Deciding which waterproof flooring to have installed in your bathroom or mudroom can be a challenging choice to make. Finding a
type of flooring that will uphold its beautiful appearance while also staying undamaged by wet, muddy shoes, or splashes of water from the kitchen or bathroom sink can be difficult to find.
Thankfully, there are a number of excellent waterproof flooring options on the market for homeowners and this article will look into a few of the best — their pros, cons, and a brief description.
Waterproof Flooring Type #1 – Porcelain Tile
Porcelain tile is one of the best waterproof flooring options available. Highly customizable and beautiful in your home, porcelain tile is often used in showers, bathtubs, and pools — a testament to just how waterproof it is.
Pros:
- Porcelain tile is easy to clean and maintain. It doesn’t require a lot of maintenance and only needs a couple of minutes of attention every now and then. Just a quick sweep or mop will keep your porcelain tile shining.
- Porcelain is strong. Porcelain tile is highly durable and great for areas of your home that may come into contact with water, mud, and areas of high traffic. A great place to use porcelain tile might be in an entryway or a bathroom.
- Porcelain tile is beautiful. Among the prettiest waterproof flooring options on the market, porcelain tile is guaranteed to suit the taste of almost any homeowner with a variety of designs, colors, and patterns available for you to choose from.
Cons:
- Generally more expensive. Because of its quality and the wide variety of customizable options, porcelain tile does tend to be on the more expensive side of the waterproof flooring spectrum. This may cause some hesitation to homeowners who want something beautiful, durable, and waterproof — while also wanting something that’s budget-friendly.
- Can be difficult to install. Porcelain tile is heavy. Depending on the size of the job, it may require a team of flooring experts to get the job done. Oftentimes, it will take multiple days to complete the tile floor. This also contributes to the high cost, as the laborers need to get paid for their hours installing the floor.
- Can be hard to repair if cracked or broken. Porcelain tile, while being a wonderful waterproof floor and very beautiful, can be a real pain to replace should it become cracked or broken.
Waterproof Flooring Type #2 – Sheet Vinyl
Sheet vinyl is 100% waterproof and among the best waterproof flooring options for many reasons. It’s budget-friendly, customizable for the creative homeowner, and has few (if any) seams — making it impenetrable to water.
Pros:
- Extremely easy to install. If you’ve got the time, you should be able to install sheet vinyl without the help of a flooring crew.
- Easy to maintain. Sheet vinyl is extremely easy to clean and maintain and only takes a couple minutes (at most) each day to keep looking shiny.
Comfortable underfoot. Sheet vinyl is a step down from carpet in comfort but far surpasses the level of comfort from any other flooring option besides. So, if you want waterproof flooring that is soft to walk on, sheet vinyl is for you.
Cons
- Difficult to repair. If sheet vinyl is damaged, the entire piece must be removed and replaced.
- Not eco-friendly material. Unfortunately, sheet vinyl is not made out of biodegradable material — which may cause some homeowners hesitation.
Waterproof Flooring Type #3 – Concrete
Concrete is increasing in popularity as it is easy to clean and has a really simple look to it — making it an excellent choice for mudrooms and garages, as they tend to be heavy in traffic and see quite a bit of water and mud. If properly sealed, it is one of the best waterproof flooring options on the market.
Pros:
- Durability. Concrete is extremely durable and will not be damaged by pet claws, high heels, or furniture legs.
- Easy maintenance. Concrete floors only need to be sealed or waxed roughly every 3-9 months. It’s extremely easy to keep concrete looking amazing — no high maintenance or special cleaning required.
- Life expectancy. Concrete lasts just about forever. It doesn’t show aging, discoloration, or wear marks from traffic.
Cons:
- Extremely hard underfoot. Concrete is far from soft and can create a problem for people who have bad joints or cannot walk comfortably on hard surfaces.
- Concrete can crack. Though concrete is basically eternal, it can be cracked if struck with a heavy item.
- Slipperiness. Concrete when wet is extremely slippery, becoming a slip-and-fall hazard if you’re not careful to clean up spills immediately.
Flooring That Doesn’t Leak
If you’d like to know more about having waterproof flooring installed in your home,
contact Carpet To Go today. Our team of flooring experts would be happy to assist you in choosing the waterproof flooring that best suits your family’s needs.
