Bathroom Flooring Options

This article will help you to decide which flooring option is going to suit your bathroom installation project. It will consider factors such as cost, durability, suitability and ease of installation.

Tiles

PROS

Hygienic

Bathroom tiles don’t attract dirt or give off odours & are easy to wipe clean. Tile grouts & silicons are available with anti-bacterial qualities.

Non-allergenic

Floor tiles don’t harbour dust or mites like carpet so are a good choice for allergy sufferers and those with asthma.

Durable

Tiles don’t fade and porcelain tiles will last longer than alternative options if laid correctly.

Water-resistant

Tiles can withstand the everyday splashes that come with a bathroom environment.

Good value

If correctly installed, a tiled floor will last for years and years.

Choice

Vast choice of bathroom tile designs & types – ceramic, porcelain, marble, slate etc.

See my other articles for more information on tiling a bathroom floor.

CONS

Cold

Bathroom tiles can be cold underfoot – can be remedied by underfloor heating.

Expensive

Correct subfloor preparation is essential leading to higher material & installation costs than other alternatives.

Texture

Some floor tiles can be slippery when wet – use special textured floor tiles to remedy this.

Hard

Bathroom floor tiles are not recommended for those with joint problems.

Unsympathetic

Very unsympathetic to sub-floors that deflect under load.

Grout

Light-coloured grouts on floors can become dirty quickly – use a darker grout if possible.

See Tiling on wooden floors – prep for more information.

See my article on choosing tiles for your bathroom.

Typical price for 4m2 bathroom floor (supply & fit including subfloor preparation & grouting) £320+

Price is largely dependent on the tiles chosen e.g. ceramic floor tiles start from £15/m2 and porcelain or stone tiles may be £35/m2 +. Then there are the costs of preparing the subfloor and laying the tiles to consider.

Ceramic tile flooring is usually the cheapest tiling option.

Laminate flooring

If using laminate, only ever use specially designed ‘for bathrooms’ laminates, and bear in mind the AC rating which goes from unrated (poor quality) to AC 5 (commercial grade excellent quality)

e.g. Quickstep Laguna & Aquastep

PROS

Hygienic

These laminates are easy to wipe clean & are mould-resistant.

Non-allergenic

Laminate doesn’t retain dust or mites like carpet so is a good choice for allergy sufferers and those with asthma.

Water-resistant

Quickstep Laguna has sealed surfaces and rubber joints to deal with humidity issues. Aquastep is made from resin (not wood) and boasts 0% swelling in moisture-laden environments. This makes it the best choice for bathrooms in my opinion.

Quick installation

Fitting both recommended laminates is a glue-less process, requiring no over-boarding, that allows both to be immediately walked on after fitting. Aquastep can be installed immediately without having to acclimatise to current conditions and can be lifted and re-laid if necessary.

Warm

Bathroom laminate flooring is generally warmer underfoot than floor tiles. Some can be used in conjunction with underfloor heating – check with the manufacturer.

Aesthetics

Very contemporary design options are available e.g. ship-deck.

Green

Aquastep can be fully recycled at the end of its natural life.

CONS

Fitting

Quickstep Laguna must be carefully fitted to ensure excess humidity does not cause damage e.g. joining & gluing of cut rubber strips to ensure water-tightness.

Expensive

Comparable costs to tiled floors. Do not buy cheap laminates for bathrooms: It is a false economy as it will not last!

Soundproofing

Transmits more sound to the rooms below than cork or vinyl floors but Aquastep boasts 30% less sound transition due to its honeycomb internal structure when compared to other laminates.

Recommended:

Aquastep – https://www.aquastep.com/
100% water-resistant flooring with 20-year warranty. Prices from £35/m2+ underlay & fitting.

