Bathroom Flooring Ideas
The Importance of Bathroom Flooring
By Dixie Burden - Ezinearticles
Probably the most important flooring material in any one room, and the least thought about, is the selection that you make for your bathroom. Homeowners will spend extra money to assure proper insulation, HEPA filters on their furnaces for allergens and disinfectants for surfaces to keep their family free from germs but your bathroom is the catch all for mold and mildew.
By Dixie Burden - Ezinearticles
Probably the most important flooring material in any one room, and the least thought about, is the selection that you make for your bathroom. Homeowners will spend extra money to assure proper insulation, HEPA filters on their furnaces for allergens and disinfectants for surfaces to keep their family free from germs but your bathroom is the catch all for mold and mildew.
Carpeting is the worst choice that one can make in covering their bathroom floor. A thick piece of carpet may be soft on your feet and warm in the winter but is a suction cup for dust, mold and bacteria. No matter how hard to try to keep carpeting clean, you cannot fight the warm dampness that attracts ugly pollutants.
Vinyl has been a long standing favorite among homeowners. Inexpensive, practical and easy to clean, vinyl flooring comes in a variety of colors and thickness. The higher the grade, the more costly that it is but durability and longevity is many times worth the price. When installing a one-piece section, make sure that all edges have been sealed properly to keep moisture from creeping under. This will also prevent the edges from curling.
Marble or stone flooring is a good choice for keeping mold and mildew under control in your bathroom but can also be very slippery when wet. Rubber backed rugs are always a good idea when using marble or stone where the surface can become wet just from the steam of taking a shower. When professionally installed, this type of flooring can add value to your home.
Wood floors are becoming fashionable in all rooms, including bathrooms. No matter how beautiful or well protected a wood floor is, however, water and wood just do not mix. Dirt can easily hide in the creases of the planks and the expense of a wood floor is not worth the limited time before it will need replaced. If you are intent on wood in your bathroom, take steps to treat with a penetrating oil finish every six months. Oil will protect the wood from moisture.
One of the newest types of flooring material on the market today is rubber. Inter-locking tiles are easy to install and are resistant to moisture, heat, sound and shock. A good match for any bathroom because it is warm and comfortable plus slip resistant, the new rubber flooring products are a good alternative to vinyl or tile. Colors are dyed right into the material so fading never occurs and with proper maintenance, dust, mold and mildew will not have a place to hide. This type of flooring is expensive and can be punctured if something sharp or heavy hits the surface hard.
You do have choices in what to select for your bathroom flooring but consider your family's health in addition to beauty and care.
Bathroom Flooring Ideas
