# Bathroom floor: laminate v. tile



## albirdy (Sep 16, 2010)

Hello,

I am half-way through re-sealing my bathroom, and noticed a bit of mildew and water damage underneath my laminate flooring.  At first I thought of replacing the laminate flooring, but with the confidence from this small fixer-upper, I am thinking of applying tiles.  What do you all think?  

I am more thinking of practical/functional aspects.  Decorative/design aspects can be discussed later


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## Jaz (Sep 16, 2010)

I think going with tile is a very good idea.  Why was there laminate in the bathroom in the first place?  Most people can get away with that in a powder room however.  Regular bathrooms need something that is sanitary.

Jaz


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## AskMrJay (Sep 16, 2010)

Hey there albirdy,

This is Mr. Jay with The Home Depot. Kudos for going about redoing the place on your own, its not for everyone, but very rewarding in the end.  

If your already thinking tiles, youre on the right track since they offer a nice solid sub-floor, and are water resistant as long as you use the right measures such as proper underlayment and grout sealant.

If your open to other suggestions and ideas, and if you like the look of the laminate in the room, there is a Vinyl plank product called Allure that you can use. Its watertight, and completely glue-less; so its an easy install. Check this page out for more info: TM Allure or Id be more than happy to answer any other questions about it.

Let me know, 
 - Mr. Jay


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Sep 16, 2010)

Personally, I think the most practical flooring for a bathroom is sheet vinyl or real linoleum.  Any sort of waterproof sheet goods would be practical in a bathroom.

Ceramic tile is cold on bare or stocking feet, causes a change in the floor height and requires a sturdy floor structure to support it properly.  The more expensive sheet vinyls have a urethane coating on them to prevent staining, and I think that's a good idea because vinyl does stain if you spill the wrong stuff on it.

What I do is apply an acrylic sealer over the sheet vinyl floors in my bathrooms, and since I've started doing that, I no longer have had any stains on my bathroom floors.  If I can't remove the stain from the acrylic sealer, I simply replace the acrylic sealer in the area of the stain.  Any acrylic sealer intended for use on Vinyl Composition Tile floors will also work on sheet vinyl flooring.

Also, don't believe the BS about a "lifetime guarantee".  If you've ever seen the "recommended maintenance" regimen that Forbo recommends for their floors, it's unreasonable and designed to ensure Forbo never has to pay out on that guarantee.  It requires you to sweep the floor every day, to dam mop it once a week and to clean up any liquid spills before they hit the floor.  And, as with most warranties, it protects the manufacturer, not the customer, by limiting the manufacturer's liability to providing you free of charge with another piece of sheet vinyl flooring.  It's still up to you to pay the cost of removing the old flooring and installing the new stuff, which is most of the cost involved in replacing flooring.

http://www.forboflooringna.com/Download-Literature/residential-literature/tech-info/

So, I have no respect for manufacturer's guarantees on sheet vinyl and real linoleum flooring and have nothing but contempt for the floor maintenance products these manufacturer's peddle, but if it were my own bathroom, I'd definitely consider a sheet vinyl or real linoleum floor as being a practical and economical option.


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## albirdy (Sep 17, 2010)

jaz,

thanks for the consideration.  i was thinking tile was a no-brainer.

however,
nestor,
this is exactly why i'm on this forum!  I did not think at ALL about the sturdiness of the floor, and the unevenness with the hallway that connects the bathroom.  I did think of the cold feet (which SUCKS), and thought of the possibility of putting a warming system underneath.  

I do like your argument for the vinyl sheet flooring.  i think that is what I have on my bathroom (I assumed it was laminate flooring--bad guess!).  I think I am going to have to redo the flooring.  

So next question: 
In order to re-do the flooring, will I have to take out the toilet?


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## oldognewtrick (Sep 17, 2010)

albirdy said:


> jaz,
> 
> So next question:
> In order to re-do the flooring, *will I have to take out the toilet*?



It's the only way to get what ever flooring material you choose under the toilet and make a water resistant seal.


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## albirdy (Sep 18, 2010)

Copy that, Sir.  Thanks!!


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