Sunday, August 3, 2008

Picking The Best Bathroom Flooring

There are two considerations when it comes to flooring (as with many choices that you have to make in your bathroom renovation pro1C4Fject). Can we describe them as style and substance to borrow from the old aphorism. Do you want your floor to be all style and no substance, all substance and no style or a bit of an all rounder. An all rounder is the obvious response but you may have other things in the room that you want to set the style of the room, like an elaborate statue, modern vanity units or an unusual whirlpool tub. In this case you want a functional flooring that helps to show off these features. If you have no other features that you want to show off then maybe your flooring can be super stylish or have an elaborate pattern and be the main feature of the room. Of course these choices come down to your personal likes and your budget. This article will examine some considerations when picking the best bathroom flooring.

In terms of cost tiling is probably the most expensive flooring. Then comes laminates and vinyl. Some people use carpet in their bathrooms but this is generally going out of fashion as it is harder to clean and doesn't really react very well to moisture. It pays to shop around either physically or on the internet for good deals for these types of materials. Often there will be an end of line material that is going cheap so you may end up getting a cheaper tile flooring that may be a few years old than the latest vinyl patterns. If you do this however, ensure that there is enough of this material to cover your bathroom (with a few spare tiles for any mishaps during the installation).

Another consideration with bathroom flooring is who will install the flooring. Whilst it is a good learning experience to lay the bathroom flooring you probably don't want to learn this skill on a super expensive Italian ceramic tiling that costs $20 a square foot. You probably want to hire a professional or even the person that sold you the tiling to install it. If you are installing a vinyl tiling or sheeting then this is relatively inexpensive and could be a good project to get your feet wet. This all comes down to cost in the end.

Ceramic tiling looks great and is the best way to make a statement in your bathroom. This is your all style material however it has many practical qualities. It is extremely durable and will last a lifetime.

Laminate is a fairly new material in the bathroom (and homes in general). It is cheaper than tiling and can come in some impressive designs, like pine flooring or a stone effect. It is easy to install. It comes with an underlay that gives it a sense of give and dampens any noise when you walk on it.

Vinyl comes in sheets or tiles. Vinyl sheeting is probably the cheapest and easiest to install. It is a great material to use for DIY projects. This is because you can make mistakes and it won't cost too much. Vinyl is also durable but will wear out quicker than the other materials. It is also liable for fad in terms of color and pattern over time.

If you want to breathe new life into your home or are simply looking for a little inspiration then visit http://www.finehomeideas.com The site gives tips and advice for home renovation and interior design, including a review of bamboo flooring and tips for laying bathroom tiles. Adrian Whittle writes about ideas for making your home special.

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