Bathroom Floor Options, Which Is Best?

When renovating a bathroom, one of the most crucial choices you’ll make is the floor covering. It’s not just about finding a style that complements your decor; it’s about choosing a flooring that suites your requirements.

The floor material needs to withstand moisture, be durable, and easy to maintain. Let’s explore some of the best bathroom flooring that combine functionality with aesthetic appeal starting with the most cost effective first.

Cushion Flooring (Lino)

Affordability and Comfort: Vinyl cushion flooring is a budget-friendly option that doesn’t compromise on comfort. It’s soft and warm underfoot and comes in a variety of styles.

Waterproof Qualities: Vinyl cushiong flooring is inherently waterproof, making it an excellent choice for the bathroom environment, especially in busy family homes. As it’s a single roll there are no joins or gaps in the floor to allow water through.

Style Options: Modern vinyl flooring comes in an array of designs, including those that mimic the look of wood or stone, offering style without the high cost and maintenance.

East to maintain: Cushion flooring is one of the easiest types of flooring to maintain, however that doesn’t mean it can be neglected. Leaving grit and dirt on the floor can lead to scratches and damage the surface, to ensure this doesn’t happen you can use a damp mop and vinyl cleaner to remove dirt or stains.

Ease of Installation: Cushion flooring is known for its easy installation, making it a favourite among DIY enthusiasts but is better left to a profession carpet fitter for a professional installation as once cut there is no going back and a mistake can ruin the complete roll of flooring.

None Permanent: Like carpet, cushion flooring can but easy to replace and update as your styles or tastes change.

Disadvantages of Cushion flooring

Damage: This material isn’t as strong as others like wood since it can’t withstand heavy point loads (high heal stilettos) and can get damaged by sharp objects. It is also a lot more difficult to repair than other materials and you may need new flooring once damaged.

Laminate Flooring

Versatility in Design: Laminate flooring can imitate the look of wood or tiles but at a fraction of the cost. It’s a great option for those who love the hardwood look but have a smaller budget.

Moisture Resistance: It’s important to choose a laminate that’s designed for bathrooms, as standard laminate can be prone to water damage.

Ease of Installation: Laminate flooring is known for its easy installation, making it a favorite among DIY enthusiasts.

Repairable Damage: Should you damage the flooring, a board/plank can be removed and a new/spare board inserted in it place to replace the damaged plank.

None Permanent: Laminate flooring is not a permanent floor and can be easily lifted and replaces should you style change.

Disadvantages of Laminate Flooring

Not Waterproof: even laminate flooring suitable for bathroom is only moisture resistant and not waterproof.

Sound: Laminate flooring can be noising to walk on and sound can travel though the floor to the reem below.

Luxury Vinyl Flooring (LVT)

Almost indestructible: Luxury Vinyl Flooring LVT flooring is almost indestructible, making it a popular choice for high traffic areas. The outer layer of the vinyl consists of PVC, which protects the material and generally has a non-slip finish. 

Resistant to moisture: LVT flooring is 100% water-resistant and so particularly suited to wet and humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms.

Easy maintenance: Vinyl flooring will only require regular sweeping and a weekly mop.

Easy to install: It can be easily cut, making it especially suitable for bathrooms where tiles need to be shaped around bathroom artefacts.

Versatility: LVT flooring comes as an easy to install click floor system or as a stick down flooring option and both can be laid over existing floors, concrete, timber or tiles but prep work may be required for a perfect finish.

Semi Permanent: The Click Version of LVT is not a permanent floor and can be easily lifted and replaces should you style change or which to replace a damaged plank, how ever the stick down version is more of a permanent flooring, but there are tricks to removing a tile/plank if required, but not advisable.

Disadvantages of LVT flooring

Difficult to remove once installed: Some adhesives are difficult to remove and are labour intensive when removing them if stick down option is used.. 

Vinyl is a soft material: One of its advantages is also its greatest weakness: its lightness. Heavy furniture can dent and mark vinyl floors, while sharp objects can pierce the upper layers.

Discolouration: LVT flooring can suffer from sun damage if laid in conservatories or near south-facing doors/windows. The outer layer is not UV resistant and is liable to fading over time.

Wetroom Safety Vinyl Flooring

Easy maintenance: Vinyl flooring is easy to clean by simply mopping.

Slip-resistance: the key point of this flooring is that its saft and antislp when wet.

Hardwaring: designed for use in wetroom and rooms for wheelchairs as well as commercial areas and hospitals, wetroom vinyl flooring is very hard waring.

Disadvantages of Wetroom vinyl flooring

Specialist Flooring: this type of flooring is special flooring designed for wetroom. Its designed to be curled up the wall and each piece is then welded to the next using a specialist tool by a trained installer.

Limited Styles: this specialist flooring is designed for wet rooms and specialty areas like hospitals. As such the style are very plain and clinical.

Tiled Floors

Porcelain and Ceramic Tiles

Durability and Water Resistance: Porcelain and ceramic tiles are the champions of bathroom flooring. They withstand heavy foot traffic, are resistant to moisture, and don’t succumb to stain easily. This makes them a practical choice for any bathroom.

Design Variety: One of the biggest advantages of these tiles is the endless design options. Whether you’re looking for a sleek, modern finish or a traditional pattern, there’s a tile to fit every taste.

Maintenance and Care: These tiles are relatively easy to maintain. Regular cleaning and occasional resealing (for certain types of tiles) are all that’s needed to keep them looking fresh and new.

Natural Stone Tiles

Luxurious Appeal: For those seeking a touch of luxury and uniqueness, natural stone tiles like marble, granite, and slate are perfect. Each tile is unique, adding a natural, elegant charm to your bathroom.

Considerations: Stone tiles are often more expensive and require more maintenance, including regular sealing to prevent water damage and stains.

Installation Tips: Due to their weight and the expertise required for installation, it’s often best to rely on professional installers for natural stone tiles.

Downside of a tiled floor

Destructively Hard: Due to their hardness, tiles often cause mutual destruction when objects fall on them, bringing about the destruction of objects like glass and upon themselves like cracks and chipping.

Grout: While tiles are easy to maintain, grout lines require more attention as they are prone to stains and mildew build-up given the amount of wear these grout lines generally endure.

Tile Temperatures Adapt To The Weather:  Tiles warm up and cool down according to the weather outside. During colder weather tiles may make feet feel colder, however in warmer months tiles inside the home away from direct sunlight have the ability to keep the house cool. However cool floors can be overcome with the addition of underfloor heating and using a thermal backing board before installation.

Permanent Floor: Tiles are more of a permanent flooring solution, and should you with to change or update you flooring to match new décor within your bathroom or home, then the floor tiles will need removing and replacing which is a difficult and messy job.

Conclusion

To answer the question, which bathroom flooring is best, all depends on you and your bathroom. Your choice of bathroom flooring should be a balance of your personal style, practicality, requirements and budget. Consider these options carefully, and don’t hesitate to reach out to professionals for advice tailored to your specific needs.