Slip resistance is the number to ask for
Floor tiles carry an R rating for slip resistance. R9 is fine for a dry hallway and marginal for a bathroom floor that gets splashed.
R10 is our practical minimum for a bathroom floor, and R11 or higher for a wet room floor or anywhere a shower drains directly onto the tile.
Highly polished porcelain and polished natural stone look superb and are genuinely slippery wet. If you love the look, keep it off a wet room floor.
Texture is not the enemy of style. Modern matt and honed finishes give good grip without looking industrial.
The options side by side
Supplied-and-fitted ranges for a typical 6 m2 bathroom floor in the Berkshire area, including preparation and adhesive.
| Material | Supply per m2 | Fitted per m2 | Slip grip | UFH suitable | Realistic lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet vinyl | £12-£30 | £35-£60 | Good | Yes, with limits | 8-12 years |
| LVT (glue-down) | £25-£60 | £55-£100 | Good | Yes | 15-20 years |
| Ceramic tile | £15-£35 | £60-£95 | Varies | Yes | 20+ years |
| Porcelain tile | £25-£70 | £70-£120 | Excellent (R10-R11) | Yes, ideal | 25+ years |
| Large-format porcelain | £40-£110 | £95-£160 | Excellent | Yes, ideal | 25+ years |
| Natural stone | £55-£150 | £120-£220 | Varies, needs sealing | Yes | 25+ years with care |
| Microcement | £70-£160 | £140-£260 | Good | Yes | 10-15 years |
Warmth, comfort and underfloor heating
Tile and stone feel cold because they conduct heat away from your feet efficiently. That same property makes them the best possible surface over underfloor heating.
Vinyl and LVT feel warmer underfoot unheated, but they insulate, so they blunt the output of an underfloor system slightly.
If you are laying porcelain and can stretch to electric underfloor heating, do it during the refurbishment. Retrofitting later means lifting the floor you just paid for.
Microcement over underfloor heating needs a properly specified substrate and commissioning cycle, or it will craze. It is a specialist finish rather than a default choice.
Preparation is most of the job
Timber floors need to be rigid. Tiles laid over a springy floor crack at the joints regardless of how good the adhesive is, so we overboard or strengthen where needed.
Concrete floors usually need levelling compound. A 4 mm dip across a room is invisible until a large-format tile bridges it and rocks.
Vinyl and LVT need a smoother base than tile does. Any board joint or screw head telegraphs through within months.
Wet room floors need falls forming to the drain and a tanking membrane before anything else happens. That is a structural sequence, not a finish.
What we would choose and when
Family bathroom, everyday use, budget matters: R10 porcelain in a mid format. Best cost-to-durability ratio in the whole list.
Rental or quick refresh: quality sheet vinyl. Fast, waterproof, cheap to replace between tenancies.
Wet room: R11 porcelain, small enough format to follow the falls neatly, or a purpose-made large-format wet room panel.
Period property: natural stone if the budget allows and you accept the sealing regime, otherwise a good stone-effect porcelain that will not stain.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best flooring for a bathroom?
For most homes, R10 porcelain tile. It is waterproof, hard-wearing, works perfectly with underfloor heating and still looks right after twenty years.
Is vinyl flooring bad for a bathroom?
Not at all. Good sheet vinyl is waterproof and comfortable underfoot. It simply has a shorter life than tile and can be damaged by heavy dropped objects.
What slip rating do I need in a wet room?
R11 or better on the floor. Anything polished is unsuitable where water drains across the surface.
Can I tile straight onto floorboards?
Not directly. The floor needs stiffening and overboarding first, otherwise movement cracks the grout and eventually the tiles.
Do you fit underfloor heating at the same time?
Yes, and it is much cheaper done during the refurbishment than retrofitted. Our own team handles the electrics and the tiling, so it is one continuous job.