Let’s look at your top bathroom flooring options. We’re counting down, from worst to best:

7. Carpet
A horribly bad choice for bathroom flooring. Moisture and carpeting do not mix. However, if you still must have carpeting in your bathroom, we have pointers from a professional carpet installer

6. Solid Hardwood
A slightly better bathroom flooring choice than carpet, solid hardwood looks great and feels warm under foot. But moisture kills solid hardwood. Make certain it’s perfectly installed, with no gaps for moisture. This likely means hiring installers–unless your day job happens to be that of a hardwood floor installer.  Check out our Hardwood information

5. Laminate Flooring
Surprisingly, laminate flooring is a better bathroom flooring choice than solid hardwood. I say “surprisingly” because laminate flooring is no more than resin-impregnated paper atop a wood chip base. The surface of laminate plank is actually a photograph of whatever it’s supposed to be simulating: oak, cherry, slate, marble. On top of that is what the manufacturers call the “wear layer.” The wear layer is a clear layer of melamine. But this wear layer is amazingly strong. Many times you’ll see manufacturer’s warrants the wear layer on its line of laminate flooring for 30 years. Because the seams are glued together, it’s difficult for moisture to work its way downward. Laminate is easy to clean, too. But laminate still has that wood chip base, and should it happen to contact with moisture it will expand and bubble and the only way to fix it is to tear it out.   Check out our selection of Laminate Flooring for Bathrooms

4. Engineered Wood
Engineered wood is great stuff. It’s got a plywood base that holds up well against moisture. And it looks terrific because the top layer is real wood. If you want the wood flooring look in a bathroom, engineered wood is the best choice.  Check out our Hardwood information

3. Stone
No moisture problems with marble, granite, limestone, and the other stone flooring options. Stone is mid-level is this list and not at the top because of a number of issues. The first one is that it’s cold. The second issue: it tends to be slippery. This can be solved by having the stone textured by sandblasting or buy purchasing naturally textured stone, such as slate. But the main issue that pulls this bathroom flooring option down, in my opinion, is cost. Stone flooring is by far your most expensive flooring option.

2. Sheet or Tile Vinyl
Vinyl is the most popular choice for bathroom flooring for several reasons. Vinyl is very much a do-it-yourself job (you can install vinyl tiles in a weekend, easily). And there are thousands of style options.

Sheet or tile vinyl flooring are your two options within this category. One downside of the vinyl tiles is that, after awhile, they tend to come up. Sheet vinyl is the solution to that, but sheet vinyl is difficult to install for the home remodeler. The main reason vinyl occupies the #2 spot is that it’s cheap. But the reason it’s not #1 is that, well, it’s vinyl. No matter how fancy the style and texturing, it still looks and feels like vinyl.

1. Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tile is the best of all worlds. Like stone, it’s got a rich, textured, solid feeling. Like vinyl, it’s waterproof and it’s fairly inexpensive. And like wood flooring, it looks pretty good. There are so many different types of ceramic tiles, you can get exactly the floor you want. You can even find ceramic tile that looks like stone. It comes in sizes between 4″x4″ to 2′x2′, and comes in a wide variety of shapes such as octagonal and hexagonal. Mosaic tiles come in pre-mounted plastic mesh sheets, so you don’t have to individually set each tile. With tinted grout, you can be even more creative. It cleans up well and bravely resists even standing pools of water. Downsides: like stone, it’s cold (though radiant or heated tile is available. Also, it can be slippery. But texturing solves that problem. Smaller tiles are less slippery, because more grout is used and the grout acts as a non-skid surface.

Check out our Ceramic selections

Creaking floors are a frequent irritation in many homes but are normally not linked with serious building defects, they are usually caused by loose-fitting nails that grip the subfloor boards or plywood to the wood framing. These loose nails permit the subfloor to raise slightly. When someone steps on one of these loose and lifted spots, the nail slides down and up again with foot pressure, producing unnecessary squeaking sound.

The best way to resecure the subfloor to the framing and thereby eliminate this repetitious droning is to reinforce the wood joints with drywall screws. Regrettably, this involves the cost and trouble of having the carpets rolled back prior to fastening the floors, and then reinstalled after the corrective work is completed.

