# Wall-to-wall carpet in a bathroom - good idea? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 24, 2005, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-to-wall-carpet-in-a-bathroom-good-idea/309742 "2005-06-24T22:50:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-to-wall-carpet-in-a-bathroom-good-idea/309742/21 "2005-06-25T18:40:15Z")
My parents carpeted their bathroom. It’s an old-fashioned house, so it actually IS a bathrrom, with a bath, shower and wash hand basin. The WC is in a separate tiny room next door, and it’s tiled. The reason they carpeted the bathroom is that my 89 y/o grandmother lives with them. Wet tiles/vinyl plus an elderly person who insists on locking the bathroom door and taking baths when no-one else is home is asking for trouble. They put down a very tough sisal type flooring, it’s hardwearing and hard to slip on, even when wet. Unless you’ve got a similar set up or reasons, go for tiles or vinyl. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-to-wall-carpet-in-a-bathroom-good-idea/309742/22 "2005-06-25T21:13:33Z")
> [@Rhubarb](#): > > If you must have carpet, you might investigate carpet tiles. These can be replaced individually if necessary, but still have that wet carpet smell / urine sponge problem. > > I have put in vinyl (not linoleum) tile in three bathrooms with excellent results if the floor is cement, not so great if it is a wood sub-floor. If you have any “do-it-yourself” ability of any sort, ceramic tiles are far and away the best solution and not too expensive. There is a fair amount of labor involved, so having it done is expensive. However, most major hardware chains (Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc.) give free classes on this and will rent you the tools for a nominal fee. I’ll disagree slightly with the “no linoleum” part of this, if lino means all sheet floor covering. There’s some quality stuff on the market, and if installed properly, it has the advantage of having no seams. And you can put a barrier under it. Tile is nicer, though. mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-to-wall-carpet-in-a-bathroom-good-idea/309742/23 "2005-06-25T21:44:43Z")
Opinions are solicited in IMHO. General Questions is reserved for questions which hopefully have neat factual answers. Moved to IMHO. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-to-wall-carpet-in-a-bathroom-good-idea/309742/24 "2005-06-25T21:50:50Z")
Didn’t notice the forum. The op calls for opinion, does it not? ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-to-wall-carpet-in-a-bathroom-good-idea/309742/25 "2005-06-26T00:43:01Z")
My boyfriend’s parents have carpeting in one of their bathrooms. It doesn’t smell but it looks nasty. Around the tub it looks as though the carpeting has absorbed so much moisture that it’s distorting–there are areas where the carpeting looks like it’s bubbling up off the floor. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-to-wall-carpet-in-a-bathroom-good-idea/309742/26 "2005-06-26T01:37:10Z")
Bathroom and carpet do not go together. Even if you have perfect aim there is residual micro spray from you (and the toilet when flushed). If you have a vinyl floor now then it should be easy to pull it up. What usually happens is that the backing sticks to the wood. Not a problem. The glue holding it down is water soluable. Soak it for 30 minutes and it comes right up. YOU CANNOT SAND IT OFF. don’t even try. When it’s wet it scrapes off like snow on a windshield. Once you’re down to bare wood go over every spot that is uneven and fill it with wood putty or body filler and then sand. It really needs to be smooth before you lay down the vinyl. You can even float it if necessary. If you don’t want to mess with the subfloor then lay down tile. Ceramic tile looks great in a bathroom. Rent a tile cutter to get around stuff. You can even grind it on a conventional grinder but it’s not recommended. I did that in my Mom’s bathroom and burned the crap out of my hands (I was too cheap to rent a cutter). ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-to-wall-carpet-in-a-bathroom-good-idea/309742/27 "2005-06-26T02:31:45Z")
Another “no” vote for bathroom carpet. Even if you have perfect aim and a non-spraying toilet, moisture from the bath/shower will get in there. There’s also the issue of leaky pipes, which can happen, drenching the carpet and making it go moldy. Unless you’re willing to invest in a good wet/dry vac, go with linoleum. Robin ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-to-wall-carpet-in-a-bathroom-good-idea/309742/28 "2005-06-26T03:05:50Z")
Thanks, folks. Vinyl or ceramic tile it is, arm-twisting flooring salesman be damned. Probably not tile, since the bathroom also contains a cast-iron clawfoot tub that isn’t going anywhere (I’m not staying long enough to justify the cost of pulling the thing out). I know they can cut vinyl to go around the tub feet. Not so sure about the logistics of tile. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-to-wall-carpet-in-a-bathroom-good-idea/309742/29 "2005-06-26T03:11:06Z")
I see you have already decided, which is cool. Just adding my 'against ’ vote for what it’s worth. Have you seen what small children and very old people can do with poo? I have had both specimens of human being in my house recently, and I assure you they can be quite creative with the stuff. Little boys and old men are often not the cleanest of creatures. I would not wish to bring carpet into the equation. Then again, I won’t have carpet in the house at all. My son is asthmatic, and my wife and I simply don’t like it. We loves us our polished wooden floorboards. ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-to-wall-carpet-in-a-bathroom-good-idea/309742/30 "2005-06-26T03:13:38Z")
Carprt and bathrooms… never a good idea. When we moved into our house, the second bathroom had carpet in it. I “looked” okay, but it was not (what is that wierd, but faint smell). When I pulled up the carpet (I was remodeling the bathroom), it was installed over old ass ugly 20 year old vinyl flooring. The carpet backing was moldy and so was the vinyl underneath around the bathtub and the toilet :eek: Just think about when a toilet overflows, or bad aims ick ick ick (insert barfy smiley) Tile or vinyl flooring is the way to go in my opinion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-to-wall-carpet-in-a-bathroom-good-idea/309742.md?page=1)