Bathroom flooring has to be different from the flooring used in living rooms, bedrooms and even that of the kitchen. There are various types of flooring that you can opt for when it comes to your living spaces and bedrooms but you cannot choose any and every flooring material as bathroom flooring.
The flooring in your bathroom has to be robust, it should be able to withstand temperature extremes, wear and tear and most importantly, it should be able to withstand humidity and water. There are three challenges that your bathroom flooring faces which the flooring in other areas of your home doesn’t have to brace up for – water, weather extremes and humidity. Owing to these challenges, there are several attributes that your bathroom flooring material should possess.
First, you should think of the various types of flooring that you can choose from. You have tiles, wooden flooring, natural flooring options like bamboo or cork, laminates or vinyl and natural stones like granite, marble or slate among others.
Wood, bamboo, cork, laminates or vinyl are not the ideal flooring choices for your bathroom. There are specific reasons for that. First, none of these flooring options are hard enough, barring hardwood. All these flooring materials are very susceptible to damage owing to moisture. You cannot possibly expect your bathroom flooring to be a porous material or one that is prone to damage due to water. Such materials will not only get damaged quickly but they would cause foundational damage to your home and will be a threat to you and your family. The threat can be understood easily. Cork and bamboo can retain moisture and they can become thriving grounds for bacteria and other microorganisms. Laminates can turn slippery when there is water and you need anti-skid flooring for your bathrooms, which is a basic requirement. Wood reacts to temperature extremes, cannot prevent itself from water damage and vinyl is just not a very organic or desirable flooring option.
Natural stones like granite or marble and tiles such as ceramic tiles are the best flooring that can withstand bathroom wear and tear. Natural stones are nonporous and they are hard enough to take as much traffic as a bathroom is expected to sustain. Ceramic tiles are good bathroom flooring choices but the particular variety of ceramic tiles, known as porcelain tiles, are an even better alternative. Ceramic tiles or porcelain tiles can come with anti-skid features and that should also be given equal significance for your safety.