Some people have had success by drilling drywall screws through the carpet and padding, which can be done by driving the screws three quarters of the way down and then breaking off the heads. The problem with this method is that carpet fibers can wind around the screws, causing runs. Or the padding can wind around the screws, resulting in clumps. The best approach, as noted in the previous paragraph, is to have the work done the old fashioned way by a professional carpet layer.

Schedule a Complimentary In-Home Consultation. We bring the showroom to YOU!

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BERKELEY

1065 Ashby Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94710
Tel. 888-870-8427

OAKLAND

36 Hegenberger Ct.
Oakland, CA 94621
Tel. 888-870-8426

Click here to purchase your copy today!

• Winner receives $1500 in Carpet One Cash towards the purchase of any flooring of your choice.
• Plus FREE Area Rug (value up to $1500).

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Ceramic tile is a natural product made up of clay, a number of other naturally-occurring minerals and water. Ceramic tile comes in both glazed and unglazed tiles. Glazed ceramic tile has a ceramic coating applied to the tile body which gives the tile its color and finish. Ceramic tile is a popular selection for your interior floors and walls and offers unlimited decorating promise

Some uniqueness of glazed ceramic tile are:

* Durable - a properly installed ceramic tile will do better than and outlive almost any other floor covering product fashioned for the same application.

* Easy care - glazed ceramic tile resists stains, odors, and dirt and can be cleaned up with a damp mop or sponge or common household cleaners such as Comet, Pine Sol or or 409 and even Spic and Span

* Scratch resistant - Grade III and Grade IV glazed ceramic tiles are tremendously resistant to scratching and you never have to worry about a cut or tear like you do with some other types of floors.

* Environmentally friendly - ceramic tile is man-made using natural materials and does not hang on to odors, allergens, or bacteria.

* Beautiful and Versatile - contemporary ceramic manufacturing technology has created virtually an unlimited number of colors, sizes, styles, shapes, and textures that will add rich beauty and character to any room decor.

* Fire Resistant - ceramic tile doesn’t burn nor produce toxic fumes. A lighted cigarette, when dropped on the floor, even if allowed to sit, will not do any damage to ceramic tile. Even hot kitchen pans or skillets will not scorch or melt the surface of glazed ceramic tile.

* Water Resistant - most glazed ceramic tile has a thick body that permits little or no accumulation of moisture. This means spills from common liquids found in a kitchen are not a big concern.

Some of the other important things to consider when selecting a ceramic tile are:

* Slip-resistance of ceramic tile
* Size of tile compared to the overall room size
* Width and color of the grout joints
* Thickness of the tile
* Height variations of the floors between adjoining rooms
* Suitability of the sub floor for ceramic tile
* Cleanability of the ceramic tile

Dick’s Carpet makes it trouble-free to pick carpet that is great for your home. Your local Dick’s Carpet store has a extensive range of carpet styles, colors, warranties and padding to go with your home. Our staff can offer qualified installation to install your carpet completely. These four straightforward steps make selecting your carpet easy and will help offer peace of mind. Carpet is at this time not sold online but in Dick’s Carpet stores only. Make sure you chat with an associate to speak about all of your carpet options.

Step1–Choose Your Style

You’re sure to locate one that’s perfect for your home, décor & lifestyle. Textures provide a traditional, velvety look and style. Twists are tremendously durable & versatile. Loops have a conventional look and are great for high-traffic areas. Patterns give you a modern elegance and can array from understated to spectacular

Step 2–Choose Your Color

Once you’ve chosen the style that’s right for your house it’s time to choose your color. With 5,000 colors to choose from, you’ll find a range of options, including a tremendous palette of neutral tones that will blend with any style. Or, if your tastes are a little more daring, you can try a lively hue that adds a eye-catching distinction

Step 3–Choose Your Warranty

Your home is your supreme investment, and you want that asset to last. By choosing the warranty level that’s right for you, you can rest secure that your carpet will reach your expectations. When you purchase your carpet at Dick’s Carpet you don’t just get a grand product – you get peace of mind.

Step 4–Choose Your Padding

It’s not just the carpet, but what’s under it that provides comfort and durability Dick’s Carpet offers three types of carpet padding to suit your needs. Carpet padding is manufactured for different types of carpets to provide comfort and durability Dick’s Carpet offers three different types of carpet padding for you to choose from.

