The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Perfect Bathroom Flooring

For most of us, the bathroom is a sanctuary to unwind and relax after a tiring day. It’s also a space that’s increasingly seen as a style statement. Whether it’s a luxurious en-suite or a powder room, installing stunning new flooring in a bathroom can revive it instantly.

But the bathroom poses very specific challenges. Flooring, in this case, cannot be an after-thought and has to be carefully planned – to ensure it can withstand every challenge, while looking great for years.

If you need a starting point to help you decide on a bathroom floor, the below is a helpful checklist of the aspects you need to consider.

Ensure your floor is 100% waterproof

This goes without saying. Your bathroom is the one space in your home that is exposed to the highest amount of water and moisture. We are talking kids splashing around, pets shaking off water, steam from the shower – every single act to do with water is potentially damaging to your floor.

Real wood is, of course, out of the question in bathrooms. Any amount of moisture is bad for wooden floors, which tends to warp and rot. Ceramic and Porcelain tiles, which are the most popular bathroom flooring choices are also not that appealing when they come in contact with water. The grout joints get grimy over time and mold starts to settle in. Imagine the pain of scrubbing them away with a toothbrush.

The thing to remember here is to look for waterproof and not water-resistant. Water-resistant floors, like engineered wood floors can only resist water and will, eventually get damaged with continued exposure to moisture.

Here comes the good news. Luxury vinyl floors are 100% waterproof, meaning they are completely impervious to water. The Pro-Tek™ range has a strong multi-layer construction, with a rigid core of SPC or WPC. The rigid core is what gives the floors the waterproof feature, while the other layers lend it more stability and strength.

Go for easy maintenance

We are sure you want to spend more time relaxing in your bathroom and less time cleaning it. When you look for bathroom flooring, consider how easy the material is to clean and maintain. As mentioned earlier, while natural tiles are a popular choice, you’ll be scrubbing away at the grout lines to ensure mildew and mold doesn’t develop.

Install floors that can easily wipe clean and won’t leave stains behind. Low-maintenance flooring should never have to be refinished and it should not show dirt easily.

Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT) make life much easier when compared to traditional bathroom tiles. They look exactly like natural slate, marble or travertine, without any of the hassles associated with them – including the heavy price.

Maintaining vinyl floors is a breeze. No grouts, no cracks or polishing to worry about. A simple mop is all you need to wipe off stains and a weekly clean up with LVT compatible cleaner – and that’s just it. What’s more, LVT is stain and scratch-resistant, which just adds to its overall appeal as a flooring choice for bathrooms.

Look for ease of installation

Besides ease of maintenance, look for floors that are easy to install as well. Whether you are going DIY or hiring a professional, it would work in your favour to find a floor that’s quick and easy to install. After all, you don’t want to be waiting for days to get your bathroom in working order again.

Real wood and tiles as flooring choices are time-consuming, laborious and heavy on the budget. Besides, you will have to remove your existing floor. But what if we told you that there is a solution that takes you just a few hours to install and looks just as good? Luxury vinyl planks with click lock technology, like Pro-Tek™ Uniclic are every DIY person’s dream. You simply click the planks or tiles in place and it’s good to go. You don’t even need to prepare the sub-floor anymore. Vinyl floors can be easily installed over your existing floor.

Imagine – no more dealing with the tiresome mess of glue, grout and long drying times. Just click and start using your bathroom right away.

Find your style

Functionality aside, we do realize you want your bathroom floor to look stunning too. If you are keeping up with current décor trends, you would know that black is being increasingly adopted to give bathrooms an intensely luxurious and sophisticated look. Black Vesuvian Marble tiles paired with gold or chrome fixtures would be a stunning addition to your bathroom if you want to explore dark tones.

If you desire the warmth of wood without its disadvantages, consider wood-effect luxury vinyl planks. The choices are incredibly versatile and you will find a wide variety of colours, textures and finishes to complement any bathroom. From the gorgeous graining of Oak to the sumptuous textures of Walnut.  

Another hot favourite right now is the Checkerboard pattern for bathrooms. It’s hitting all the right notes – bringing nostalgia and elegance back with a graphic black and white tile look.

Parquet floors, like Herringbone are also being considered for the bathroom. These beautiful geometric floors are great for adding expanse and movement to the bathroom. Soothing and stunning at the same time.

If you would like to play it safe, you can always choose flooring in a neutral tone that will be easy to coordinate with any bathroom fittings and fixtures. Whatever your style, Pro-Tek™ has a floor for you.

Consider your budget

If your bathroom renovation is on a tight budget, look for floors that work within those constraints. Factor in cost of materials, installation and professional help. Some materials are more expensive than others, and when you add in the cost of installation, the expenses could really add up quickly.

Here too, luxury vinyl floors come to your rescue. Besides the ease of installation and maintenance, luxury vinyl is suitable for all budgets. In fact, the Pro-Tek™ Editions Essential collection offers premium quality, value for money planks that take into consideration every budget and taste.

Elevate your bathroom with stunning floors

At Pro-Tek™, we have a plethora of options to choose from to make your bathroom as spa-like, glamorous or classic as you like. If you need assistance deciding on your bathroom floor, we are around to help you make the right choice.