Utility Room Flooring

What a utility room floor has to cope with

• Leaks: a washing machine hose or seal can fail, sometimes slowly and unseen.
• Splashes: from the sink, mop bucket and wet laundry.
• Dirt: muddy boots, garden tools and pet paws, often through a back door.
• Heavy appliances: washing machines and dryers that vibrate and are pulled out for servicing.

Utility room flooring by material

Luxury vinyl

The best all-round choice. Waterproof, warm, quiet and easy to clean, with a wear layer that copes with boots and baskets. Glue-down vinyl, or click vinyl with sealed edges, both work well.

Water-resistant laminate

Tough and scratch-resistant, and copes with spills wiped up within the time the maker states. It does not cope with a leak that sits unnoticed, so it is a riskier choice next to a washing machine.

Real wood

Not recommended. A slow leak or regular splashes can damage any wood floor.

How to choose

Colour and texture

Mid tones and textured stone looks, such as slate and grey stone, hide mud and footprints best. Very pale floors show dirt from the garden.

Grip

Wet floors can be slippery. A textured surface or an anti-slip rating gives better grip, especially by the back door and sink.

Wear layer

Choose 0.55mm or more for a busy utility room with a back door.

Fitting a utility room floor

• Floor under appliances: lay the floor under the washing machine and dryer, so a leak sits on the floor, not underneath it; check the appliances still fit under the worktop.
• Seal the edges: run a bead of flexible silicone round the edges, plinths and back door, so water cannot get under the floor.
• Protect the floor: slide appliances on a board or use appliance rollers, never drag them.
• Subfloor: clean, dry and flat; use a thin LVT underlay under click vinyl unless attached, or a vinyl floor adhesive for glue-down.

Our installation guides explain each step.

Reducing the risk of leaks

Check washing machine hoses and seals once a year, and replace old rubber hoses. A drip tray under the machine and a leak alarm are inexpensive extra protection. Leave space to pull the machine out for servicing.

Comparing samples at home

Order free samples of two or three options and put them on the floor of the room where they will be laid. Look at them in daylight and in the evening under your own lamps, next to the walls, skirting, units and furniture they will sit with. Colours and textures look different in every room and on every screen, so a few minutes with real samples is the best way to avoid a costly mistake. Stand back as well as looking close up: a floor is mostly seen from standing height and from the doorway.

Looking after a utility room floor

Sweep or vacuum regularly, mop with a pH-neutral cleaner and keep a washable mat by the back door. Avoid rubber-backed mats on vinyl, which can stain it.

Common mistakes

• Real wood or standard laminate next to a washing machine.
• Laying the floor around appliances instead of under them.
• No silicone at the edges.
• Dragging the washing machine across the new floor.

Utility rooms with a back door and pets

Many utility rooms double as a boot room and the place the dog comes in from a walk. A large, washable mat inside the back door traps most of the mud and water, and a textured, slip-rated vinyl in a mid-tone stone or wood look hides what gets past it. Keep dog bowls on a wipeable mat, hang coats and leads on hooks so wet things do not drip on the floor, and give the floor a quick mop after muddy days.