Learn if hardwood is the flooring solution for the manner in which you live. Hardwood surely answers the must for attractiveness in your home.

The elegant look of a hardwood floor can add warmth and personality to any space. In fact, the normal characteristics of wood add depth and a visual look that many other types of floors try to replicate.

Rich, pleasing hardwood floors are not only gorgeous to live with, they can also add value to your dwelling at resale time. Plus, today, hardwood types, options and applications are more varied and charming than ever.

As the consumer demand for hardwood floors has grown so has the manufacturer’s ability to produce better quality finishes and superior construction techniques.

The result of those advancements is that wood floors can now be installed all the way through the home and over a wide assortment of subfloors.

Why bamboo?

The answer is easy, exciting and ecological. Unlike hardwood, bamboo is not a product of trees, it’s a quick growing grass.

Bamboo can cultivate from sprouts to harvesting in three to five years, thus an acre of bamboo can offer more flooring than an acre of trees.

When bamboo shoots are cut the roots stay in one piece and brand new sprouts grow in their place.

The thick root mass of bamboo helps put off soil erosion and provides a feasible crop opportunity in mountainous acres where other crops cannot produce.

The type used for flooring is harvested from selected groves in Southern China. And, good news — this species is not eaten by Pandas.

Bamboo can be an attractive substitute to hardwood because it is eco-friendly, is dimensionally stable, 27% harder than Northern Red Oak, 13% harder than hard Maple, can either be nailed-down, glued-down or floated, and it’s resistant to flammability.

Bamboo flooring comes in planks and is installed just like engineered hardwood floors. These floors can be installed over many different types of subfloors.

If you believe wood rules, we invite you to come discover the other sections on beautifying your home with hardwood.

Any Questions? We’re here to help.

BERKELEY

1065 Ashby Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94710
Tel. 888-870-8427

OAKLAND

36 Hegenberger Ct.
Oakland, CA 94621
Tel. 888-870-8426

Underlayment
• What kind of underlayment does this flooring require?
 
   TIP – Your installer will advise you if your subfloor needs to be prepared with patch or leveling products, or if you require new wood underlayment. While this will add additional cost, you will dramatically increase the life and performance of your new flooring.
 
Warranties on flooring
• What are the guarantees or warranties on the flooring?
• On the installation?
 
Installation – Remember, flooring installation shouldn’t be scheduled until all your painting, wallpapering, or other construction is finished. flooring should be the last part of your remodeling project.
 
Does the quoted price include installation?
• If not, what are the charges and procedures for installation? (Some installation systems are more labor or material intensive than others and cost more.)
• Will the condition of my existing floor affect the cost of installation?
 
Who is responsible for appliance and fixture removal and replacement?
 
TIP - If you can remove the stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, toilet, etc., you will save some money, but be sure to slide them over plywood panels, so you don’t damage your flooring. You may pay extra for the installer to do it, or have to hire other professionals, like a plumber, to disconnect and reconnect a refrigerator with an ice maker etc.
• Who is responsible for removing and disposing of old my flooring? Is there an additional fee for that?
• How quickly will my flooring be installed after I place my order?
• Will I need new moldings, wall base and toe kick guards? Or can my old ones be
removed and replaced? Will this cost extra?

TIP - Armstrong™ sells self-stick vinyl wall base for residential use, and offers a complete line of Coordinated Transitions moldings and transition strips for use with our laminate flooring.
• Will the new flooring add height to my current floor? Will I need to shave the bottoms of doors so they’ll swing freely? Can the installer do that? Is there additional cost?
• Is your installer certified by Armstrong or a trade organization such as CFI (Certified Floor covering Installers), FCIB (Floor Covering Installation Board) or the WFCA (World Floor Covering Association)?
 
Dick’s Carpet offers only #1 rated certified installers under strict compliance regulations for your safety and protection
 

 TIP - Armstrong Certified Installers are highly experienced flooring installers who are specially trained and certified to install any Armstrong flooring product. They receive ongoing product information and support from Armstrong. They also have access to the Armstrong Installation Training Network, a nationwide system of experienced installers available to provide additional installation expertise right in your neighborhood.