The best wood floors for bathrooms aren’t wood, but they are beautiful. Plus, they look just like wood.
So why are the best wood floors for bathrooms not real wood? Hardwood floors are prone to water damage, and the humidity and high risk of water spills can damage wood floors in bathrooms. Wood floors are prone to warping and staining from standing water and humidity. For those who still want to risk wood floors for their bathroom, ask a flooring professional for durable wood floors with finishes that make them water-resistant.
Fortunately, for other homeowners, there are several wood floors for bathrooms that look just like wood and work well in a bathroom.
Bathroom floor pros and cons
| Porcelain tile | Luxury vinyl plank | Sheet vinyl | |
| Durable | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Soft underfoot | No | Yes | Yes |
| Easy-to-clean | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Looks like wood | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Easy DIY installation | Yes | Yes | No |
Bathroom floors that look Like wood
Porcelain tile
Porcelain tiles comes in styles that closely resemble wood floors, but come with a lot less worry about water damage. These water-resistant floors are incredibly durable and wear well in high-traffic spaces. Porcelain tiles are stain- and bacteria-resistant. They are also a natural conductor of heat, so they are a good match with radiant underfloor heating. The result is a very nice warm tile floor underfoot.
The tiles come in a wide variety of styles that closely resemble narrow- and wide-plank floors. Tile colors match almost any décor, and can be installed with a complementary grout color. If homeowners are worried about staining, porcelain tiles can be paired with a darker grout to hide stains.
Porcelain tile floors are easy-to-clean, though the grout does require a good elbow scrubbing. They are fairly maintenance-free and last for many years.
For handy DIYers, porcelain tile is a fairly easy do-it-yourself bathroom remodel project. Porcelain tiles only require a sturdy surface (such as cement board) to install over and a few tools. (See full instructions for installing porcelain tile here.)
Luxury vinyl plank
Luxury vinyl plank floors are one of the best wood floors for bathrooms because they are water-resistant and come in a variety of styles that look just like wood. LVP floors are available in narrow and wide plank, and dark wood tones or lighter, airy colors. These floors are also easy-to-clean, durable, and hold up well in bathrooms in busy households. They are softer underfoot than porcelain tiles and can be installed with or without grout.
The planks are available in products that need to be installed with or without adhesive. Click-and-lock luxury vinyl plank floors are perfect for do-it-yourselfers because they can be installed with few tools and without the more complicated glue-down. Ask a flooring professional to see these click-and-lock products to minimize installation costs. These floors only need to be installed on a level and clean subfloor.
Sheet vinyl
Sheet vinyl floors are the toughest wood floor for bathrooms. Modern sheet vinyl flooring looks just like wood, but without the worry of water damage. These floors don’t have any seams between planks so water can’t seep through and damage the flooring or subflooring. Some sheet vinyl floors have even withstood minor flooding and standing water.
In addition to durable, sheet vinyl floors come in a variety of styles and colors. They are also easy-to-clean and wear well in high-traffic spaces. Modern sheet vinyl floors are cushioned so they are comfortable underfoot.
Sheet vinyl installation is more complicated than tile and luxury vinyl plank because it requires adhesive. For this reason, it’s often a good decision to hire a professional to install sheet vinyl floors. The wait is worth it, though, because sheet vinyl floors look great and last for a long time.
