2022 | Best Flooring Options for the Bathroom

Having a nice-looking floor in your bathroom can improve the overall look of your entire house, and can also increase its value as well. But a lot of people when choosing a bathroom floor forget one basic rule, they choose a beautiful floor without knowing about its properties. This can create a lot of problems for your bathroom floor in the future. For example, if you choose a floor for your bathroom that has a beautiful look and feel, but it absorbs water, your floor will get destroyed within no time. That is why, before choosing any flooring option, you should properly know what are the requirements for a bathroom floor.

Not only this, but you should also know the properties of the materials that you are choosing so that you can match it according to your needs and choose a bathroom floor that is not only beautiful and according to your need but is also strong enough to survive for years in your bathroom. Below is the list of merits that a bathroom flooring option/material must have to survive in a bathroom. So, whatever the material you choose, make sure that the material has these properties.

Things You Should Consider When Choosing Bathroom Flooring Material

When choosing bathroom flooring, there are a number of things to consider. Below we have compiles some of the things to consider.

Water-proof

As you know that a bathroom is a place where a lot of water is spilled all the time, and for most of the flooring materials, water is a big problem. Water can seep through the holes in the surface of the flooring materials and reach their core. Once the water reaches the core of a flooring material such as wood, it destroys this floor. Your floor would not last more than a few months if it is not water-proof.

That is why having a water-proof bathroom floor is very important. This is the core requirement for every material that you can choose. Ask the sellers if the materials are waterproof or not. Also, check the material by yourself as well. There are a lot of materials that are extremely rigid and hard but they do not last long in the bathroom because of this issue.

Tile floors are better at repelling water as compared to wooden floors such as solid wood and engineered hardwood floors. Engineered hardwood floors also have a coating that protects them from water damages, but solid hardwood floors do not have that coating. That is why you should avoid solid hardwood flooring and only choose waterproof materials.

Non-slippery

The wetness due to water drops on the floor can create a slippery condition. This can cause several serious injuries when you are walking on the bathroom floors. That is why you should choose materials that are not slippery. This is a very important safety precaution. There are a lot of materials that look very beautiful but they do not provide any grip to feet while walking and this creates the slipping problem. You should avoid the use of such materials.

Always choose a material for your bathroom floor that can provide smoothness and also a little friction to hold the grip of your feet on the floor. Most of the bathroom tile flooring options have slip resistance, but some cheaper bathroom tile flooring options do not have this friction and they are very slippery.

Apart from this, vinyl waterproof floors that are commonly used in washrooms, do not provide a sufficient amount of friction or grip and can cause you to lose balance while walking and slip. The engineered hardwood floors provide better friction because their surface is not as smooth as the tile surface is. And this little friction on the engineered wood floors helps them provide a better grip to your feet. Whatever the floor type you choose, make sure that you choose the one that has better slip resistance.

Easy to clean

This is also an important feature to look for in a bathroom flooring material. It must be easy to clean. If your flooring option is not an easy to clean option, that would create a lot of problems for you. First of all, it will be hard for you to clean and keep it clean for the long term, or you will have to clean it again and again, apart from this, it can also create a hygiene problem in your bathroom as well.

If a bathroom floor is not properly cleanable, it would attract more germs and would allow them to grow in number. That is why your bathroom materials should be easy to clean so that you can avoid all these problems. Apart from this, if a bathroom floor is not easy to clean, it would lose its beauty in no time. The appearance of your bathroom floor would change because of this and it would appear very bad. To avoid all of these problems, you must choose a flooring option for the bathroom that is easy to clean.

Low-maintenance

The bathroom floor material should always be a low-maintenance requiring material. This is important because you cannot do regular repairs on your bathroom floor. If you choose a low-maintenance requiring material, you will save a lot of time and money that you otherwise would have spent on the repairs and maintenance. For example, if you choose a material for any reason for your bathroom, and that materials require regular refinishing, staining such as some hardwood floors do, you would have to spend a lot of time and a lot of money on this floor.

