How to Choose the Best Laundry Room Floor

Selecting the best laundry room floor is a necessity in today's world. Just as with the rest of the house, the laundry room needs to be an appealing and welcoming place to spend time. But finding the right flooring that's visually appealing, durable and moisture resistant is a necessity, especially in the laundry room.

In this article, we're going to explore some of the flooring options for your laundry room, and we'll tell you which ones we recommend and which ones to avoid.

From heavy appliances and dusty sports equipment to utility sink splashes and muddy boots, your laundry room floor is bound to take a serious beating. Not to mention the day-to-day foot traffic, grime and normal wear.

If you're preparing to remodel your laundry room, you should seriously consider replacing the floor as well. There are many types of flooring materials available today that not only resist water, but also stand up to wear and tear. Thus helping to maintain your floor in tip-top shape and prevent a disaster should your laundry room flood. Check out this post for things you can do to prevent your washer from flooding.

Selecting the right flooring for your laundry room is an important decision. It's more than a design statement, you'll certainly want the room to look good, but it also needs to be functional. Here's a few things to consider:

Durability

Since the laundry room is frequently a high traffic area, especially for families that have loads and loads of laundry to be done every day, it only makes sense to select flooring that'll stand up to daily abuse from piles of wet laundry and heavy machines.

Appearance

While the laundry room isn't a room you typically show off to your guests, it's still important for the floor to have a nice, presentable appearance. In addition to the time you spend doing laundry, a sharp looking floor will help show off your fancy washer and dryer, even if your guests only see at a glance.

Moisture Resistance

Your laundry room is likely one of the most intensely used rooms in your home. Everything from spills from the utility sink to wet laundry thrown on the ground can potentially harm the flooring, and when a washing machine overflows it can create so much damage you may need to file an insurance claim.

Selecting the right type of flooring that's capable of handling moisture can save you lot's of money and major headaches in the future. In the long run, it's worth spending a little more money up front.

Ease of Installation

Although, this may not be a key factor to consider during a remodel, especially if you're hiring a contractor. The ease of installation/repair should be taken into account for the future.

Like everything, laundry room floors wear over time and often need to be repaired. It may be damage from chemicals, or water, or even a tear, but whatever the cause, at some point in the future there's a good chance that you'll need to do some repairs or spot replacement.

Simply said, some flooring is better suited for repairs than others. If your laundry room floor becomes damaged, you want flooring that can be easily fixed. 

Vinyl Tile

Vinyl tile floors are a popular option among homeowners, particularly in laundry rooms, kitchens and bathrooms. They are reasonably priced and easy to maintain. If repair is necessary, each individual damaged tile can be replaced.

There's a large variety of choices available that allows you to design unique patterns or a solid color. There's even designs that mimic ceramic tile or stone.

Pros

• Reasonably  priced
• Extremely durable
• Easy to maintain
• Resistant to chemical stains
• Resistant to water
• Buffers noise
• Individual tiles can be replaced when damaged
• Large variety of patterns and colors available

Cons

• Out-gassing can occur from the chemicals used in manufacturing
• Not biodegradable
• Quality matters. Low-quality vinyl is prone to rips and tears

Sheet Vinyl

Sheet vinyl floors are used extensively in both commercial and residential buildings. There are many patterns available to help give your laundry room the "look" you're trying to achieve.

It's a best practice to purchase the highest quality your budget will allow. Lower quality sheet vinyl tends to be thinner and prone to bulging and/or tearing. This can be especially frustrating with heavy appliances like a washer and dryer that may need to be moved for repairs and cleaning. 

Pros

• Very affordable
• Very durable
• Easy to maintain
• Resistant to chemical stains
• Resistant to water
• Large variety of patterns and colors available 

Cons

• Not biodegradable
• Low quality sheet vinyl is prone to rips and tears
• Can be damaged by sharp objects
• Difficult to replace a damaged section

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Stone

Stone floors are popular, classy and available in an assortment of styles and hues. If you have the money, a stone floor can really add an elegant touch to your laundry room floor. 

Pros

• Stunning and elegant look
• Very durable and sturdy
• Eco-friendly

Cons

• Expensive
• Must be sealed or the laundry chemicals may stain or etch the stone
• Difficult to repair if damaged

Carpet

There's no question that a high quality wall-to-wall carpet can enhance the comfort and style of your home. But for a laundry room floor, it's a bad choice. If your washer leaks you'll need more than a mop to clean up the mess. In fact, you may even find yourself needing to replace the sub floor! Then there's mold and chemical stains . . .  

If at all possible, we highly recommend staying away from wall-to-wall carpet for your laundry room floor. However, if you don't have a choice, find an indoor/outdoor carpet that's designed to handle moisture; or better yet, use an area rug.

Pros

• Soft on your feet
• Available in an assortment of styles and textures
• Adds warmth to the room during the Winter

Cons

• Stains easily
• Absorbs water
• Requires frequent cleaning
• More susceptible to wear-and-tear than harder surfaces
• Difficult to repair if damaged

Hardwood

Hardwood flooring is one of the most sought-after amenities within a home. It offers a warm feel under your feet and has a natural rustic appearance that is both elegant and timeless. 

But with that said, it's not the best choice for your laundry room floor. The expense and maintenance can be difficult to justify for a room few will see outside of your family. However, if your heart is set on hardwood, you can purchase pre-finished boards that are designed for areas such as bathrooms where there is plenty of moisture. 

Pros

• Very durable
• Stylish and elegant

Cons

• Expensive
• Difficult to maintain
• Chemical spills may cause stains
• Boards may buckle due to moisture
• Difficult to repair if damaged 

Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tile flooring has a lot to offer for a laundry room floor. With a large selection of choices, you'll certainly be able to find a design that has the look and feel your after. Ceramic tiles are durable and resistant to chemicals and water. However, use caution as they can be slick when wet.

One thing to keep in mind, the larger the tiles the easier they are to keep clean. Grout tends to be a catch all for dirt build-up, although to work around this issue, you can either seal the floors or use the smallest gap possible between tiles, this will reduce the amount of grout used. 

Pros

• Very attractive
• Very durable
• Chemical resistant
• Water resistant
• Tiles with a natural finish are less prone to scratching
• Easy to repair if damaged

Cons

• The grout between tiles can make cleaning more of a challenge
• Slippery when wet
• Highly polished tiles are prone to scratching

Laminate

Laminate flooring is a winner . . . until there's water on the floor. In most situations laminate can handle a little moisture, but if your washer ever leaks, well, let's just say, laminate is not your friend.

The top surface may lull you into thinking that it can handle water, but the problem with this type of flooring is everything below the upper surface. When a laminate flooring is flooded it warps. If the water saturates the floor planks under the laminate, there's a good chance you'll end up replacing at least some of your floor boards.

Pros

• Affordable
• Durable
• Easy to maintain
• Large variety of patterns and colors available 

Cons

• When saturated laminate will warp
• In a flood you may need to replace floor boards
• Difficult to match, making it nearly impossible to repair