However, it does have issues when used in moist or humid environments, such as bathrooms. While certain types of hardwood flooring can be successful in bathroom use, wood in the bathroom will require a higher level of maintenance than in other places.
Is hardwood flooring in the bathroom a good idea?
A.: Hardwood is a better bathroom flooring choice than, say, carpet, but it can still be very problematic. Moisture kills hardwood, and a bathroom is probably the most humid area of the entire home. Showers in the morning, warm baths for the kids in the evening… bathtub overflows, spills and splashes can severely damage the floor.
Can bathroom soap damage hardwood floors?
There are many different types of soaps, cleansers, and body products that are used in bathrooms. Many of these are slightly acidic in nature, and if they spill and splatter on hardwood, they can eat away at the finish or cause permanent staining in the wood.
What happens if the bathroom floor is not level?
If the bathroom floor is not perfectly level, you will see water flowing from the higher to the lower areas and accumulating there, even if there is a drain in the lower area, there would be some water just sitting there till it is mopped dry. These puddles of water are incredibly harmful to hardwood floors.
Can you use wood in a bathroom?
In fact, you can do amazing things with wood, even in the bathroom. The way it feels, sounds and even reflects light is wonderful. It also offers color and depth, and can soften the look of hard ceramic finishes.
Is it okay to put wood floors in a bathroom?
Wood Flooring With a few extra precautions, wood floors can perform as well in bathrooms as they do everywhere else. And unlike most other bathroom flooring choices, wood floors can be periodically refinished and resealed, increasing their practicality.
How do you protect hardwood floors in a bathroom?
As bathrooms are wet environments, you need to protect your floor with a waterproof seal, to stop the water seeping into the wooden floor. A finishing agent can be used to create an invisible barrier between wood and water. Use a polyurethane-based sealer and apply several times.
Is it better to have tile or hardwood in the bathroom?
Which is more durable? In a bathroom setting, moisture remains the most crucial factor when selecting a flooring material. Naturally, tile triumphs as the most resilient due to its resistance to cracking, scratching and water damage.
Does wood look good in bathroom?
Wood is warm, stylish, and beautiful. If you're not a big fan of the cold, clinical look that's common for bathrooms, then wood will certainly suit your tastes. Hardwood floors come in different colors and styles, making it a perfect choice for a variety of decor projects.
What is the best type of flooring for a bathroom?
porcelain tilesThe most popular choice for bathrooms is tile. Specifically, ceramic and porcelain tiles are great options for bathrooms. Tile flooring is resilient, waterproof, available in a variety of colors and designs, and generally less expensive than other hard surface options.
What type of wood is best for bathrooms?
Pine, Plywood, Koa, Cherry, Red oak, Padauk, Mahogany, and Teak are the best wood to use for bathroom shelving. Most wood will perfect in the bathroom as long as it is constructed and finished properly.
Is vinyl plank flooring OK for bathrooms?
Vinyl – Vinyl plank flooring is extremely durable and waterproof, making it a natural choice for basements, bathrooms, and kitchens.
Is it OK to put engineered hardwood in a bathroom?
Of all hardwood flooring options, engineered is a better choice for a bathroom than solid, as plywood or solid wood bottom layers hold up against moisture relatively well and are very dimensionally stable.
Can you use oak in a bathroom?
WOOD CHOICE IS ALSO IMPORTANT For example teak, oak or bamboo will be a very good choice. Thanks to their hardness and tight grain combined with appropriate impregnation, will give us a very durable floor or counter top suitable for a bathroom.
Can you put wood planks in a bathroom?
In fact, you can do amazing things with wood, even in the bathroom. The way it feels, sounds and even reflects light is wonderful. It also offers color and depth, and can soften the look of hard ceramic finishes. While wood is a durable choice for bathroom floors, it's also fantastic on the ceiling.
Is wood-look tile too trendy?
One hundred percent, yes! Wood-look tile is a trend-turned-classic that will stay current for decades to come.
What type of wood is used for bathroom floors?
