Laminate Floors for Bathrooms?
Laminate flooring is generally not suitable for bathrooms because of its vulnerability to water damage. Laminate flooring is made from MDF or HDF which are essentially wood fibres bonded together using a resin. When wood comes into contact with water it naturally expands, as it dries out it shrinks. This constant movement causes the laminated decorative paper to lose its bond with the MDF or HDF core normally resulting in the edges of the paper curling as well as warping, bowing and swelling in the board itself.
While some manufacturers claim to offer “waterproof” laminates with silicone sealed joints or special cores, these floors while more resistant fail to provide adequate protection against longterm or multiple exposures to moisture. The edges and seams of the floor remain particularly vulnerable to water penetration, leading to potential damage and deterioration over time.
In bathrooms where moisture in the air and on the floor itself are particularly high we would recommend using an alternative flooring type such as Luxury Vinyl Tile which is 100% waterproof and designed specifically to withstand the challenging conditions of the bathroom environment. If you have no option other than to use a laminate floor, we recommend sealing the joints with a thin bead of silicone as this will help protect the wood fibres of the floor from coming in to contact with moisture. Ultimately, while laminate flooring is a cost effective option for other areas in your house, it’s susceptibility to moisture does not make it a great choice for bathrooms and we would recommend a waterproof LVT Vinyl instead.
