When choosing flooring for a laundry room, you need a material that can withstand significant moisture, stains, heat, and heavy foot traffic. After all, this space sees more than its fair share of drips, spills, and high-stress use from appliances. The wrong laundry room floors could warp, discolor, or degrade prematurely from exposure to water and cleaning chemicals.
In this guide, we’ll compare your flooring options based on durability, appearance, maintenance needs, and cost.
Best Types of Laundry Room Flooring
Flooring that’s suitable for a utility space like the laundry room won’t bubble, mold, warp, or delaminate despite frequent exposure to moisture and heat.
With these criteria in mind, we recommend the following types of flooring:
- Epoxy Floor Coating
- Linoleum
- Luxury Vinyl Flooring
- Porcelain Tile
- Rubber Tile
- Stone Tile
- Vinyl Sheet Flooring
Epoxy Floor Coating
Applying a layer of high-performance epoxy resin over concrete creates a glossy, waterproof barrier able to withstand heavy appliances. This tough film prevents stains and chemical deterioration of the concrete.
Although durable in the long term, epoxy coatings do get slippery when wet. Etching the concrete first provides grip. Epoxy coating costs are often higher than other flooring, but with professional installation, it can last 10–15 years.
Linoleum
Linoleum features jute or fiberglass backing and offers a resilient, moisture-resistant natural flooring option. Once sealed, the linseed oil-based material resists water better than wood or laminate.
Available in sheets or tiles, linoleum withstands decades of laundry room use. Its antibacterial properties also resist mold and mildew growth. Linoleum costs more than vinyl but is comparable to midrange ceramic tile.
Luxury Vinyl Flooring
Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) and luxury vinyl tile (LVT) combine resilience with realistic wood and stone looks. Luxury vinyl comes with an engineered core that can withstand exposure to leaks, flooding, and cleaning chemicals without sustaining damage.
Most LVP and LVT feature an attached cork underlayment for added comfort and sound insulation.
Angle-tap installation and T-molding in doorways allow luxury vinyl to handle small subfloor imperfections.
Porcelain Tile
Tile resists water better than any flooring material, making it an ideal choice for laundry rooms. Impervious porcelain tile, in particular, repels spills and splashes to prevent staining, warping, and damage.
Mosaics, planks, and large-format tiles all work well. Properly seal the grout to avoid discoloration from moisture. With proper installation and care, tile floors can last decades.
Rubber Tiles
Interlocking rubber tiles work well as temporary or permanent flooring. The 1/2 to 1-inch-thick tiles snap together over any hard subfloor. You can use border adhesive to bond the tiles together, which provides a less temporary solution.
Thicker rubber tiles feel more supportive underfoot and reduce appliance noise. Rubber tile installation takes one or two days with basic DIY skills and standard hand tools.
Stone Tile
Natural stone floor tiles such as limestone, marble, slate, and travertine provide a distinctive, upscale quality to any room. Dense stone tiles are highly water-resistant, but we recommend finishing them with a stain-resistant sealant to keep them fresh and prevent the growth of mildew.
Stone’s innate hardness makes it an extremely durable flooring material that resists chips, scratches, and dents from high foot traffic and heavy machinery. Proper thinset installation prevents cracked tiles. With proper care, natural stone tiles last 30 years or longer.
Vinyl Sheet Flooring
Sheet vinyl is an affordable waterproof flooring option. During installation, the vinyl flooring is custom-cut and sealed over the subfloor using heat-welded seams to create a waterproof barrier. Dense commercial sheet vinyl withstands decades of heavy laundry room use.
Comparing Laundry Room Flooring Costs
Flooring costs range widely based on the type of flooring, coverage area, subfloor preparation, and installation requirements. Here’s an overview of estimated costs for each type of flooring:
| Flooring Type | Material Cost (per sq ft) | Labor Cost (per sq ft) | Est. Cost for 10’x10’ Room |
| Epoxy Floor Coating | $4–$10 | $0.60–$4 | $460–$1,400 |
| Linoleum | $2–$7 | $1–$4 | $300–$1,100 |
| Luxury Vinyl Flooring | $2–$5 | $0.60–$4 | $260–$900 |
| Porcelain Tile | $3–$10 | $0.60–$15 | $360–$2,500 |
| Rubber Tile | $3–$8 | $0.60–$4 | $360–$1,200 |
| Stone Tile | $5–$15 | $0.60–$15 | $560–$3,000 |
| Vinyl Sheet Flooring | $2–$6 | $0.60–$4 | $260–$1,000 |
Flooring Trends
Flooring trends offer stylish options for contemporary laundry room designs. Current flooring trends aim to make small areas like laundry and mudrooms feel fresh and more open.
