Water Resistant and Waterproof: What’s the Difference?

If you are considering new flooring in your home you may may be wondering, is waterproof and water resistant the same. The difference is as vast as the flooring they talk about – like laminate, luxury wood effect vinyl flooring and even real hardwood.

Understanding the difference between waterproof and water-resistant flooring is an essential element in choosing the right flooring – and an even bigger one in choosing the wrong one.

Differences

The names of both products are the biggest giveaway – Water-resistant and waterproof. This screams out that whilst one is fully protected against water, the other only has a certain resistance towards it.

Waterproof

Waterproof means that it is impenetrable to water, which is why the waterproof option is especially suited to bathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchens where contact with water is pretty much a surety. If you live in an area prone to flooding, waterproof flooring is the safest bet as the water will not damage the actual floor.

It is important to remember that waterproof does not mean that your floor cannot experience water damage should water reach the subfloor, rather it means that your actual floors are protected from damage.

Water-Resistant

Is waterproof and water resistant the same? Water-resistant flooring withstands water more than something like carpet, natural stone or regular hardwood flooring does. However, water-resistant flooring cannot stand prolonged exposure to water.

This is a good enough option for living rooms, bedrooms and kitchens to a degree. They do require more in the way of maintenance as spills tend to need cleaning straight away. If you spill onto a water-resistant floor, there will be no lasting damage as long as it is cleaned up straight away.

If something is left on a water-resistant floor and is left uncleaned, the liquid can get into seams and cracks between tiles or planks and begin to cause significant damage – which can get expensive to replace or treat.

Which is Best for Me?

Having waterproof or water-resistant in the home is always a much better choice than carpet, especially in those high water arenas like kitchens and bathrooms that are prone to more than a small spill.

If your budget allows, it is recommended to waterproof areas of the home know are exposed to water, we recommend luxury vinyl flooring like Invictus to fully protect your subfloor. This product can be installed within any room of the home and is a much more trustworthy product than water-resistant flooring as a result.

Contact the team at Floorbay today to get the best options in 100% waterproof luxury wood effect vinyl flooring from our various ranges available.