What's the best flooring for a bathroom?

In this room, you'll never go wrong with tile flooring! This installation is completely waterproof and elegant.


Knowing the difference between the two kinds of tiles is important because they can behave differently, depending on the installation. Porcelain tile is the one seen most often in bathrooms. While all tile is made from clay, this one also includes sand and, in some cases, glass. That makes it heavier, slightly more durable than ceramic, and it has a milky white, translucent quality, with a lot of patterns, from diamonds and hexagons to marble.


Ceramic tile is thinner, but as long as it's glazed, it will be ultra-tough and waterproof. It comes in all colors and designs, so you can use it as flooring, on shower walls, bathroom backsplashes, and accent walls. You can even insert a couple in your countertop installation.


Last, but certainly not least, is glass. Often made of recycled glass, tiles are taken from the landfill, melted, molded and then hand-crafted into shapes ranging from diamonds to squares. They come in all colors and have a brilliant, reflective quality that can make any room shine. They're super tough and much less porous than others, making them stain, mold and mildew-resistant. You can use mosaics as flooring or use them on walls and even outside as a pool floor installation.


What about laminate?

You can get a terrifically realistic look of wood, tile, or stone flooring with laminate, but do remember that it is comprised mostly of wood byproducts, and wood can be damaged by excess water. 


As long as you take the proper precautions to not let water or liquid seep into the wood base, you should be fine with this installation.


In all cases, however, prevention is always better than treatment, so you might want to save this functional flooring material for the powder room, half bath or even for another room such as the living room. (Laminate comes in so many colors, species, and designs that more and more people are using it for other rooms.)


The best thing is to ask your floor expert, or any of our installers, about laminate and how best to maintain it.


For inspiration, visit the Completely Floored showroom in Everett, WA.