Can I Install Wood Floors In A Bathroom

Choose an engineered pre finished wood.

Can i install wood floors in a bathroom.

Moisture kills hardwood and a bathroom is probably the most humid area of the entire home. Do not consider solid wood flooring for most bathrooms. Installing wood flooring in bathrooms used to be considered a big no no. It might be fine in a small guest lavatory but should not be used where a shower or bathtub will be in frequent use.

Make sure the floor you choose will work for a bathroom. There are a number of alternatives to reduce the impact of moisture and its related problems on a wood floor. Always read the product literature carefully if you plan to install wood flooring in a bathroom or other damp area. Installing laminate there means working around.

Other reasons to use wood floors in the bathroom besides looks are ease and continuity. Installing wood floors in a bathroom does not seem like an ideal solution because most people foresee the wood cracking and splitting growing mold and requiring too much care and attention. Showers in the morning warm baths for the kids in the evening bathtub overflows spills and splashes can severely damage the floor. When it dries the wood will shrink.

And it creates a flow a feeling of continuity that i find calming. Solid hardwood flooring will absorb moisture whether it is from high humidity or water spilled onto it. Unless properly treated and sealed by professionals or prefinished specifically for a bathroom floor a wooden floor can develop moisture problems especially under the toilet. Laminate flooring comes in a wide range of designs and because it has a waterproof factory finish it s a good choice for a bathroom floor covering.

Splashing standing water and even high humidity would damage and warp the material making it useless in a short amount of time. If you re not familiar with engineered hardwood the bottom layer is constructed of multiple layers of wood each positioned in a different direction much like plywood. Hardwood is a better bathroom flooring choice than say carpet but it can still be very problematic. We can t speak first hand on solid hardwood in a bathroom since we don t have experience with that.

Has this all changed with new treatments available for wood flooring. The wood will swell as a result. Bathrooms are by nature wet moist places and that s why materials like tile or cut stone are popular.