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Flooring for shower room


What is the Best Flooring for Bathrooms? – The Good Guys

Believe it or not, your bathroom is one of the most important rooms in your home. A basic necessity for everyday convenience, bathrooms are a key feature of any home whether you’re in it for the long-haul, or considering resale. So, it’s no surprise that when it comes to remodeling, even more so than when initially purchasing a home, bathrooms are typically near the top of the priorities checklist list. 

These important spaces, however, come with some special considerations when it comes to finishes – in particular the flooring. And the main fulcrum for these considerations: water. That’s right, water in all of its various forms can wreak havoc on the home, and bathroom flooring often catches the majority of errant water.

Whether from overspray, spill, leak, drip, or just kids being kids, the simple fact is that water will inevitably end up on your bathroom floor, and the walls, and even the ceiling! It’s utterly unavoidable, and your bathroom must be able to stand up to that barrage of fluid.  

For that reason alone, when considering a bathroom remodel, it’s a good idea to research your options to determine what really is the best bathroom flooring for your project. There may be more to it than you think!

Bathrooms Need Waterproof Flooring

In this post we will cover mostly waterproof flooring options. Not sure what is the difference between waterproof and water-resistant? Water-resistant flooring can, as the name implies, resist water, but water can, and eventually will, penetrate and damage the flooring.

When selecting flooring, water-resistant flooring is a great option for a number of rooms in the home where water is a consideration.  For example, kitchens, basements or laundry and mudrooms. Water-resistant flooring is generally less expensive than waterproof flooring, due to the plywood or MDF core materials used in its construction being less expensive. But these porous inner-materials are also what contributes to swelling, warping and peeling when exposed to moisture. Picture a wood veneer top glued to a sponge that has been left to soak up water.

Waterproof flooring is completely impervious to water. Water can sit on it or even penetrate the surface of the flooring without damaging the material, or (arguably more important) the subflooring beneath. Waterproof flooring is considered impermeable to water or moisture. And the materials used to construct the flooring to make it waterproof also prevent mold and mildew development as there is no moisture permeation.

Keeping this in mind, when selecting your materials for bathroom flooring, the best options are really the waterproof options. Water-resistant flooring can often weaken from even the inherent moisture and humidity that occurs in a bathroom. And for many of them, once they’re damaged, these water-resistant boards cannot be repaired, leaving a full replacement as the only viable option.

We’re going to cover the best options for waterproof flooring, specifically bathroom flooring, after all, this piece should give you some great bathroom flooring ideas! But before we do, let’s talk about what NOT to do. Not to start on a negative foot, but let’s get this out of the way first.

Don’t Do This in Your Bathroom

Again, not to be Captain Negative, but there are just some flooring options you don’t want to select during your next bathroom remodel. And they may surprise you. 

Carpet

Carpet is great for softness underfoot. It comes in a variety of loops, weaves, patterns and colors. It’s inexpensive. It adds style and beauty to many rooms. It’s dated and horrible for the bathrooms. 

If you grew up in the 1970’s or 1980’s, you may remember carpeted bathrooms. Carpeting soaks up moisture from the air, or water from dripping and overspray, holds it, and turns it into mold and mildew. Mold and mildew can lead to respiratory issues and damage to your subfloor. We won’t even go into the germ factor, but as most of us are aware, bathrooms are a yucky place. Do you really want a bathroom floor that you can’t wash thoroughly?

Hardwood & Laminates

Hardwood floors are a great choice in many spots in the home. Timeless looks. Durability. Can be refinished, offering decades of great flooring in nearly every room of the home. Nearly – not all. Don’t put them in the bathroom. In order for hardwoods to work in a bathroom, they would have to be perfectly installed and perfectly sealed from moisture. Otherwise, water will penetrate, and they will rot eventually. Plus, they will need to be re-sealed with a polyurethane type coating more frequently than if they were in another room without the moisture challenges presented by a bathroom. 

