![]() Laminate flooring, available for $1 to $5 per square foot, according to ImproveNet, consists of easy-to-install interlocking planks made of backer paper, a wood-based core, a printed paper layer, and a wear layer. Pros: Resists fading provides better moisture resistance when seams are gluedĬons: Generally more vulnerable to moisture sounds hollow Photo: TYPE OF FLOORING: Laminate flooring The price of professional installation and any repairs should be factored into the estimated cost of this flooring. Keep in mind that the heavy weight and large size of the tiles-anywhere from 12×12 to 18×18 inches-coupled with the potential need for two layers of subflooring makes it difficult for most homeowners to install or replace themselves. ![]() Like ceramic tile, stone laundry room flooring will feel cold and slippery, but you can avert this by installing heated and textured stone. In addition to dry sweeping and wet mopping the stone tile with a stone-specific or other pH-neutral cleaner, or soapy water, you’ll need to de-grunge grout with an abrasive agent like baking soda and water, as well as seal the tile with a stone sealer to prevent floor marks. You can’t beat the durability of natural stone tiles made of slate, marble, travertine, limestone, or similar materials-not when they offer between 20 years to a lifetime of protection from moisture, stains, and dents! You’ll pay a high price for the luxurious looks and virtual indestructibility, anywhere from $5 to $10 per square foot, according to ImproveNet, but this cost can partially be offset by the higher resale value of homes with stone surfaces. Pros: Lasts the longest leads to higher home resale value (which can offset high costs)Ĭons: Costs the most large and weighty tiles deter DIY installation and replacement All ceramic tile is slipperier, colder, and noisier than other laundry room flooring options, so know that the whirring of the washer or dryer is more likely to reverberate on this type of flooring. Choosing certain heated and/or textured ceramic tile can create more warmth and traction underfoot. Unglazed tile first needs to be sealed with a penetrating tile sealer to provide these protections. Otherwise, glazed ceramic tile offers strong moisture, chemical, and stain resistance over its 10- to 20-year lifespan, even when faced with standing water (a real possibility in combo laundry-and-mudrooms). RELATED: Porcelain or Ceramic: Which Tile Type is Right for You? But you’ll need to scrub that grout clean with an abrasive agent like baking soda, as well as regularly dry sweep and wet mop the tile to keep it clean. ![]() And these clay-based tiles can be further customized through the use of tinted grout between tiles. ![]() Pros: Cheapest entry price DIY-friendly installation and replacementĬons: Grout grunge adds to cleaning effort slipperyĪnywhere from $0.85 to $2.50 per square foot, according to ImproveNet, ceramic tile boasts the best starting price of any laundry room flooring. You can find it sold glazed or unglazed, individual blocks of varying shapes and sizes or in pre-laid mosaic tile sheets that forgo the need for individual tile setting. Just watch out for irregularities or unevenness in the substrate, which may show through the flooring and cause gaps or lifts around edges. You can install the tiles directly over existing flooring, and their small size-usually 12 inches by 12 inches-makes them easier to replace than sheet vinyl. It’s also a step up in the looks department as the printed layer can be made to look like higher-end materials, namely hardwood or stone. But, some consumers will say it’s worth the extra money: LVT is thicker and thus quieter, more insulating, and softer. (There’s no grout, so there’s no need for grout cleaning.)Īs you might guess from the name, LVT is more expensive than sheet vinyl it ranges from $2 to $7 per square foot in materials, according to cost guides on ImproveNet, a home improvement planning website. With only dry sweeping, wet mopping with soapy water, and the occasional finishing with acrylic sealer, the laundry room flooring will last for 10 to 30 years or longer. ![]() The outer-facing protective layer gives the flooring the waterproof and scratch-, stain-, and dent-resistance needed to withstand the high volume of moisture, humidity, and foot traffic in the laundry room and/or mudrooms. Luxury vinyl tile (LVT) consists of multiple fused layers of material-most commonly a vinyl backing, a vinyl core, a printed design that can imitate more luxury materials, and a clear top “wear” layer. Pros: Mimics high-end materials for less installs over existing flooringĬons: Costs more than most vinyl appears flawed when installing over a sub-par substrate Photo: TYPE OF FLOORING: Luxury vinyl tile ![]()
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