When updating a bathroom in your home, floor coverings are always at the top of the list of what gets done. In the past ceramic and porcelain tile were defintely the best choice for bathroom floors. With today’s technology however, they may just become a thing of the past.
The best choice is quickly becoming luxury vinyl planks (LVP) and tile (LVT). Before you question their usefulness for a bathroom, let’s explore 10 reasons why they’re the best option for replacing your current bathroom flooring.
Cheaper Than Porcelain Tile
These vinyl tiles cost mush less than porcelain. Image Source
Porcelain and ceramic tiles look great but they’re more expensive than vinyl tiles and planks. To install them you’ll have to purchase or rent expensive tools. At a minimum you would need to purchase thinset and cutting tools to install the tiles as well as grout to fill the joints with.
Since LVP and LVT are available that simply click together they require no tools other than a razor knife to cut them with and there’s no messy mortar or thinset to deal with.
Easier to install than sheet vinyl
Sheet vinyl comes in rolls of 6-15 ft. length sections. They’re installed by laying out the whole sheet at one time and then cutting the area to fit the room. Bathrooms, which usually have smaller, tighter areas, are difficult to install it in.
You have a toilet, tub, shower, sink and any built-ins to cut around. That takes a lot of time and measuring to get it right. With vinyl tiles, you work with smaller more manageable panels that are easy to maneuver and install.
More water resistant than laminate
Your typical laminate offers great visual appeal, but in the bathroom, its performance drops. Laminate flooring is highly susceptible to damage caused by water from showers, splashing from sinks or any leaks that may occur. Even just the humidity levels caused by hot showers is enough to cause them to retain moisture.
Once water soaks into the laminate sections, rot will form. LVT and LVP is waterproof, so it can withstand pretty much any amount of water thrown at it.
More durable bathroom flooring option than engineered hardwood
It may be hard to imagine, but vinyl planks are more durable than engineered hardwood in the long run. Engineered hardwood is made from wood making it highly suseptible to dents and rotting from exposure to moisture.
Plus, with engineered hardwood you typically can only refinish them one time and if the top layer gets tired looking again there’s no choice but to replace them. Properly installed vinyl planks will stand up to heavy daily usage and they never need to be finished or replaced due to moisture.
It Looks Like Hardwood But Won’t Absorb Moisture
These planks by Armstrong looks exactly like stained walnut. Image Source
We know that LVP can withstand water leaks from sinks, tubs or toilets. What you may not realize is their ability to withstand humid conditions as well. Humidity is a common factor of a bathroom, even with venting fans.
Too much moisture in the air and wood flooring will swell. Vinyl planks will absorb none of that moisture, so you won’t have to worry about them warping or swelling.
You Can Install It Yourself
Installing porcelain and ceramic tiles requires special tools and the job takes at least a couple days to complete. With them, you have to apply mortar to one small section of the floor at a time and carefully set the tiles in the mortar while spacing them properly.
Once all the tiles are laid and the mortar has dried you’ll have to grout the space between the tiles. You must wait at least another day for the grout to dry and then you have to spend more time cleaning the excess grout from the tiles.
Floating vinyl planks and tiles are tons easier to install. All you need to do is cut them and snap them into place. Floating flooring systems can be installed and walked on in one day.
Your feet won’t get cold like they do with stone
This floor looks exactly like travertine, a cold to the touch natural stone. Image Source
Stone doesn’t absorb ambient heat from the room very quickly so they’ll be chilly to walk on, especially during the winter. It bothers some people so much that they never set foot on it first thing in the morning without slippers or socks.
Vinyl, however, stays much closer to room temperature, so they’ll be more pleasant to walk on in your bare feet. No more wasting time running around the house looking for your fuzzy slippers or thick warm socks just to walk into the bathroom.
Unlike Granite It Requires No maintenance
Floating LVT and LVP require little maintenance. All you need is to sweep (or vacuum with a vacuum that’s safe for vinyl) and mop regularly to keep them clean. Should a plank get damaged somehow, all you need to do is replace that particular plank.
Granite floors in particular need to be sealed every six months to a year to keep its’ pores from absorbing moisture or stains. With just about any stone tile you’ll need to scrub the grout lines from time to time and sooner or later you’ll need to scrape out the grout and replace it. Granite makes a great countertop but it’s not the best idea for bathroom floors.
Less painful on your joints than marble
Marble flooring has a luxurious appearance, so who wouldn’t love to see that in their bathroom?
Problem is, however, marble and other natural stone is a hard material. Walking on it can be tough on the knees and ankles, especially for the elderly. Vinyl planks and tiles are softer and allow for more give when you walk on them so that your joints are much less likely to ache.
Less Noisy Flooring Idea than Hardwood
When you walk on wood with hard soled shoes it makes a clunking sound with every step. On the other hand, vinyl is so quiet to walk on you could walk across it with a sleeping baby in your arms while wearing tap shoes and that baby will keep right on sleeping. If a quieter living space is what you’re looking for, vinyl wins every time.
The Best Benefits Of Vinyl Flooring
The DIY crowd will benefit the most from LVT and LVP floor coverings. The ease of installation and the low cost rank pretty high for those wanting to install it themselves. Most people want the look of real wood or stone, without the hassle that comes along with it, and they don’t want to empty too much of their wallets to get it.
Upgrading to vinyl is a cheap investment in your home and will look nearly identical to stone or wood. The next time you update your bathroom, consider using floating LVP or LVT to quickly transform that room into a modern space for you and your family.
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About The Author
Caryl Anne is a guest contributor on behalf of Re-Bath. She has created multimedia content on a wide range of topics.
