ᐅ Vinyl flooring in a walk-in (curbless) shower

Stone82 schrieb:

Price range up to 60€ per m² (about $65 per sq ft).

We are a household with four pets: three cats and one Bernese Mountain Dog mix.
That means a lot of hair and rather more dirt, which requires daily cleaning.
Cats chasing each other and turning corners quickly use their claws.
...
Everyone may have different priorities and opinions, which are all valid.

Understood. Just based on the price range alone, vinyl would be out for me, as I would choose hardwood flooring and, in some areas, large-format tiles.
Type of hardwood: oak – if you choose beech or similar, don’t be surprised by scratches. I can also recommend wenge.

We had a Bernese Mountain Dog ourselves, and it didn’t really damage the hardwood. Daily cleaning is due to the pets, not the type of flooring. Just vacuum, and it’s fine.

P.S. Anyone spending more than 40-50€ per m² (about $43-54 per sq ft) on hardwood is falling for a lot of advertising promises and brand names. Even cheaper two-layer hardwood at 30€ per m² (about $32 per sq ft) is good quality and, in my opinion, superior to a “plastic floor.”

Oberhäslich schrieb:

Go to Denmark sometime,

A good tip to see what is done elsewhere. Sometimes it can be inspiring, sometimes less so. In the case of vinyl flooring in bathrooms - I’m not impressed.
In England and the USA, I have seen many guest toilets with permanently glued plush carpet. That’s not my preference either.

wiltshire schrieb:

In England and the USA, I’ve seen many guest bathrooms with fixed fluffy carpet. Definitely not my choice.

That reminds me of my UK road trip with the first special lady in my life (my mother) and our guinea pig, which we smuggled in secretly against the rules.
At our first overnight stop (always bed and breakfast) on the island, somewhere near Reading, I think, we stayed in a room of a Victorian townhouse that had a shower, sink (typically UK style with separate taps for hot and cold water), and bed all in one room. Only the toilet was separated in a former closet. But everywhere there was that awful high-pile aubergine-colored carpet—yes, even in the toilet closet. My guinea pig liked it (better grip than wood flooring), but cleaning all the litter before leaving was a nightmare.

On topic:
I don’t like the idea. Several forum members have already provided good points:

• In this price range, better to choose parquet or tiles, depending on the room’s use and personal preferences. (@nordanney)
• Warmth comes from the colors. (@chand1986)
• Vinyl scratches more easily from pet claws than other materials. (@ypg)
• It tends to be more expensive in the shower area than alternatives (various contributors).

Suggestion: as an alternative, there is epoxy resin (@wiltshire mentioned it). Considering durability and cost, it might be better than other seamless coatings (slightly less skill required due to self-leveling, but somewhat more demanding in handling—two-component system, even and proper curing). The design options are limited (no parquet imitation possible), but it allows special effects by embedding foreign objects—like stone carpets, glitter, wood slices, coins, etc.—though costs can become quite high.

By the way, I’ve heard and read many reports of vinyl floors fading in sunlight, often accompanied by brittleness, which actually damages the floor.

What mainly drives my dislike of vinyl is that it’s way too expensive.
It’s marketed as something special, but it’s basically the same material as standard sheet vinyl, PVC = polyvinyl chloride, which was largely replaced by laminate in the 1990s.
It should actually be cheaper than laminate (fewer layers), but it’s more expensive at minimum, maximum, and average prices. Only full vinyl (without backing layer) is more water-resistant than laminate, but then it must generally be glued down. You’ve already found out that laminate is more scratch-resistant; the only advantage of vinyl is sound reduction. But that’s also the downside of scratch resistance.

So, the only reason I can think of for choosing vinyl—mainly price combined with the option for DIY installation—is actually better served by laminate in the first point. For the second, it’s a close call (cutting is a bit easier with vinyl because a utility knife is enough), and parquet can also be installed by oneself quite well.

This might sound like my recommendation is laminate, but that only applies to very budget-conscious DIYers.
In this price range and with a basic preference for a wood pattern, I would personally go for parquet, like @nordanney suggested.
Especially considering aging, wear and tear, damage, or changes due to UV light. With parquet, this is a natural process that gives the floor a unique, authentic character.
Vinyl gets old; parquet matures.
Vinyl wears out; parquet lives.
Scratches in vinyl just remain visible. Those in parquet can either be repaired (even fully refurbished by sanding) or become memories of shared experiences.
Vinyl is like fast fashion—after one season you want something new. Parquet is like a tweed jacket or a leather jacket inherited from your father—you keep and love it for years, even decades, possibly your whole life.

Solid wood parquet can also be laid in bathrooms (well-oiled, it can handle occasional splashes if you don’t leave it wet for long); tiles (e.g. large format) or seamless materials are still recommended for the shower area. Contrasts, used sparingly and appropriately, also enhance the overall look.

Sorry for the wall of text. I hope I was able to offer a different perspective and some arguments for the discussion with the authorities… (at least I succeeded in convincing my wife to choose real wood instead of OSB with covering for our transitional terrace 2.0, despite the extra work—that says something).

Tolentino schrieb:

Solid wood parquet can also be installed in bathrooms (well-oiled, it can handle some splashes as long as you don’t leave it wet for too long); and for the shower, tiles (e.g., large format) or something seamless. Contrasts, used sparingly and appropriately, can also make a strong impression.

We once stayed in a very beautiful holiday apartment where the same parquet was laid in both the living area and the bathroom. At first glance, even the walk-in shower seemed to have the same flooring. Since I couldn’t believe it, I took a closer look. Only on the second or third glance did I realize that in the shower area, tiles with an exact parquet look had been installed. I thought that was amazing – but probably not feasible within the intended budget.

If interested, you can search for "Wastleicherhof" and then look at the pictures of the holiday apartment "Kornkammer."

There is also bamboo parquet. Since it is not wood but fiber, it has a very hard surface. As far as I know, it is more affordable than wood parquet. We have bamboo parquet in the sports room.

We still want to keep an open mind. I have heard that parquet flooring can cause issues with underfloor cooling. What is the current situation?