Pros and Cons of Waterproof Flooring

Ever dropped a glass of water on your floor and later noticed swelling or a bump on the floor at the exact same spot a few hours later. That swelling or bump on your floor is the result of the glass you dropped. It is not because you did not wipe it or clean it well; it is because your floor was not waterproof. Now just because you have a little swelling in the corner of the floor you have to redo your whole flooring.

While redesigning your floor make sure that you opt and choose a waterproof flooring this time. It might be a little expensive but will last longer and will be worth it. There are multiple waterproof floorings available today. It depends on what type of material you want and what will fulfill your needs. You can go for wood flooring or a PVC flooring, all if it depends on your choice and budget for e.g. PVC flooring can be a little cheaper than the wood flooring.

There are plethoras of things that need to be considered before opting for waterproof flooring such as which material to use and which texture to go with. Like every other flooring, waterproof floorings have some pros as well as some cons., few of the major pros and cons are:

Pros of waterproof flooring

Easily installed:

These types of floorings are easy to install. They mostly come in the form of planks, rolls, or tiles and can be installed within a few days. The installation of these flooring is less messy than the classic ones. The best part about waterproof flooring installation is that it is cheaper; the labor cost of installation is usually half.

Easy maintenance:

Waterproof floors are easy to clean and easy to maintain. As they do not swell when cleaned with water, all you need is to mop them with water and they are clean and shiny as new. There are some cleansers available for the maintenance and cleaning of these floorings, buy one of them and use it regularly.

Comfortable underneath:

In waterproof flooring, the most commonly used is PVC flooring. These floorings are very soft and comfortable. The best part about most of the waterproof floorings is that they do not get cold in the winter. This particular type of flooring remains warm in the winter, you just need to turn on your heater and Voila!

Durable:

Waterproof floorings are one of the most durable floorings among all. They are not affected by the moisture or water and they are not worn out easily. If they are installed properly by an expert, and later maintained in a good manner, they can last up to 10 to 20 years very easily. It also depends on what material you are opting for in the waterproof flooring e.g. vinyl and fiberglass flooring is resistant to damage and can last longer than wood.

Cons of waterproof flooring

Despite being durable, cheap and easy to maintain, some cons that come along with all the pros are:

Volatile organic chemicals (VOC):

One of the major drawbacks of some waterproof flooring such as PVC is that they release some volatile gases soon after the installation. These gases are a mixture of chemicals used in the manufacturing of the floor. These VOC’s can cause many health issues to the people living in the house. It can cause a reoccurrence and relapse of one’s asthma, allergies, and some acute respiratory problems. These chemical releases of VOCs are unpredictable but usually happen soon after their manufacturing.

Non-biodegradable:

Most of the waterproof floorings have either a layer of plastic or a water-resistant material in it. The material used in these floorings to make them waterproof is usually non-biodegradable which means that it does not decompose in the environment and it remains intact. It stays in the environment for a very long time and takes a lot of space on land. These floorings are mostly non-recyclable, which means that they cannot be used again. This may seem irrelevant, but global warming is real and you're opting for something that is not environmentally friendly is in a way promoting global warming in the world.

Stains and discoloration:

Waterproof floorings are usually susceptible to stains and discoloration. No matter how much you take care of these flooring if by anyway you dropped something on the floor, there is going to be a big mark or stain on the floor. Discoloration and yellowing of the floor are also one of the common problems faced in waterproof floorings and there is no solution to this problem rather than changing your floorings. This discoloration and stains may not be physically harmful to anyone like swelling but they definitely look bad. Therefore, if you have kids in your house avoid this type of flooring.

Damage to the subfloor:

The installations of these floorings are easy and rapid but it damages the subfloor really bad. If you opt for the PVC floorings, the pasting of the sheet on your floor will ruin the floor underneath it. Before installing any other type of waterproof flooring than PVC, you will have to make sure that the surface is smooth and flat and for that, you will have to prep your original floor. Prepping the original floor will require a lot of rubbing to make it flat and smooth and that will ultimately result in damaging the subfloor.

There are a lot of things mentioned above that describe all the advantages and disadvantages of waterproof flooring. The best part of waterproof flooring is its durability and easy maintenance while the worst is that they are usually non-biodegradable. If you are a person who is looking for a long-lasting solution and fix for your floors then you should definitely go for waterproof floorings but if not, try researching about other floorings available and then see what works best for you.