Designing Kitchens and Bathrooms - Chlorine Resistant Flooring for Bathroom

What kind of bathroom flooring which has the following characteristics:
1. Stain resistant
2. Can be cleaned with bleach (necessary coz households are in healthcare so different kinds of bacteria/ bugs is a way of life)
3. Easy to clean
4. Slip resistant (coz there will also be an elderly using it)
5. Durable coz high traffic area
6. Resist moisture/Non porous
7. Low maintenance -other flooring have special needs like waterproofing or resurfacing yearly, etc which add to the total cost to own that particular flooring
8. Light colored material -coz the space is small; light shades makes room larger

I looked at porcelain tile, ceramic tile, marble, granite. the choices are many with different pros & cons.

Need good advice on what flooring to use...

Ceramic tile is the #1 choice in health care facilities for all the reasons you describe. Surveys indicate that ceramic tile is chosen primarily for aesthetics, durability and ease of maintenance. If selecting a white tile, avoid one with gray overtones because it tends to make visitors think it is not clean. Darker grout tends to camouflage soil better. Colorants in grout are affected by chlorine bleach. Oxygen bleaches are less toxic and much kinder to grout and do not have the overwhelming odor that can irritate resident' and employees' respiratory systems.

There are other disinfectants that do not contain bleach. Because health care facilities are governed by the state agency, they should be able to provide a list of EPA approved disinfectants. Or, you can go to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website for a list of hospital disinfectants registered by the EPA.

Many healthcare facilities have resorted to steam cleaning of ceramic tile. It disinfects without toxic chemicals and their related hazards. There is no chance of an employee continuing to mop a floor with dirty mop water or not rinsing. Failure to rinse cleaning residues and soil particles causes rapid resoiling and bacteria growth.

I looked at articles about porcelain tiles.

http://www.builddirect.com/Articles/...mtile_030.aspx

They mention rough glazed tiles.

1. When you say "rough" glazed, Is it the same as matte or satin finish as mentioned in the article?

2. Are there shiny "rough" glazed tile?

With regards to this article...

http://www.builddirect.com/Articles/ArticleDirectory/porcelain_and_ceramic_tile_articles/ad_prclcrmtile_012.aspx

3. Are there good/excellent skid resistant glazed tile which are also glossy?

Some of the rough textured tiles are a result of putting sand in the glaze. From a cleaning perspective forum posters have reported that these tend to be difficult to clean because soil and dirty mop water remain in the texture. Guess it is like the stubborn soil in the bottom of textured bath tubs about which posters complain.

It is a good thing you gave us a heads up on that...

So what kind of "finishing" for the glaze would you recommend that fits the criteria of easy to clean and not slippery?

Tile with semi-smooth surface and non-shiney glaze tends to be the least slippery. This is what is usually seen in health care facility shower rooms. Grab bars and dry mats when stepping out are important for safety reasons. You can explore your options at local flooring retailers. Also visit some area health care facilities to see what they use and talk with staff re: pros and cons.