Laminate flooring and engineered woods are also not the greatest choices for bathrooms. While engineered wood does have real wood layers at the top, you have to ensure it is fully sealed as well. Often the material underneath the wood layers is not waterproof or even water-resistant. Such is the case with laminate floors, which typically are not great with water, requiring spills to be cleaned immediately or risk swelling and warping. 

Remember, your flooring professionals at The Good Guys can always help you navigate through options of water-resistant vs waterproof flooring and bad vs. good world of bathroom flooring. So don’t hesitate to reach out before you start your project. Get The Good Guys involved early and use our experience to help with planning and product selections.

Now, let’s get to the good bathroom ideas, shall we? The right floors for the most used room in the house!

Best Bathroom Flooring

When it comes to making a good selection for bathroom flooring, waterproof materials are critical, as we established. Typically, this means harder surfaces, rather than soft ones that will trap water. Remember absorption is the enemy – looking at you, carpet. 

Ceramic or Porcelain Tile

The most popular choice for bathrooms is tile. Specifically, ceramic and porcelain tiles are great options for bathrooms. Tile flooring is resilient, waterproof, available in a variety of colors and designs, and generally less expensive than other hard surface options. Porcelain tiles specifically absorb less water than any other ceramic product. Ceramic and porcelain can handle even pools and puddles of standing water, which makes them great options for shower tile. 

Tile does have some features that are often perceived as “cons” by some buyers. Tile is a hard surface, so it’s often called “hard” or “cold” or even “sterile”.  While it’s true that standing for extended periods of time on tile can be uncomfortable, that is true for any hard surface, and temperature of the floor can be addressed as porcelain and ceramic both work well with radiant flooring systems. As for sterile, that’s great! Tile doesn’t absorb water and germs and cleans easily, which makes it a great option for sterile environments. 

One potential drawback to tile is that it can be slippery when wet, and bathrooms are generally always wet. This is not specific to porcelain or ceramic tile, however. This is true of many hard surface options, however, as porcelain and ceramic tiles are often baked to a smooth finish, people often think of them as more slippery than other surfaces. For tile flooring, especially in a shower, find a tile with a textured surface for safety.

Natural Stone Tile

Another great bathroom flooring option is natural stone. There are a wide variety of natural stone options from granite to marble and even limestone. Natural stone tile offers many of the same positives of ceramic and porcelain tile. Resilience to wear, waterproof, variety of naturally-occurring colors and patterns, stone is offered in tiles, planks, even mosaics backed with mesh to hold the smaller tiles together. 

There are a few things to consider when looking at stone as an option for bathroom flooring, however. Stone can be difficult to install for the do-it-yourselfer. Be aware of this if you attempt this project on your own. Stone can be slippery like tile, but grout patterns and finishes applied after to “rough” the surface can minimize this. It can also require more regular maintenance than other options, as some stone products require periodic applications of sealant to maintain the stone finish and prevent penetration of dirt and debris, or absorption of moisture.

The largest drawback to many customers looking at natural stone is cost. Natural stone offers a luxurious finish for any bathroom, but it can come at a cost. Stone is one of the most expensive flooring options available. It is a natural, and therefore limited, resource which accounts for the additional cost to extract and manufacture stone flooring. 

Waterproof Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl, however, is on the less expensive side of bathroom flooring options. The “vinyl” category encompasses a variety of different product configurations, which are rapidly becoming some of the most popular flooring options on the market today. WPC and SPC Vinyl is a great waterproof option for bathrooms and other wet, high traffic areas. Vinyl can look like wood planks, stone, and even ceramic tile. 

WPC and SPC Vinyl flooring are rigidcore products, combining the durability, scratch resistance and waterproof features of vinyl. More commonly offered in planks but can be found in square tile as well, the core of these products are made from wood or stone polymer compounds and protected by a wear layer, making both of these great waterproof options for bathroom floors.  

