Are You Building a New Laundromat or Need to Replace an Existing Laundromat Floor?

Here is my input on flooring, followed by my recommendation of use in a Laundromat:

  1. Laminate planks. I tried the "wood look" in half a dozen stores. Looked great but didn't wear very well at all. The water would get under the vinyl and pop up the planks. This floor floats. Hard to repair and they can tear. They also tend to shrink in colder weather and expand in warmer weather and can cause the planks to wrinkle. Very pretty but not durable. NO.

  2. Carpeting. 1970's fad in Laundromat flooring. Looked good but couldn't hold up. Hard to repair. Water overflows difficult to fix up. Short life expectancy and the laundry carts don't like these floors. NO.

  3. Vinyl Tiles. This is the old standby tile and still one of the best choices. Affordable. This is known is the VCT 12 in. x 12 in. available from Armstrong and others and has stood the durability test of time. You glue them in place and they stick for a long time. Use the best glue. Various colors and patterns. Can be easily replaced and repaired. YES.

  4. Epoxy. I have tried a few times and it stands up very well. Others have told me about peeling problems. Ground water rising up through the floor because of lack of moisture barrier increases problems. Repair is possible. A wide variety of colors and patterns. MAYBE.

  5. Ceramic tile. Tried in earlier days. Cracking a problem, especially if it is not properly installed. Must make sure the floor is leveled. Avoid complicated or busy patterns. Not as strong as Porcelain. Lasts a long time, but often seen with cracking or worn off glazing. Lots of colors and patterns. MAYBE.

  6. Porcelain Tile. Gold standard of Laundromat flooring. Make sure you purchase color all the way through, slip resistant, commercial grade tile. Avoid the varied height surface (used mostly on stairs or slopes) styles due to inability to easily mop the floors. Keep a box of extra tiles for the rare potential of a crack (drop a big hammer impact.) Various colors and patterns. Have them laid in offset pattern so long grout lines do not show any variation in width of isles. YES.

  7. Painted Floor. Peeling and short life. Avoid. Future replacement alternative flooring complicated. NO.

  8. Polished Concrete. Comes in colors and neutral gray. Long life and durable. Gives an industrial look that some people like and others not so much. Easy cleanup and maintenance. Not recommended for older floors with cracks and covered saw cuts. Experience of installers important. MAYBE.

  9. Stone or real wood. Expensive and inappropriate for Laundromats. NO.

When selecting colors the lighter colors are best because they hide surface dirt better (like automobiles.) They also reflect the light and make the space seem larger. Avoid complicated patterns. Closes the space in. Keep in mind the impact of spilled liquid bleach can have on the floor material you choose. If you install porcelain or ceramic, keep the grout lines small a natural grey to disguise any floor dirt. Consider which floor surface will clean easily and last a long time in a traffic intensive environment.