Home Improvement Ideas Flooring Bathroom Flooring Ideas on a Budget for an Affordable Update Add style—and durability!—to your bathroom with inexpensive flooring materials that will stand up to humidity, heat, and daily use. By Jan Soults Walker Jan Soults Walker Jan is a former home improvement writer for Better Homes & Gardens. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process and Caitlin Sole Caitlin Sole Caitlin Sole is the senior home editor at BHG. She is a writer and editor with nearly a decade of interior design expertise. She has vast experience with digital media, including SEO, photo shoot production, video production, eCommerce content, print collaboration, and custom sales content. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on August 4, 2022 Spend a few minutes in any flooring showroom or aisles at a home center, and you'll find more choices than ever. Even better, you'll find plenty of affordable bathroom flooring ideas to create the look and function you've always wanted, plus stay on track with your budget. Before choosing bathroom flooring, consider your design and color preferences, lifestyle, and budget. For example, if you're renovating a powder room, waterproof floors aren't essential like in a bathroom with a shower and tub. If you live in a chilly climate, bathroom flooring with radiant heat might top your list—but heated flooring can only be installed with some materials. Or maybe you're looking for a bold bathroom palette, so you're drawn to bathroom flooring ideas with colorful ceramic tiles. You can get a stylish, affordable remodel whether you prefer the tough finish of ceramic or porcelain tiles or the ease of installation and care of porcelain planks. Jay Wilde Ceramic and Porcelain Bathroom Tile Thanks to their creative potential and array of colors, patterns, shapes, and sizes, ceramic and porcelain tiles are a top choice for bathroom flooring ideas on a budget. With clay-based bodies high-fired to become hardy tiles and waterproof glass-like coatings called glazes, ceramic and porcelain tiles are long-lasting and easy to maintain. Although porcelain tends to be more durable than ceramic, both are great bathroom choices. Both materials stand up to the splashes, humidity, and frequent foot traffic of your bathroom. Porcelain vs. Ceramic: How to Decide Which Tile Type Is Best for You Look for affordable ceramic and porcelain tiles for as low as $1 per square foot; mosaic tiles start at less than $3 per square foot. Keep in mind that mosaic tiles are an especially great option in terms of safety because the multiple grout lines make mosaic tile bathroom floors slip-resistant. Cost: From $1 per square foot Edmund Barr Stone Floor Tile If you want a timeless look, consider stone tile flooring for your bathroom. There are several affordable bathroom flooring ideas, including honed marble, travertine, slate, and limestone. Like ceramic and porcelain tiles, stone floor tiles come in various shades, shapes, and sizes. Before choosing stone bathroom floor tile, ask a flooring dealer if the stone you're considering requires sealing (not all do) and, if so, how often you'll need to reapply the finish. Quality sealers fill pits and spaces in the stone to make it more resistant to water and preserve the look. Slate and travertine are two types of flooring commonly available for less than $2 per square foot. Gorgeous marble tiles can be found for less than $5 per square foot. Cost: From $2 per square foot Steven McDonald Cork Bathroom Flooring Cork features natural properties that make it a warm cushion for your feet. Cork is harvested from the bark of cork trees, which grows back quickly, so you can feel good about this environmentally sustainable flooring material. Plus, cork is an inexpensive bathroom flooring idea; you'll find lots of options for colors and natural patterns in cork tiles and planks, with prices as low as $2 per square foot. However, much like wood flooring, if your cork floor isn't sealed properly, it can absorb water and become permanently damaged. Make sure the cork floor you purchase is recommended and warranted for use in a bathroom, and have it finished with at least five coats of clear sealer. The perimeter must be caulked with silicone so no moisture can seep in around the edges. Finally, never let water stand for long periods on a cork floor; wipe it up immediately. Install a quality air vent in your bathroom, and turn it on whenever you bathe. Cost: From $2 per square foot Lincoln Barbour Vinyl Bathroom Flooring Today's vinyl is more attractive and durable than ever. It's comfortable underfoot thanks to its foam backing and provides excellent water resistance, especially in sheet form. Luxury vinyl tiles and planks are available, too, and all come in an array of colors, styles, and patterns, including lines that closely mimic wood and stone. Vinyl plank flooring features a simple snap-together installation, saving you further funds if you choose to DIY. Luxury vinyl planks that look like wood start at less than $2 per square foot. Cost: From $2 per square foot Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit