• Small Bathroom Tileceramic tile image by Karin Lau from Fotolia.com
  
  Small bathroom floors are no different than large bathroom floors when it comes to materials. The only difference is that the larger bathroom floors are easier to install because of space availability. There are, however, several options for installing small bathroom floors, such as tile, vinyl, laminate or even wood.
  
  

Preparation

• Regardless of your floor choice, you will need to make sure that your bathroom floor is well prepared. If you are installing tile or wood, you will need to make sure that your subfloors are plywood rather than presswood or OSB (oriented strand board). However, if you are installing vinyl or laminate, then these materials will be fine.
  
  When installing tile, you should remember to putl backer board on the subfloor. The backer board will help waterproof your subfloor and strengthen its base. When installing solid wood, install tar paper or rosin paper to preventl spilled water from infiltrating the wood flooring and rotting the subfloor.
  
  

Tile, Wood and Laminate

• Small bathroom floors require that you consider the materials being installed and their sizes. If you are installing tile, then small tiles, less than 6-by-6 inches should be used and 1-inch tiles would be optimal. This tile size would make the bathroom appear larger and is easier to install than larger tiles on a small floor.
  
  When installing laminate or solid wood, remember to run the length of the flooring in the same direction as the opposite wall of the door. For example, when you enter the bathroom, the flooring should run longways from the door toward the opposite wall rather than across the floor. This will make the floor appear smaller.
  
  

Vinyl

• Vinyl squares that are 12-by-12 inches are great for small bathroom floors. The squares come with sticky backs and can be installed directly over most existing floor materials--except carpet. The squares can be quickly trimmed with scissors and shaped and formed to fit around any wall, cabinet or toilet. The squares come in a variety of colors and can be mixed to form checker board patterns. One thing to remember, though, is that the existing floor should be cleaned with a household degreaser before installation.