Best Non Slip Bathroom Flooring Ideas for Seniors
Solving fall risk for a loved one starts in the bathroom. Start with these non slip bathroom flooring ideas to create a safe environment. Seniors fall in the bathroom more than anywhere else in the home. If you remove slippery floors and provide traction and stability you are mitigating the risk associated to a big fall. Don’t let your loved one fall because of an outdated bathroom and built with materials not designed for an elderly person to age in place.
Non Slip Bathroom Flooring Materials
There are many materials that are designed with non slip characteristics. Use a non slip floor mat for elderly seniors. A mat is important and a good extra measure in the highest-risk area adjacent to the bathtub. However, there is more square footage in the bathroom than in this area. Improve the safety and security of the bathroom by ensuring the entire floor is made to reduce slips that lead to falls and injuries. Notably, the most popular flooring ideas for seniors include natural stone, nonslip vinyl, porcelain / ceramic time, and linoleum.
Let’s dive into the characteristics of each flooring type. Why are some good ideas for nonslip floor options? The bathroom is the one room in the entire house that more seniors fall in than anywhere else. The best options for flooring for a bathroom need to address this issue. Quality bathroom flooring for older adults is water resistant, durable, and above all else delivers good grip and traction when the surface is wet.
Natural Stone
Natural stone is the best idea for flooring for the elderly when cost is not an issue. However, natural stone is expensive. Ultimately, anyone building a home for the purpose of aging in place needs to go natural stone for the bathroom flooring. Choose another option on a new home designed for aging in place at your own peril. Natural stone is highly durable. It is also very pleasing to the eye. Natural stone slip factor is reduced to a minimum with texturing of the stone via sandblasting, tumbling, or brushing. Alternatively, select a stone naturally textured.
The biggest downside of natural stone is purely the cost. Do-it-yourselfers should not install a natural stone floor. This material requires a high level of skill to install successfully. Therefore, it requires professional installers. Get a home remodel with a contractor that focuses on building home solutions for aging adults then consider natural stone as the number one choice for a bathroom floor.
Non Slip Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl for budget-focused seniors is a great option. It delivers good looks and practicality at a price point that does not break the bank. The vinyl non slip flooring materials provide grip through lightly textured surfaces. Vinyl flooring comes in a wide range of colors and design patterns. Therefore, it is easy to match the look and feel of the home and bathroom when doing a remodel. Vinyl flooring comes in different thicknesses and the deepest are referred as luxury vinyl tiles or luxury vinyl planks. Vinyl flooring comes in tiles or sheets. Find custom-looking vinyl patterns at big box stores.
Porcelain / Ceramic Tile
Porcelain and ceramic tiles are an affordable option and commonly used in bathroom floors. These tiles while having a very nice appeal from a design perspective can be more slippery than the others in this list. It is essential when choosing a porcelain or ceramic tile for the house of an older adult to select a non slip option. They do exist. Seek versions that have textured surface that increases the grip between the floor and bare feet. The non slip versions are marketed as “R-rating” which designates the nonslip qualities. The higher the rating the better, it ranges from 9 – 13. Ultimately, these tiles are very comfortable to walk on.
Linoleum
Linoleum flooring has many of the same characteristics as vinyl flooring for seniors. It is highly water resistant. While more expensive than vinyl it is not made with petrochemicals, so when it comes time to replace it, it can be recycled. However, as a natural product, it is more expensive than vinyl. Linoleum is known to age and discolors over long periods of time. As a result, if the bathroom receives a lot of natural sunlight the ambering, yellow effect occurs more quickly.
Bamboo or Cork Flooring
Bamboo and cork are both natural products. These feel great on the feet and offer several benefits. The biggest benefit bamboo and cork have is they are a warmer product than tile, stone, or vinyl. However, these products are known to be more water-absorbent than the other options. Add padding during the installation process. Otherwise, the flooring can be hard. Padding solves the ventilation problem preventing moisture build-up. Cork flooring does require sealing and resealing every couple of years.
Flooring Ideas to Avoid for Seniors
Seniors should avoid bathroom flooring ideas that absorb lots of water and moisture. Moisture is unavoidable in the bathroom. Seniors aging in place do not need extra chores to do. Avoid wood or laminate flooring in the bathroom to avoid potential mold and mildew problems. Both of these situations lead to rot in the home, but worse can cause health issues as well.
Another flooring idea to avoid is glass tiles. While glass can look very appealing it is not non slip. Use glass tiles for accent colors and design appeal on the walls or backsplash, but not on the floor itself. While natural stone tiles may be highly non slip avoid polished stone tiles. Polished stone when wet is very slippery.
Why Non Slip Flooring for Aging in Place
Falls are a leading cause of injury for seniors over the age of 65. By focusing on nonslip flooring in the bathroom it is possible to mitigate this risk significantly. Seniors planning to age in place need to stack the deck in their favor to reduce health problems. A fall that leads to a hip fracture is the fastest way a senior doing fine living at home will find themselves in an assisted living facility from one injury that was preventable.
Family members sleep easy when they know they have taken every step possible to help a loved one prevent a fall. A remodel for a loved ones bathroom may start with choosing the perfect nonslip flooring, but consider all the available senior bathroom aids to reduce falls.