Choosing a new floor for your bathroom renovation is more difficult than choosing new floors for other areas of your home. That’s because you need a floor choice that’s durable, cost-effective and, above all else, water resistant at the very least. Bathroom floors have to deal with standing water more than any other room in the house, except for the basement in some cases. As water is quick to ruin many different flooring options, here are a few that will be able to stand up to the task.
Ceramic Tile
A popular bathroom flooring choice around the world, ceramic tile is waterproof, cost-effective and aesthetically pleasing. Available in a variety of sizes, shapes, colours and textures, ceramic tiles will create the customized look you desire. While cold to the touch, radiant floor heating systems can be installed to keep your floors warm. And if you’re worried about slipping, don’t worry. Textured tiles are available to help slippage common with smooth tiles.
Vinyl Flooring
A practical choice that’s also beautiful to look at when installed properly, vinyl floors are a popular choice and have been for decades. It’s the best option if there are often larger amounts of water covering your floors, particularly in a child’s bathroom or pet washing station. You can choose between installing vinyl sheeting, which can produce as little as zero seams, vinyl planks or tiles. This can be a home renovation project you can do yourself if the need arises, but unless you have experience laying vinyl flooring, you’ll likely end up with gaping or other imperfections. With thousands of design options to choose from, can you really go wrong choosing vinyl flooring?
Natural Stone
Real stone tiles are a great, but expensive, choice for a bathroom. Little to no moisture issues are experienced with natural stones like marble, granite and limestone. It’s a hard and durable flooring choice that looks beautiful in any bathroom. When wet, stone floors are often slippery, and are constantly cold to the touch unless there’s a heating system installed underneath. Installing a stone with more texture or grip also works to reduce the risk of slippage.
Engineered Wood
Much better than solid wood options, engineered hardwood has a higher moisture resistance than solid hardwood ever could. It’s perfect if you want a natural wood look in your bathroom without constantly worrying about having to replace them in a year or two. However, as it’s a wooden product of sorts, it’s still vulnerable to experiencing water damage to some degree.
Laminate Flooring
The surface of a laminate plank is composed of a photograph that allows the board to imitate wooden or stone finishes. A strong, clear coat is applied to keep the material durable and water resistant. This is a bathroom flooring option if you make sure the wooden base is protected against moisture. To do this, make sure the seams are as tight as possible during installation to prevent moisture from sinking between gaps. While easy to clean, laminate floors aren’t 100% waterproof.
At Touchtone Canada, we provide residential and commercial flooring options to our Edmonton clients. Our high-quality floor fills a facility that spans 50,000 square feet, with options ranging from carpet and premium rugs to tiles and hardwood. Whether you’re going through simple home renovations or working on new housing construction, we’ll have everything you need when it comes to flooring. Stop by our warehouse or visit our website for more information.