As one of the most functional spaces of a home, a bathroom can use a refresher once in a while. When planning your home remodel, you very obviously consider remodeling your bathroom to make it more attractive and functional. So, when you start your bathroom remodel, one of the very first choices you have to make is choosing flooring for your bathroom.
While most homeowners instantly jump into the aesthetics and durability factors of a potential bathroom flooring option, they miss out on considering a major factor – waterproof!
Whether it’s splashing water from the sink, steam from the shower, or an overflowing toilet – a bathroom witnesses and endures the most water compared to all other rooms of a home. So while a beautiful and durable bathroom is your goal, keeping it waterproof should be one of your biggest concerns.
Here are some of the top bathroom flooring materials to consider for your remodel.
1. Porcelain and Ceramic Tiles
Tiles top the list of the best bathroom flooring materials. Porcelain and ceramic are the most classic and premium flooring choices for bathrooms. Not only are they waterproof, but they’re also comparatively inexpensive to many other materials. Moreover, they effectively mimic the look and appearance of expensive materials, such as wood or natural stone, within an affordable budget.
Generally, porcelain and ceramic have similar compositions. However, the only difference between them is that porcelain is made from more refined clay at a higher temperature, making it less porous and more durable. When it comes to style, both ceramic and porcelain are available in an extensive variety of shapes, sizes, textures, and colors, so you have endless designs choices available.
Porcelain and ceramic tiles are quite cold to the touch but are also incredibly receptive to radiant heating underneath, making them fantastic options for heated floorings. Moreover, out of the two options, porcelain is the best tile for shower floor due to its high durability. As amazing as this flooring option is, a major drawback is that it can be very slipping, so you’re better off choosing a tile with a textured surface.
2. Natural Stone
Natural stone is one of the most durable and attractive bathroom flooring choices that exude an air of class and luxury. However, it can be extremely expensive and not completely waterproof. While harder natural stones, such as marble and granite, can last almost five years without the need for resealing, softer materials, such as limestone and travertine, have to be resealed every few years. So, if you can afford to install, maintain, and refinish natural stone, it can be an excellent way to bump up the resale value of your home.
Like ceramic and porcelain tiles, natural stone can also feel quite cold, but this problem can easily be sorted out by using underfloor healing. Natural stone can also be slipped, so it’s important to choose a stone that’s tumbled, honed, or textured instead of polished.
3. Vinyl
Vinyl has become a very popular bathroom flooring material during the past decade due to its incredible water resistance, budget-friendly pricing, and installation ease. An extensive variety of styles and designs of vinyl floorings have flooded the market. You can easily find them in the form of planks, tiles, and sheets, with sheets beings the best for seamless and waterproof installation.
There are two types of vinyl floorings available: wood plastic composite (WPC) and stone plastic composite (SPC). Although both of them are made with a waterproof core, WPC is believed to be thicker, more flexible, and more durable.
Vinyl is generally great and long-lasting, but it can develop curls, gaps, and bumps over time. Moreover, it can also be hard to amend vinyl flooring if it’s pierced with a sharp object, and since vinyl is so well-priced, it won’t help bump up your home’s resale value as much as other expensive flooring materials.
Check out this – 10 Tips to Modernize Your Bathroom
4. Concrete
Concrete floors are usually found in homes with slab foundations where you can choose to have a concrete overlay or slab poured for the bathroom floor. This concrete slab can be further dyed, polished, painted, or stamped for a sleek look that seamlessly blends in with the modern aesthetic.
Concrete is one of the best floorings for bathrooms because it is completely impervious to water damage and can last a lifetime. Although hard, cold, and slippery, concrete can be finished with some textures to improve traction.
5. Engineered Wood
Generally, wood and water aren’t the best combinations, but engineered wood features a plywood base that is an excellent defense against moisture. If you really want to have a wood bathroom floor, engineered wood is probably your best bet.
With its top layer made with hardwood veneer, engineered wood looks exactly like real wood. Also, not only is it an expensive option, but it is also prone to damage. However, if you take enough care, engineered wood can be a viable bathroom flooring option.
6. Bamboo Flooring
Made with a highly sustainable raw material, bamboo flooring is extremely eco-friendly and also easy on the pockets. In fact, bamboo flooring can cost almost half as much as hardwood floors. Engineering bamboo is the smart choice for bathroom floors instead of solid bamboo since their planks are very durable and perfect for wet environments. Engineered bamboo is also very simple and easy to install, and damaged pieces are easily replaceable. Make sure not to opt for a cheap bamboo flooring option since it can easily get scratched and damaged.
Wrapping Up
With so many options out there, it can be overwhelming to choose the perfect flooring for your bathroom. After all, it will be in use for years! Besides the aesthetics, durability, and waterproofing, your personal style, the theme of your house and your remodeling budget can help you further narrow down your options. Happy remodeling!
