Laundry rooms in most homes experience incredibly high amounts of foot traffic each day; they are also one of the areas in your home that will be exposed to high levels of moisture virtually all the time. As a result, you will need to ensure that you have the right flooring installed that will be able to withstand these conditions for a long time. Below are some options that will be excellent for your laundry room floor.
Luxury Vinyl Tiling
This type of flooring is comprised of several different layers of fused material. In most cases, there will be vinyl backing, a vinyl core section, a printed layer, and a transparent protective layer that prevents wear and tear. Luxury vinyl tile is easy to care for in that damp mopping is needed to keep it clean. Because the seams on this flooring are either extremely small or even non-existent in many cases, far less cleaning is required. It is also highly resistant to water damage, making it ideal in a laundry room.
Sheet Vinyl
If you cannot afford the cost of luxury vinyl tiles, sheet vinyl is another excellent option. It is also available in many different styles and colors, enabling you to find the right match for the rest of your laundry room. Sheet vinyl will be installed on a subfloor in large sections, meaning there will be few to no seams. Unfortunately, it may provide a little less insulation than luxury vinyl tile and may not always last as long.
Ceramic Tiles
Some advantages of installing ceramic tiles on your laundry room floor are that they repel water very well and can be purchased in several different colors, sizes, and styles. Although these can be bought in unglazed or glazed varieties, it is strongly recommended that glazed tiling is used indoors. This will make it far easier to keep them clean, and they will not absorb any water. These tiles can, unfortunately, become slippery if water lies on them, and they will not dampen noise at all.
Stone Tiles
Stone tiling will most likely be one of the best options for a laundry room floor because they are highly durable and stain-resistant and will also boost the value of your home exponentially if you decide to sell someday. These can be purchased in different varieties such as limestone, travertine, marble, and slate, and most will last anywhere from 20 years to the lifetime of your property. Although some stone flooring types can be slippery when wet, choosing textured tiles can avert this. Remember that stone flooring is one of the most expensive options out there.
Epoxy Covered Cement
If you are looking for a flooring solution that will be extremely practical, affordable, and attractive, epoxy coating the bare cement will be a great option. Although many homeowners think that they will be limited to the color of the adhesive when laying epoxy over it, this is no longer the case. The epoxy can be colored to suit your laundry room’s color scheme, making it look beautiful when complete. It’s important to remember that this flooring can become slippery if spills occur. Using rubber-backed area mats in places where you spend time standing a lot can help prevent this.
Installing your Flooring
Although many property owners think it will be easy to install the flooring themselves to try and save money, this is not the case. In many instances, DIY installations will have to be removed and reinstalled because the job has not been done correctly.
It is strongly recommended that you hire the services of a qualified and experienced flooring installer, as this will ensure that everything is completed according to industry requirements. When correctly installed and maintained, most types of flooring will be able to last for many years.
When choosing your new flooring, it is essential that you not base your choice on price alone. After all, you will want an attractive option that lasts for as long as possible before having to be refinished.