While wood and water don't typically mix, engineered wood features a plywood base that holds up well against moisture. If you must have a wood floor in your bathroom, this is your best bet. Engineered wood looks like real wood because the top layer is made of hardwood veneer.
Advantages of Hardwood Floors in Bathroom
There are a couple of advantages to choosing hardwood floors for your bathroom.
Disadvantages of Hardwood Flooring in a Bathroom
As previously mentioned, moisture may affect the hardwood flooring in your bathroom. Here are some other setbacks to expect:
Hardwood Flooring Alternatives
Homeowners who find it a chore to maintain the upkeep of hardwood floors in the bathroom may consider alternatives, such as faux hardwood surfaces.
How Can I Prevent Hardwood Floor Damage?
As previously mentioned, hardwood floors in the bathroom are at risk of water damage. These floors require extra care and upkeep compared to other bathroom flooring choices. However, plenty of homeowners have successfully maintained their bathroom hardwood floors.
How long does a hardwood floor last?
If you maintain it properly, a hardwood floor should ideally last for at least 25 years, thus when it comes to longevity, only stone or ceramic tiles offer a longer life.
Why do you need to seal hardwood floors?
And that’s because wood is inherently very absorbent. So, it becomes a necessity for you to seal hardwood flooring with a protective finish. You would have to apply coats of a sealant at regular intervals to ensure that the high moisture exposure does not damage the floor.
Does hardwood flooring last longer in a bath?
Before moving on to the factors you should be considering when buying it for a bathroom, we want to talk about an age-old technique for preventing water damage. If a bath is well-ventilated, its hardwood flooring will last longer.
Can you use hardwood flooring in a bathroom?
So using hardwood flooring in a bathroom will, sooner or later, force you to deal with mold and mildew. While the protective layer of a sealant may be able to delay it for a bit, it will eventually grow between as well as beneath the boards. If you are prone to get allergies and are sensitive to mold, you should think twice before using ...
Is water bad for hardwood floors?
These puddles of water are incredibly harmful to hardwood floors. The moisture tends to seep through the seams and compromise the structural integrity of the planks, if your bathroom subfloor is not perfectly level, you should steer clear of hardwood flooring options.
Is hardwood flooring good for barefoot?
Since a bathroom is one place where you are more likely to be barefoot, it makes sense for you to use hardwood flooring in it.
Is a bathroom prone to flooding?
A bathroom is one place in a home that is prone to flooding, thanks to the several plumbing fixtures needed for it to function. It is not unheard of that a pipe starts to leak or a fixture malfunctions in a bathroom, having a hardwood floor would only make the problem worse for you.
Why is my hardwood floor not level?
If your floor is not perfectly level, you're going to have a problem with water sliding down towards the low areas and puddling. These puddles of moisture can be very damaging to the floor, and can even weaken its structural integrity —mostly because the water seeps through seams. Proper preparation of the subfloor to create a perfectly level and flat base is essential to preventing water damage on a hardwood floor.
What are the advantages of hardwood flooring?
The biggest advantage of hardwood is that it can be really beautiful. It lends a sense of natural wonder to spaces while also providing a unique appeal—every plank is a piece of natural artwork with its individual grain pattern.
How long does hardwood flooring last?
Longevity. Properly maintained, a solid hardwood floor is a very durable, long-lived flooring material. Lifespans of 25 years or more are common, making hardwood flooring second only to ceramic or stone tile for longevity. When hardwood does become scratched, it can be sanded and refinished to renew the surface.
What causes water to be in the bathroom?
High Humidity. While standing water caused by splashing gets the most attention in a bathroom, the humidity in this space can be just as damaging. When you shower, the bathroom tends to get very steamy, with the air growing warm and moist. This air will hover in the space, filling every crack, penetrating down into every tiny space, ...
Does hardwood flooring come with a warranty?
Most hardwood flooring will come with a set warranty that will guarantee replacement over a certain period of time if the material fails. However, these warranties often come with stipulations that void them if the floor is installed in a water-heavy environment, such as a bathroom.
