Help With Basic Bathroom Flooring Question -Pros and Cons of Materials
Helen
6 years ago
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Bathroom flooring question (style, type...)
Comments (14)Thanks jterrilynn & may_flowers for sharing your experience! Over the labor day weekend I went to look at the water proof laminate flooring suggested by the contractor. The brand is called inovar. The store has a piece of the flooring there under a faucet to display how waterproof it is. The laminate flooring is AC5 rating (the highest rating?) and is 12mm thick. It seems like it is good quality and highly water resistant, but I don't think it's waterproof. The salesgirl told us the flooring can be used in bathrooms. When I went home I did more research, I think as long as we caulked and sealed ALL the floor joints, it is fine. However I am still a bit skeptical... Yes another choice is Vinyl Plank flooring. I do like the wood look. But I read the Trafficmaster Allure Ultra reviews, it seems like the vinyl planks have mixed reviews, and some complained the floor scratched easily and will pop up after some time (that's what I am scared of, esp when the floor is in the bathroom). The groutable vinyl tiles seem to be better than floating planks. But then I read that I can't put underlayment under glued down vinyl tiles to protect the wood subfloor... Last but not least ,the real porcelain tiles. This seems to be the most durable and waterproof. But I am concerned of the height difference and the time used to renovate the bathroom. Will it take a lot longer to finish the bathroom if we go this route? This is the main bathroom in our house so I don't want to have to wait for too long for it to finish... Oh well... there're just so much to consider......See MoreMaster bathroom help-crosspost from bathroom forum
Comments (19)olychick, thank you for taking a look. :) I'm relieved to hear you think a white shower pan is best. I am heading out now to find porcelain marble look tiles for the shower walls to pick up the gray as you suggested. I want a shiny finish to the walls. Tell me if you think that's a misstep. I am avoiding marble as I have a marble topped vanity now that is pock marked with etchings. As far as seeing myself in the vanity, yes, I think I will be able to do so. I was planning on a black framed mirror spanning the vanity. My current vanity is 32 1/4" high (as will be the new vanity) and when seated on my vanity stool my reflection is seen up to my chest. The only issue currently is that my knees are pressed against drawers. I failed to mention that I was thinking of using absolute black granite for the vanity top for two reasons: one being cost and the other being to avoid etching. Will doing so deviate too much from my inspiration? Lastly, I had the idea of applying pieces of beveled mirror framed by black molding floor to ceiling along the back wall and continuing behind the toilet (similar to this only floor to ceiling with the exception of base molding & crown): [Traditional Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2107) by Northbrook Architects & Building Designers Michael A. Menn Thoughts? Suggestions? Thank you for reading this far. :)...See MoreNeed help: floor heating, towel warmers - cold bathroom
Comments (10)"will underfloor heating help warm the room at all, or just stop the floor being chilly?" A true underfloor radiant heating system will heat the room. Basic under-tile heat mats or cables can do what the others' wrote; simply warm the floor, or some are capable of warming a room. "2. what wattage of towel heater is needed to make a difference to air temp? Over 150? Over 400?" Look at the BTU output. Most "towel warmers" struggle to simply warm towels. If you want a "towel warmer" that will heat a room, look at Runtal. There are other brands as well. Some of their warmers are hydronic, some are electric. For room heat, a very generic rule-of-thumb...which is exactly, that...a generic rule-of-thumb... recommendation would be to get something that can output about 25-30BTU per sqft of room. You have a 10' x 10' room, 100sqft, you'd look at a unit that can output 2500-3000BTU. There's always Manual J for a more accurate number. "3. whats the most energy efficient and non-ugly ;) way to heat a bathroom?" First, stop the loss. Air seal the room to prevent air infiltration through the house's thermal envelope, and properly install whatever insulation that you use. Then address heat requirements. In a light-use climate like yours, anything "radiant floor" you'd want low-mass for quick response times. Simple under-tile cables or mat systems, or if you did go with a true underfloor hydronic, a low-mass staple-up system would probably serve you best. If you pursue the towel warmer route, Runtal and Runtal-like towel warmers come in a variety of sizes (BTU outputs) and styles. They blend well with most decor. Most cost-effective would likely be a Runtal-type warmer with a few judiciously placed bathroom floor rugs set on the tile....See MoreNeed help in bathroom floor tile choices
Comments (29)Zaz and Beth, I finally have some samples on my floor to look at (from the Tile Shop) and that's helpful, but it's a pain in the b*** to figure out what samples to order and from whom to order them - and expensive too! I could probably order an equal number of interesting samples from Merola/Home Depot, not to mention the additional ideas you've both now given me, but at some point I need to stop. Even though I feel I've 'narrowed' my focus to something with blue and/or patterned-moroccan-style, there are still so many options and resources to look at. I do like all the additional examples you gave me, Beth. Is EliteTile considered a good quality resource? I have felt comfortable having a retail face to consult with (Tile Shop and Home Depot) but if you and Zaz and others with more experience feel it can be ok to order from a place like Wayfair and this brand of tile, then I feel more confident about that. Both Tile Shop and HD have nice options too, but I've been a bit frustrated that I haven't been able to see an actual sample of a large-size cobalt option .... and the nice on sale lantern blue one is beautiful. What a price, too!! Weirdly, as I look more closely at the Wayfair/EliteTile Moroccan tiles, I'm seeing several that are the exact same patterns that Merola/HomeDepot offer. Do either of you know anything about this? I'd kind of like to add pictures of the samples I have from Tile Shop to see what you both think, but it might need to wait until tomorrow since this day is over and I'm beat. (Also, have other things in addition to tile shopping which I'm sure you both can relate to.) I am grateful to have both of you to converse with on this. Feel more comfortable....See MoreHelen
6 years agoenduring
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoenduring
6 years agoShaadi Khair
4 years agoenduring
4 years ago
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