Most tile floors require low maintenance, as compared to wood floors. That is why choosing a tile floor for the bathroom is better than choosing a wood floor. But the final decision is yours to make, so you should consider this point when buying a floor for your bathroom, and make sure that you are choosing a floor that requires low maintenance.

Easy to install/work with

Choose a bathroom floor material for your bathroom that is easy to install. This is also an important factor that can help you save money and your time on the installation of the floor. Some bathroom floor materials are DIY, but they do not perform very well and that is why you should avoid these but choose the ones that are excellent in performance and are also easy to install.

Scratch-resistant

Scratches can be a problem for any type of floor anywhere. They make the floor look bad, and they also hold dust and other contaminants inside. This results in more problems for cleaning the floor. That also creates hygiene problems in bathroom floors. That is why choosing a scratch-resistant floor is very important.

Floor tiles are considered better resistant to scratches as compared to an engineered hardwood and other types of floors. This is because they are extremely tough and do not get scratched easily. This provides extra protection to your floor not only from damages but also prevents the spread of pathogens in your bathroom.

Strong and durable/long-lasting

As you know that Bathroom flooring is something you only do once in a long time, that means it is a very long-term investment and it costs a lot as well. So, you cannot redo this again and again. That is why choosing a strong and durable material is important that would last for years. There are a lot of materials that can last longer and provide the required amount of strength and durability. You can choose any of them based on your other requirements.

If a floor for the bathroom is not strong enough, not durable, and not a long-lasting one, you will have to redo your bathroom flooring soon once again. This not only will increase the cost but will also destroy the beauty of your bathroom floor as well. That is why choosing a strong and durable material for your bathroom floor is very important.

These are a few requirements that you should look for in every bathroom flooring option. If your bathroom floor material has these, then you should use it if it does not have these, you should reconsider your choice. Below are a few materials that have these properties that are required.

Flooring Options for the Bathroom

Here are some of the flooring options that are considered the best for bathroom flooring. These are the best options because they provide a nice and clean look and they also fulfill all the requirements for the bathroom flooring material that are given above. Below are the details about each.

Engineered hardwood

Engineered hardwood flooring is very strong and it also has some resistance to the absorption of water. That makes it a great choice for bathroom floors. Below are a few pros and cons of the engineered hardwood floors for the bathroom.

Pros:

  • The engineered hardwood floors are extremely hard and dense because they are made up of solid hardwood, and then they are covered with a special coating that prevents water from seeping into the core of wood.

    This makes the engineered hardwood floors more effective against the water. This water resistance better protects these engineered hardwood floors.
  • There are endless choices for you when it comes to the variety of hardwood floor options available in engineered hardwood. You can choose the species of different colors, shades, and sizes for the bathroom planks. You can also choose the specific finishes for your floor that you want.
  • These floors are also less slippery. This is because they have smoother finishing but their surface has some sort of friction over it. This friction helps provide better grip and causes less slip.
  • Comparatively these floors are also easier to clean and do not require that much maintenance.

Cons:

  • Although these floors are water-resistant to some extent, they are not 100% waterproof. Prolonged exposure to the water can lead to cracks and these cracks then let the water absorb into the hardwood of the floor.
  • When water starts to absorb into the floor, the coating of the floor becomes rough and sometimes it gets destroyed. That is why they require more maintenance.
  • These floors usually cost a lot more as compared to the other floors that are why they are expensive. The cost for Installation is also more for these floors. As they are extremely hard to work with.

Solid Hardwood

Solid hardwood is also another beautiful flooring option for the bathroom floor. These are not only strong but also have some level of protection over their surface. Below are a few pros and cons of these solid hardwood floors.

