With laminate flooring being popular today and people installing it throughout their homes, most people don't take the time out to consider whether this is a wise choice for your bathroom. Although the look of laminate gives you a warm feeling, there are many options to be considered before purchasing laminate floors.

As an example there are many ceramic tile and porcelain choices that resemble the look of wood without having to worry about being careful when maintaining your floors.

No Water

Laminate floors cannot have any standing water on them because if the water seeps through the seams of the planks, it will cause the floor to eventually curl up and buckle. Some people solve this problem by filling the seams with glue during  the installation and putting glue in between the planks Although it is questionable as to whether this really works or not.

Caring For Your Laminate Floors

Laminate floors require special care and maintaining. Daily cleaning needs to be done with specific products made for laminate floors, unlike tile floors, which don't require any specific products for cleaning.

Replacement

Suppose a chip or a crack develops in a portion of the laminate floor. Repairing it is nearly impossible as you would have to remove the entire floor. You cannot remove and replace one plank. On the other hand, if you chip or crack a tile, you can easily replace it, as long as you have spare tiles on hand.

Alternatives

If you like the look of wood, there are many beautiful ceramic and porcelain tiles that look like real wood. For durability, long wear and easy maintenance, tile would probably be the best choice for a bathroom floor. If you prefer vinyl, there are a variety of sheet vinyl and peel and stick planks of vinyl that look like real wood also.

Although even with the vinyl peel and stick planks, again there should be some concern in the event that standing water develops in the seam area and possibly causing the planks to become too moist and begin to lift.

In conclusion for the obvious reasons mentioned laminate floors in a bathroom are probably not a good idea. So next time you are considering replacing your bathroom floors consider all these options and consider the alternative choices.

Although initially it might seem like a huge expense but if you consider the cost as long term and not having to replace your floors often then this might the expense you won’t want to take short cuts on.

Robert is an interior designer that specializes in bathroom remodeling. Robert focuses on purchasing products from independent vendors such as Auga Flux. When not working, Robert enjoys photography and outdoor activities.