The bathroom is a functional room – it’s not typically a room we relax in unless you are enjoying a soak in the bath! This means that the flooring has to be functional too – especially with the higher moisture content and constant use of water.
I understand it can be difficult to choose the best flooring for bathroom areas and I want to make your decision easier. Below, I take a look at important considerations to select your bathroom floor, and three of the most suitable options.
Consider Moisture Resistant Options
The number one factor for bathroom flooring is moisture resistance. Even a well-ventilated bathroom has a higher moisture content and humidity compared to any other room in your house. Bathrooms are also prone to condensation build up which can eventually leak onto your flooring and cause water damage.
This means that you have to invest in the best flooring for bathroom areas that can cope with those moisture levels. The problem is compounded if you have babies or toddlers who love to splash and cause tidal waves in the bath!
Best Bathroom Flooring Options
I would not recommend real wood flooring options for bathrooms such as hardwood floors and engineered wood flooring. This is because the increase moisture content and potential for water contact can cause swelling and distort the shape of the floor.
Engineered wood flooring is usually more water-resistant, and swelling and distortion can be reduced with a special treatment, but this adds to the cost and it usually makes wood flooring too expensive for a bathroom. Instead, my preferred options are vinyl, tiles, and laminate.
Vinyl Flooring
Luxury Vinyl Flooring is a fantastic bathroom flooring option for several reasons. Firstly, it is water-resistant and copes better with the higher moisture levels of bathrooms. Spills can be mopped easily, and our rigid core selection and other types can be self-installed without professional assistance.
You can get vinyl floor tiles and planks in a range of styles that emulate wood, stone, and concrete flooring and in terms of cost it’s usually much cheaper than hardwood and engineered wood flooring.
Tile Flooring
Ceramic tiles are the best flooring for bathroom areas if you want durability and ease of maintenance. Like vinyl flooring, ceramic tiles are waterproof and do not suffer any distortion from spills and excess moisture content.
From a style perspective, you can use matching tiles for your floor and bathroom walls for a unified look too which isn’t possible with other flooring types. The downside is that ceramic tiles are typically more expensive, and have to be professionally installed.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is the cheapest option and it has a decent level of water-resistance. Laminate flooring is usually supplied in rolls or sheets and then cut to fit around the fixtures in your bathroom. It does an adequate job although some people say that it looks cheaper than LVT and ceramic tile options.
Slip Resistance and Safety
Most bathrooms are small with the average size in the UK being around 2m x 2m squared. Despite this, there is still an increased chance for slips and hazards because of the higher moisture content and the chance for water to pool on the floor.
Carpet would be an ideal solution for slips, but carpets just aren’t practical in bathrooms because they would surfer horrendous water damage. Instead, you have to look at the slip resistance and safety qualities of the appropriate flooring types. Vinyl and laminate work great here with the top wear layer adding some protection and safety.
Ease of Cleaning and Maintenance
Bathroom floors get wet and they can stay wet for prolonged periods. I somehow manage to trail water all over my bathroom floor simply by getting out of the shower!
It’s unavoidable so you need to choose a flooring type that you can easily clean and wipe away the excess water. LVT, tiles, and laminate perform great in this area again as their smooth top surface can be wiped easily, and the moisture-resistance means that water doesn’t soak into the flooring.
Installation Considerations
For installation, the best flooring for bathroom areas is one that matches your skill level and budget. For example, if you have decent DIY skills, you could opt for click LVT flooring as it requires no adhesive and you can lay it yourself.
Alternatively, something like ceramic tiles are harder to install and typically need a professional fixer which bumps up the labour costs.
Find a Suitable Bathroom Flooring That is Practical and Stylish
Moreso than any other room, to find the best flooring for bathroom areas you have to look at the safety, practicality, and style.
Bathrooms have a higher moisture content and water can easily be spilled on the floor. Therefore, the flooring type should be moisture-resistant, easy to wipe spilled water from, and minimize slips. This makes options like LVT flooring and tiles excellent choices.
