Bathroom Flooring: 7 Types of Materials for Your Bathroom

Bathroom flooring can be functional as well as visually appealing. Ideally, the flooring material is durable and easy to clean, as the surface will see moisture regularly. At the same time, floors can enhance the overall aesthetic of your bathroom depending on the colors, patterns, and installation method you choose.

Home improvement manufacturers have gone to great lengths to increase the functionality of bathroom flooring material. Although some homeowners prefer the classic aesthetic of natural stone or wood flooring, the quality of synthetic materials can now better mimic the texture and appearance of natural materials. In some cases, man-made flooring materials eliminate the need for professional installation, making them viable DIY options.

The flooring material you choose for your bathroom can impact the overall cost of your tiling project as well as your ongoing maintenance routine and other factors. In addition to the floor’s appearance, here are a few other considerations to keep in mind when selecting bathroom flooring:

• Durability: Waterproof or water-resistant flooring choices are good options for a bathroom. Laminate flooring and other synthetic options have a finished wear layer that provides a stain-resistant and slip-resistant walking surface underfoot. This protective layer will not only deter the safety hazards wet floors can create, but it will also protect the subfloor from water damage and mildew.
  
• Ease of installation: DIY bathroom floor installation can save time and labor costs, but keep in mind that some flooring options will be easier to install than others. If you prefer real wood or stone flooring for your small bathroom, you might want to defer to professional installation for these more expensive materials. For the average homeowner, synthetic flooring will present a simpler installation process. For example, luxury vinyl tile comes in various colors, and you can install it using the snap-in-place “floating floor” method. This simple process will provide a natural wood look in a fraction of the time it would take you to install stone or wood flooring.
• Material cost: The price of flooring materials can vary between natural and synthetic materials. On average, stone tile costs twice as much per square foot as vinyl tile. Once you account for additional materials—such as wet saw rentals to cut smaller tiles or grout to finish the floor—you could end up paying a premium if you select natural stone over vinyl.

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