When choosing floors, remember they will define your space for years to come.
Picking out bathroom flooring probably isn’t at the top of your to-do list.
Though, if it is — you’re in the right place. And, even if you’re not, stick around. This article is filled with great information to help you prevent future flooring mistakes and arm you with dinner party knowledge with your reno friends.
Your choice of walls and flooring define your entire space for years to come, and choosing a hardy, beautiful material that will prevent health hazards like mold growth and continual repairs and future-proof design trends, feels good now and later.
There are three main factors to consider when choosing your bathroom flooring.
First, and most importantly, your flooring material must be waterproof.
There are many water-resistant options available, such as laminate and wood, but water can still seep through these materials, causing damage. Truly waterproof options like ceramic or porcelain tile repel water completely. However, tiles can be cold, hard, and slippery.
This brings us to our second point of consideration: comfort.
When caring for yourself and your family, don’t underestimate the impact of comfort in a high-use space. Unique options like cork and rubber can make your bathroom floor warm and soft to the touch.
The third factor to consider is price.
Classic options such as stone or custom tiles can be pricey, but other long-lasting, waterproof options such as vinyl have a lower price point but are stylish and highly customizable.
With these factors in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the best bathroom flooring options, including some that you may never have considered!
Proven Bathroom Flooring Options
Porcelain or Ceramic Tile
By: Anatolia
Location: Port Wentworth, GA
Timeless and highly customizable, ceramic and porcelain tiles remain one of the most popular options for bathroom floors. Ceramic and porcelain are both waterproof, though porcelain beats ceramic in this area. Both come in many colors, shapes, and sizes which allow for beautiful, one-of-a-kind designs. Porcelain can also imitate the appearance of hardwood or natural stone.
Some people may not prefer tiles because they can be slippery, hard and cold to the touch. However, tile does conduct heat from electric radiant floor heating better than most materials. If you plan ahead, you won’t have to worry about cold floors, and future buyers will love to see the heating feature.
Tile trends such as patterns, color, shape and size change year by year, so consider picking a classic style to preserve the resale value of your home. Anatolia offers porcelain and ceramic tiles in timeless shapes, but in cool, contemporary color schemes.
Vinyl
By: Flexco Floors
Location: Tuscumbia, AL
By: Cali Floors
Location: Encinitas, CA
Vinyl combines the best of durability, style, and affordability. More waterproof than other synthetic materials like laminate or engineered wood, vinyl stands up well against moisture and resists scratch damage.
Vinyl comes in many shapes and styles including planks, like those offered by Cali Floors, tiles or sheets. You could choose bright, trendy colors and patterns, or highly realistic imitation stone or wood patterns for a timeless touch.
Flexco Floors offers both luxury vinyl floors and simpler, solid styles. They even emphasize sustainability, recycling their materials, and ensuring their products will contribute to safe indoor environments.
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Laminate Wood Flooring
Our Recommendation: Avoid in Bathrooms
Laminate is a cheaper option and is easily installable but is not recommended for bathrooms since it is only water resistant, not waterproof. You may have seen bubbled or torn laminate floors. This can happen when standing water pools on its surface.
Some laminate can also scratch and tear easily when struck by falling objects. Bathrooms undergo a lot of wear and tear as high use spaces. You may save upfront, but you also risk damage to the floor underneath, and the cost of having to replace the entire floor sooner. We recommend avoiding this material in your bathroom.
Wood
By: Mercier Wood Flooring
Location: Quebec, Canada
By: Elmwood Reclaimed
Location: Peculiar, MO
By: Bamboo Flooring Hawaii
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
You can’t get more timeless than hardwood flooring. Used less often in bathrooms due to concerns about water damage, wood nonetheless adds a warm, luxurious touch to your bathroom. With constant advancements in sealant technology, it’s more of an option than ever.
Mercier Wood Flooring is one such business who has emphasized scientific research, creating their own cutting-edge, long-lasting protective finishes. Elmwood Reclaimed Timber offers an alternate style, sourcing their wood from old barns and buildings. Each piece is hand selected, and unique – you can’t find the striking grain and durability of old-world wood in many places.
If you’re still worried about water damage, engineered wood holds up better since it is constructed of a piece of plywood sandwiched between two pieces of hardwood. Consider engineered bamboo, like that offered by Bamboo Flooring Hawaii, as a more affordable, sustainable, and trendy option!
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Stone
By: Esmer Tile
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Natural stone tiles can greatly increase the glamour of your bathroom. Many consumers favor slate tiles for their rich, dark matte color and lower price. Others choose marble for its shine and subtle natural patterns.
If you’re worried about comfort, limestone is softer and warmer to the touch, but is more porous and therefore requires more vigorous sealing. Esmer Tile’s beautiful collection includes all these options, plus edgy, modern stone cuts for a greater flair.
If you prefer a warmer color tone, stone is the best choice for conducting electric radiant floor heating. Due to the high cost of natural stone, consider this option for a half guest bathroom. You’ll need less material but can still show off your luxe design with pride.
Alternate Flooring Options:
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Cork
By: Duro Design
Location: Quebec, Canada
By: Globus Cork
Location: Buchanan, NY
Cork has increased in popularity as a home material because it is completely sustainable, antimicrobial, hypoallergenic, biodegradable, and recyclable! Soft and warm to the touch, cork is certainly more comfortable on bare feet than tile or concrete. Consider adding an additional couple coats of polyurethane and keep in mind you will have to redo the coating every few years to prevent water damage.
Duro Design offers both wax coatings that highlight the soft finish of the natural material, and high gloss options which transform the cork to look as refined as hardwood. Globus Cork offers beautiful cork tiles in 40 colors and 20 shapes, to allow for beautiful geometric and mosaic floor patterns. Smooth and refined, you’d never guess it’s cork!
Make sure to choose a cork that has been approved for use in a high-moisture space. Like laminate, it can warp and bubble if water pools on its surface, so cork may be a better choice in half baths without a shower or for families with older children.
Concrete
By: Brickform
Location: Springfield, IL
By: Cement Colors
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Another inexpensive option, concrete finishes add a sleek, modern flair to your bathroom. With many options for color finishes, you can customize your concrete floor to match your style.
However, concrete is not waterproof unless polished, stained, and properly sealed. Also consider a non-slip surfacer to prevent slips and falls on the smooth surface. This is not a good choice for a DIY project, and you’ll want to choose a contractor wisely. Brickform offers beautiful earth-toned stains which can mimic the aged appearance of stone or masonry. We love the fact that they also offer detailed technical instructions and local resources to help you throughout your project.
Cement Colors also stood out to us because they prioritize customization through on-site color matching services. They even offer other concrete products like counter tops so you can connect the concrete theme throughout multiple rooms of your home.
Rubber
By: Dinoflex Recycled Rubber Reimagined
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Here’s a fun kid-friendly option – rubber! Mold resistant, easily cleanable, soft and warm to the touch, rubber is a great option for families with kids. You won’t have to worry about cold toes, slippery floors, or bruised knees.
In the past, rubber flooring has been less popular because it fades and scratches easily and is difficult to replace. Dinoflex removes those worries by creating their flooring in medium tiles that interlock or small tiles that can be glued down. Used in gyms, locker rooms, and schools, their rubber is shock absorbing, high traction, and damage resistant.
About the Author
Caylah Coffeen is a writer and editor sharing her insight on unique home products that help readers make their homes feel more like home. She also mentors fiction authors at her publishing company, Creative Cornerstones, based in Huntsville, Alabama.
