We all put time into choosing the best flooring for our kitchen, bedroom and living spaces, but few of us give much thought to the flooring in our mudroom. Although we don’t spend much time in this area of the house, choosing the right flooring for this room is crucial. After all, it’s the first thing guests see upon entering our homes, and gets continual exposure to the water, sand and other elements we track in from outside. For these reasons, you should pick a flooring material that is attractive, long-lasting and durable.
In this guide, we will discuss several mudroom flooring options and provide some tips on how to pick the most suitable one for your home.
What to Consider When Choosing Mudroom Flooring
Here are three things to think about.
- Floormats: Mats serve to soften transitions and can also provide a visual distinction in certain places. In front of your entry door, consider putting down a mat that can trap pollutants like dust, dirt and pollen before they make their way into your home. Rugs or mats placed at different stations in a room can act as landing spots. As mudrooms are places where people often wipe their muddy feet, homeowners are tempted to put cheap rugs there. However, a wool rug is the best option because it is resistant to bacteria, moisture and mold. If cleaned regularly, it will last much longer than an inexpensive, throwaway rug.
- Flooring that’s easy to clean: Mudroom floors with non-porous surfaces such as sealed wood or tile make cleaning much easier than most other options.
- Moisture-resistant flooring: This area also gets wet frequently, so a non-porous, moisture-resistant material is also preferable.
Best Types of Flooring for Mudrooms
There are many available mudroom flooring options, but we recommend one of the following three mudroom floor ideas.
1. Tile
Tile is a long-lasting, beautiful and moisture-resistant flooring option, making it an ideal choice for mudrooms. Although tile has been a popular flooring material for millennia, modern technology offers more options in colors, effects and finishes than ever before.
Tile flooring refers to the hard-surface flooring that consists of generally small, manufactured pieces of material. Hard-surface tile floors usually offer more structural support than softer materials like vinyl, which means they can cover tiny imperfections in the floor and don’t require as smooth of a subfloor as vinyl. Tiles can last for many years and tend to be low-maintenance, as you can easily clean them with a brush, mop or vacuum.
Tiles are available in many unique shapes and a variety of treatments, including ones that offer stain, moisture, slip and scratch resistance. Tiles can mimic the appearance of many natural materials, and some tiles are even made from them.
Two particularly popular materials for mudroom floor tile are the following.
- Ceramic: Ceramic tile flooring consists of either clay or synthetic materials, treated with heat and covered with a protective finish or glaze. Modern ceramic tile flooring can mimic the appearance of wood, slate, stone and many other materials. It is also available in a wide array of colors. Ceramic floors have a reputation for their durability and are suitable in areas with high traffic. Regardless of what you spill on them, you won’t have to worry — ceramic tile flooring is waterproof and resistant to scuffs, dents, chips and stains. If you want your ceramic flooring to be exceptionally tough, you can opt for a finish that makes this already durable flooring even more resistant to the elements. Its non-porous nature and durability make ceramic tile one of the best materials for a mudroom. The only disadvantage to mudrooms with ceramic flooring is that, when it becomes wet, there is a higher risk of slipping and falling. However, some tiles are available with a slip-resistant finish.
- Porcelain: The process of making porcelain involves heating naturally occurring and synthetic materials at high temperatures until they harden. Porcelain tile flooring is even more durable and harder than ceramic flooring because it undergoes hotter curing, which makes it denser and more adaptable to a wider range of styles and designs. Porcelain tiles also absorb very little moisture, so if your mudroom will experience exposure to extreme heat and cold due to your climate, porcelain tile is a good choice. It is more durable and crack-resistant when compared to other flooring types. Porcelain tile is a long-lasting material, even when used frequently. It’s also easy to clean and maintain, and you’ll never have to worry if you spill something on it, as it is water-resistant. Porcelain also doesn’t retain pollen or dust mites, which makes it an ideal choice for those who suffer from allergies.
2. Vinyl
Vinyl is the most affordable mudroom flooring option, and comes in a variety of designs and patterns. Its affordability makes it a suitable choice for small areas like mudrooms, as it’s easy to replace when necessary. However, if you’re not planning to replace your mudroom’s flooring, you may want to consider another option, as it is not as durable as other flooring materials.
Vinyl flooring is available in several styles.
- Luxury vinyl plank: The flooring type looks and feels like wood and comes in plank-shaped tiles that fit together. Vinyl plank mimics many of the characteristics of authentic wood, including its color, textures and grain patterns. However, unlike genuine wood, luxury vinyl plank is resistant to stains, scratches, moisture and mildew, making it much more durable. It’s also more slip-resistant than real wood flooring.
- Luxury vinyl tile: Thanks to today’s manufacturing techniques, luxury vinyl tile (LVT) can mimic the appearance of tiles — which includes slate and stone tiles — at a fraction of the cost. LVT also requires less maintenance, is easier to clean and is more resistant to scratching, water, chipping and other kinds of damage.
