bathroom/kitchen flooring

Parents Forum Parent Cafe
#1

<p>I just did a 180 on what I was thinking for my bathroom floor.</p>

<p>I am staying in a hotel
( while I force D to show me her grades & plans for next qtr - although not sure how I am going to do that- she is bigger than me & more stubborn as well:( )
with marble tile flooring.( 12x12 narrow groutlines)</p>

<p>It looks nice ( polished-) but after a shower- with 1/2 teaspoon of water on the floor, I practically fell on my keister!</p>

<p>So now I am trying to think what else- might work
We have ONE * yes, that is accurate, boys & girls* bathroom, which has to be all things to all people.
White tile shower surround & fixtures. Dark wood cabinets ( coffee colored- but different woods)- faces north ( one window- but I am thinking of adding another in the east wall) havent't painted yet- probably sea blues/greens to go with recycled glass tile counter</p>

<p>Our hall ( which is really more like a landing...if there were stairs at one point) & our kitchen, also need new flooring & I am thinking of doing them in same material.</p>

<p>( Bedrooms & living/dining room have original fir flooring- with ( some day- Oriental rugs- living /dining room still has yucky wall to wall- but I am taking that out after this other stuff gets done)</p>

<p>I'm thinking that another kind of tile- perhaps rougher finish, would have easier upkeep & wouldn't be as slick as the marble in the hotel ( I have a friend who has pale marble through out her hall/kitchen/living room- I always feel like I am walking on ice)</p>

<p>Budget is also relevant- although H used to install flooring in another life- ( well before we were married) and we are comfortable with installing the tile or whatever ourselves- </p>

<p>I'm also thinking of haunting the recycled material yards, to see if they ever get old fir flooring, because the newer stuff- looks new- or else it is $$$$We have this in the bedrooms & I really like it</p>

<p>( I am also wanting to have a quote stenciled/freehand around the bathroom, I saw this at a friends in her dining room ( it was in Latin ;) ) & I liked the way it looked. But I keep changing my mind what to have.
Since it would be a tedious process- I need ideas for quotes too.</p>

#2

<p>Would you consider linoleum? My mother redid her kitchen a few years ago and put in a very high grade linoleum. If I remember correctly the warrenty is 20 years. It looks just like tile. People even reach down to touch the floor to see if it's tile or not.</p>

#3

<p>There are nice-looking ceramic tiles that mimic natural stone, especially if you look at some of the higher end products. Still cheaper than real stone and not so slick. </p>

<p>If you google "wall quotes" you'll see several companies that make stick-on type quotes; you might find some inspiration there. (If you change your mind a lot you might be better off with something you can peel off. ;))</p>

#4

<p>I'd consider anything- I just can't decide on what to get- you can see our kitchen from the front door ( (although I would like to put a door in)</p>

<p>Linoleum is a ( swear word) to install however- especially higher grade stuff is stiff to work with.
( was it sheet vinyl or tile?)</p>

#5

<p>I learned recently that linoleum is considered environmentally friendly flooring.</p>

#6

<p>My master bathroom has marble tile, very lovely but has many issues such as being slippery as you pointed out.</p>

<p>Another bathroom has tile, still looks very nice but don't have the same issues as marble. That is what I would recommend. There are so many tile styles to choose from. You probably will find something you like although it might take some time.</p>

<p>I did marble because I love marble and no one else use that bathroom but the 2 of us (as in no kids) so it is easier to be careful and maintain.</p>

#7

<p>Slate is nice and not slippery--not sure about it in a kitchen, though, but could be pretty in a bathroom. Old house we had it in our entry hall and it was not slippery. </p>

<p>Also had ceramic tile flooring in the old place that was designed to be less slippery--don't recall what it was called.</p>

<p>Love linoleum.</p>

<p>I agree--that slick marble tile is dangerous!</p>

#8

<p>I love slate. It is fairly local for me and I plan to use it in my new house-- entry, baths, patio. Haven't decided about the kitchen.</p>

#9

<p>Emeraldkity, it was sheet vinyl that my mom put in her kitchen. We didn't install it ourselves but the guys who did made it look easy though I'm sure it's not.</p>

<p>It's easy to keep clean and she loves it.</p>

#10

<p>We have tumbled marble in our bathrooms. This is the distressed looking stuff and, unlike polished marble, it is NOT slippery. You CAN get the same effect with some of the Italian porcelain tiles that are synthetic.</p>

#11

<p>I thought porcelain was a type of ceramic (clay) tile. No?</p>

#12

<p>Home depot has some pretty reasonably priced slates and those will NOT be slippery.</p>

#13

<p>1 moremom, by "synthetic" in post #10 I meant synthetic stone.</p>

#14

<p>Can't help you on the bathroom floor but my suggestion for persuading your daughter to share: try singing in public--like you would in a really bad musical. As you walk down the street with your daughter, sing "my daughter won't tell me her plans! I'm so sad!" in the most melodramatic bad-opera style you can manage without bursting into laughter.</p>

<p>It only takes a few lines before my children tell me anything I want to know. These days, just threatening to sing works. (I should note: I can NOT sing on key. And me at full volume, it's every bit as embarrassing as you'd think.)</p>

#15

<p>There are a lot of lovely tiles which are not glossy - and you don't have to polish! I would go to a floor covering specialty store, rather than Home D, and see if there isn't something you just love.</p>

<p>How long of a quote would you need? Maybe a poem would be nice...</p>

#16

<p>So funny! I too started a thread about bathroom flooring last month after staying a hotel with SLIPPERY WHEN WET marble tiles. I thought is was shockingly dangerous for a hotel.<br>
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1084383-bathroom-flooring-suggestions.html?highlight=bathroom%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1084383-bathroom-flooring-suggestions.html?highlight=bathroom&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Not sure what we'll decide...we are VERY slow on projects. It's not entirely bad - it give more time to dream and save money for the projects.</p>

#17

<p>Personally, we LOVE sheet vinyl--Armstrong & Congoleum. It is in our kitchen and bathrooms. Very durable and easy maintenance. I HATE grout and am glad we don't have to deal with it now with the sheet vinyl. There is also a warranty, in case you get nicks or indentations in the floor where they will replace it for free (we'll be getting a new floor because of the warranty). The rest of our house is hardwood (oak) and it flows nicely and is SO much less stress because water is not much of an issue on sheet vinyl.</p>

#18

<p>It's not entirely bad - it give more time to dream and save money for the projects.
We take forever too- but we barely save any money cause it is more likely something that * has to * get fixed will come up first.
:o</p>

<p>Vinyl I think is easier than what is considered linoleum- because vinyl stretches a teeny? more bendable anyway.
Actually, my dad refinished our basement years ago with linoleum tiles that held up really well - of course several owners later they gutted the house at least the upstairs- I don't know what they did to his darkroom. ( it was very traumatic for me- they put interior shots on zillow)</p>

<p>There are so many different options now- remember when parquet used to be considered the height of style?
;)</p>

#19

<p>We have small little tiles in one bathroom, linoleum in another bathroom and 12x12 Tiles in the kitchen. All look fine.</p>

#20

<p>Uh oh... we stopped at a new store today and got motivated... has anybody heard of eheart? Hmmm, it seems to be a CO firm. </p>

<p>The eheart bathroom/kitchen designer agreed to stop at our house on her way home. We are contemplating renovation on one or maybe two of our bathrooms. (After 17 years, everything seems to be due for a refresh. It might be easier to just get the downstairs bathroom and master bathroom done together. The kids bath can wait - we'll fumigate it after they are done with college).</p>