Laminate wood flooring in a bathroom...

[OnionPatch]

Are there any types/brands that will hold up in a bathroom?

We replaced our old carpeting with laminate wood flooring downstairs in the living/dining area and kitchen. We wanted to do the whole house with it but it's just too big of a job for us, so we've decided just to replace the ratty carpet upstairs with new carpet. But I would love it if the bathrooms upstairs had similar wood flooring as downstairs, to sort of tie the whole house together. I know real wood won't work in a bathroom well. But I've heard there are certain types of laminates that will hold up well in the bathroom. I'm testing the stuff we used downstairs by leaving a scrap piece out in the rain, but if it doesn't hold up, is there a brand any of you would recommend for bathrooms? Luckily, the bathrooms aren't very large, so we could probably afford to put some higher end stuff in them.

[NMDemDist2]

1. we put laminate in the kitchen and bath and haven't had any trouble

we did carefully follow the instructions for use in the high water areas. it consisted of gluing the planks so water can't seep under

[OnionPatch]

3. That's encouraging.

I checked my scrap piece that's been in the rain all night. I don't see any signs of swelling or blistering or anything, either, so maybe I'll be able to use the same type. I'll have to check for the special instructions. What sort of glue did you need?

[NMDemDist2]

5. plain old carpenter's glue

just to seal up the open edges

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Alloc Original is specifically recommended for bathrooms

Here's the link to web page that mentions this:

http://www.alloc.com/original_flooring_installation.html

We have their product in our foyer and our kitchen and are very happy with it.

Be mindful of their various flavors, though. It may have changed in the last few years, but when we bought ours, only the "Alloc Original" line was okay for bathrooms. Their other lines (back then) were down market to compete with the likes of Pergo and was **not** recommended for bathrooms or kitchens. They said their downline stuff was okay for 'half baths'. Our retailer told us that by 'half bath' they mean it can stand a tiny bit of wet, but too much moisture is not good for it.

The other neat thing about the "Orginal" line is that their joints use a metal spline to lock the click flooring together. It makes for a bulletproof joint that no one can beat. They also have the sound deadening underlayment on the back of each plank, which is both convenient and saves about a haffa buck per SF.

Alloc actually invented the laminate floor genre, so they're a world leader.

The "Original" line is more pricey than mast other laminates, but for small areas like the bathroom, why worry? The actual dollar increase to buy it is quite small.

I **highly** recommend this stuff.

[OnionPatch]

4. Thanks!

Now I know just what to look for if it turns out we need something more water-proof than we're using downstairs. These are full baths and we do have a 7-year-old. :)

[Whoa_Nelly]

6. House I'm in right now has a large part of it done in laminate flooring

and it's really slippery if wet.

[OnionPatch]

7. I noticed that.

It is slippery. But the tile we have in the bathroom now is pretty slippery, too. Hopefully, a few well-placed rugs in the bathroom will keep slips to a minimum.