Flooring for your Bathroom or ShoweroomNaturally, the type of flooring you select is entirely based on personal choice, although there are advantages and disadvantages to everything. Tiles are ideal as floor and wall coverings since they are hard-wearing, waterproof, scratch-resistant, and easy to clean. Using glass or ceramic tiles allows you to be inventive with design and pattern because they come in all sorts of colours, shapes, and sizes. However, not all tiles are suitable for both floor and walls, and you should check before making a purchase. Remember that tiles can be quite slippery when wet and are cold underfoot. Carpet is much softer to the touch but will get wet if you splash too much water, so rubber or vinyl flooring is becoming a popular alternative; it is warm and quiet underfoot, extremely durable and available in many colours and textures but may need specialist glue or installation. You could also consider under-floor heating, but only a specialist can advise you further on your options here. If you are installing heavy products such as a cast iron bath, then you must make sure that your floor is strong enough to bear the weight. You may need to strengthen the joists, but if this is not possible, then perhaps opting for a lighter-weight acrylic bath freestanding version is the solution. Ceramic tile’s versatility, variety, and durability makes it a popular bathroom finish material. Before making a decision, consider factors such as purpose, suitability and permeability. Vitreous tiles have a dense body and negligible amount of moisture. These are better suited for exterior installations than the softer and more porous non-vitreous tiles. In practice, both vitreous and non-vitreous tiles are used interchangeably in the bathroom as the glaze protects them against moisture. You should also consider the texture when choosing tiles. Although the shiny smooth surface of a glazed or polished material may look great, it can be slippery when wet. It is better to choose a textured or matte glazed material for floors and save tiles for the walls and countertops.
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