Waterproof vinyl is more affordable than stone, and hardwood too, which is why many people are using it in other rooms of the house in place of hardwood floors. It resists scratches and offers a wider variety of color and pattern options than the natural products are designed to mimic. 

Stained Concrete

Of course, if you’re in an area or building where you have a concrete foundation or subfloor, you can always stain and finish the concrete floors. Be aware, however, concrete is not waterproof unless it has been properly finished and sealed. This is not really a do-it-yourself type project as it generally involves acid etching the concrete in order to prepare it for staining and typically extensive filling, patching and grinding. But stained concrete is an inexpensive and  beautiful option for flooring, offering a variety of color finishes, each unique to the concrete, so no one else will have the same floor as you. However, they can be slippery when wet like tile and require a non-slip additive, and many prospective homebuyers will find them cold or a bit too risky, so factor this in if you are remodeling to sell. Your partners at The Good Guys can help guide you to this choice too!

Have Fun with It!

One other thing to consider when looking at bathroom flooring is size. They say size isn’t everything, but if you have a small bathroom it’s a great opportunity to stretch your flooring wings and dollar. A small bathroom lets you experiment with pattern tile, which can really make the space look bigger, and you can get a more expensive tile, as you won’t require as much material as you would in a larger bathroom. Go bold, and don’t be afraid to try something different or unusual for your particular tastes.

Finding the right bathroom flooring doesn’t need to be a chore or feel limiting. As you can see, there are many more options now than you may have had in years. And remember, your flooring professional partners at The Good Guys can assist in your search for the perfect bathroom floor!

10 looks, layouts and colors for a shower room |

(Image credit: Future)

There is a vast variety of statement options when it comes to shower floor ideas. When it comes to planning a shower, your flooring should be at the forefront of your mind. 

Shower flooring needs to be both durable and easy to clean, particularly in high-traffic households, but that shouldn’t preclude them from being  beautiful, too.

Materials are many and varied, ranging from non-slip flooring and vinyl to luxury materials such as solid marble and stone. Be aware, though, that although they are bound to add an air of elegance, many natural stone floors will need an element of maintenance to keep your walk-in shower ideas and shower room ideas looking at their best.

Shower floor ideas

Shower and bathroom flooring ideas deserve special attention. The material of course must be durable, able to withstand frequent splashes of water, anti-slip underfoot and preferably easy to clean, especially in a wet room.

1. Introduce a sense of luxury with marble

(Image credit: Sara Cosgrove)

Modern, elegant and timeless, marble bathroom flooring ideas still remain one of the most popular and lusted after materials to use underfoot in a shower room.  

'Calacatta marble was chosen for the walls and the floor for a seamless cohesive look which conveys a sense of calm,' says Sara Cosgrove, founder and creative director at Sara Cosgrove . This timeless material creates an elegant, spa bathroom sanctuary.'

What's more, marble is naturally water-resistant and adds a luxurious spa-like feel to a bathroom whether you have a modern space or a more traditional one. 

2. Add warmth with luxury vinyl 

(Image credit: Carpetright)

'Vinyl bathroom flooring ideas are a great way of creating a stylish shower room without blowing the budget, and is highly water-resistant,' says David Snazel, buyer of hard flooring at Carpetright . 'In recent years there have been many developments in design and styles that mean the effects vinyl’s can create, such as shower floor tile or wood, are incredibly realistic. It’s a great choice for busy families with children as it is durable whilst being softer and warmer underfoot than laminate.  '

'For the floors of wet rooms and showers specifically it is worth investing in specialist non-slip bathroom flooring, with the highest grade of anti-slip. Their enhanced installation method, with capping and coving of the flooring, will ensure it withstands daily downpours from a power shower.'

3. Mix materials to great effect

(Image credit: Davide Lovatti)

Your shower room floor need not be limited to just one material. ‘We love how the ‘floor’ boundaries have been pushed in this contemporary shower room,’ says Andrea Childs, editor, Country Homes & Interiors. 'The marble flows into the space around the statement wall and the wooden floorboards sit perfectly as a contrast whilst adding warmth visually.'

