What Flooring Type Is Best For Your Laundry Room?
When it’s time to design or remodel your laundry room, the flooring choice you make really matters.
Your laundry room flooring has to be able to stand up against the battle of potential scratches, heat, humidity from appliances, denting, and the occasional spill or leak. Your flooring should be water resistant (if not completely waterproof), easy to clean and maintain, and (of course) very durable.
So, let’s first take a closer look at the points you should consider, then the best and worst flooring options for your laundry room to help you make the best selection.What to Consider When Choosing Laundry Room Flooring
Purpose
How will your family use the laundry room? If it’s a mudroom that also serves as an entrance to the home, for example, you might want flooring that’s able to withstand heavy foot traffic and muddy sneakers. If, on the other hand, it’s a separate room in an entirely different area of the house that’s used primarily by one family member in their slippers, your flooring might not have to be quite as heavy duty. Ask yourself how often you and your family will be using this area, then make your decision about the remaining factors accordingly.
Price
How much money are you willing to spend on your laundry room flooring? Every type of flooring will vary in price based on the material. Depending on how often you plan on using the laundry room it might be worth it to invest a bit more money into a more durable or attractive type of flooring. If, on the other hand, your laundry room likely won’t see much use, you might decide to choose a more affordable type of flooring. Remember to also think about the size of your laundry room when you set your budget, as it will cost more to purchase flooring materials to cover a larger room.
Aesthetic
Is the appearance of your laundry room flooring important to you? People who plan on spending a significant amount of time in their laundry room may prioritize how aesthetically pleasing the flooring is. You might also want a great looking laundry room if it also serves as an entrance to your home that guests may use.
Durability
Does your laundry room flooring need to be more durable than anything else? This is an especially important consideration for households with pets that might be turning around with long nails and tossing around hard chew toys and bones. Kids might also be rough on your laundry room flooring if it’s in an area of the home where they might run through or store toys and sports equipment. Think about how much activity this room will see then decide how durable your flooring will need to be to withstand it.
Location in Your Home
Where is your laundry room located in your home? It could be in your basement, the garage, on the second floor, the first floor, or another area of the house. The placement of the laundry room will affect the type of flooring you should choose because it changes the environment the material must be able to exist in. For example, basements typically have more moisture than other rooms of the home so you need a more moisture-resistant type of flooring if your laundry room is in the basement.
Maintenance Requirements
How easy to clean do you need your laundry room floor to be? If you can already see the kids tracking their muddy sneakers and dirt-covered soccer cleats through the laundry room, or if you anticipate there will be lots of spills or pet messes in this room, make sure you choose a type of flooring that can stand up to this. Remember, you may be using cleaning products that contain chemicals that could leave stains on some types of flooring. For households that might not use the laundry room quite as often, however, easy maintenance may not be as important to you as saving money.
Best Flooring for Your Laundry Room
Vinyl
The main characteristic that makes vinyl materials suitable for the laundry room is its durability. Also, it’s pretty inexpensive. The only thing to really keep in mind is that the subfloor needs to be clean and flat so it can be installed correctly.
Now let’s get into the three types of vinyl to choose from:
- Vinyl Tiles – Vinyl tiles are affordable, highly durable, and easy to clean and maintain. They’re simple to install and single damaged tiles can be replaced without having to replace the entire floor. Vinyl is also highly resistant to chemical stains and water. The choice of tiles allows you to create a unique design element in the laundry room without commiting to a great deal of expense.
- Vinyl Sheets – Vinyl sheets are the most waterproof out of the three and they’re exactly how they sound. They are sheet rolls that come in how much square footage you need. They are then adhered to the subfloor with an adhesive that the manufacturer recommends. Sheet vinyl is easy to maintain and comes in a variety of colors, styles, and designs to go with your space’s decor. The only big disadvantage is that, since it’s one big sheet, dropping something sharp or dragging something heavy can puncture and scratch the surface which would then have to be completely replaced.