Pros:

  • Solid hardwood floors are extremely hard, they are made up of the planks from the trees with very dense hardwood. This makes them highly durable, long-lasting, and able to survive for the long term.
  • Solid hardwood floors are finished using polyurethane, it is a chemical that has some sort of water-repellent properties. This means that these floors are also waterproof to some extent. This further enhances the life of these hardwood floors.
  • There are endless choices of hardwood species, colors, grains, and finishes that you can choose from. This variety is only seen in solid hardwood flooring options. So, you can choose the one that is according to your interior and wall paints.
  • Solid hardwood has a very fine and smooth surface, but still, its surface provides a better grip to the feet as compared to the tiles flooring. This better grip is ensured due to the surface friction between feet and floor planks.

Cons

  • Solid hardwood floors are not 100% waterproof, meaning that over time they keep absorbing the water that slowly starts to destroy the floor. That is why some experts advise against a solid hardwood floor in the bathroom, but there are a lot of examples where solid hardwood floors are working fine in bathrooms. But still, you need to be careful when choosing.
  • These require more cleaning, more time in maintenance, as over time the protective layer of the polyurethane wears off and then you have to refinish your floor once again. This not only increases the cost for maintenance, but it also requires more work as well.
  • These hardwood floors are comparatively expensive to many tile floors, and other flooring options.

Ceramic Tiles

This is one of the most reliable flooring options for a bathroom. Ceramic tiles are made using clay, and other materials. That provides these tiles extra strength and the ability to resist water. These tiles do not get destroyed due to moisture. Below are a pros and cons of each of these.

Pros:

  • In the making of ceramic tiles, different materials are used in perfect combinations that make these tiles extremely strong and hard. These tiles can survive for the long term due to their strength and rigidity.
  • Ceramic tiles are scratch-proof and waterproof. Due to their hard surface, nothing can scratch these tiles. These tiles are capable of surviving in the bathroom for long because water cannot damage their structural integrity as it can in the hardwood floors.
  • In ceramic tiles, you can also get a variety of colors, styles, and designs on your bathroom floor.
  • These floors require less maintenance as compared to other hardwood floor types.

Cons:

  • The ceramic tile floors can get very slippery. Usually, the friction between feet and tile is enough but when these tiles are wet, one can easily slip.
  • The surface of these tiles can be harder to walk on vs. hardwood flooring. Also, these floors also provide a very cold feel under the feet which may not be ideal during winter.

Natural Stone Tiles

Natural stone tiles, as the name suggests are carved from natural stones of different kinds. Marble, Granite, Limestone, Travertine, Slate, Sandstone, and Onyx are few common stones that are used for natural stone flooring. Below are a few pros and cons of these floors for bathrooms.

Pros:

  • These tiles are carved from natural stones of different kinds. Meaning that these tiles have the strength and rigidity of these stones.
  • Due to their high strength and rigidity, these tiles are highly durable, and a very long-lasting solution for bathroom flooring.
  • The natural stone tiles have water-resistance, and as such, water cannot easily cause damage to this flooring type.
  • Their hard surface also protects the bathroom floor tiles from scratches. Natural stone tiles are considered one of the few materials that do not get scratches.

Cons:

  • These tiles have a very shiny surface and as such, you have to frequently clean. If you don’t, they look can look bad.
  • Highly slippery tiles. As their surface is very fine and smooth, these tiles provide almost no friction between feet and tile floor. So, if this floor is wet, there is a higher risk of slipping on the floor.
  • As these absorb some amount of moisture, they change their color, and they also remain cold all the time.
  • If you have sensitive feet, these tiles are very hard and you can feel that hardness underneath if you are walking without your shoes.

Vinyl

This is a trendy solution for bathroom flooring where synthetic vinyl and tiles are used combined to create a perfect bathroom floor. First, there is a layer of tiles in any type of bathroom material, including hardwood, tiles, cork, and above this, you install a vinyl sheet. The vinyl sheet has a water-proofing ability which makes it better than all other materials for bathroom flooring below are a few pros and cons of the vinyl flooring.

