Choosing the best flooring option or your bathroom is one of the most confusing and daunting task. Considering that the humidity levels in the bathroom levels are highest in the entire house, you need a flooring option that can fight all the moisture. A water proof or water resistant flooring option would be the right selection. While there are a wide range of flooring solutions available in the market, laminate flooring is what experts recommend for the humid conditions of the bathroom. Most of the high-quality laminates available in the market are water proof or at least water resistant. Moreover, they are versatile, cost effective and easy to care for, which makes them an excellent choice.
Surprisingly, not all laminate floorings are the same and the moisture in the bathroom can affect them. This means that you need to particularly look for laminates that are made to last long even in the moisture.
The experts at the best Dallas flooring companies recommend have a medium density fireboard core. The wax like nature of these laminates prevent water absorption and related damage.
Tips for choosing best bathroom laminates:
Most of the times, the core consideration when shopping laminates is there looks and aesthetic appeal. However, when it comes to bathroom laminates shopping, you need to be more vigilant than ever. As the place deals with a lot of water use leading to high moisture and humidity. Any other type of flooring will fail to fight such extreme conditions but not water proof laminate flooring. Some of the core factors to consider when choosing laminate flooring for bathroom include:
- Water resistance
- Durability
- Budget
- Installation and maintenance
- Aesthetics
You must take care of all the above considerations to ensure you make a perfect purchase. The better you buy, the more benefits you enjoy along with long lasting looks and functionality.
There are different types of bathrooms with unique flooring requirements. You need to take an individualistic approach and make the most customized choice. Further considerations when shopping bathroom laminates are explained below in great details.
Laminate flooring is best for small bathrooms:
You have a large bathroom, laminate flooring won’t last long in such big areas. Instead, they are an excellent choice for small bathrooms usually the attached ones. The reason behind this is that smaller bathroom do not have large water fixtures such as bath tubs leading to more water spillage and damage.
Water proof silicone caulk adds years to the laminate’s life:
When installing the laminate, using silicone caulk is recommended. Silicone is known for its water resistant properties and also for being a great adhesive for the laminate. T can help keep the water away from the laminate and extend its life. It is a tip recommended by the experts.
Try and control the humidity levels:
No matter how premier they are, laminate flooring will sustain damage from water and humidity in the bathroom. It is hence very important for you to try and limit the humidity level in the bathroom. Ensuring good ventilation is a way out to minimize humidity levels, you can add an exhaust to the bathroom and use it whenever you clean the bathroom or take a shower. Also, keep the windows open to ensure air flow.
Do not allow water to stand:
Standing water can damage the best of the floorings and possible anywhere in the house. Because the level of humidity is already very high in bathrooms, the standing water can add to the moisture and can result in serious damage. Make sure to check the slope of the bathroom floor before installing the laminate. Every time you take a shower or wash the bathroom, use a wiper or mop to wipe clean all the water.
Use rugs to make the excess water vanish:
Rugs are added to the bathroom to help you stay on your feet and slip over the watery and slippery floors. However, rugs can also soak in the excess water and prevent it from entering the flooring. You must use as many rugs as possible and then dry them out every day to control humidity levels.
How to check that the laminate is water resistant?
The most important part of the entire laminate for bathroom shopping is to find out if the laminate is actually water resistant. The first thing you need to check is the core material used in the laminate. As aforesaid, you must buy a high to medium core density laminate as they are most water resistant. The best laminates for bathrooms are the ones that have multiple layers. The top most layer of the laminate must be water repelling as it gets exposed to the water the most. Then it is the fireboard core that prevents water from soaking the laminate. Check the laminate for these two properties and you can easily buy water resistant laminate.
Flooring you should never install in the bathroom:
While laminate flooring is the most recommended choice, there are some worst choices for bathroom floorings as well. The experts suggest that solid hardwood flooring, wall to wall carpeting and linoleum, are the worst bathroom flooring options for the bathroom.
We hope that this guide to laminate flooring for bathroom answers all your concerns and offers you enough knowledge to make the right buying decision. Now go ahead and give your bathroom a makeover to make it more attractive ad functional.