4. Take an unusual approach by using waterproof paper on the floor 

(Image credit: West One Bathrooms)

Being one of the smaller rooms in the home and serving a practical purpose, shower room flooring can get overlooked when it comes to decorating and can run the risk of being cold and clinical, but by adding color and pattern through wallpaper, you can really bring warmth and character to the space.

'This revolutionary floor design is essentially wall covering that can be used on the floor,' says Lucy Searle, global editor in chief, Homes & Gardens. 'Crafted from fiberglass for a waterproof finish, it will most certainly be the focal point in your shower room – team with white sanitaryware for a modern look.'

5. Go for a high-gloss finish in a modern shower room

(Image credit: Future)

If you are looking for next-level luxury in your bathroom, exotic stone surfaces are the way to go.

‘Shower floor ideas come no sleeker than this stunning polished stone,’ says Jennifer Ebert, digital editor at Homes & Gardens. 'Running throughout the space, the high gloss finish creates a beautiful reflection from the light pouring in, that, together with the glass shower wall ensures this space has a smart and contemporary edge.'

6. Authentic wooden floorboards add warmth and character

(Image credit: Future)

Timber's timeless elegance and natural characteristics continue to make it a popular choice for modern and country bathroom ideas alike.

Now more than ever, wood bathroom flooring has come to the fore, with modern technologies enabling a plethora of patterns and textures that weren't readily available before. 'They work with underfloor heating and provide a great visual warmth too,' says Melanie Griffiths, editor, Period Living.

7. Lay down a traditional herringbone wood floor

(Image credit: Future)

Heritage styles such as herringbone, basketweave and parquet have seen a huge revival in popularity. Not just that, rustic textures and timeworn characteristics once the preserve of solid wood are now possible with engineered boards. 

'Parquet flooring is a popular choice throughout the home and it works leading up to this eye-catching walk-in shower,' says Andrea Childs, editor, Country Homes & Interiors. 'It's great for adding a decorative aspect as it can be laid in various different ways, tie it in with the rest of the color scheme – we love how the tones work with the marble veining in this shower room. '

8. Choose a narrow shower tray in a small space

(Image credit: Future)

The humble shower tray gets a bad press, but did you know you can get them in stone and marble? 'They're ideal for showers in awkward spaces and those that are slimline albeit super cool with their antique glass walls,' says Lucy Searle, global editor in chief, Homes & Gardens. 

It is certainly not a budget option but the beauty of marble flooring is that you can add it to your bathroom ideas in varying amounts and it can still have a big impact. So whether it is in the form of large format tiles, book-matched or a simple shower tray, all will help elevate your bathroom design. 

9. Play with scale on walls and floors

(Image credit: Future)

'Texture in interior design is vital to creating a layered look – one that will look like it is straight from the pages of your favorite glossy magazine,' says Jennifer Ebert, digital editor, Homes & Gardens.  

'To create a shower room that's full of style it's essential that there's plenty of points of interest. This is where textures come in and you can use the shower floor as one of your main decorative elements. Small hexagon or mosaic tiles vary the scale when teamed with floorboards and textured wallpaper.'

10. Hark back to yesteryear with terrazzo 

(Image credit: Future)

'Struggling to decide what to use for your shower floor? Why not opt for an all encompassing terrazzo, it's fresh, modern and solves the problem of having different wall and floor tiles in one interior design swoop,' says Lucy Searle, global editor in chief, Homes & Gardens. 

Its speckled colors and retro aesthetic make it a contemporary favorite: it can be mixed, poured on site and sealed by specialist artisans to create a smooth, seamless floor.

What is the best flooring for a shower?

When it comes to shower floor ideas, it is important to think about which type of tiles are most suitable for bathrooms and showers.