Pros:

  • Vinyl is the only 100% waterproof material that is perfect for bathroom flooring. It prevents water absorption.
  • This can be used above anything, from hardwood floor to tile floor and above just a concrete floor as well. You need to install a base floor and then you install vinyl over that to make it waterproof
  • These floors are easy to maintain and easy to install and they are also easy to clean. This makes them a more convenient option for bathroom flooring.

Cons:

  • Vinyl has a shorter lifespan as compared to other bathroom flooring materials as it will not last as long as tiles or hardwood flooring.
  • Once the upper layer of the Vinyl starts to wear off, you have to remove the entire Vinyl floor off and redo it again. This increases the amount of work required for the maintenance.
  • These floors are also slippery and cold. These floors do not provide enough grip when they are wet.

Terrazzo Tiles

These are special tiles that are made specifically for flooring purposes, using materials from multiple natural stones. Marble, granite, quartz, glass, and many other materials are used in proper portions to create these synthetic tiles. Below are the long-lasting pros and cons of bathroom flooring.

Pros:

  • These tiles are made using a lot of different materials that have rigidity and hardness, this makes these tiles extremely hard and durable. That is why these floors last even longer.
  • Due to their rigidity, their surface is also strong and can survive scratches for the long term. So, you will not have to worry about the scratched surface and repairs again and again.
  • These floor tiles are capable of redistricting water from entering into their structure. Meaning that these are water-proof tiles and do not get damaged with water.

Cons:

  • These tiles are hard and they provide a very rough and hard feel under the feet. Also, these tiles are very cold and that is felt when walking over them.
  • These do not provide a natural look and feel as the natural stone tile does, so, if you are looking for a natural look, you should not choose these tiles.

Laminate Floors

Laminate floors are also a type of engineered hardwood floors but they are slightly different from them also. The laminate floors have a very fine and thin layer of coating materials over their surface similar to the engineered hardwood floors, but it is a different material. This material is what makes these floors laminate. Below are a few pros and cons for the laminate floors in the bathroom.

Pros:

  • These floors can be more stylish, and they have more variety and options as well. This enables you to choose according to your interior design and your wall paints.
  • Laminate floors are hard, rigid, and long-lasting. These floors, if properly taken care of, can last a lot longer.
  • Laminate floors are easy to install and work with. These floors are also considered a DIY installation floor as well. So, it helps you save costs for installation and maintenance.
  • Laminate floors are resistant to scratches to some extent. So, you will not have to worry about the scratches over the surface of your floor.
  • They are waterproof and do not allow the water to seep into the center of the floors, that is how they protect the wood from the impact of moisture.
  • These floors are very affordable in comparison to other bathroom floor materials. These floors only cost a fraction as compared to solid hardwood floors and marble tile floors.

Cons:

  • These floors are not strong as compared to solid hardwood or engineered hardwood floors.
  • The surface of these floors is smooth and get slippery when wet. As such, there is a higher chance of slipping as compared to other flooring types mentioned.
  • Laminate floors are hard to repair, when a part of the floor gets damaged, you have to replace the whole plank, as it is very hard to repair that plank.

If you are planning on adding new bathroom flooring, it is best to choose styles that are currently trending. This way, you have years to enjoy your flooring that is up to date and not outdated. Below is a list of some of the bathroom flooring trends that home owners are making use of:

Wood-look tiles

Wood-look tiles are special made tile floors that appear like a wooden floor. The tiles of these floors are treated to make them look like a wooden floor. The feel of these floors is still not warm as in the wooden floor, but still, these floors look very beautiful in the bathrooms. It is a new trend that started a few years ago and is still growing. Based on the predictions, this type of flooring will be more common in the future. So, it is a great choice for a bathroom floor. 

