Laminate flooring

[Bowness72]

Hi everyone, I will be putting down some laminate flooring in the bathroom soon and would like your thoughts about which direction to lay it.....

I'm aware that generally laminate should be laid parallel with incoming light or longest wall. If that's the way to go then I'm happy to do that but I just wondered whether there was any merit in laying it the opposite way due to the fact that I have a narrow(ish) floor zone between the longest wall and the bathside....thereby making it feel slightly wider ?

Cheers

 

[footprints]

As far as the laminate is concerned it's not going to make any diffrence which way you lay it so why not just split a pack lay some out and see how it looks?
Also worth concidering if the shape of the room location of doors rads etc will make one way easier than the other.

Regards,
footprints

 

[Bowness72]

Cheers footprints, don't know why I never thought of that, considering I've already got the laminate which I took up from another room.

Incidentally.....the only obstructions are toilet and sink, both at narrow end

 

[crazydaze]

If it's not a specific laminate designed for 'wet areas' it will likely blow in a short space of time, generally, laminate is not a very suitable product for bathrooms etc.

 

[Bowness72]

What exactly will happen crazydaze ?

And is there any way of sealing it to prevent moisture getting in ?

 

[alan333]

We laid tile effect non-water resistant laminate in our en-suite. It's a small room and gets pretty steamy, but we're aware that the joins aren't meant to be soaked so we're not very splash-dash happy. It's now been down a couple of years and still looks as good as day one.

 

[crazydaze]

What exactly will happen crazydaze ?

And is there any way of sealing it to prevent moisture getting in ?

If you already have the laminate from another area, then sure, use it, but don't be surprised if the floor suffers from a number if possible issues as it is not designed for use in a damp, humid or wet environment. Also, it's difficult to get a really decent finish around pedestals, shower trays etc due to the need to allow for an 8-10mm expansion gap, unless you fit under these areas.

The reason that most laminate is not suitable , nor designed to be used in bathrooms, shower rooms etc is that most laminate floors are not stable in humid environments, prolonged moisture on the surface will eventually damage the finish round the joints, this is the same reason why laminate floors should never be mopped with water and should be cleaned with a dry cloth and laminate floor cleaner.

The humid environment of the atmosphere in areas like this tends to find its way into the floor, joints and beadings etc causing gaps to appear, expansion issues, joints to peak and the top surfaces of the floor to de-laminate.

Of course, there are people who swear that they have never had a problem with their floor in an area like this, but the manufacturers would, if they believed in their product, recommend the use of it in as many areas as possible , the fact they don't should tell you that indeed, it's not designed for such areas.

Laminate floors have a bad reputation undeservedly in many circumstances, in the right installation they can be excellent floors, but if you are looking at a 'wet' area, go with the industry recommendation, Sheet Vinyl, LVT or Linoleum or stone/ceramics, these products are designed for an area like this.