Family bathrooms that have a lot of traffic will be best served by porcelain or ceramic tiles, which are good non-slip bathroom flooring options. While natural stones can look amazing – book-matched marble bathroom flooring or textured limestone are a great choice for walk-in shower ideas for instance – they will need regular maintenance to keep them in tip-top condition.

One of the biggest hazards in a shower room is the risk of slipping. 'As soon as you splash water about, surfaces can get slippery,' agrees Mike Zarghami, designer at Bathwaters. 'Choose shower floor ideas with an anti-slip surface or opt for the alternative of vinyl or rubber flooring that can also bring some welcome color to a family shower room.'

Sophie has been an interior stylist and journalist for over 20 years and has worked for many of the main interior magazines during that time, both in-house and as a freelancer. On the side, as well as being the News Editor for indie magazine, 91, she trained to be a florist in 2019 and launched The Prettiest Posy where she curates beautiful flowers for modern weddings and events.  For H&G, she writes features about interior design – and is known for having an eye for a beautiful room.

how to install under-tray heating

Underfloor heating under the shower cubicle is not provided for comfortable bathing. Warm water will warm the floor well. Heating is necessary in order to dry the cabin after taking a shower. The floor is made at an angle.

Article content

Water flows by gravity through sewer pipes, but the remaining moisture can provoke the formation of fungus. This causes a change of booths. What kind of heating to install under the shower? How to install the system?

Can the cabin floor be heated?

A large number of sites say that under the shower you can organize any "warm floor" system: liquid, cable or carbon. On construction forums, such information is treated with caution. The minimum number of members of the forum are against the water floor. They justify this by the expensive cost of equipment, the lack of need for underfloor heating. nine0003

Some are wary of electric heating systems. Despite the fact that the heating cable has several layers of PVC protection, it is still not recommended to install electric heaters under a wet floor. What does the PUE say, the rules for the installation of electrical installations?

To protect the safety of a person in rooms that are designated as dangerous in the PUE, devices with low voltage, protective grounding, grounding, shutdown are installed. Plug sockets are not allowed in the bathroom. nine0003

Devices that control the operation of electrical appliances are taken out of wet rooms. It is allowed to install equipment that is specifically designed for rooms with high humidity. They have several degrees of protection, they are connected through an RCD.

It is not recommended to install "warm floor" in the shower room by means of electric heaters. To heat the floor in the bathroom, mats, sections, carbon rods are used. Withstand certain requirements:

If floor heating is installed in the shower room, then a liquid line is installed. Only the pipeline should be in the room. The rest of the equipment is taken out of the room. Water heating is allowed only in a private cottage.

How to install liquid heating? nine0021

For a "warm floor" under the shower, choose a contour made of cross-linked or heat-resistant polyethylene. Metal piping is not installed. Polyethylene is chosen cross-linked by means of peroxides. It is the most resistant to temperature extremes, is elastic and durable. Diameter 16 mm. Step 10-15 cm.

Some cab models are designed to be fitted with a bowl or tray. She has a high weight. It is not recommended to lay a highway under it. If the bowl is installed on legs, then there are no restrictions for installing a liquid heating system.

The pipeline has a double "snail" or "snake". It is taken out of the room and connected to the distribution comb. To do this, fittings are installed at the ends of the pipes. It is recommended to choose products from brass. The diameter must match the size of the outlet pipes on the manifold. nine0003

Soldering is used to install the fittings. Polyethylene has a "memory" effect. He always takes the starting position. When installing, do not use hermetic means.

The comb is connected to the boiler through metal pipes with a diameter of 26 mm. Connection with collectors is carried out by a threaded method. If water heating is installed in all rooms, then a separate circuit is brought to the bathroom. It requires a separate connection to the supply and return manifolds. nine0003

Separation from other circuits is necessary in order to control the thermal conditions in the room. If in the living room the normal air temperature is 22-24 0С, then for the bathroom they withstand 30 0С.

How to lay the cable?

