The bathroom is likely one of the most frequented rooms in your home — after all, it’s where everyone washes their hands, takes showers and gets ready to start their day. Since this room is such a significant part of your home, its flooring needs to withstand moisture and regular traffic. Your bathroom floor should also complement the design aesthetic of your whole house.
At Metro Flooring Contractors, we offer several flooring materials to help you find a product that works for your living space and that suits your style preferences and maintenance needs. Explore bathroom flooring ideas in the guide below to help you make the best decision to complement your home’s design.
Things to Consider for Your Bathroom Flooring
Metro Flooring Contractors is here to help you with the selection and installation of your bathroom flooring. As you start looking at your bathroom flooring options, keep the following factors in mind:
1. The Bathroom’s Size
Whether you’re renovating a luxury master bathroom or a modest powder room, knowing how many square feet you need to cover helps you determine your budget and timeline. A smaller bathroom will cost less money in materials and take less time to install.
During your in-home estimate, we’ll measure your bathroom to find out how much flooring material you’ll need. If you have limited funds and a larger space, you may want to choose an inexpensive material to stay within your budget. On the other hand, if you’re renovating a smaller bathroom, you can use a luxurious material without going over your price point.
2. The Bathroom’s Regular Users
As you consider a flooring material for your new bathroom, think about who will be using it regularly. If you’re remodeling a bathroom for kids, choose a durable material that can withstand excess moisture. Young kids might splash water out of the tub or forget to close the shower curtain all the way. You may also want to look for slip-resistant flooring so your kids don’t slip after coming out of the tub.
In a guest bathroom or powder room, you don’t have to focus too much on finding the most durable flooring material. Instead, you can pay attention to your floor’s aesthetic appeal to impress your home’s guests.
3. The Bathroom’s Uses
What will your bathroom’s primary use be? If you’ll primarily use your bathroom to bathe children or pets, you’ll need a durable material that resists the more frequent splashes from the high traffic of daily use. However, maybe you’re redoing your luxurious master suite. In that case, consider whether you like to take long baths at the end of each day or prefer to take a quick shower before heading out to work.
Knowing how often you’ll use your space can help you decide whether you need to focus on durability or aesthetics. For example, since you won’t use your guest bathroom every day, you can focus on having a luxurious material that enhances your home’s aesthetic.
4. The Amount You’re Willing to Spend
If you’re renovating your whole bathroom, consider how much money you’ve budgeted for your flooring. Some materials are more affordable than others, so you have plenty of options within your price range. However, if you find an expensive material you’d love to have in your bathroom, think about where you’re willing to cut back elsewhere on your bathroom project.
Besides your bathroom flooring, various factors influence your project’s overall cost. You might have to invest in cheaper cabinetry or lighting to make room for a high-class, costly material in your budget.
5. The Bathroom’s Style
Your bathroom’s design should complement your whole house’s aesthetic. A representative from Metro Flooring Contractors can bring samples of our flooring products to your home, so you can see how they’ll look in your space. A flooring material with various color and texture options might suit your style preferences. Some bathroom flooring types can even resemble natural wood or stone at a fraction of the cost.
Think about the colors you’ll use in your design and how you want the bathroom to feel. Bright, bold colors will wake you up in the morning, while more neutral tones create a relaxing atmosphere.
Best Flooring for a Bathroom
With those considerations in mind, next it’s time to examine which type of floor will suit your needs. Explore some of the top bathroom flooring options below, along with their advantages and drawbacks.
1. Vinyl Flooring
While vinyl flooring is a synthetic material, its design can resemble natural wood or stone. You probably won’t notice a difference between vinyl and natural flooring. Luxury vinyl is waterproof, so it’s a popular choice if you want plenty of color and texture options. It’s also easy to clean with a vacuum, dust mop or broom.
Pros of Vinyl Flooring
Consider these benefits of having vinyl flooring in the bathroom:
It’s water-resistant: You can find waterproof vinyl flooring options for your high-traffic bathroom. Even when children, pets and guests splash water on your floors, the planks or tiles will remain free from damage.
It’s comfortable underfoot: This firm surface is comfortable for your feet to walk on. You and your guests may appreciate the relief this flooring material gives to your joints.
It’s easy to clean: You can conveniently clean the dirt and debris off vinyl with cleaning tools you already own. Since this flooring is resistant to liquids, you can also wipe up spills with the confidence that the planks or tiles won’t stain, rot or warp.
It’s the best cheap flooring for your bathroom: Vinyl flooring is easy for professionals to install, which could lower the price and save time on the project. Since your new planks or tile can go on top of existing flooring, you don’t have to rip your old floors. The cost of vinyl is also much more affordable than many other bathroom flooring options.
It’s available in various colors and styles: Whether you’re designing a rustic farmhouse or a mid-century modern bathroom, vinyl flooring comes in plenty of styles, colors and textures to accommodate your aesthetic preferences. Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) in the bathroom can give your living space a high-end look at a fraction of the cost of natural materials.
Cons of Vinyl Flooring
It also helps to know the drawbacks of installing vinyl flooring in the bathroom:
It can get slippery: High-quality vinyl textures have grippy, slip-resistant surfaces. However, smooth vinyl flooring can be a slip hazard when it gets wet.
Water can seep into the seams: While vinyl is moisture resistant, without correct installation, water can get stuck between the seams and damage the flooring underneath. By choosing Metro Flooring Contractors, you can rest assured your floors will be installed using proper installation methods.