Typical price for 4m2 bathroom floor (supply & fit including underlay) – £300+

Vinyl flooring (sheet vinyl)

PROS

Hygienic

Vinyls don’t attract dirt as they have no grout lines and are easy to wipe clean.NB Smooth surface vinyls have fewer ‘grooves’ in which to trap dirt than textured surfaces often found in wood effect vinyls – bear this in mind if buying online and you don’t get to ‘feel’ the vinyl before buying.No specialist cleaners are required – only a soap solution and mop.

Non-allergenic

Vinyls don’t harbour dust or mites like carpet so is a good choice for allergy sufferers and those with asthma.

Waterproof

Vinyl flooring can withstand everyday splashes that come with a bathroom environment. Edges can be sealed against the skirting with clear silicon.

Cheap

Cheapest bathroom floor covering to fit.

Quick installation

The quickest floor to fit can be immediately walked on.

Warm

Vinyl flooring is generally warmer underfoot than tiles with no additional heat source.

Aesthetics

Many design options are available from tiled to wooden floor effects. This means you can have the look of wood without any of the practical limitations associated with it (and for much less money).

Soundproofing

Vinyl’s soft nature reduces the transmission of sound to the rooms below.

CONS

Not as durable

Bathroom vinyl flooring can be damaged by dropped items or stiletto heels.

Aesthetics

Not seen as desirable when compared to some tiles due to its cheaper nature. Tramlines can appear through the vinyl if the floorboards underneath are not levelled out by nailing down the hardboard before fitting.

Fading

Cheaper vinyls can fade. Check this when buying.

Typical price for 4m2 bathroom floor (supply &fit including over-boarding with hardboard) – £140+

Other information

For this article, I have not included vinyl tiles as I believe them to be cheap and not fit for purpose as any moisture leaching into the gaps between the tiles can cause problems.

Rubber bathroom flooring can also be fitted in a similar way to vinyl but prices start at £50/m2 + fitting, and it is recommended that floors need to be over-boarded with plywood 1st to give a smooth surface. www.therubberflooringcompany.co.uk

Cork flooring

PROS

Green

Cork flooring is environmentally friendly due to the way cork is harvested.

Hygienic & safe

Hypo-allergenic, fire & mould resistant.

Water-resistant

IF finished with a high-quality lacquer (done at the manufacturing stage.)

Aesthetics

Many design options are available.

Comfortable

Softer & warmer underfoot than tiles – dropped items won’t smash and will benefit those with joint pains or arthritis.

Easy installation

Similar to laminate flooring – some are also glued down.

Different

Many contemporary designs are now available.

Durable

20-year warranty on better floors (often thicker – 10mm rather than 4mm).

Soundproofing

Cork flooring’s soft nature reduces the transmission of sound to the rooms below.

CONS

Fitting

Floorboards should be over-boarded with 6mm ply before fitting.

Maintenance

Special cleaners/sealers are needed to keep the lacquer in top condition.

Typical price for 4m2 bathroom floor (supply & fit including over-boarding with 6mm ply) – £260

Not advised

Carpet

The carpet retains bathroom moisture and can rot and smell.

The carpet around a toilet is also not hygienic, particularly when males are present, and it is harder to keep clean.

Consider cork or vinyl instead for a warm, soft feel or gel-backed carpets as a last resort.

Solid wood flooring

Moisture or spills in your bathroom will cause solid wood to expand and contract leading to buckling and floor failure – Use wood effect vinyls or bathroom-specific laminates such as Aquastep instead.

Standard laminates

These are not designed for humid bathroom environments!

Only use recommended bathroom laminates such as Quickstep Laguna or preferably Aquastep, and familiarise yourself with the pros and cons of these.

This is what happens to ‘standard’ laminates when water gets into them:

Summary

As you can see there are a myriad of choices for bathroom flooring, so just decide on what is most important to you (i.e. budget, longevity, aesthetics) and use this comparison article to refine your choice.

If you have recently renewed your bathroom flooring and would like to leave a comment that you think could help other readers, then please leave it below.

Thanks