Mosaics floors

Mosaics flooring is one of the top trends in 2021. Floor tiles are arranged in a mosaics structure on the bathroom floor. They provide an aesthetic and beautiful look. These tiles incorporate a lot of beautiful designs that can be created using the arrangements of different colored tiles in the bathroom floors. As these floors are mostly constructed with tiles, they provide extreme structural integrity, high scratch resistance. Based on these reasons, it is a perfect choice for a bathroom floor.

Geometric/linear shapes

This is another popular growing bathroom flooring trend. The use of different geometric and linear shapes in the bathroom creates a beautiful and aesthetic look. That is why in most modern homes, these types of floors are being installed. Apart from the bathroom floor, these tiles are sometimes also installed on the walls to make them appear similar to the whole bathroom. This further beautifies your bathroom’s look. This is a great flooring trend that you can follow. You can get almost any kind of geometric shape printed on your flooring tiles.

Black and white stenciled tiles

Black and white stenciled tiles flooring is also a top trend in bathroom flooring these days. This type of floor has white and black tiles that are arranged appropriately. Different shapes such as flowers, mosaics, can be created using a combination of black and white tiles. These floors look very cool and feel very comfortable under the feet. They beautify the overall look of your bathroom. As these are made using the tiles, they are easy to clean and maintain as well. This is a great bathroom flooring trend to choose from.

Light and cool-toned shades

In bathroom floors, the use of cool and light-toned shades of the materials, such as hardwood, tiles are more in trend. Dark and warm flooring is slowly fading away from the trends. This is because the light and cool-toned floors look more attractive to the eyes. There are a lot of light and cool-toned shades that you can choose from hardwood, tiles, porcelain, and ceramic floors. These are a great choice for your floor, and will further beautify the look of your bathrooms.

CLOSING REMARKS

In the article above, we discussed a few things related to bathroom flooring. First, we discussed what are the flooring needs for a bathroom or what properties bathroom flooring materials should have. These properties include slip proofing, as the bathrooms are a wet place, and there is a high risk of slipping and getting injured to prevent this, the bathroom flooring option must not be slippery. After that, we also discussed that bathroom flooring material should also be a waterproof material. Waterproofing of the material is important as there is a lot of water and moisture in bathrooms, so, if the bathroom flooring material is not waterproof, it will get damaged.

Some floor options such as solid hardwood floors and cork floors are not completely waterproof and that is why there is always a risk that these floors will get destroyed over time due to humidity problems. Apart from this, the bathroom flooring materials should be easy to clean. If a bathroom material is not easy to clean, it will create cleanliness and hygiene issues for bathroom space. That is why having bathroom materials that are easy to clean would be better. After that, we also discussed the installation, workability of the bathroom floor option, and concluded that a bathroom floor should be easy to install, easy to maintain, and easy to work with. The scratch resistance ability is also important for bathroom floors, you should choose bathroom flooring materials that can survive the scratches for the long term. This will help us lower the amount of work required for repairs and maintenance of the bathroom floor.

We also discussed different materials that are ideal for bathroom flooring. These materials include solid hardwood floors, engineered hardwood floors, laminate floors, and different tile floors. We also discussed the pros and cons of these materials to know more about their suitability for bathroom flooring. Tile floors are strong and provide better protection from water, but they are slippery. The hardwood floors are strong but they have low resistance against the water. This low resistance can result in small age of these floors. In the end, we discussed a few trending bathroom flooring designs that are trending in 2021. These are some of the flooring materials that are more commonly being used in the bathrooms and more homeowners are looking forward to installing these. That is why these flooring types are in trend.

Now, it is up to you to decide about the best one that not only suits your needs, and is according to your choice, but also has all the required features in the bathroom flooring option. If you decide according to bathroom flooring requirements, you will get better results, but if you do not, there is a chance that you would end up with a bathroom floor, that would not last long, and you will have to spend money on the floor again and again. That is why you should follow the expert’s guidelines and requirements for bathroom flooring material and trending design choices.

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