Your bathroom is what’s known as a “wet room.” There’s a lot of heat, humidity, and spilling water. If your bathroom has an east, west, or south window, the floors will need to bear up under direct sunlight as well. Because of that, your floors have to be both aesthetically pleasing and able to withstand the environment without sacrificing their beauty. The good news is that there are now many options to choose from when it comes to bathroom floors. Here are only a few of them.
Tile Flooring
Tile is the traditional flooring for bathrooms. The most popular types are ceramic and porcelain. Ceramic tile is made of clay that’s fired at high temperatures. It comes in a nearly limitless array of colors, textures, and patterns. Even the grout can be colored to match the tile.
Porcelain is fired at higher temperatures and contains kaolin. It’s even tougher than regular ceramic even as it’s more brittle. It can come in a rainbow of colors, patterns, and textures custom-made for your bathroom. Of course, tile’s main selling point is that it’s waterproof. Drawbacks are that it’s cold and hard beneath bare feet and is slippery when it’s wet. You can ease this with floor mats, texturing, and even the installation of radiant heat.
Stone Flooring
Stone flooring is expensive, even for a small bathroom, but its beauty and durability are unparalleled. Examples of stone flooring include granite, slate, marble, limestone, and travertine. A well-cared-for stone floor in the bathroom can raise the resale value of your home. Stone is, of course, waterproof. On the other hand, stone is not just pricey but, like tile, can be hard, slippery, and cold beneath your feet. It’s also heavy, and you may need to reinforce your bathroom floor to bear stone flooring properly. As with tile, you can lay warm mats over a stone floor or install radiant heating beneath it.
Concrete Flooring
Concrete has come a long way from the drab, gray, weighty slabs that people associate with it. While some homeowners do go for that brutalist look, concrete can now be stained, dyed, and polished to a mirror shine for your bathroom floor. However, like the other materials mentioned, it’s hard and cold on the feet and can get slippery. However, it’s easy to take care of, though it needs sealing now and then to ward off stains.
Licensed contractors can help if you’re thinking about renovating your bathroom and need advice about available options. Our experts at Charleston Bath Experts of Charleston, SC are pleased to help you find the perfect flooring for your bathroom, so call today.