Extra-large format tiles create a seamless, contemporary look. Porcelain tiles in 24-inch by 48-inch sizes install quickly and resist moisture. Pair them with rectangular wall tiles for a sleek, integrated style.
Neutral colors like white, gray, and beige keep rooms feeling open. Bold geometric designs or realistic stone and wood looks add visual interest.
Vibrant gemstone and quartz tile floors make laundry rooms pop. Premium natural stone looks like marble, and travertine can elevate a home’s utility spaces. These tiles require sealing but provide timeless elegance.
For a budget take on bold gemstone style, porcelain imitations offer durability and affordability. Dark greens and blues with natural stone textures energize small white laundry rooms.
Herringbone vinyl plank flooring provides the look of timeless hardwood in a waterproof material. The geometric pattern pairs well with modern and farmhouse styles alike.
Gray, weathered, and whitewashed color palettes give vintage appeal to contemporary spaces. Using plank widths of 5–7 inches optimizes the herringbone design’s visual impact.
So, Which Flooring Is Best For Your Laundry Room?
With so many options, deciding the best laundry room flooring for your home depends on which factors are most important to you. According to our research, most homeowners place priority on at least a few of the following factors.
Affordability
If you’re renovating on a budget, our experts recommend sticking to rubber flooring, sheet vinyl, or vinyl tiles. For inexpensive genuine tile alternatives, consider larger format porcelain, which costs less to install and maintain than smaller tiles.
Easy Maintenance
Entry-level DIYers often prefer zero-maintenance sheet vinyl or rubber tiles. Both kinds of flooring are highly waterproof, easy to install, and require minimal upkeep.
Moisture Resistance
If your laundry room tends to get wet from leaks or flooding, linoleum, waterproof vinyl plank or seamless sheet vinyl prevent subfloor damage best.
For concrete floors, epoxy coatings seal and protect the surface.
Noise Reduction
If you’re looking for a way to muffle noisy appliances, consider installing sound-dampening flooring such as luxury vinyl or rubber flooring.
Style
We’ve learned that homeowners wanting to elevate their laundry room choose materials like natural stone tile, porcelain tile, or sealed hardwood. LVP in a wood veneer is a more economical alternative.
No matter your priorities, always prepare the subfloor properly before installing new laundry room flooring. Doing so helps prevent moisture accumulation and imperfections, issues that can result in expensive remediation and repairs.
FAQs About Laundry Room Flooring
What kind of plywood is best for laundry rooms?
Marine-grade plywood or CDX exterior-grade plywood are ideal for laundry room subfloors. These plywoods use waterproof adhesives and resist swelling from spills and humidity.
Should you use grout or caulk on laundry room tile?
Tile installers recommend grout for floors and where tiles meet. Unlike caulk, grout allows some moisture to evaporate. Just be sure to seal grout yearly. Use caulk only on corner joints between walls and floors.
What thickness of rubber flooring is best?
Rubber flooring that is between ⅜ and ½ inches thick provides adequate durability and cushioning for residential laundry rooms. For laundry rooms that house heavy commercial appliances, we recommend rubber flooring that’s ¾ inches or thicker.
Can you install vinyl plank flooring on concrete?
Yes, luxury vinyl plank can lay over concrete if you use an underlayment to smooth any roughness or imperfections first. Doing this helps prevent uneven plank locking and indentation.
Is vinyl plank flooring really waterproof?
Quality vinyl plank flooring is 100% waterproof through the core and attached underlayment. The rigid top layer resists water damage from spills, leaks, and flooding. Avoid vinyl types with an MDF or plywood core.
