When trying to assess what type of floors to install in your home, you’ll need to think about several factors. While water-resistant planks have several advantages, waterproof flooring indeed has its own set of benefits. To better understand which option would work best for your renovation, let’s go through the main advantages of both materials.
Water-resistant vs. waterproof flooring
To begin with, it’s essential to fully comprehend what the terms water-resistant and waterproof mean. While these descriptions may even sound interchangeable, they are certainly not! Yes, these surfacing options refer to how the planks either repel or prevent water seepage, which is wonderful to have in rooms that see a lot of liquid mishaps, but they are by no means offering the exact same product.
Water-resistant implies the ability to prevent water infiltration from seeping into the substrate. On the other hand, waterproof means that no matter how long water is sitting on the slats, it will not penetrate the planks.
The benefits of water-resistant floors
First, before assuming you’ll need the highest level of protection, ask yourself if the room you’re redoing is going to experience water at any point, aside from the occasional mopping. If the space won’t regularly experience water mishaps, then chances are water-resistant planks will be perfectly appropriate. Nonetheless, if you’re a bit worried for whatever reason, do keep in mind that a moisture barrier can be applied to the slats to ensure added protection against moisture and humidity.
The benefits of waterproof flooring
Though waterproof flooring has its own unique advantages, the primary downside is its typically more expensive price. The vast majority of homeowners automatically think these slats are the better choice when comparing the two alternatives. While the installation can be worth the cost, it really does all depend upon where you’re putting it. Obviously, kitchens and bathrooms will benefit greatly from such a product. In these spaces you’ll never have to worry about the planks ever breaking down on you, because they were infiltrated by water. But then the question is do you really need to get this if you’re not putting it in either of these two rooms? Regardless, you can install waterproof flooring anywhere you’d like inside your home, be it the bedroom, hallway or playroom. Wherever you’d like!
Need some advice about surfacing options? Then come down to our About Floors n’ More showroom in Jacksonville, FL, to talk to our experts and check out our vast array of soft and hard surfacing.