Opening the Door to New Closet Floors

Pavel Liviu
2022-02-02T00:31:50-06:00

Closet floors are often overlooked. Closets are looked at for functional storage and lighting first, and they’re the last bit of flooring you think about if you’re buying a new home or looking to remodel your own. But while closets don’t get as much foot traffic as a room like your kitchen, you’re still using them daily and want them to be an extension of the design aesthetic you have created throughout the rest of your home. Here are several elements that might be helpful to take into consideration when determining the best flooring for your closets.

Size Matters

When deciding which type of flooring material to use in your closet, the size of your closet is almost always the biggest factor. If you’re looking for new floors in your spacious walk-in closet, you’ll want to prioritize comfort and durability. With a walk-in closet, you’ll most likely be starting and ending your day in there, so comfort is paramount. You’re also going to want a floor that can stand up to daily foot traffic. With a larger space, you’re not going to want to be replacing your walk-in closet floor again in only a few years. That being the case, hardwood, vinyl, and laminate flooring tend to be your best bet for durability and comfort. Hardwood will give your closet a classic elegance, while vinyl or laminate options are great at mimicking natural flooring materials while protecting your floors from wet shoes and high heels.

Barefoot-Friendly Floors

As mentioned above, comfort is a major factor when flooring your walk-in closet. Imagine getting out of the shower and walking into your closet to decide your next outfit. What’s the best type of floor to soothe and support your feet? Hardwood, vinyl, and laminate are all still great options because they are warm to the touch. Carpet is at the top end of the spectrum for cozy-feet flooring, but it is tough to maintain, which we’ll get into below. Tile and stone are at the bottom due to their tendency to be cold, that is, unless they are installed with a radiant heating system underneath.

Upkeep Keeps Coming Up

In addition to comfort and durability, another reason we’ve ranked hardwood, vinyl, and laminate as the top choices for walk-in closets is their ease of maintenance. Since they are such smooth surfaces with top-sealed layers, they are extremely easy to clean, and because they are so durable, you can clean them as often or as little as you’d like, and they still hold up. Yes, carpet might be comfier, but it’s also much harder to clean and doesn’t last as long as other flooring material options. Installation can get tricky as well. Depending on your clothes storage setup, carpet will have to be professionally installed to fit securely around each cabinet and storage space.

Tile and stone will last the longest and hold up to constant cleaning the best. If you have your heart set on either of those flooring types, try pairing with a throw rug that can easily be removed for cleaning and will help add warmth and texture to your closet.

Small but Flexible

When it comes to smaller closets, your priorities shift a bit since the floor in a smaller closet will have less of an impact on your home’s overall design. For smaller closets, the biggest factor should be the strength of the floor, and this will depend on what is being stored in the closet. Is it for everyday clothes, cleaning supplies, or Halloween decorations? Most of the time, we recommend carpet for smaller closets because they tend to have been neglected by previous owners. This neglect leads to worn-out subfloors that can create an uneven and drafty surface. Carpet can help cover up both of these issues pretty easily. And since smaller closets don’t have the same amount of foot traffic as other rooms, your investment in new carpet will last much longer.