- Luxury Vinyl Planks – This is the higher end choice when compared to vinyl tiles and sheets. They come in endless amounts of styles and qualities and the planks themselves are durable and waterproof. However, any sitting water that might seep into the seams may cause some damage.
Ceramic
Ceramic tile is one of the best flooring choices for a laundry room from both a design and durability standpoint. They’re water and chemical resistant, and ones with natural finishes are more scratch resistant than ones with a high polish finish.Natural Stone
You can’t beat the look and durability of natural stone tiles like slate, travertine, marble, and limestone to name a few. They add an elegant, natural touch to your laundry room and are easy to take care of with a simple dry sweep or damp mopping. The only downfall is that it can be a bit expensive to install. Also, it’s important to make sure they’re well sealed to prevent staining from possibile laundry detergent chemicals
Tile
Tile flooring is one of the most durable and longest lasting options for laundry rooms as long as you follow proper maintenance routines. Tile is water-resistant and easy to clean.
But when you have tile flooring in your home you need to maintain and clean it regularly. The grout between each tile can become dirty and damaged over time, an issue you can either fix yourself or hire a professional to do.
Laminate
It’s easy to love the idea of using laminate flooring. It’s hard to stop thinking about how gorgeous the wood looks in your home and how it can survive pet claw scratches and crazy kid traffic. But the other thought that comes to mind is how it’s not totally waterproof. Well, we have good news. There are actually waterproof and water-resistant laminate flooring options out there today. Let’s discuss the difference between the two really quickly so that you can understand them better when choosing.
Water resistant means that a certain element of the flooring is designed to withstand water better than normal. This typically means that you can have some water on the surface for a while before it goes through. So, if you can’t get to the spill right away, water resistant laminate floors will buy you some time.
Waterproof means that the water will never be able to penetrate the flooring, no matter how much time has passed. While these two types are different, they have one thing in common: they’re great options for the laundry room floor.
Waterproof Hardwood
Yes, you can have hardwood laundry room flooring. Waterproof hardwood works so well because each plank is protected all the way through from water damage. This means exposure to water won’t cause your planks to swell or gap as long as it is cleaned up in a reasonable amount of time.
Waterproof hardwood looks like any other prefinished hardwood floor so you can have your pick from all the hardwood species and types of wood flooring. You will find, though, that this can be a costly option.
Laundry Room Options to Avoid
Carpet
While having something soft underfoot while working in the laundry sounds nice, wall to wall carpeting is not an ideal choice. Imagine for a moment that your washer overflows or begins leaking. Now you have both an appliance repair problem and a room full of carpet to rip out and replace. Also, many laundry products will harm the carpet and cause damage that’s impossible to remove if spills happen (and they do). And even the best carpet brands will pick up all the dust and lint from your dryer, trapping them in the carpet fibers, so carpet isn’t the most sanitary choice for your laundry room.
Solid Hardwood
Buying solid hardwood floors for your laundry room is equivalent to throwing away a large amount of money. We definitely get the appeal of this beautiful flooring option, but you can easily get the same look with waterproof hardwood or engineered wood instead.
Water, traffic, detergent stains, and heavy machines are all enemies to this flooring.
Pro Tip: Get Advice from a Professional
Talking with a flooring specialist is a smart way to make sure you’re covering all your bases when you choose your laundry room flooring. They’ll be able to bring points you might not have thought of as well as suggest laundry room floor ideas specific to your unique situation.
At Dodgson Floor we want to make sure you’re happy from your first step in our showroom to your first step on new flooring, and as your partner in home design, we’ll be there every step along the way. Consider us your one stop destination for all things flooring….(and window treatments)!
If you’re ready to update your laundry room flooring, schedule an appointment with Dodgson Floor & Window Coverings today. You can also contact us with any flooring questions you have or to request more information about our products and services. We look forward to helping you with your laundry room floor and other flooring needs.
