If you’ve spent any amount of time in public restrooms or at friends’ houses, you know that there can literally be thousands of patterns, colors, and material choices for your bathroom flooring. It can be overwhelming narrowing down the choices to choose one that suits your bathroom style.
There are choices of laminate, tile, vinyl, hardwood, and even carpet. And here are some tips on choosing the right flooring surface for your bathroom remodel.
Tile Flooring
Tiles can be made of either ceramic or porcelain and they can even mimic the look of natural stone. Generally, floor tile is about 12 by 12 or 18 by 18, which is considerably larger than tile mounted around sinks, bathtubs, and shower enclosures. However, you can find smaller one inch tiles that can be installed in decorative mosaic designs too.
Floor tiles are also designed with texture, to prevent people from slipping on them. If the floor gets wet, you’ll have some natural traction when you walk across them. Floor tile is not polished smooth like wall tile is.
If you have honed natural stone tiles installed in your bathroom it may give it more of a spa-like appearance. Stone will also provide some traction for the feet if it gets wet.
Travertine tiles is one option that can offer a warm honey look if you prefer to not have a cold look in your flooring. This can soften the appearance of your bathroom.
If you choose slate tiles for your bathroom flooring, it will give the bathroom a more organic feel. This can be important for people who want to bring some of the outdoors in.
Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood flooring may be your choice if you prefer a natural wood look. Color options are more on the neutral end, as you won’t find bright bold colors with this choice. Popular color options are usually in beiges, browns, and reds.
It’s essential for hardwood flooring in the bathroom to be sealed so that it can resist moisture damage. You can also purchase laminate that has been specifically designed for a bathroom.
Other Bathroom Flooring Options
In the past carpet has been a bad choice to install in the bathroom. However, for guest bathrooms that aren’t used often, there is a new type of bathroom carpet available. This type of carpet is water-resistant, as well as being mildew and stain resistant. It’s also installed with a backing that keeps water from passing through the padding and into the floor.
Another option for people who enjoy the look and feel of carpet in the bathroom but would rather keep it temporary are carpet tiles. These are individual tiles that stick down to the floor and might be a better option for installation over a tile or vinyl floor.
There is also your basic vinyl flooring, which makes cleanup much simpler, and is not only affordable but waterproof too.
While there are many options for bathroom flooring, you may wish to choose based on its waterproof and durability properties first, and then comfort second.