Durability trumps appearance in laundry room flooring, but there's no reason you can't have a durable floor that also looks great.
11 Laundry Room Flooring Options
Updated on Feb. 01, 2024
What To Look For in Laundry Room Flooring
From personal experience, I can tell you laundry room flooring options range from cheap to really expensive. Just don’t repeat the mistake we made.
Our laundry room doubles as a bathroom, and we extended the bamboo flooring we had in the rest of the house into that room. It hasn’t fared well. After 15 years, the floor shows areas of blackening, wide gaps and curling edges.
The laundry room is a “wet” room, so moisture resistance must be your primary consideration. The flooring should also withstand stains, impacts and heavy traffic. It doesn’t hurt if it’s comfortable to walk on and looks good.
Because the laundry room is a utility space, durability often trumps comfort and appearance. But some types of flooring deliver both, even if you’re on a budget.
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Luxury Vinyl Flooring (LVF)
This snap-together flooring is the gold standard for moisture-prone spaces like mudrooms and laundry rooms. Square luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) and rectangular luxury vinyl planks (LVP) are waterproof and impact-resistant, with a cushiony surface layer that makes them easy on the feet.
For maximum moisture- and impact-resistance, choose LVF with a rigid stone plastic composite (SPC) core. At $3.50 to $4.00 per square foot (psf), it costs about a dollar psf more than flooring with a more conventional wood plastic composite (WPC) core. The difference? SPC doesn’t contain wood byproducts that can potentially soak up moisture and swell.
LVP also comes in a wide range of colors and patterns, so you can have a designer laundry room if that’s what you want.
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Sheet Vinyl and Linoleum
One problem with LVP: Gaps can develop between the planks and tiles, allowing water to seep down and damage the subfloor. That’s unusual, but to avoid that possibility altogether, consider sheet vinyl flooring.
Sheet flooring, whether vinyl or linoleum, has been a utility room mainstay since the early 20th century. Like LVP, it’s available lots of colors and patterns. And at $1 to $1.50 psf, it’s one of the most budget-friendly options you’ll find.
Linoleum costs about twice that. But because it’s made from natural materials, it’s an eco-friendly choice. That the linoleum floors of the Titanic still appear to be in good condition after more than century at the bottom of the sea speaks to its moisture resistance.
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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile
Glazed ceramic and porcelain tiles are waterproof, sturdy (although they may crack under heavy impact) and impervious to stains, though the grout between them may stain.
The cost of the tiles can range from $0.85 to $2.50 psf, which isn’t expensive. But if you’re not into laying them yourself, tack on $6.50 to $12 psf or more for installation. Laundry rooms are usually small, so that may not be a dealbreaker.
Glazed tiles are easy to clean, but grout can turn black and moldy in a moist environment, so some maintenance is needed. Keep this to a minimum by resealing the grout every few years.
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Stone Tile
Tiles made from limestone, travertine, marble and other types of stone are the most pricey option on this list, especially considering installation is even less DIY-able than for ceramic tiles. The high cost — $5 to $15 psf for the tiles, plus $5 to $14 for installation — is usually offset by an increase in home value. A stone floor, even in the laundry room, tends to attract buyers.
Stone tiles, as well as the grout between them, are susceptible to staining, so a stone floor calls for regular cleaning and resealing. Given proper maintenance, however, it will probably last longer than the typical 25-year warranty period — perhaps as long as the building itself.
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Rubber Flooring
Rubber flooring comes in sheets or notched tiles that fit together like puzzle pieces. It’s typically between one-quarter to one inch thick, in brown or black.
Because it’s primarily for gyms and utility spaces like mudrooms and garages, rubber flooring isn’t all that attractive. But it’s about as durable and moisture-resistant a laundry room floor covering as you can find.
The durability means it’s not cheap. Sheet rubber costs from $1 to $5 psf, depending on thickness, while rubber tiles cost around $10 psf. The good news? It’s easy to lay a rubber floor, so you can do the job yourself and save on installation costs.
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Waterproof Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is a good call if you choose the right kind. Cheaper products feature a fiberboard core that’s easily damaged by moisture, but waterproof planks are sealed to prevent water damage. For a laundry room, you need the waterproof type.
If you don’t have to worry about spills, laminate flooring has many benefits. Its tough surface layer resists impacts. It comes in wood-tone patterns that will spruce up the space. And it’s easy to install.
Expect to pay $3 to $5 psf for good-quality waterproof laminate flooring. Because you can do the installation yourself, this type of flooring is a bargain.
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Cork Tiles
You won’t find cork recommended for laundry rooms anywhere else, but you will here. Why? The cork floor in our second bathroom remains virtually unblemished after 15 years of showers and foot traffic.
Like laminate flooring, cork tiles snap together, so installation is DIY-able. Cork tiles cost between $3 and $12 psf. And the tiles come with a durable polyurethane finish. Although the manufacturer recommends resealing the floor periodically, we’ve never found that necessary.
Besides its durability and the complex patterns that camouflage dirt, cork has another thing going for it. It’s naturally anti-microbial, so it controls mold and mildew growth and repel insects. Cork isn’t as hard as some other materials, which is good news for your bare feet.
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Concrete
If your laundry room sits on a concrete slab, perhaps that’s all you need. You can’t find a more durable, water-resistant and easy-to-clean floor covering than concrete, and you’ll incur zero extra expense while getting away with little extra work.
You shouldn’t leave the concrete bare, however, because it will soak up any spilled dyes or chemicals. Treating it with one or two applications of penetrating sealer is an easy DIY job with a brush and roller.
If you’re not a fan of “concrete gray,” consider staining the concrete before sealing it. You can also give it a coat of floor paint. Or, for a really durable floor, apply epoxy.
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Engineered Wood Flooring
Solid hardwood and bamboo are far too vulnerable to moisture to use in a laundry room, but engineered wood flooring is different. It comes sealed with an extra-hard acrylic coating that keeps out moisture. Even if it does get wet, it won’t buckle or separate like solid wood.
Choose a product intended for use in basements and other places where water could be a problem. Prices range from $3 to $16 psf, not including installation.
Engineered hardwood products with a crushed stone (SPC) core that makes them especially moisture-resistant are the best choice. As long as the label specifies the product is recommended for below-grade locations like basements, however, you’re good to go.
