classic choice from the white tile range and says white tiles will work in any room and suit any style. The specification block gives the dimensions of 100x300mm, a box coverage of 1.50m2, a satin finish, a wall only application, ceramic material, a non-rectified edge, a V1 pattern variation and a wear rating of 0, not recommended for floors.
V1 is the uniform end of the appearance scale. A tile with little variation is easy to order and easy to match from a second box, though the shade batch note below still applies.
Satin and gloss
The gloss listing prints Satin in its spec block while its title and tag say gloss. The page can't settle that, so confirm the finish with the product page photographs before you order. The difference matters because the two finishes read differently under the same light.
A Queensland retailer says gloss finishes brighten kitchens with limited natural light, while matte surfaces create a calmer, more understated backdrop for benchtops and cabinetry. A national distributor says how a finish interacts with natural and artificial light is central to choosing a wall tile. Satin sits between matte and gloss, and it is the quieter of the two Wategos finishes.
What wall only means
Both listings print Application: Walls and a wear rating of 0, not recommended for floors. A national tile retailer explains the reason: most wall tiles are designed for vertical surfaces only, they are typically lighter and less durable than floor tiles, and they lack the slip resistance and strength that foot traffic needs.
A national distributor says floor tiles are denser and heavier and built for foot traffic and weight, while wall tiles are lighter. A Melbourne supplier adds that wall tile design is not restricted the way floor tile design is, because there is no need to allow for slipping or tripping, so wall collections hold options such as glossy handmade looks and 3D tiles.
AS 4586 classifies the slip resistance of new pedestrian surface materials, and its wet pendulum test uses ratings from P0 to P5. The rating applies to floors people walk on, and it does not matter for a feature wall. Wategos prints no P rating, which fits a wall tile. The wall tiles collection sorts every wall tile in the catalogue.
Ceramic, edge and grout line
Wategos is ceramic. A Melbourne supplier says ceramic and porcelain share raw materials and differ in the firing: porcelain is baked at higher temperatures and for longer, and ceramic at lower temperatures for shorter, which gives a softer, more lightweight tile. The supplier says ceramic is most popular on bathroom walls because it is light and easily drilled, which makes it easier to fit towel rails and shelves. The ceramic tiles collection covers the material across the catalogue.
The edge line reads non-rectified. A Queensland retailer says pressed edges are more common in ceramic and create a softer, rounded outline that suits many wall layouts, while rectified edges give a sharper, more uniform look. The listings give no grout width for Wategos, so ask your tiler what joint to plan for a non-rectified tile.
The same retailer says matching grout gives a softer look while contrast grout brings out the pattern and the shape of each tile. A US guide says dark grout emphasises geometry while matching grout softens it. With 50 tiles to a box, the grout is a large share of what the wall looks like.
Laying a slim rectangle
An Australian tile supplier's page for this size describes 100x300mm tiles as modern and elongated, creating clean lines and a sense of spaciousness, with a slim rectangular shape that allows creative layouts, from classic brick patterns to contemporary herringbone designs. Those are the two ends of the range for a tile like Wategos: the plain brick and the pattern.
A Queensland retailer says rectangle tiles laid vertically can make a shower feel taller and draw the eye upward, while a brick pattern gives a softer, more relaxed look, especially on a full-height wall. A US tile retailer says a vertical stack can make walls appear taller. A Melbourne supplier describes the offset layout, sometimes called brickwork, in which each row is staggered from the row above, usually by 50 percent.
The one third stagger
A search result for the 1/3 rule for tiles leads to the one third stagger. A US flooring guide describes it as a running bond where each row is offset by one third of the tile length, so the joints fall at one third and two thirds across successive rows. It says the pattern gives more movement than a half stagger, and that it hides minor tile size variation and uneven surfaces better than a straight grid.
For a 300mm tile, a one third offset is 100mm. The guide says rectangular tiles with a consistent length to width ratio are the best fit, and it names subway tiles first. It also warns that the layout needs planning, because each row starts with a tile cut to a third, then a full tile, then two thirds. Dry lay a few rows with spacers before committing.
The subway tiles collection shows other tiles in the same family, and the vertical stack tiles collection and the rectangle tiles collection cover the layouts.
Course heights
The two dimensions give two course heights. Laid with the long side horizontal, each course is 100mm tall, so a 600mm splashback takes six courses before grout lines. Laid upright, each course is 300mm tall and the same splashback takes two. More courses mean more joints and more cutting at the top and bottom, which is why the layout direction is a decision to make before ordering, not after.
Vertical, horizontal or stacked
The direction of a slim tile changes how a wall reads. A tile supplier says horizontal layouts make a wall feel wider and vertical layouts draw the eye upward, and that many people use vertical lines in showers and horizontal lines on splashbacks for a balanced look. A layout guide from another retailer recommends a horizontal running bond or a stack for making a room feel wider, and basketweave or windmill for a traditional or vintage feel.
A Sydney retailer describes stacking tiles vertically or horizontally for a modern look, or offsetting them slightly for subtle movement. In a stack the joints line up in columns or rows, and in an offset they step across. With a tile of this proportion the stack gives a very regular grid, and the offset gives a softer wall where the joints are less obvious.
