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Laundry Room Flooring: 7 Best Candidates for You

by Dylan Johnson

Do you feel the challenge when you have to pick the right laundry room flooring?

Laundry room is often neglected because most homeowners would ‘skip’ it and focus on other rooms.

Laundry room is generally hidden one of the reasons why most homeowners don’t think that it would be important to decorate the room.

Vinyl Sheet

If you like the idea that you have a single and yet continuous floor without any seam at all, then vinyl sheet flooring would be the best option.

Vinyl sheet is moisture proof and it doesn’t have any seam at all which makes it perfect for rooms with high level of moisture and humidity.

If your laundry room is not more than 12 feet, then a piece of vinyl sheet would be the most ideal pick.

This is one of the most popular laundry room flooring that will improve the look of the room.

The waterproof quality is quite good and impressive. And if you are able to combine it with the wall base with thermoplastic rubber form (which is a baseboard type), you can expect a highly waterproof quality with reliable performance.

Some of the positive notes are:

  • The floor doesn’t have any seam, so the possibility of water penetrating into the floor would be very slim.
  • The floor has a quite impressive waterproof feature. You won’t have to worry about spills or splash with this floor around.

However, there are several downsides about the floor:

  • The floor isn’t exactly easy when installed in big areas and when you have to do self-installation. It’s because of the sheet roll form. Only professional and experienced installer would be able to do it
  • The floor isn’t exactly beautiful or attractive. The appearance is plain and can be boring

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Luxury Vinyl Flooring (LVF)

If you take a look at the floor from afar, it looks very similar to the wood. LVF is one of the likable and favorable laundry room flooring types.

The solid core is 7mm in thickness and it comes up to 48 inches in length. It’s safe to say that today’s LVF has better quality and performance than the old type.

Not to mention that this floor is perfect as a DIY project, but you need to seam the boards tightly from all (four) sides so you can make the floor remain waterproof.

If you can’t do it on yourself, then you should hire a professional service.

On the pros side:

  • This floor is relatively affordable and inexpensive
  • You can have a DIY project so you can enjoy easy installation which can save money
  • Not to mention that the floor is made from materials that are 100% waterproof

Despite all the great benefits, the floor does have its downsides, such as:

  • It is a seamed material, which means that there is always possibility of moisture penetrating the floor
  • The floor has rigid core, which means that it needs solid substrate too

Tile Flooring

When we are talking about the popular laundry room flooring, we are talking about tile floor which include porcelain and ceramic tile.

They are basically the classic material options because of their durability, waterproof, and cleanliness quality. The floor is easy to clean and maintain.

When you install the floor properly, the floor will maintain its waterproof quality for as long as possible.

However, tiles aren’t exactly comfortable when you have to stand on it for a long time. Not to mention that the floor is naturally cold.

But when you install radiant heating system underneath the floor, you can eliminate the issue.

Here are some of the positive sides of the floor:

  • It is easy to maintain and clean
  • It has a solid waterproof quality
  • It comes with various styles and design options

On the down sides, there are some possible flaws to the floor:

  • The floor is naturally cold and it is also hard
  • For perfect installation, you need inflexible, rigid, and solid substrate
  • To look absolutely perfect, the floor requires flawless installation. However, it can be tricky and challenging for beginner or novice

Concrete

In most cases, laundry room is already coming as the concrete structure. When it is already concrete, you won’t have to install any floor or whatsoever. The floor is already reliable and hard.

The only thing that you can do is to paint, stain, or acid-etch it if you want to improve the look.

If you want to soften the look as well as warming it up (so it would be more comfortable for your bare feet), you can add the area rug.

As one of the most popular laundry room flooring, concrete has some positive sides, such as:

  • Easy clean up. It is very simple and direct to clean or maintain it
  • Durability. The floor is tough, solid, and durable
  • Waterproof quality. The floor is naturally waterproof so you won’t have to worry about spills or splash

However, the floor is also prone to some downsides, such as:

  • It isn’t exactly the most attractive floor to look at
  • The floor is naturally cold which can be uncomfortable for you when you have to stand on it for a long time

Laminate for Laundry Room Flooring

This is one of the most favorable laundry room flooring because of the inexpensive price tag.

The floor itself won’t cost so much, and you can have a DIY installation project that will save you a lot of money.

Laminate floor is often used for the laundry room, but the floor is also prone to water damage. There is always a possibility of water pooling or leakage in the room.

That’s why it is important to seam the floor (yes, the floor does come with seams).

If you want to avoid the possibility of water pool or leak, you should considering placing a pan right under the (washing) machine just in case.

When it comes to laminate flooring, there are some positive traits to like about the floor.

  • The floor is relatively affordable even inexpensive. Don’t you love it when you can make your laundry room look great without spending a fortune?
  • The floor has smooth surface that promotes easy cleaning and care. Cleaning won’t be a drama or fussy, and you won’t have to worry about complicated cleaning or costly cleaning products.
  • The floor is DIY friendly, meaning that you can install it on your own without having to hire a professional and costly installer

Despite all the good sides, there are some negative sides about the floor:

  • The image and wear layers are highly likely to delaminate, especially for long years of use
  • The floor comes with a base from particleboard. This particleboard is prone to water. It is definitely damaged and ruined from water damage

Engineered Wood for Laundry Room Flooring

If you want to have a hardwood look but without the weakness of the hardwood floor, then engineered wood floor would be the best pick.

This type of floor is made from premium plywood base, with dimensional stability. It means that the floor would be less affected by other external disruption, including moisture.

That’s why it is ideal as laundry room flooring candidate.

On the positive side, this floor has several benefits:

  • It can affect the value of the property. A lot of buyers appreciate and value such flooring
  • When compared to the solid and real hardwood, the engineered floor is often a better option

On the negative sides, there are some weaknesses of the floor, such as:

  • It isn’t resistant to water. If it is spills and splashes, then the floor can still take it. But if it is flooded, then the floor will definitely damage. The veneer will likely delaminate if it happens
  • The floor is quite costly. You will have to make a huge spending with it
  • The floor can’t take laundry chemicals. You need to be extra careful with the cleaning products.

Read Also: 4 Most Popular Inexpensive Kitchen Flooring Options

Solid Wood for Laundry Room Flooring

The nature of the floor is porous so it absorbs water. When it happens, it will dramatically swell and shrink. Whenever there is water issue, you will have to address it quickly.

Once the floor is flooded (and you don’t do anything fast enough to deal with it), the floor will dry and then cup in such a way that you won’t be able to sand it.

Wood is undoubtedly beautiful and natural. It has its own natural look that is just attractive and artistic.

Unfortunately, wood has its own flaws. Not only it isn’t resistant to water, but it is also easily scratched and dented. When you have kids or pets or have a busy foot traffic at home, the floor won’t be ideal for the installation.

The benefits of having wood floor are:

  • The floor is naturally attractive and beautiful. You can improve the look of the house without fuss
  • You can sand the surface many times. In home improvement term, it is called as refinishing

On the negative sides, the floor does have its own flaws:

  • The floor isn’t dimensionally stable
  • It is easily affected by water damage. Once flooded, it would be difficult to somewhat fix it. You will have to replace it.
  • It is easily damaged by the laundry chemicals

When it comes to choosing the right floor, you need to consider your own priorities, conditions, and preferences.

You should also take a look at the construction of the house and your family’s daily activities.

After reviewing different kinds of floors and considering their own pros and cons, you should be able to narrow down your options concerning the right laundry room flooring.