Experts warn that when organizing cable heating, the main is mounted only on the usable area. Cold zones remain under the bathtub, shower trays. Maintain a certain distance from DHW pipes, from walls and from electrical appliances. nine0003

After testing the heating system, the cable is covered with tile adhesive, and the cladding is immediately performed. Use mixtures specifically for the "warm floor". They have added plasticizer or fiber. Fillers increase the thermal conductivity of the material and elasticity.

Use of mats

Cable or carbon mats are used for heating. Cable systems are a grid on which a conductor is mounted. A mat of a certain size is cut from the roll. Parallel conductor connection. nine0003

The joint requires plastic sleeves, which are insulated with bituminous tape. Corrugated tubes are used for additional protection.

Carbon mats are made of individual rods, which are connected to each other by means of a wire. The connection is the same as for cable mats, parallel. All knots are isolated and protected by corrugation.

A temperature sensor is installed between the rods or turns of the cable. All conductors are taken out of the room and connected to the regulator; use RCD. The system is closed with an adhesive solution, tiles are laid. nine0003

It is not recommended to correct the mats, violate the integrity of the heating elements. If the area of ​​​​the room is smaller than the size of the mats, it is not possible to meet all the standards, then another system is used.

The optimal heating of the shower cabin is a liquid floor heating. In urban apartments, electric heaters are used, but they are not installed under the cabin or under the bath. The system is mounted only on the usable area.

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How to make a floor shower drain

In many countries, the shower drain in the floor has been popular for decades, but here it is a new trend for bathrooms: shower enclosures without a tray (flush with the floor). A drain hole in the bathroom floor seems to some to be a very convenient solution, while someone will prefer a shower with a tray. How to understand what is right for you?

Why do you need a drain in the bathroom floor? nine0021

There are two main reasons for this decision:

  1. A floor drain will insure your neighbors below from accidental flooding. No waterproofing will save if water rushes through the pan. Through the drain, arranged in the floor, the water will flow safely into the sewer.
  2. For people with limited mobility, for whom even a low barrier is a serious hindrance, a floor drain will be an excellent alternative to a shower and bath.

Disadvantages of the bathroom floor drain solution

Every event must have pluses and minuses:

For effective runoff, the floor must have a slope of about 3 cm per meter. This circumstance creates some inconvenience for the user.

To install a drain, the floor in the bathroom must be raised at least 15 centimeters. This makes the ceiling lower and adds a step to the room.

For effective water drainage, the drain must be installed above the level of connection to the sewer riser. For apartments in high-rise buildings, this is a serious problem, but in a private house the solution is much simpler. nine0003

There is a good way to solve this problem if the bathroom has a vertical outlet with a floor flush. In this case, a toilet bowl with a horizontal or oblique outlet is installed, a sewer tee is installed at floor level, into which drains are discharged.

Procedure for floor shower drain

Getting started

Prepare all the necessary materials and tools:

Work procedure
  1. After marking, lay a siphon without a grate in the center of the future booth and connect it with a sloping pipe to the sewer. Socket joints must be coated with sealant. It will not be possible to replace the rubber seals as the pipe remains embedded in the concrete.
  2. Thin strips of waterproofing Styrofoam are bonded to the wall with sealant and will dampen sounds and shock loads. nine0008
  3. The next step will be pouring onto polystyrene foam and leveling the screed.
  4. Without gaps at the walls and siphon (without fixing ring), roofing material is welded with a height of entry on the walls above 20 cm.
  5. Around the drain grate installed in the siphon, a formwork of 4 elements is made of boards, having a slope towards the grate and performing the function of lighthouses.
  6. Having preliminarily glued the grating so that cement mortar does not get into it, tightly fill the formwork with a floor screed. Remove the beacons after the mixture has set and fill the cavities with a waterproofing mixture. The tile can be laid as soon as the screed has set. nine0008
  7. Tiles begin to be laid from below, overlapping the edges of the floor tiles to provide additional waterproofing of the coating.

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