Parts of Brisbane are susceptible to to flooding. No floor will ever be perfect after a flood. If you live in or around the flood prone areas of Brisbane like near the river, you might want to look at flood proof options for your floors to minimize damage to your home. We’ve compared different flooring options and have come up with the best and the worst flooring for flooding.
Ceramic, porcelain, or glass tile – These flooring types are highly water resistant. When sealed properly, these will not absorb water from flooding. Because of it’s smooth surface, it is also very easy to clean and disinfect after a flood. Still in doubt? Just think, tile is used for swimming pools and last a long time. Make sure the ones you choose to install have epoxy coating and are highly rated for their imperviousness.
Cement – Although it can absorb some water, concrete can be polished and sealed and waterproofed so that it is water-resistant. It is also very easy to clean and mop up. You can dress it up or paint it so that it doesn’t look so boring or ugly.
Stone – Like cement, stone flooring needs to be sealed in order to be impervious to water. It also needs to have a vapour barrier underneath to keep it water resistant. Otherwise, this is a beautiful option for a flood-resistant floor.
Rubber – This material is very waterproof. If taped down with carpet tape, it’s easy to take out for drying and cleaning after a flood. It’s highly resistant to mould. If you don’t want water getting to the subfloor, you can glue it down with a cured polyurethane glue. If you use rubber tiles, make sure the seams are sealed properly so no water gets into the subfloor.
Vinyl – This is made of plastic so it is highly water resistant. It does not grow mould easily. This is very easy to disinfect as well after a flood. However, when installing, make sure the seams are glued and locked tight so no water can get in to the subfloor. The less seams, the better when choosing vinyl.
Bamboo – Though bacteria resistant, once wet, this type of flooring will absorb water and expand and will warp. Unfortunately, this will likely need to be replaced when flooded.
Hardwoods – These floors will get warped and are prone to grow bacteria and fungus easily after flooding. These usually will need to be replaced when heavily damaged by water.
Linoleum – Though it looks like plastic, it’s made from organic material that can mould once water damaged. It will need to be replaced after flooding.
Cheap carpet – This option is definitely not waterproof and is the worst for flooding. But if you like carpet but live in a flood prone area, buy the cheapest carpet. If it does get damaged or wet in the event of a flood, you can just replace it but not at a great cost to you. Replace it right away after a flood as it can harbour mould.
If you still love your hardwood floors and the way they look, ask our experts at A Custom Floor about how you can make them more water resistant with different finish coatings.