You Have Choices In Bathroom Flooring

Several years ago I was looking to install a new floor in my bathroom. It is a small bathroom and I did not have a lot to spend. As I was going through and looking at all of the bathroom flooring options I began to get a bit intimidated. The salesman was telling me that I wanted to avoid rolled linoleum because it does not last and that ceramic tile is the way to go. My budget kept telling me that linoleum bathroom flooring is just fine and I should go with it. I wound up installing both types of bathroom flooring and I feel qualified to tell you how you should go about choosing your bathroom flooring.

The sales people at the flooring store will tell you that you need a high quality bathroom flooring because your bathroom is a high usage area and linoleum floor will not withstand the wear and tear. Yes the bathroom is a high usage area but it is quick blasts of usage and then it is empty again for hours. You do not have people walking across it constantly like you do a kitchen floor so you can save a little in your budget for your bathroom flooring. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that your bathroom floor needs to be sealed to prevent moisture from getting under it because that will cause a lot of damage and we all know that the bathroom is a place where moisture is very popular.

There Are Two Ways You Can Go

For the main part of my bathroom floor I wound up using a decent quality, very attractive, glossy rolled linoleum. A warning about rolled linoleum, it looks like rolled linoleum even many years later. So if you want to avoid that linoleum look then do not get rolled linoleum. Linoleum tile has a different look to it that may be worth the extra installation time but just be sure you get those squares nice and tight to avoid moisture getting in. My rolled linoleum bathroom floor is still glossy and beautiful nearly 10 years later, it looks just like it did the day I installed it, and since it is a roll I have never had a moisture problem. So rolled linoleum is not only economical but it also solves the moisture problem right off the bat.

If you want more decorative then go with ceramic tile but just be sure you are using the right adhesive and that you follow the instructions for installing a ceramic tile bathroom floor. The look is amazing but ceramic tile can be fragile so make sure you are getting tile that is specifically designed for use in the bathroom. That was the main drawback to a ceramic tile floor, the lack of durability. I installed a partial ceramic tile floor around my bathtub and even though it looks great I have a cracked tile and that just cannot be easily fixed. So be sure you get the very durable ceramic tile for your bathroom.

I could never understand why some people even try this but never install a hardwood floor, or even a laminate hardwood floor, in your bathroom. The main enemy to hardwood and laminate is moisture and you are just asking for headaches if you install a hardwood floor in your bathroom.