Bathrooms

When you think of bathrooms, tile is usually the first material that comes to mind. But luxury vinyl planks can give you all the same benefits as tile—an impermeable surface, easy maintenance—and with a few additional advantages. Luxury vinyl planks come in several different styles and colors so you can choose whatever style best fits your bathroom décor. Additionally, because luxury vinyl planks are softer than tile, they provide extra cushioning for your feet when standing on them for long periods of time.

Kitchens & Dining Rooms

Luxury vinyl plank flooring is also perfect for kitchens! Unlike other materials such as hardwood or ceramic tile, luxury vinyl plank flooring resists water damage and won’t be affected by spills or splashes from cooking and cleaning up. Also, since kitchen floors get a lot of foot traffic, luxury vinyl planks are an ideal option because they are both extremely durable and comfortable underfoot. Plus, unlike wooden floors which have to be refinished every few years, luxury vinyl plank flooring will stay looking new for many years with minimal care and maintenance.

LVP is an ideal choice for your dining room as well. Its durability and waterproof characteristics make it resistant to water and spills, so you don’t have to worry about damage from messes or accidents.

Living Room

For those who want to brighten up their living space with beautiful wood-like grain patterns, LVP is a great way to go—without breaking the bank. Its low cost makes it easier to invest in larger areas like living rooms without sacrificing design style or budget. Plus, its long lifespan meaning it can take a beating! LVP can withstand heavy foot traffic with ease, making it perfect for busy households. And unlike hardwood floors, LVP won’t be damaged by scratches or dents over time.

Luxury vinyl planks are one of the most versatile types of flooring available on the market today. Whether you choose them for their stunning aesthetics or unmatched durability (or both!), they offer something special that other types of floors simply can’t match. From bathrooms to kitchens to dining rooms—luxury vinyl planks can make any room look amazing without breaking the bank! So if you’re looking for an affordable yet luxurious way to upgrade your home interior design game then consider using luxury vinyl plank flooring today!

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Albeit, tiles are a great flooring option for bathrooms, there are things you should be aware before purchasing tiles.

Tiles Tend To Be Slippery

The surface on tiles are not the same. Some are slippery and some aren’t that slippery. The test to determine the surface resistance is called Coefficient of Friction (COF). The lower COF rating a tile has, the least slippery it is – for example, the patio tile outside the pool are considered high because of it’s slip resistant while the surface of ice has a high COF rating. DCOF is Dynamic Coefficient of Friction – today’s standard tile testing.

As stated by the TCNA (Tile Council of North America) ANSI A137.1-2012 says that “ceramic tiles selected for level interior spaces expected to be walked upon must have a minimum wet DCOF AcuTest value of > 0.42. Tiles with a lower value are not necessarily restricted to dry areas only, but rather are restricted to applications where they are kept dry when walked upon. In the case of residential bathrooms, the common use of bathmats can accomplish this. Similarly, in entranceways, the use of entrance mats can accomplish the same.
– Tile Slip Test

Tiles that are meant for outdoor should not be used for interior installs, chances of injury are greatly increased.

The Bathroom Is Not Heavily Walked On

Bathrooms will probably receive the least amount of foot traffic in your home. There is a rating for tile’s prone to surface damage – the Porcelain Enamel Institute (PEI), measures the abrasion resistance, scores range 1-5. Bathrooms tiles should be a PEI 2, suitable for it’s low traffic.

Porous Tiles

Indoor tiles are less forgiving when it comes to water seepage. Any type of tile (ceramic, marble, porcelain, limestone, slate, travertine) can be used for indoor flooring. Outdoor tiles are the ones prone to crack from water entering it. If water does enter the tile and temperature drops below freezing the tile will crack. Outdoor tiles need to be made of only porcelain, which has the lowest absorption of water.

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Bathrooms and kitchens are considered to be high-moisture areas, which basically means your flooring – if it’s not a high-moisture / water resistant material – may pay the price (well, so will you in the long run).

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Floors for Bathroom

Not all floors are equal. There are many types of flooring: vinyl, hardwood, tile, bamboo, and laminate flooring, though not all can withstand the high-moisture of a bathroom.

Hardwood especially comes to mind. Natural wood absorbs water. Wood flooring wouldn’t be a first choice or last choice to install in a bathroom, unless it’s engineered wood – even then it is not recommended as it doesn’t perform well with water on it; but it can handle the moisture, which makes engineered flooring great for kitchens and half bathrooms.

What’s considered high-moisture?

Ideal moisture / humidity inside a house is between 40% – 50%. This range is ideal for good indoor air-quality, prevent mildew, dust mites, and slow bacteria growth. When it comes to flooring, high-moisture may expand your boards, swelling with moisture – and if your flooring hasn’t acclimated to your home’s moisture prior to installation it may buckle once installed.

Bathroom areas will definitely go beyond the ideal humidity range after a shower. With time and shower frequency, flooring (again, if it’s not high-moisture / water resistant) will swell and buckle. And, don’t forget, your bathroom floor, if it is a full bathroom, will encounter water, and most likely small pools of water – this alone is a determining factor in choosing the best floor material for your bathroom install.

Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl is very durable. It is resistant to steam, humidity, moisture and water.

Vinyl Tile

Vinyl tile is fairly easy to install – which makes bathroom install relatively quick.  However, there is a draw back. Vinyl tiles may allow moisture in through the seams between tiles to penetrate passed the water-resistant material and reach the subfloor.

 Vinyl Sheet

Vinyl sheet is an ideal choice for a vinyl install as the sheets are wide enough to only have a few seams, minimizing moisture exposure. Drawback: measuring sheets for bathroom install can be very difficult and tedious, and any mistake may cause you to ruin your vinyl sheet  – throwing money away.

Something to consider: individual tiles can be replaced if they get damaged, but with a vinyl sheet the entire flooring needs to be ripped up and new vinyl flooring reinstalled.

Laminate Flooring

Laminate is a superior bathroom flooring option when compared to hardwood. The surface of the laminate is water & humidity resistant.

Laminate planks offer very tight seams against one another – making moisture almost impossible to penetrate to subfloor. Though, if moisture or water does penetrate the surface and reaches the sides of the plank it will take only a few hours to noticeably see damage. Once in contact with water, the exposed plank will begin to swell, bubbling the laminate surface – it will not return to its original shape.

Unfortunately, there is no waterproof laminate flooring, only the surface of the laminate is what is resistant to water and humidity.

Tile Flooring

Ceramic and porcelain tiles are very resistant to water and humidity, which makes this material the ideal choice for bathroom installs. Tiles come in different shapes and sizes, they also can be used on walls – a great option for the designer that would like to match floor with wall. Actually, tiles are very versatile when it comes design, even the grout can be colored to make a feature pop or highlight the tile’s hue.

However, tile install is more time-consuming than the other flooring options talked about in this article.

If you are up for the task of laying down flooring for the bathroom, go for it. But if you are not that handy, don’t have enough time to complete install or not confident to instal flooring in a bathroom, consider calling a professional installer.

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