Exotic Bathroom Flooring Ideas

The bathroom is the last sanctuary in any house. Once inside, you can have temporary freedom from the worry of daily chores. Not surprisingly therefore, research has shown that the design of the bathroom is the single most important factor predicting the price of properties.

Traditionally bathroom floors have been limited to ceramic and stone tiles. Modern sealants, water proofing techniques and materials can allow you to have the flooring material of your choice in the bathroom.

Bathroom Flooring Choices

Bathroom flooring needs to be water proof and anti slip. A floor that is affected by moisture, like untreated solid hardwood is, will not be able to withstand the daily soak in water. A slippery floor in its turn can spell trouble for the user. Ceramic tiles and stone floors are resistant to moisture but one is left wishing for more grip when treading on a wet floor.

Instead of traditional tiles you can try cork flooring, glass tiles, engineered hardwood, exotic wood floors, vinyl tiles, bamboo floors and mosaic tiles in the bathroom. You may also explore less commonly used stones like travertine for your bathroom floor.

If you are the adventurous type, you may mix and match different materials in a single floor. If you intend to take this less trodden path do discuss the issue in detail with your interior designer or flooring contractor.

More about Exotic Bathroom Flooring Options

• Stone slabs- marble, sandstone, travertine and granite are some of the stone slab options that you can explore. Do keep in mind that floors made of porous stone like travertine will need to be sealed properly. Also most stone floors become slippery when water is present. Using rugs in critical areas like the bath exit can help safeguard against the risk of accidental falls. You might also use a combination of marble and granite to get a beautiful checkerboard effect.
• Wood Floors for the Bathroom- Teak wood is a good choice for the bathroom. Protected by natural teakwood oil it is resistant to moisture and is durable to boot. If you would like a wood floor make sure that the wood is properly sealed and treated for duty as a bathroom floor. You may also consider engineered wood floors or eco-friendly bamboo floors that are just as beautiful but have better moisture resisting capabilities.
• Natural cork floors- are uncommon, can be stained, are soft on the feet and resist moisture well. You can try cork tiles or mosaic tiles.
• Mosaic tiles – provide better grip to feet. They come in a wide variety of colors and patterns that can enliven any bathroom.
• Rubber flooring– water resistant, soft and anti slip properties make rubber flooring suited for use in the bathroom. There is no dearth of colors and patterns in rubber flooring either.
• Linoleum floors– Linoleum is natural material that resists water well. The color in a linoleum floor goes right through the floor and is not confined to a few millimeters on top.

Whatever flooring you choose for your bathroom proper installation is a must. While you may try to install bathroom flooring as a DIY project, the sealing and water proofing requirements of most flooring choices are better fulfilled by a professional floor installer who understands his material and is well equipped for the job.

Visit our Los Angeles Flooring showrooms for more information about Flooring.