Tiles

Vinyl flooring in the bathroom: yes or no, SPC or glued vinyl

Vinyl flooring for the bathroom yes – but for a bathroom with a bath or a shower enclosure with a shower tray, not for a level-access shower or a floor drain. The SPC board itself can withstand moisture; Barlinek states that the Next Step series is generally moisture-resistant. The weak point is water that seeps in through the edges under the floor. Therefore, wipe up water after bathing, address the edges with a skirting board, and consider glued installation if there is a higher risk. There must be waterproofing under the floor in wet areas.

Prepared by: the TGB Kúpeľne team, bathroom showroom in Senec since 1991updated 8. 11. 20267 min read

Illustrative image: bathroom with vinyl flooring in light oak decor, bathtub and wall-hung toilet, walls with large grey wall tiles

Vinyl flooring is warm to the touch, quiet, thin, and can be laid over an old floor. This is why people consider it for bathrooms as well. The answer is not a simple yes or no – it depends on what type of shower you have, how often water is on the floor, and how the floor is laid. In the article, you will find where vinyl is suitable for bathrooms, the difference between SPC and glued vinyl, installation rules according to the manufacturer, and a comparison with tiles.

When yes and when no

In a bathroom with a bath or shower tray, vinyl is a sensible choice. In a level-access shower, tiles with a fall belong on the floor – the process is described in the article Shower enclosure with or without a tray.

SPC click or glued vinyl

SPC (stone plastic composite) is a vinyl floor with a solid mineral core. On vkupelni.sk, this is for example Barlinek Next Step in the format 198 × 1 234 mm with a thickness of 4.5 mm, a wear layer of 0.3 mm, and a load class of 23/34. The boards are joined with a lock and are installed as a floating floor – they lie on an underlay and are not glued to the substrate or walls.

Glue-down vinyl is fully glued to the substrate. Water has a harder time getting underneath, but the substrate must be very flat and clean, often a new screed is made. Barlinek allows for glue-down installation in addition to floating installation for SPC Next Step boards, and for winter gardens with large glass areas, glue-down installation is directly recommended.

Installation rules according to the manufacturer

In the bathroom, installation matters more than in other rooms. Barlinek states the following conditions in the Next Step SPC manual:

It is important that the floating floor must not be firmly connected to the wall, the substrate or fixed elements. Therefore, Barlinek prohibits filling expansion joints with silicone or sealant – the joint should be covered with a strip. Heavy and firmly anchored items, such as built-in wardrobes, should be installed before the floor, or leave an expansion joint around them.

• Bathtub and shower tray – install them before the floor. The floor will meet them with an expansion joint, which will be covered by a strip or profile.
• Toilet – a wall-hung toilet is easier with vinyl as it is not screwed to the floor. For a floor-standing toilet, consult with the installer on how to resolve the expansion around the bowl.
• Door frame – tuck the floor under the door frame, which needs to be undercut, or finish it with a transition strip.

Vinyl on underfloor heating

According to Barlinek, Next Step can also be laid on underfloor heating – floating with EXTREME 1.5 underlay or glued with the recommended adhesive. Heating may be turned on no earlier than 48 hours after installation, and the surface temperature of the floor must not exceed 27 °C. Electric underfloor heating in the bathroom is connected by an electrician according to the bathroom zones. More in the article Underfloor heating in the bathroom.

Vinyl or tiles with wood imitation

If you want a wood look in the bathroom, you have two options. Porcelain stoneware tiles with wood imitation can withstand being in a level-access shower and have a water absorption of up to 0.5%. Vinyl is warmer and quieter, it is thin and can be laid faster, but it is not suitable for showers.

• Vinyl – renovation without demolition, a bathroom with a bathtub, an apartment where you want the same floor in the hallway.
• Wood imitation tiles – level-access shower, family bathroom with a lot of water on the floor, underfloor heating with higher temperatures.

Tile formats in wood decor and laying methods can be found in the article Wood imitation tiles, bathrooms with wood in the style of wood imitation. If you are considering a bathroom renovation without demolition, see the article Bathroom renovation without demolition. Whether vinyl can go over old tiles is stated in the manufacturer's guide in the substrate table – flatness of up to 5 mm over 2 m must always apply.

Price and calculation

On vkupelni.sk, there are 83 Barlinek products in the Vinyl flooring category from the collections Idea, Forma, Living and Herringbone (November 2026). For example:

Example: a bathroom 2.0 × 1.8 m has 3.6 m². With a 10% reserve for cuts, that is 3.96 m², or 2 packages of 2.44 m² (4.88 m²). At 34.82 € per m², the floor costs 4.88 × 34.82 = 169.92 € excluding underlay, strips, and installation. Floors are made to order and must be collected in person in Senec. Prices are indicative and may change.

Maintaining vinyl in the bathroom

• Wipe up water after bathing and showering – especially around the bath and the edges of the floor.
• Place a mat in front of the bath and sink to absorb water.
• Barlinek does not allow steam or pressure cleaners. A damp mop and a cleaner for vinyl floors are sufficient.
• Put felt pads under the legs of furniture and chairs.

Common mistakes

• Vinyl in a level-access shower or near a floor drain.
• Expansion joint filled with silicone – the floating floor cannot move afterwards.
• The floor is laid before the bath and shower tray and then pressed down by their feet.
• Vinyl on an uneven substrate – the locks will open over time.
• Missing waterproofing under the floor in wet areas.

You can try how the floor in wood decor would look with your wall tiles in the 3D bathroom planner. You can also view floors and tiles at the TGB Kúpeľne studio in Senec.

Sources: Barlinek's installation guide for Next Step LVT (SPC Click) – generally moisture-resistant, acclimatisation for 24 hours at 18 to 29 °C, flatness of 5 mm over 2 m, substrate moisture up to 2 % CM (cement) and 0.5 % CM (anhydrite), expansion of 7 to 10 mm, up to 15 mm for large windows, 10 mm between rooms with underfloor heating and without, EXTREME 1.5 underlay, area up to 200 m², floating floor must not be firmly connected to walls or the substrate, joints should not be filled with silicone, outdoor installation prohibited, no steam or pressure cleaners; conditions for using Next Step (underfloor heating: start no sooner than 48 hours after installation, surface max 27 °C, floating or glued installation); Barlinek SPC in winter gardens (recommended glued installation); data and prices from vkupelni.sk (category Vinyl Floors, November 2026).

Terms in the dictionary: Vinyl flooring (SPC) · Shower tray · Walk-in shower · Fall (gradient) · Linear shower drain · Waterproofing