Home to all the family over summer vacation, beach houses see their fair share of sea, sand, and sunny weather. From gorgeous lakeside cottages in Ohio to sandy beach villas in Florida, the most important thing to decide on when decorating a beach home is the flooring.
Beach house floors need to be durable and long-lasting. They experience high foot traffic, sandy feet, and even rocks from the beach, so the floor needs to be strong, waterproof, and easy to clean. It should also be safe (not slippery) and soft (should kids fall over).
Best Beach House Flooring Ideas
Ideally, a beach house floor should be very forgiving. It needs to be able to withstand the hustle and bustle of a beach house, from sandy feet and dropped toys, to the frequent moisture of wet feet and beach clothes.
Resilient flooring like hardwood and vinyl are the best for beach houses over carpet, stone, or ceramic tiles. Carpet can become very worn and dirty from the sand, sea, and heavy foot traffic. While stone or tiles will crack easily if items are dropped on the surface.
Here are the best flooring ideas for a beach house from the wood floors available.
1. Luxury Vinyl Planks
is an ideal flooring for a beach house . This type of flooring is often described as a mix between laminate flooring and hardwood flooring. It offers the natural look of a real wood floor with the durability of laminate.
Being waterproof, highly resistant to impact, and happily affordable, it’s a popular flooring for laundry rooms and other high-traffic areas of the home. Due to its qualities, it’s also a perfect flooring for beach houses. Available in a range of colors with a natural, textured surface, it can be used to match any beach home décor.
Pros of luxury vinyl planks for beach homes:
- Highly durable and long-lasting
- Available in a range of authentic wood colors
- Offers a textured wood surface
- Cheaper alternative to real wood floors
- Waterproof
2. Luxury Vinyl Tiles
Luxury vinyl tiles are a modern alternative to traditional ceramic or stone tiles. They imitate the look of real tiles, but are much softer to walk on. Made of synthetic material, they are extremely durable and long-lasting. Vinyl tiles are also very easy to lay. They can be fit as a DIY project by someone with little experience.
It’s a safer and more robust choice compared to ceramic tile, particularly in a beach house with young kids. For example, when tiles get wet, the floor becomes very slippery. The surface is also very hard, so falls cause more injury on real tiles vs luxury vinyl tiles. Real tiles are also more likely to crack should plates or beach toys be dropped.
Pros of vinyl floor tiles for beach houses:
- Highly durable and long-lasting
- Have a good grip when wet
- Safer for children
- Provide a softer landing should trips and falls happen
- Waterproof
3. Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is one of the best flooring ideas for beach houses. It’s long-lasting, durable, and withstands impact well. Laminate flooring is the most universal choice of flooring for homes with pets and young children – making it highly suitable for a family beach house.
Laminate flooring comes in a vast range of colors and styles. Be sure to choose a waterproof laminate for beach houses. This will leave your floor protected against spillages, leaks, and the moisture of wet, sandy feet.
Pros of laminate flooring for beach houses:
- Won’t crack if items are dropped
- Highly resistant to scratches
- Affordable and easy to lay as a DIY project
- Long-lasting with minimal maintenance
- Waterproof
4. Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood flooring is a slightly more expensive option compared with other types of flooring. Because it’s made from real, solid wood, hardwood flooring offers a luxurious, natural wood effect. It also lasts a long time, up to 100 years, if well cared for (and if a durable hardwood finish is applied). Waterproof hardwood is also just as durable and long-lasting.
However, it’s not always the best choice of flooring for beach houses. The surface can be easily scratched by shoes, sand, rocks, furniture, and dropped items. Felt pads are recommended for underneath furniture to prevent scratches. Saltwater can also stain hardwood floor finishes if it’s not cleaned away quickly, which can be difficult to achieve in a busy beach house.
Cons of hardwood flooring for beach houses:
- Can fade over time
- Requires routine re-finishing
- Can be scratched by pets, foot traffic, and furniture (without felt pads)
- Can be stained by saltwater
5. Engineered Wood Flooring
Engineered wood is a stronger floor compared to hardwood. It uses a combination of real wood and softwood in its construction to create a highly resilient surface, while still maintaining a natural look. The most popular flooring in 2023 is oak, hickory, maple, walnut, and cherry engineered wood.
When choosing any type of hardwood (including engineered wood) in a beach house, be sure to choose waterproof hardwood. This will ensure your floors are protected against the moisture from footwear, beach clothes, and drink spillages.
Cons of engineered wood floors for beach houses:
- Susceptible to wear, tear, dents, and scratches
- Furniture legs should be covered with felt pads
- Finishes can fade over time if not routinely protected
- Can warp after prolonged exposure to moisture and humidity
Is Vinyl Good For a Beach House?
Yes, luxury vinyl planks or luxury vinyl tiles are very suitable flooring for beach houses. They are durable, waterproof, and can withstand the harsh environment of a beach house. They’re also very easy to lay. Plus, because vinyl is designed to mimic natural wood or tiles, they provide luxury flooring without the high price tag.
What is the Best Flooring For Sandy Areas?
The best flooring for sandy areas and beach houses is durable wood or synthetic wood flooring, like waterproof laminate or luxury vinyl. While hardwood and engineered wood can be used in beach houses, it’s not recommended.
These types of floors need to be routinely waxed to ensure a long-lasting effect. But while they are extremely durable, hardwood flooring and engineered wood can easily be scratched by sand and small rocks from the beach.
Carpet is not a good choice of flooring for beach houses. This is because the sand gets trapped in the carpet and can be difficult to vacuum. Sand is also dusty, which can quickly stain carpet.
This is particularly true for lighter colors that are popular for beach house décors, like tan, cream, gray, and light brown. Additionally, carpet doesn’t do well with high foot traffic, particularly when you have wet and/or sandy feet. It can cause wear and channel lanes in certain areas.
Summary
When choosing the best flooring for beach houses, wood floors are always a better choice over tiles, stone, concrete, or carpet. Ideally, a durable wood floor should be used in a beach house, like waterproof laminate or luxury vinyl.
Hardwood floors and engineered wood are also good flooring ideas for beach houses. They are long-lasting, value-adding, and create a luxury, authentic décor.
However, they can be scratched and damaged easily if proper care is not taken to protect the hardwood surface.
