Flooring should look good and perform effectively. When it comes to bathroom flooring, the floor should first perform well under stress before it looks good. There is a lot of water in the bathroom and whatever flooring you choose should handle that water without breaking. If you choose the wrong flooring, water will damage it. Here are three types of flooring for your bathroom.
Ceramic or Porcelain Tiles
Ceramic tiles offer the best of all other floorings. They can give the rich and textured feel of stone, the waterproofness of vinyl, and the great looks of wood. It is stylish and cost-effective, making it the ideal bathroom flooring.
Porcelain is a ceramic tile with a water absorption rate of 0.5% or less. This makes it the best ceramic tiles for use in the bathroom. If you decide to use ceramic tiles, you will have a wide range of tiles to choose from, with some having the look of wood and others stone. The tiles are also available in different sizes and shapes, from square to triangular and octagonal tiles. If you choose the small tiles, they come pre-mounted on plastic mesh sheets to save time on installation.
Ceramic tiles are easy to clean. However, these tiles can be cold unless you use radiant or heated tiles. You also need to pick textured tiles as the tiles get slippery when wet. You can also use small tiles with more grout.
Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl flooring is available as a sheet, tile, or plank. The floor has an appealing look and is highly practical in the bathroom. For many decades, most people have had vinyl in the bathroom, and it delivers every time. Sheet vinyl flooring protects your bathroom when there is a lot of water. Your children’s bathroom floor and laundry room will benefit from sheet vinyl flooring.
The sheet vinyl flooring comes in large sizes so that you can install a single piece in a small bathroom. Today, homeowners can go for luxury vinyl plank flooring. These planks are 5 inches in width and 48 inches in length. The planks and sheets are easy to install, so you never have to call a professional if you have the time. Again, the vinyl floors are available in thousands of style options. The floating vinyl flooring is easy to replace during a Sacramento home remodel.
The main challenge with vinyl is that it has poor resale value. Unlike natural stone, engineered wood, or ceramic tiles, the sheets or planks of vinyl will not improve the value of your home. Although the vinyl floor is a do-it-yourself project, any gaps and bumps on the floor undersurface will be felt on the vinyl surface.
Natural Stone
If your budget is not limited, you can install natural stone. It feels sturdy and solid, and you can have it in different styles. However, the natural stone absorbs water when not treated right. Options such as granite, marble, and limestone have some water moisture problems, but your floor will be in good shape with the proper treatment. Natural stone offers you durability, and it is aesthetically pleasing. The floor offers excellent resale value if you plan to sell your home.
Stone bathroom flooring is cold and it gets slippery when wet. You need to install radiant heating to correct the coldness and have textured stone, such as slate. If you already have the slippery stone in your bathroom, you can use sandblasting to create a textured surface. The main challenge with natural stone is the cost. It is expensive to buy the floor material and installation cannot be a do-it-yourself project.
You can use other materials, including engineered wood and laminate flooring. Laminate flooring only works if you protect the wood base from moisture, and it comes in handy when you need affordable flooring. If the laminate floor comes in contact with moisture, it expands and bubbles. Engineered wood can handle moisture better than natural wood. Thanks to the real hardwood veneer at the top, it looks natural wood. However, it is more stable than natural wood under moisture. The two primary materials to avoid in the bathroom are natural wood and wall-to-wall carpets.