- Vinyl sheet: Vinyl sheet, as the name implies, comes in the form of a sheet fitted to the floor of your mudroom. This option has several advantages over vinyl tile, including more moisture resistance and structural soundness. For vinyl sheet flooring to look its best, however, a professional should handle the installation. Vinyl sheets can be plain, patterned or even mimic the look of wood, slate or stone.
3. Solid Hardwood
A hardwood floor is an affordable, long-lasting and beautiful option that is popular with many homeowners. Unlike laminate flooring or artificial materials designed to look as natural as possible, solid hardwood flooring is completely natural. It consists entirely of wood from both traditional and exotic species, including maple, red oak, cherry, walnut, bamboo and others. In addition to the wide selection of materials, natural wood flooring is also available in a multitude of colors, finishes, styles and sizes.
Durable, elegant and stylish hardwood in your mudroom is an excellent flooring choice. Not only is it a cost-effective option that boosts your home’s value, but it also comes from a sustainable resource, is good for the air quality of your home and is easy to maintain with routine cleaning. Solid hardwood floors can last a lifetime and work well with any home design, whether it be rustic, traditional or contemporary.
When it comes to solid hardwood floors, you have lots of attractive, pre-finished hardwood floor options to beautify your mudroom. They come in many sizes, styles, colors and finishes, and you can choose from a broad selection of dark, medium and light hardwood floors made from both traditional and exotic materials. Here are some of the stylish options available:
- Red oak
- White oak
- Walnut
- Maple
- Birch
- Bamboo
- Cherry
- Brazilian cherry
In addition to the finish and species, you can also choose the width and cut of your hardwood to give it the look you want, whether it be modern, exotic, rustic or traditional. Hardwood floors are exceptionally versatile.
If you have your heart set on choosing a hardwood floor, here are some tips for picking the right product.
- Pay attention to the species of wood: Look for a species of wood that is highly resistant to moisture and high traffic. Research Janka hardness ratings and pick a species with a fairly good rating to minimize the number of dents, scratches and dings on your mudroom floor. Although many domestic hardwoods are reasonably durable, exotic species such as Brazilian cherry have the highest Janka ratings.
- Find out about the finish: Mudrooms require a high-quality, pre-finished hardwood floor. A factory finish won’t only make the installation faster, but it will also be able to endure humidity and temperature conditions. Inquire about finishes that feature acrylic impregnation and avoid oil-based finishes, which tend to fade more quickly. Also, ask about warranty coverage and make sure to follow all the manufacturer’s directions on how to properly care for your wood floor.
- Consider the installation process: Buy a high-quality underlayment to support the flooring in your mudroom and provide comfort. Remember, wood flooring planks require installation on a level subfloor, which is especially critical in a mudroom. Investing in a good subfloor will help avoid puddles in the room’s corners, and will also make wiping up spills less of a hassle.
- Consider purchasing a good-quality rug to deal with moisture: While you may be hesitant to cover up your wood floor’s natural beauty, a good rug will reduce the amount of maintenance you’ll have to do and prolong the lifespan of your flooring. Pay close attention to the backing of the rug, and search for natural products that won’t scratch or discolor the wood finish. Put the rug by the entrance door, and designate a spot for boots and shoes with plastic mats or other creative solutions.
Schedule an Appointment With 50 Floor
50 Floor is a flooring company that boasts over four decades of combined experience. Our mission is simple: We strive to provide affordable, high-quality flooring and the best customer service experience possible.
Unlike our competitors, we come to you. Book a free appointment with us and we’ll come to your home, show you our vast selection of flooring options and answer any questions you may have. We’ll even take care of your installation. We’ll do everything we can so you can get the best flooring for a mudroom or any other room of your home at a great price.
Some benefits of working with 50 Floor include the following.
- Our flooring warranties: We work with manufacturing companies that offer comprehensive warranties for their products.
- Our price-match guarantee: With our price-match guarantee, you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing you’re getting the lowest price possible on identical products installed by an insured, licensed professional. We always keep our overhead low, which allows us to pass on the savings to you. In some cases, our prices are an astounding 80% lower than those of our competitors.
- One-year installation warranty: We don’t only offer manufacturer warranties — we also have in-house guarantees to ensure your floor installation meets current standards. If any aspect about your flooring does not live up to our promises, we will come back and correct it.
- Our premium customer service: Working with 50 Floor means working with seasoned professionals. We can answer any questions you may have, assess your needs and offer suggestions based on your budget and needs. Our goal is to help you find the perfect flooring for your home.
- Our at-home appointments: With us, you won’t have to drive across town to view your flooring options. Instead, we bring samples to your home — and all for free. We come at a time that works for you and enable you to browse our flooring selection in the comfort of your home. Not only is this convenient, but it allows you to view the flooring in the light of your home and compare it against your decor and furnishings. Our unparalleled service lets you get a perfect color match and a good idea of what the floor will look like once installed.
- Timely, professional installation: At 50 Floor, we work with vetted, professional installers. We handle all the hassles, from moving your furniture to making sure the room is in a clean condition when we leave, which will allow you to enjoy your new floor as soon as possible.
If you’re looking for high-quality tile, hardwood or carpet flooring, schedule a free appointment with us today.
