The 3 Best Bathroom Flooring Options When You Are on a Budget

When it comes to renovating your home, chances are you’ll start with the bathroom. The bathroom, it turns out, is the number one gripe of most homeowners. From flooring options to new faucets, countertops, and fixtures, the list of possible improvements is longer than you might think.

If you’ve chosen to begin with the flooring, you’re not alone. And you have plenty of options. Most homeowners opt to replace their bathroom flooring first because the bathroom is one of the smallest rooms in the house. Therefore, flooring is relatively inexpensive.

Some of the most popular bathroom flooring options include vinyl, linoleum, and ceramic flooring. Each one is attractive, budget-friendly, and easy to clean—an essential feature for any bathroom floor.

Vinyl Bathroom Flooring

Vinyl is one of the top choices for inexpensive bathroom flooring. It is cheap, durable, water-resistant, and almost impervious to stains. With the right help or know-how, vinyl flooring is also simple to install. You could finish your bathroom’s flooring in a single afternoon. Benefits of vinyl flooring include:

• Cost – On average, expect to pay between $0.50 and $4.00 per square foot of vinyl flooring, plus the cost of installation, which varies depending on your area.
• Lifespan – Vinyl is not meant to last forever. On average, homeowners can expect their vinyl bathroom flooring to last about ten years.
• Styles – Vinyl comes in two distinct types: sheet vinyl and vinyl tiles. The former is a single sheet of vinyl laid out and cut to fit your bathroom. The latter, while better looking, may allow water to seep through the cracks and crevices.
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  Linoleum Bathroom Flooring

  If you want a classic bathroom floor that is resistant to water and inexpensive, then linoleum bathroom flooring has it all. Besides its relatively cheap cost, linoleum is eco-friendly, as the material is primarily made up of linseed oil. Furthermore, linoleum offers many of the same benefits as vinyl bathroom flooring.

One downside to linoleum, however, is an unpleasant odor that lingers for a week or two after installation. If you can look past the odd smell for a little while, you will wind up with a floor that is attractive, functional, and easy to clean. Linoleum will set you back between $2.50 and $6.00 per square foot, plus installation costs.

Ceramic Bathroom Flooring

While slightly more expensive than vinyl or linoleum bathroom flooring, ceramic tiles are a popular choice due to their appearance. Once glazed, ceramic is impervious to water and stains, and manufacturers often imprint unique colors or patterns during the glazing process.

The only real downside to ceramic flooring is that it requires professional installation. Ceramic is tough to work with, especially in small spaces like your bathroom.

For ceramic flooring, expect to pay between $2 and $10 per square foot, plus labor costs.