Bathroom flooring – the choice is yours

Bathroom flooring – the choice is yours

With your mind full of images of beautiful bathroom suites, elegant porcelain and rain forest shower experiences, you could be forgiven for not thinking about the floor in your new bathroom but it’s a fact that choosing the right flooring will not only finish the ‘look’ of your new bathroom, it will also make it much easier to care for and more comfortable to use. That’s why we’ve put together this quick rundown of the choices available today to the discerning homeowner and bathroom re-modeler… The Usual Suspects Ceramic Tiles. Traditionally the most popular bathroom flooring choice. Tiles are not only durable, but also hygienic and very easy to keep clean. They’re also, most importantly, waterproof. Ceramic tiles are not without disadvantages, though – the grouting can quickly become discolored and even mouldy with damp and mildew. Ceramic tiles are available in a seemingly endless array of colours and patterns and designs can include ridged tiles to aid grip. Of course, if yiou do slip over or fall, then tiles are a pretty hard surface to land on. Vinyl. The next most popular bathroom floor covering, vinyl is both affordable and easy to maintain. Like tiles, vinyl floors are waterproof and stain resistant. They’re also easy to lay – but a vinyl floor hardly gives one a sense of luxury. The ease of laying, the wide choice of styles and colours and the low cost make Vinyl flooring a very practical choice for families. Laminate. perfect if you want to re-create that wooden floor look in an area where traditional timber might be prone to the damp and wet. The top wood grain ‘image’ is protected by a further layer making it stain and water resistant. Again, Laminate is durable and hard wearing although it’s much cheaper than the hardwood it imitates so well. And now for something completely different…. If you really want to break away from the norm, then these floorings might be worth considering. Cork. soft and comfortable to walk on, cork is a great choice. As well as being warm underfoot, Cork can also help insulate and is naturally non slip and rot resistant even when wet. Sealing is recommended to stop dirt becoming engrained. Cork is also an environmentally friendly choice. Hardwood. can be used in a bathroom or high moisture setting providing it is adequately sealed. Hardwood flooring has an inherent warmth and beauty and if you’re already a fan of real wood then why not have it fitted in the bathroom too? Rubber. perhaps suited to more contemporary interiors, rubber has many redeeming qualities making it ideal for bathroom flooring use. It’s durable, insulating, water resistant and even burn resistant. It can also be patterned to prevent slipping. Stone. from marble to slate, if you can stand the price tag, then why not? Naturally resistant to wear and tear and of course waterproof. Like it’s ceramic counterpart, not the most forgiving of surfaces if you fall over – and stone certainly can be cold underfoot. Natural stone may require sealing to prevent staining. Be wary of polished stone, which will be even more slippery when wet. And finally… Carpet. Carpet is available in water stain and mildew resistant finishes now and can provide underfoot warmth and a ‘soft landing’ suitable for all the family. However if its going to be subjected to repeat heavy soaking from children, then tiles or vinyl may prove longer lasting and more appropriate choices. With many of the tile / stone options, it may be possible to include underfloor heating (consult a qualified fitter) removing at least one obstacle to having a tiled floor. Either that or wear your slippers!