Do you have a large bathroom or a small bathroom? Is laminate flooring the right choice for you? Are you a young growing family, on your own or a mature couple? Do you entertain alot in your home? Are you planning to sell your home in the near future or are you putting down permanent roots? Do you have the time and inclination to vacuum often or is the hand broom your best friend? Do you have pets? Do they have the run of the house, including the bathroom? Indoors, outdoors or both? The answers to these lifestyle questions will give you a sense of what flooring is suited to your needs for both the bathroom and the rest of your house. Consider the following pros and cons of these different flooring materials below when trying to decide if laminate meets the flooring needs in your home.

"Summary: Laminate flooring is a hugely practical, popular flooring choice.If you’re thinking of laying laminate floors yourself, consider purchasing the video Installing Laminate Flooring; it shows you everything you need to create a beautiful laminate floor." 

Carpet
Carpet is warm, comfortable and cushy, usually well-warrantied and stain resistant. But as we all know, water and carpets don;t mix so try keeping your carpet to the changing and dressing areas in your washroom. A lower grade will show stains, wear and tear quicker than a higher quality grade, and Berber makes a great choice for kids and pets. Regular vacuuming and spot-cleaning will keep your carpet in good shape but here I have to admit to a personal bias. Vacuuming is not my hobby and I’ve yet to meet a rug that stands up well over time to furballs, pet hair and pet odours. (Though I do recommend the industrial wet/dry shop-vac if you have dogs–we had 3.) Recommended brands–Richmond, Shaw, Coronet, National. For stain resistance, look for the Stainmaster Seal.

Vinyl
Vinyl makes a practical cushioned floor for a bathroom, hallway or kitchen. It doesn’t hold odour and it’s generally easy to clean. It comes in a wide variety of patterns and can even mimic ceramic and hardwood floors. While vinyl is surprisingly durable, with the current trends towards hard-surface flooring few choose it for a family or living room though it is a great choice for your bathroom. We inherited vinyl tile flooring in our living area and it made a good-looking, resilient covering for several years. Recommended brands–Armstrong, Tarkett.

Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tile is a beautiful, practical choice for bathrooms. Available in a variety of tile sizes for floors,walls, detail work and vanity backsplashes. Ceramic is breakable and it isn’t cushy underfoot–if you put it in the bathroom, use a non-slip mat in the standing area. Recommended brands–Casa Roma, Centura, Olympia Tile.

Hardwood
Hardwood is a classic flooring favourite and is slowly making its way back into the bathroom. If you’re concerned about scratches and markings go with a harder hardwood–oak, maple, cherry or bamboo. Eventually all hardwoods will mark, but marks are a characterisitic of wood and floors can always be refinished. The variation in pattern and colour that natural hardwood provides is timeless. If you are putting it in your bathroom just remember to quickly wipe up any excess water as quickly as possible to avoid warping. Recommended brands–Bruce, Laurentian.

Something green?
Bamboo hardwood is harvested from the bark of the tree, which replenishes in about 5 years. It takes 23 years to replace a mature oak tree–and bamboo is 23% harder than oak. Just like regular hardwood in your bathroom, excessive water must be mopped up as soon as possible.

Laminate
Laminate is a hugely practical, popular flooring choice. Plank flooring is versatile and comes in every colour, pattern and finish imaginable, your floor can even look like bamboo, heritage oak or highly polished hardwood. Ceramic and cork are also available on a laminate tile tongue and groove backing for ease of installation. Durable, easy to clean, scratch and stain resistant, laminate can chip if heavy objects are dropped with a lot of force. Mop up spills right away or use a bath mat in your bathroom when stepping out of the tub or shower. Laminate does not do well with excessive moisture but has no problems in hallways, kitchens and living rooms. Some recommended brands are Pergo, Laurentian, Armstrong and Wicanders. If you’re thinking of laying laminate yourself, consider purchasing the video Installing Laminate Flooring; it shows you everything you need to create a beautiful laminate floor.

If you’re considering installing laminate flooring in your home here are some points to help with your decision.

1. It’s durable. Warranties are typically anywhere from 10 to 20 years, telling you that the manufacturer’s have plenty of confidence in their product.

2. It looks clean and it’s easy to keep clean. A slightly damp cloth applied with a microfibre mop-head does the trick just fine.

3. It’s family and pet-friendly. I’ve watched our grandchildren chase dogs, cats and toys across laminate flooring for the past two years with barely a scratch. The floor still looks brand new and it’s at least 5 years old.

4. It’s beautiful. Laminate flooring finishes are so good they’re barely distinguishable from hardwood–and they come in such variety that you can achieve any look you want.

5. It’s affordable–usually two-thirds the price of installed hardwood and much less if you decide to do it yourself.

Thinking of laying laminate yourself? If so consider the video Installing Laminate Flooring it demonstrates everything you need to know, plus it comes with instructions on laying laminate stairs, a complete report and email support for one year! - Article by Marion Taylor

Bathroom design ideas at Bathroomguru Review

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