The bathroom is one of the most commonly visited and used rooms in the house. We may not realise this, but it’s the first room we visit in the morning and the last one before we go to bed. That’s why we need to make it as comfortable and pleasant as possible. You can do this by incorporating soothing colours and shades, making it ergonomic with the right toilet, drawers and basin, and safe with the right flooring. Nowadays there are many flooring options on the market, and it depends on your personal preferences and style to choose the one that suits you and your needs best.

Vinyl

This material gained a lot of popularity as the perfect bathroom flooring in the last decade, and with a good reason. One of the best characteristics of high-quality vinyl bathroom flooring is its reasonable price, in addition to the easy installation and water resistance. Stone plastic composite (SPC) and wood plastic composite (WPC) are the two main types of vinyl composition. Both materials have a waterproof core, but WPC is preferred because of its superior thickness, flexibility, and resilience.

You can find vinyl flooring in three variations:

Plank Flooring

Plank flooring is not just good for the bathroom, but for every other room in the house as well. It’s scratch resistant and you can lay it atop the already existing bathroom flooring. It’s very comfortable to walk on, so you’ll feel nice while stepping out of the tub, or brushing your teeth in the morning. This variation imitates other textures the best. You can get planks imitating wood, tiles or even marble or stone.

Sheet Flooring

The sheet flooring is one of the best for your bathroom because of the seamless installation. It works perfectly in bathrooms because they are often filled with moisture, or the floor is wet. It’s budget-friendly and easy to install. If you’re a DIYer, this is the perfect opportunity to do a project on your own.

Tile Flooring

This bathroom flooring visually reminds us of stone tiles. The peel and stick installation makes it easier than anything you’ll ever do. If it gets damaged, tile flooring is easy to replace. Tiles are more expensive than their sheet and plank counterparts. This is probably because of the installation process.

The main reason vinyl is water-resistant is that it’s made of PVC. Just be careful not to leave any gaps during the installation process, because water can get into the seams and damage them. Vinyl is also easy to clean, which is a great advantage to have. You can simply vacuum it, or use damp mot with warm water and detergent. It’s a nice insulator and keeps the floor warm underfoot. Of course, it’s softer than tiles or stone which is nice when you step inside first thing in the morning. And the best thing is that you can find an array of different designs that will match any style and design you may have.

Natural Stone

Natural stone is strong and beautiful and always emanates elegance. You should know that it’s a bit pricy and not completely water-resistant. While harder stones like marble and granite can last up to five years without needing to be resealed, softer materials like travertine and limestone have to be maintained and resealed every few years. Natural stone is a great way to raise the value of your home if you don’t mind doing the refinishing every once in a while.

When compared to vinyl bathroom flooring, stone feels cold to the touch. But this is something you can fix with underfoot heating. It is a slippery flooring, just like porcelain and ceramic. So, when choosing the stone, buy the one that’s tumbled or honed rather than polished. Or the third option is to get one that’s sandblasted, meaning it has texture to it. Plus, natural stone is very aesthetically pleasing with its unique colours and patterns.

Porcelain

If you don’t want to struggle with stone, concrete installations or bathroom vinyl flooring in your bathroom, porcelain is one of the greatest replacements that’ll give you the same look. Porcelain tiles are a great wood lookalike because wood isn’t suitable for bathroom floors. You can also mimic natural stone and choose from many different colours and patterns.

The installation process is simpler when using porcelain because it’s light and easy to handle. We recommend calling a professional to do the job if the covering surface is large. Usually, porcelain doesn’t need to be sealed. Tiles are incredibly resilient once you install them. They’re also simple to clean. All you need is a broom, a vacuum, or a mop.

Porcelain is very durable and the main reason for this is the manufacturing process. The minerals go through very high temperatures and make the material highly resistant to breakage. These tiles are thin and you can easily install them over underfoot heating, it won’t affect the space. Because of this you can install them on the wall as well and create a flow of the same pattern from the floor to the wall.

The thing that makes porcelain so good for bathrooms is its water resistance. Plus, it doesn’t stain which is great because some detergents or cleaners can stain other floorings. If you have a large floor, you can use massive tiles with bold patterns. This will look very stylish and won’t interrupt the flow of the pattern. For a smaller bathroom, simpler and smaller tiles will do perfectly.

Concrete

Homes with slab foundations often have concrete bathroom floors. Another option for a bathroom floor is to have a slab or overlay of concrete installed. You can give the slab a modern look with:

• Dyeing;
• Stamping;
• Polishing;
• Painting.

Concrete has the benefit of being entirely immune to water damage and the possibility to last for a lifetime. When you take into account how long this form of flooring will last, getting it dyed or stamped will save you even more money. Just be careful if you leave the concrete with a smooth surface. Smooth concrete is slippery and hard and cold to the touch, so leave some texture to it just to be safe.

Engineered Wood

You know that water and wood usually don’t go together, but engineered wood has a plywood base that’s moisture resistant. It has a hardwood veneer as a top layer and it makes it look like real, natural wood. By installing it, you can add a lot of style and beauty to your bathroom. This is a pricey alternative, and it has one drawback: it’s prone to damage and can only be sanded a few times before you get through the veneer layer.