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Choosing
bathroom flooring
Floorcoverings form the very base of our living space,
but they can be costly so take time to pick the one that is best for you. We give
you the low-down on the best types of flooring for your bathroom.
Ceramic
tiles
A practical choice for humid areas like bathrooms, ceramic tiles
are durable and come in a huge choice of colours and designs, enabling you to
create unique patterns. On the minus side, they can be expensive and feel hard
and cold underfoot. Some glazed tiles can become slippery when wet, and should
therefore never be polished. If a heavy object is dropped on them they may also
crack.
Laying ceramic tiles is a relatively easy job if you are skilled at
DIY, but take time to plan the job properly. To lay ceramic tiles you need a firm,
level base that is able to take the weight of the tiles. If tiles are being laid
on a suspended wooden floor, cover the floor with plywood and fix to the floorboards
with screws. A flat, dry concrete floor is also an ideal base. Before you start
to tile, mark out the floor and work out the spacing. Start in the middle of the
room and work outwards. You will need a proprietary ceramic floor tile adhesive
that is waterproof and slightly flexible. When the tiles have been in place for
twenty-four hours you will need to apply grout. As with walls, a dark grout is
less likely to look dirty after time. It is possible to buy combined adhesive
and grout. To keep ceramic floor tiles looking good, simply sweep and wash them
from time to time.
Vinyl tiles
Inexpensive, long lasting and
easy to lay, vinyl flooring has the added advantages of being waterproof, warm
underfoot, hygienic and easy to clean. Vinyl tiles are ideal for bathrooms that
suffer from high humidity, and are a great choice of flooring for flats where
some level of soundproofing is required.
Whether you choose plank or easy
to lay floor tiles, vinyl flooring is available in a wide range of colours and
textures. Some designs look like wood, marble or ceramic tiles but are a fraction
of the cost of the real thing. To achieve a good finish, vinyl flooring should
be stuck to a clean, dry, smooth surface. Many vinyl floor tiles are self-adhesive;
others should be laid with vinyl floor tile adhesive. They can be cut to shape
easily with scissors, or a sharp knife held against a straight edge.
Sheet vinyl
Practical and hardwearing, vinyl on a roll has all the advantages
of the above, although it’s even easier to fit, providing you have a clean,
dry and smooth surface. Bought by the square metre, it is easy to cut to any shape
or pattern. For comfort, avoid the cheaper sheet vinyl’s – they can
be thin and feel cold underfoot. To keep vinyl flooring looking good, it should
be swept regularly and washed with a warm water detergent solution, then rinsed
with water.
Carpet tiles
The advantages of using carpet tiles
rather than wall-to-wall carpeting are that they are easier to lay and cut to
shape. Another great plus point is that worn or stained tiles can be replaced
instantly, so always buy extra tiles for this purpose. They are also hard wearing,
slip resistant, stain resistant and bleach proof. When dirty they can be simply
lifted and rinsed under the tap. They are available in cord, loop and twist piles
as well as a range of synthetic fibres in both plain and patterned designs.
Cork tiles
A good insulator cork is light, easy to lay, quiet underfoot
and warm to walk on. The cheapest cork tiles are not sealed and must be finished
with at least two coats of polyurethane varnish immediately after laying. More
suitable for bathrooms are ready-sealed cork tiles that are coated with a tough,
easy to clean acrylic surface and vinyl backing. The down side of cork tiles is
that they can fade in sunlight, or may be easily damaged by cuts, cigarettes,
or household chemicals. Cork tiles are easy to cut to size, and should be glued
using contact adhesive to a dry, smooth sub-floor.
Aluminium tiles
Previously only available for commercial use, aluminium floor tiles are now
available for the home. They are durable, spill-proof and not too slippery. Use
a jigsaw to cut tiles, then simply glue onto a level surface. However, aluminium
tiles are not the cheapest form of flooring and can be cold underfoot, as well
as noisy.
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