2. Laminate Flooring
Waterproof laminate flooring resists moisture and all the everyday wear and tear in the bathroom. Since this material has a durable, low-maintenance surface, it’s an excellent option for this high-traffic area. Like vinyl flooring, laminate can resemble natural stone or wood. Choose a faux wood species and graining pattern that complements your design style.
Pros of Laminate Flooring
Some qualities of laminate flooring that make it an ideal choice for many bathrooms include:
It’s water-resistant: Laminate flooring can withstand the moisture and humidity in the bathroom. Look for waterproof laminate options if you’re renovating a bathroom that your whole family will use.
It’s budget-friendly: Laminate usually costs less money per square foot than natural stone or solid hardwood. Your bathroom can have a luxurious appearance even on a budget.
It’s available in a wide range of colors and styles: Laminate flooring can resemble natural stone tile or solid hardwood planks. Choose a color and texture that complements your bathroom’s overall design.
It’s easy to maintain: Since it’s a hard surface, you can conveniently clean laminate with a vacuum, broom or dust mop. You can also wipe up spills and splashes with a paper towel or soft cloth.
Cons of Laminate Flooring
On the other hand, here are some of the downsides of having laminate flooring in the bathroom:
It’s not as water-resistant as other materials: Unless you get a high-quality waterproof option, such as our waterproof laminate flooring, your floors could be vulnerable to water damage. Even if your laminate floors are waterproof, the flooring underneath might not be. As a result, spills that sit for a long time on your floors can make them swell and warp.
It’s difficult to repair: With some flooring materials, you can replace one damaged plank or tile. However, if your laminate floors rip, break or crack, you’d most likely have to replace the whole floor.
3. Hardwood Flooring
Even though solid hardwood flooring might be vulnerable to moisture in the bathroom, you can invest in waterproof hardwood flooring. With this relatively durable material in your bathroom, you can have a consistent look throughout your whole living space. Hardwood is an ideal flooring option for a small bathroom, like a guest bathroom or powder room, that doesn’t experience much regular traffic.
Pros of Hardwood Flooring
Consider the following advantages of installing hardwood flooring in the bathroom:
It resists most wear and tear: Hardwood has a firm surface that can withstand moderate activity in low-traffic areas of the home. When we install your floors, we can apply a layer of polyurethane finish to your flooring to enhance its durability.
It’s easy to repair: Even if your hardwood gets damaged over time, a flooring specialist can conveniently replace a plank or sand and refinish your existing floor instead of replacing it.
It’s warm and aesthetically appealing: Solid hardwood flooring offers a timeless, inviting appearance for various areas of your home. Putting this material in the guest bathroom gives this part of the house a warm, relaxing atmosphere.
It offers plenty of colors and species: Hardwood comes in various wood species with unique colors and textures. Each plank’s wood graining pattern is like a human fingerprint, different from the others.
Cons of Hardwood Flooring
It’s also helpful to look at the following drawbacks of hardwood flooring:
It’s not very resistant to moisture: Since solid hardwood flooring is vulnerable to water, it can rot over time in the bathroom. If you want to install hardwood in your bathroom, it’s best to get engineered hardwood that’s more resistant to water damage.
It’s often more expensive: This luxurious, aesthetically pleasing material comes at a price. Hardwood flooring usually costs more money per square foot than vinyl or laminate flooring.
It’s high-maintenance: A flooring specialist must be particularly careful when installing hardwood flooring in the bathroom to ensure water can’t seep through the seams. You’d also have to seal and refinish your hardwood flooring every few years to prevent water damage.
Tips for Choosing Bathroom Flooring
Before you make your final decision about what kind of flooring material you’ll want to install, keep the following tips in mind:
Think long-term: While you may like the way a flooring material looks right now, think about how it’ll work with your current lifestyle over the next few years. If you don’t have time to clean a high-end material, the aesthetic appeal might not be worth it. However, a luxury flooring option may offer a significant return on investment when selling your home in the future.
Consider your bathroom’s purpose: How your bathroom will be used will determine your priority. For kids’ bathrooms or rooms the whole family uses, many families choose durability over aesthetics. However, if you’re remodeling a guest bathroom or a luxurious master suite, you may want to think about how it looks instead of how long it takes to clean.
Choose waterproof bathroom flooring: Since this part of your home has plenty of water sources, you need a material that can withstand moisture damage, such as staining or rotting. Waterproof flooring also makes it less likely for you to slip. Even if your flooring is water-resistant, it can get damaged from prolonged exposure to moisture. You may also want to look for a material that will prevent water from soaking through to the subflooring underneath.
See it in person before you buy it: Before purchasing and installing bathroom flooring, make sure you like the way it looks in your bathroom. Go to your local flooring store and request samples to take home and check against your bathroom. If you choose to work with Metro Flooring Contractors, you can also request an in-home appointment with us, and we’ll bring samples to your house before installing your new floor.
Contact Us for New Bathroom Flooring in Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C.
At Metro Flooring Contractors, we’re here to help you find the best flooring for your bathroom. Our team of local professionals offers free in-home appointments to let you view our flooring samples before we install your new floors. During these appointments, you’re encouraged to ask questions and get an idea of what option would be best for you.
Whether you choose vinyl, laminate or hardwood flooring for your bathroom, we’ll help you afford the installation project with easy financing. We also offer a price match guarantee on our major flooring brands. After you choose a bathroom flooring material and accept your estimate, our team at Metro Flooring Contractors will get to work the next day.
