Durable and tough: a flooring material with “taker qualities”

Bathrooms and hobby rooms are subject to high wear and tear. That’s why they require a hard-wearing, robust but at the same time easy to maintain floor covering such as vinyl. With this type of flooring, you need not be afraid of a hammer dropping or water sloshing out of the bathtub. Moreover, vinyl flooring is warm to the feet, soft and therefore gentle on the joints. On top, it comes with a virtually unlimited range of colors and decors that makes all your living dreams come true. If the vinyl tiles or planks are firmly bonded to the subfloor, no gaps or waves will form later on. But when installing the material, always make sure to use only high-quality, low-emission adhesives. They can be easily identified by the EMICODE® EC1 quality seal.

Bathroom flooring is expected to have real “taker qualities”: it needs to withstand not only splashes of water from the shower and thick clouds of steam but also kids splashing around in the bathtub. While in earlier times many people opted for ceramic tiles, there is a true alternative today. Luxury vinyl tiles are just as water-repellent and easy to clean as classic ceramic tiles, and warm to the feet on top.

Vinyl flooring (also called LVTs for luxury vinyl tiles) offers an almost infinite variety of colors and decors. Today, manufacturers produce deceptively real imitations of natural stone, wood and concrete floors. Since the surface is highly resistant to impact and scratches, vinyl flooring is also ideally suited for use in hobby rooms. Whether a billiard ball or screwdriver accidentally falls down or a glass crashes to the floor with a party in full swing: no major harm done. Vinyl flooring forgives the odd mishap. Home gyms need to be equipped with a resilient floor that yields under foot traffic and is easy on the joints. That’s why soft vinyl flooring is the preferred choice instead of hard, unyielding laminate or stoneware.

Due to the everyday wear and tear that bath- and hobby rooms are exposed to, it is advisable to bond vinyl flooring over the entire floor surface. This way, it always stays firmly in place and does not shift like loose-lay flooring. Before applying the adhesive, the subfloor must be dry and completely level. Otherwise, moisture will later collect under the flooring and cause the development of mold. Bathrooms additionally require expert sealing of the vinyl flooring. Sealing and installation should best be done by a professional floor layer.