How do I choose between sheet vinyl and luxury vinyl plank for my NB bathroom?

For most New Brunswick bathrooms, sheet vinyl offers superior waterproof protection because it eliminates seams where water can penetrate, while LVP delivers a far more realistic and attractive appearance. The right choice depends on your bathroom's specific moisture exposure, your budget, and how important visual appeal is to you — both products perform well in NB's Maritime humidity conditions.

Sheet vinyl's greatest advantage is seamless water protection. In a standard NB bathroom under 100 square feet, a single piece of sheet vinyl covers the entire floor with zero seams. Water from bath splashes, overflowing tubs, children's bath play, and the persistent humidity that Maritime bathrooms experience cannot penetrate to the subfloor. This is especially important in NB homes with wood-framed subfloors, where moisture damage leads to soft spots, mould, and eventually structural repair. Quality sheet vinyl for bathrooms runs $2 to $5 per square foot for materials, with professional installation adding $3 to $6 per square foot — total cost for a typical 60 to 80 square foot NB bathroom is $400 to $880 for materials or $700 to $1,500 fully installed.

LVP's advantage is appearance and perceived value. Modern luxury vinyl plank in wood-look patterns with embossed textures looks dramatically more realistic than sheet vinyl's printed patterns. LVP gives an NB bathroom the visual warmth of hardwood without any of the moisture risk that makes real wood floors impossible in bathroom environments. Quality waterproof LVP for bathrooms runs $5 to $8 per square foot for materials plus $2 to $5 per square foot for installation — a typical NB bathroom costs $800 to $1,500 for materials or $1,200 to $2,500 fully installed. However, LVP's click-lock joints create seams. While the surface is waterproof, standing water that sits on seams for extended periods can eventually wick underneath the planks to the subfloor. In a well-maintained bathroom where spills are wiped up reasonably promptly, this is rarely an issue — but it is a real vulnerability compared to seamless sheet vinyl.

For NB bathrooms specifically, consider these factors. Bathrooms on upper floors above finished rooms benefit from sheet vinyl's superior seam protection — a tub overflow or toilet leak on LVP seams sends water to the ceiling below. Main-floor bathrooms over crawl spaces or basements are more forgiving, and LVP works well. Master bathrooms and powder rooms that guests see benefit from LVP's premium appearance. Children's bathrooms with heavy water splashing lean toward sheet vinyl's worry-free protection.

A hybrid approach that works well in NB homes is using LVP in the main bathroom area and transitioning to sheet vinyl or tile in the immediate tub and shower surround where water exposure is heaviest. Alternatively, some NB homeowners are choosing rigid-core LVT (luxury vinyl tile) in stone-look patterns specifically designed for wet areas — these products combine LVP's premium appearance with tighter-fitting joints that resist water penetration better than standard plank products.

Installation considerations for NB bathrooms include ensuring the subfloor is completely flat and clean — bathroom subfloors in older NB homes often have water damage from years of prior leaks that needs repair before new flooring goes down. For either product, a moisture barrier between the subfloor and flooring is recommended in NB. Professional installation is advisable for bathroom flooring due to the precise cuts around toilets, vanities, and tub bases — these cuts are visible and unforgiving, and the waterproof integrity of the installation depends on getting them right.

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Looking for experienced contractors? The New Brunswick Construction Network connects homeowners with qualified professionals:

• RenoMe
• Thirty Four Renovations
• FRS Flooring Solutions
• Modern Epoxy Inc
• 3Tone Construction Ltd