Can humidity damage hardwood floors?
Unfortunately, humidity can attack every side of the hardwood—even the bottom, which generally does not get a finish treatment. In the case of a heavily used bathroom, humidity can result in floorboards twisting, warping, plumping and cracking. Bathrooms with hardwood flooring should have good exhaust fans, which should be run for a good length ...
Can you use a vapor barrier on hardwood floors?
Many hardwood floors are installed by nailing planks directly to the subfloor, which means that a traditional vapor barrier can't be used since the nails would puncture it. If moisture seeps down past the surface, it can get to the structural components of the floor and start eating away at the subfloor and underlayment. For this reason, hardwood flooring products that are installed with adhesives or click-together methods are better suited for a bathroom setting.
Which is better for a bathroom: engineered or solid?
Of all hardwood flooring options, engineered is a better choice for a bathroom than solid, as plywood or solid wood bottom layers hold up against moisture relatively well and are very dimensionally stable.
How to reduce humidity in bathroom?
Minimize humidity of your bathroom by properly ventilating. Promptly clean up all spills. Place rugs in “high-risk” areas, i.e. in front of the bathtub, vanity/sink, and the shower. Something as simple as a clogged toilet, or condensation on the toilet feed pipes could potentially turn into a much bigger issue.
Can you use faux wood floors on hardwood floors?
Many vinyl based floors can be matched to the look of hardwood quite nicely, so that your faux-hardwood floor will appear nearly indistinguishable from the real wood installed throughout the rest of your home. Wood-like tile and ceramic can be good alternatives to hardwood.
Can engineered hardwood floors hold up?
An engineered hardwood floor could hold up well in spacious, well-ventilated bathrooms that doesn’t receive much traffic. This is not the case in large family households with kids, where no matter how responsible you try to be, there is always going to be more water left on the floor than you think.
Is wood flooring good for a bathroom?
Is wood flooring in the bathroom a good idea? A.: Hardwood is a better bathroom flooring choice than, say, carpet, but it can still be very problematic. Moisture kills hardwood, and a bathroom is probably the most humid area of the entire home.
Is treated decking wood good for moisture?
Treated Decking Wood. A wood floor that’s been specially treated against moisture – like most outside decking surfaces are- may be another alternative to consider. But if you do, pay close attention to the chemical composition and possible emission levels of such floors while doing your research.
Can a bathroom floor be damp?
Additionally, bathroom floors in large family households are bound to be damp most of the time, and this can lead to growth of mold. Although some harsh chemical cleaners can kill harmful mold and bacteria, they are likely to dull or damage hardwood floor finish as well.
Can you put a fan in the shower?
Yes, this ceiling is above a shower. You can imagine the potential moisture problems. I always recommend using a fan in the bathroom, but adding a second barrier between the steam rising from the shower and what’s behind the ceiling might be smart here.
Is tile the go-to bathroom surface?
Email. The conventional wisdom is that tile is the go-to for bathroom surfaces. We see tile everywhere, from the bathroom at work to the subway, to everybody’s house. I love tile, but just because it’s so popular doesn’t mean we haveto design with it.
Is the term "master bedroom" discriminatory?
Many real estate associations , including the National Association of Home Builders, have classified the term "Master Bedroom" (or "Master Bathroom") as discriminatory. "Primary Bedroom" is the name now widely used among the real estate community and better reflects the purpose of the room.
Is wood good for bathrooms?
Wood is warm, stylish, and beautiful. If you're not a big fan of the cold, clinical look that's common for bathrooms, then wood will certainly suit your tastes. Hardwood floors come in different colors and styles, making it a perfect choice for a variety of decor projects.
Does porcelain tile look like wood?
However, notice how the flooring covers the entire shower floor. This is a perfect example of how porcelain tile can convincingly look like natural wood. In this space by Leivars, the distressed "wood" floor adds a touch of retro love, which is enhanced by the classic beveled subway tile.
