Best Flooring Options for Bathrooms

Choosing the right flooring for many parts of the home, like the dining room, bedroom, or living room, comes down to appearance. And then we move to the performance. But while choosing bathroom tiles, the playbook changes.

For bathroom flooring, performance becomes the priority. That’s because we want the floor to perform well under stressful events which involve water.

Truth be told, water can easily ruin the wrong flooring. But there are other factors as well that determine how bathroom tiles should be. Additional factors like appearance, cost, ease of installation, and durability must be considered.

So, we have found the best flooring options if you want to renovate your bathroom.

Best Bathroom Flooring

To avoid slip-and-fall accidents, choose one of these flooring options.

#1 Sheet Vinyl

Sheet vinyl is a popular but old-fashioned option, which might not be everyone’s first choice. For small bathrooms, sheet vinyl is best because it offers years of service.

Although it’s a bit off-trend, you can consider installing it for its durability and affordability. As sheet vinyl comes in various designs and colors, you can easily match your bathroom tiles with the interior of your home.

One major downside of sheet vinyl is its easy indent or tear. If you keep sharp objects on your bathroom floor, the sheet vinyl will get damaged.

In addition, if these tiles are not installed correctly, water can penetrate down, creating many issues. Sheet vinyl bathroom flooring seems easy to DIY, but it’s best left to experienced installers.

While purchasing, remember that peel-and-stick vinyl tiles are different from sheet vinyl flooring. Peel-and-stick vinyl tiles do not last long and are considered a temporary solution.

Pros:

• Sheet vinyl floors are 100% waterproof
• It’s a durable flooring option
• Easy for DIY install

Cons:

• Sheet vinyl flooring does not have a good resale value
• Sharp objects can easily damage the floor

#2 Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring has always been the most preferred bathroom flooring option for all the good reasons. First, it is easy to install and comes in various designs. Second, laminate flooring is extremely durable.

But the downside of laminate flooring is that sometimes, it can be tricky to use. For instance, if someone in your home is disabled or uses a walker, they might slip. That’s because laminate flooring has no texture and is generally very slick.

Overall, it’s an inexpensive flooring option that lasts longer. So, if you like regularly updating your bathroom, the price point and lifespan of laminate flooring will surely impress you.

Pros:

• It’s an affordable bathroom flooring option
• Easy for DIY install

Cons:

• You cannot repair water-damaged laminate flooring
• This flooring can collect static

#3 Porcelain or Ceramic Tile

Porcelain or ceramic tile is a widely used bathroom flooring option because it looks stylish. It’s also waterproof and cost-effective.

Similar to stone tiles, it has a solid, rich, and textured feeling. Like vinyl tiles, it’s inexpensive and waterproof. Like wood flooring, it has a good look.

Are porcelain and ceramic tiles the same: which one should you choose? Well, porcelain comes from the ceramic tile family but with a slight difference in the water absorption rate.

As ceramic tiles come in a wide variety, you can easily create any type of bathroom floor you want. In fact, you can use tiles that look similar to stone or wood.

For instance, you can purchase individual tiles in all shapes and sizes. Or you can go for small mosaic tiles pre-mounted on plastic mesh sheets. You can also get creative with tinted grout.

The texture of ceramic tiles makes them non-slippery. Cleaning up the tile is easy and resists even standing pools of water.

Pros:

• It comes in many different styles and choices
• It offers good resale value
• Cleans up well

Cons:

• The hard surface of ceramic flooring makes it difficult to stand for long periods.
• Often sterile-looking.

#4 Natural Stone

Another popular bathroom flooring option is a natural stone, but it’s expensive. It’s hard, durable, and aesthetically appealing. In addition, it offers excellent resale value.

Remember that natural stone flooring can be cold and slippery. To combat coldness, you can install radiant heating. Likewise, the slip problem can also be solved by choosing textured stones.

But the high cost of natural stone flooring does not make it an ideal option for everyone.

Pros:

• Natural flooring offers excellent resale value
• It’s very durable

Cons:

• It’s expensive
• Difficult DIY install

#5 Engineered Wood

Compared to solid wood, engineered woods are better because they perform satisfactorily under high moisture conditions. Engineered wood comes with a plywood base that can easily hold up moisture.

Furthermore, engineered wood looks like authentic wood, which makes it appealing. You can consider having this flooring for your bathroom for a natural look.

Pros:

• Visually appealing bathroom flooring with a natural wood-like appearance.
• It comes with authentic hardwood on the top.

Cons:

• It’s expensive
• Overstanding can damage the engineered wood flooring.

Bonus: Flooring to Avoid in Bathroom

While some flooring types are best for the bathroom, there are some flooring options you must totally avoid. Here are a few of them:

Wall-to-Wall Carpeting

Wall-to-wall carpeting is one of the worst bathroom flooring options because they dry out slowly. But if you still want to install carpet flooring in your bathroom, keep the pile low. Also, use 100% inorganic materials like nylon or olefin.

Solid Hardwood

Solid hardwood is also an absolute no-no to be used as bathroom floors because it does not offer any protection against moisture. Even a small amount of water can damage the wood.

But if you absolutely do want solid hardwood in your bathroom, get it installed professionally with zero gaps.

Tips to Choose the Best Bathroom Flooring

If you want new bathroom flooring, go through this checklist to get the best option.

Flooring Should be Waterproof

Different flooring options are available for the bathroom, but you must only choose a water-resistant option. That’s because the bathroom floor will handle a lot of water throughout the day. It eliminates some of the most amazing hardwood flooring options.

You must also figure out how much water will wind up on your floor. It will help you understand whether you need waterproof or water-resistant bathroom flooring.

Waterproof bathroom floors are designed in a way so they are not affected by water. In contrast, water-resistant floors can handle spills but can get damaged over time.

Durability

Always determine how much traffic your bathroom can typically see in a day. If it’s the main bathroom, choose SPC flooring, as it can take a beating.

But if the bathroom has occasional use, peel-and-stick vinyl flooring seems to be the best option. You can even experiment with different wood floor designs.

The busier your bathroom is, the more durable your bathroom flooring needs to be

Select the Right Installation Method

Once you have selected the bathroom tiles, you then need to select the right installation method. You can hire professionals to get the best installation service.

Easy Maintenance

The key to having durable bathroom tiles is offering them regular maintenance. No one likes to clean the bathroom floor, but little cleaning can save you from expensive repairs.

Conclusion

As you have reached the end of this post, we assume you have gone through the list of best and worst bathroom flooring.

You need to consider numerous factors before choosing bathroom flooring. Firstly, it should withstand regular wear and tear, look great, and be simple to clean.

But choosing the best bathroom floor doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Since there are numerous options, you can easily make the right choice. Go bold, and don’t be afraid of your selective or unusual taste.

Good luck on your floor-buying journey.