Bathroom floor problem

[meow2222]

Hi folks

I could use some ideas for covering a concrete bathroom floor, am a bit stuck. AIUI the main options are vinyl, tiles, carpet, and expensive applied waterproof finishes such as asphalt. I've tried an impermeable finish (vinyl) and the result is the concrete soon becomes soaking wet, and anything attached loses its grip, and of course if left like that theres going to be quite a damp problem. So it needs to be something porous (it stays dry with a porous covering) - and all I can think of is carpet! Nooo, pleeease. Is there anything else?? Or is there no other choice for this one.

If carpet is the only choice, I wouldnt know what carpet to use. Bathroom carpets IIRC have an impermeable backing, so theyre out. That leaves only non-bathroom rated carpets, which sounds less than ideal.

ta, NT

[Codswallop]

Instead of rubber/waffle-backed bathroom carpet you could have non-bathroom carpet such as a cord, but unless the damp issue is sorted you will still have problems - no carpet will cope with very wet conditions. What is the source of this water that caused the vinyl to be soaking wet? Is it caused by splashes from the bath/sink, or people stepping straight out of the bath dripping wet onto the floor? Ceramic floor tiles might be a better option.

[Christian McArdle]

You've got to work out why this is the case. Is the damp coming up through the concrete, down the walls and under the vinyl? Or, perhaps, is it treated like a wet room, with people not bothering the scrape the worst of the water off before stepping out of the bath?

There is always an alternative to carpet in a bathroom. Cyanide pills, for one.

Christian.

[Huge]

No need. When you slip up on a wet tile/marble/vinyl/WHY bathroom floor and crack your head on the corner of the bath, you'll be dead anyway.

[Grunff]

I'm with Christian on that one - carpet in kitchens and bathrooms is the work of the devil. I'll take my chances with slipping any day (and this is from someone who spent 3 months in a cast last year after slipping on some loose gravel :-).

[Huge]

Kitchens, maybe. And even in our kitchen we have sea-grass matting over the slippery, hard, ugly, dangerous tiles, which I throw out and replace every few months.

Bathrooms, well that's a religious issue, which I will agree to disagree with you over. Having stayed in hundreds of hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs all over the world and experienced all kinds of bathroom flooring over the years, I'll take carpet, thanks. Despite the aiming issues with the testosterone poisoned among us.

[Guy King]

The message from Grunff contains these words:

Yup - bathrooms should have impermeable floors.

You could use the heavyweight vinyl that's used to do sealed bathrooms. There's a trick to mitering the corners so there's an upswept curved corner. That'd keep the moisture out from under and provide a nice easy to clean floor, too.

[Steve Firth]

If you don't like the tiles why do you replace them every few months?

[Huge]

There's always one.

[meow2222]

I guess either its a poor dpc or its bathers... which one I dont know. Leave the floor bare and it stays dry though, soon redrying after splashing, hence a permeable covering would work. But under the vinyl that was put down, it just soaked.

However what solution to either of the above is there? Any afterward-applied sealant would cause the slab to soak and then there would be a real wall damp problem... so the simple solution is to stick with a permeable covering.

And carpet is the only permeable covering I can think of. I dont want to carpet it though, really.

NT

[Owain]

There's a variety of mesh, interwoven, and ribbed matting and duck-boarding available from industrial suppliers. Non-slip and resilient so kinder on the tootsies than concrete, and easily lifted and hosed through if it gets mildewy.

Owain

[Steve Firth]

And I fully intend it will always be me.

[MB]

Carpet, carpet tiles-- over 35 years we tried all variations. The best long-lasting and above all hygienic solution in the bathroom is ceramic tiles with a washable cotton/synthetic nonslip-backed bathroom rug on the surface, next to the bath or shower and in front of the toilet. Carpeting plus moisture plus warmth = bacteria (and fungus) multiplying. This is especially the case of carpet/carpet tiles near the toilet.

In our kitchen we have woodlook-laminate with a piece of carpeting on top of that, as big as the free area (not under the cabinet/appliances). The carpet is necessary because laminate is super-slippery. The carpeting can be rolled up and sent to the cleaners-- I do that about once a year.

Those who say they've felt well in hotel rooms where there's carpeting on the floor, especially in the bath, are kidding themselves. The bacteria and fungus are lying in wait, delighted about new sources of nourishment.

[Andrew Gabriel]

My body came with a mechanism to protect it from bacteria and fungus. This mechanism does require constant exposure to these items in order to continue working properly, and so creating a super clean environment is a very bad thing.

[meow2222]

I suspect that may be what this rooms needs, regardless of taste. Commercial grade carpet tiles I've seen were always solid backed, will have to look around for some mesh backed ones. Still have not come to accept this though!

thanks, NT

[The Natural Philosopher]

If the heating and ventilation are good, the carpet will dry out very fast.

If its swept daily, no spores will remain in it either.

As an inveterate asthmatic, I know what a low fungal environment comes from: cleanliness and dryness.

[Huge]

You miss the point, which was that I have a wide experience of bathroom floorings and and of all of them, I prefer carpet. Tiles are cold, uncomfortable and dangerously slippery.

The "hygiene" issue is a red herring, unless you are in the habit of regularly missing the lavatory.

[Christian McArdle]

Actually, studies have shown that most urine contamination is through unavoidable aerosol, not through poor aim.

Christian.

[Andy Hall]

Reminds me of the Swedish pharmacist sketch (you need to add the accent for it to work):

Man: I would like to buy some deodorant please

Pharmacist: Ball or aerosol?

Man: Neither. I want it for under my arms.