The Queensland retailer adds a small-room point: in small bathrooms, smaller rectangles can make the room feel taller or wider depending on how they are laid, and vertical layouts often help a compact room.
Herringbone with a 3 to 1 tile
A 100 x 300mm tile has a length to width ratio of 3 to 1, which matters if you consider a herringbone. A US flooring guide calls the ratio the single most important factor for herringbone balance. It says a 2 to 1 ratio gives a compact, textured appearance, and that a ratio from 3 to 1 up to 4 to 1 creates longer arms and a more dramatic linear flow.
The guide adds that the greater the length relative to width, the stronger the directional emphasis. A herringbone of Wategos would sit at the lower end of the long-arm range, and the non-rectified edge means the joint width will be visible in the zigzag. A Melbourne supplier says herringbone can be made with just about any rectangular tile, so the choice is open. See the herringbone tiles collection for the tiles in the catalogue made for it.
Planning a one third stagger
The one third stagger rewards planning, and the US flooring guide sets out the steps. Measure the wall precisely, choose the tile size and work out how many tiles fit across the main axis. Decide the grout line width, and mock up a dry layout with spacers to see where the one third offsets land. The guide says the aim is to minimise narrow cuts at the edges of the wall.
The cut sequence is simple but easy to get wrong. The guide says each successive row begins with a tile cut to a third of its length, then a full tile, then a tile cut to two thirds, and then full tiles, repeating. For a 300mm tile that means rows starting with a 100mm cut and a 200mm cut. The guide gives an example with 12 inch tiles: a 4 inch cut, a full tile, an 8 inch cut and a repeat, all adjusted for the grout width.
The same guide says grout width changes how clear the pattern is. Narrow lines show the continuity of the tiles, and wider lines accentuate the stagger. Neutral grout minimises the joints, and contrasting grout emphasises the geometry. It also says orientation and grout colour strongly influence how the pattern flows.
Comparing 100 x 300mm with the neighbouring sizes
Three nearby sizes sit on their own pages. The 75 x 300mm tile is four times as long as it is wide, a slimmer and more dramatic line than this one. The 300 x 450mm tile is a 3 to 2 rectangle that covers 0.135m2, far fewer pieces to a wall. The 300 x 600mm tile is a 2 to 1 rectangle that covers 0.18m2.
The choice follows the wall. A narrow wall with fixtures suits the slim tile, since small pieces cut around a niche or a window. A wide plain wall suits a larger tile, which has fewer joints. The 300mm x 600mm tiles collection is the next size up in the rectangle family.
Cleaning ceramic wall tiles
A Queensland retailer says ceramic wall tiles are commonly used for splashbacks because they wipe clean easily and come in plenty of colours and shapes. A Melbourne supplier says both porcelain and glazed ceramic suit shower walls because neither needs sealing, which makes clean-up simple. The Wategos listings print no care line, so follow the supplier's guidance for anything stronger than a household cleaner.
A slim tile has more grout lines than a larger one, so the grout colour you choose is also the colour you will be cleaning.
Shade batch and ordering
A Perth retailer's FAQ explains a shade batch. It is the specific production batch a tile comes from, and tiles made at different times can vary in colour, tone, texture or finish even when they are the same tile and product code. The retailer recommends ordering enough tiles for the project from the same batch, and keeping a few spares from it for repairs.
The Perth retailer's tip is to check that the tiles are from the same shade batch before installation, which means looking at the box labels when they arrive and not after the first rows are laid. That check takes a minute and can save a wall.
The Wategos listings say the same thing in their own words. They recommend ordering extra tiles over the exact quantity, to cover breaks and offcuts, and they warn that colour, size and texture can vary from batch to batch. With a tile that needs 50 pieces to a box, an extra box from a later batch is the usual cause of a mismatch.
The listings also suggest pairing tiles with underfloor heating for a warmer, drier, mould resistant bathroom. The underfloor heating collection lists the kits.
Where a 100 x 300mm tile goes
The Australian supplier names kitchens, bathrooms and feature walls for this size. For a kitchen splashback, the slim height fits a splashback course by course. For a bathroom wall or a shower, the vertical layout the Queensland retailer describes draws the eye up. For a feature wall, a brick or herringbone layout makes the pattern the feature.
The bathroom tiles collection and the kitchen tiles collection list the other options for each room, and the white tiles collection sorts every white tile by finish and material.
What to check on the listing before you order
Two products with the same specification make for a short list.
- The finish, since the gloss listing prints satin in its spec block.
- The wall only line and the wear rating of 0, so the tile stays on a wall.
- The non-rectified edge and the grout width your tiler plans.
- The box coverage of 1.50m2 and the area you measured.
- The batch, if you order more than once.
Wategos in 100 x 300mm is a plain white ceramic wall tile, and the listings say exactly what it is. Pick the finish, plan the layout and the joint, and use the linked collections to compare it with the other narrow tiles in the catalogue.
