Using Hardwood Flooring in a Bathroom

There are benefits and drawbacks to wood floors in bathrooms. Hardwood flooring is a popular surface covering material that has been used in a variety of interior spaces since the dawn of modern construction.

Hardwood flooring is durable, low maintenance, long-lasting, and has a beautiful natural look that is prized by many homeowners. 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 floors in the bathroom will require a higher level of maintenance than in other places. Here's what you need to know and how you can successfully use hardwood floors in the bathroom.

Advantages of Hardwood in a Bathroom

Despite some drawbacks, there are distinct aesthetic advantages to using hardwood flooring in a bathroom. 

Warmth

In the winter, hardwood floors are much warmer and comfortable than other surfaces, like ceramic tile.. The earth tone colors can also make the entire room feel more inviting.

Beauty

Hardwood adds a natural element to spaces and each plank of wood is unique. A bathroom floored with hardwood is elegant and will create design continuity between rooms.

Longevity

Properly maintained, a solid hardwood floor is very durable—lifespans of 25 years or more are common. When hardwood does become scratched, it can be sanded and refinished to renew the surface.

Engineered hardwood flooring, made of a laminated hardwood surface, is somewhat less durable, but it can still be a long-lasting floor when properly maintained.

Disadvantages of Hardwood Flooring In a Bathroom

The issues affecting hardwood flooring in a bathroom all involve the way that moisture can affect the material.

Spills and Splashes

While a finish will protect hardwood from water to some extent, you still need to wipe up any spills immediately so that the moisture doesn’t wear away at the material's protective layer or seep down between seams.

Floor Slope

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 damaging to the floor, and can even weaken its structural integrity.

Proper preparation of the subfloor to create a perfectly level and flat base is essential to preventing water damage on a hardwood floor.

Lack of Moisture Barrier

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.

Hardwood flooring products that are installed with adhesives or click-together methods are better suited for a bathroom.

Flooding

Though you may be able to repair water-damaged floors, flooding will generally destroy a hardwood flooring installation, even if it is properly sealed.

Almost no hardwood floor can seal against a complete flood. In a home with old plumbing, you should think carefully before risking a hardwood floor in kitchens or bathrooms.

Chemical Staining

There are many different types of soaps, cleansers, and body products that are used in bathrooms. Many of these are slightly acidic, and if they spill and splatter on hardwood, they can eat away at the finish or cause permanent staining in the wood.

High Humidity

The humid air from showering can be damaging to hardwood floors, with the effects of the moisture accumulating over time.

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 of time during and after a shower or bath.

Mold and Mildew

Because the bathroom is so moist, the growth of mold and mildew is always going to be a problem. These harmful organic substances love hot, wet environments, and they feed on natural organic materials such as hardwood.

The finishing coating will protect the floor to some extent, but over time, mold and mildew can grow in between boards, and even beneath them. Mold and mildew are problems whenever they occur, but they can be quite serious for people who have allergies and sensitivities.

How to Protect Wood Floors in Bathrooms

Tactics are aimed mostly at preventing moisture from contacting the wood, and especially from seeping down through the seams to the subfloor.

Regular Maintenance:

• Reapply the floor's finish every few months.
• Test if the finish layer is still intact by dropping a little water on it.
• If the water beads up, the finish is fine.
• If the water sinks in, you need another topcoat of finish.
• Pay special attention to cracks between floorboards.

Use Bath Mats:

• Place bath mats outside the bathtub and/or around the sink.
• If a bath mat becomes saturated, air-dry it so it can't hold moisture against the floor.
• The best bath mats will have a solid rubber or vinyl backing that prevents moisture from passing through.

Install Tub and Shower Surrounds:

• Install surrounds along the perimeter of the bathtub. Although these can be used for style, their main job is keeping water in its place.
• Keep the joints around shower stalls properly sealed, since this is a place where water can easily escape out onto hardwood flooring.

Maintain Plumbing Fixtures:

• Pipes running into and out of the major fixtures in a bathroom can sometimes leak, causing water damage problems in hard-to-see areas.
• Cold-water lines or the toilet tank may also collect condensation, due to being cooler than the surrounding air in the bathroom, This can lead condensation to drip down to the floor.
• Ensure that all pipe openings are thoroughly caulked and keep an eye out for any leaks or drips.

Alternatives to Wood Floors in Bathrooms

Engineered wood:

Engineered wood floors are made to replicate solid hardwood floors but are not composed of solid hardwood through and through. Instead, a thin layer of hardwood is bonded over plywood resulting in flooring more resistant to warping and moisture damage.

Wood-look ceramic tile:

Wood-look ceramic tile is the best of both worlds. It is made of ceramic or porcelain designed to appear like hardwood. Wood-look ceramic tile is less expensive than hardwood and is the most water-resistant alternative.

Wood-look vinyl flooring:

Wood-look vinyl floors are most effective when composed of luxury vinyl planks. Although it's much less likely to warp than natural wood, this is still a possibility. All in all, this is a budget-friendly and water-resistant alternative.

Buying Considerations

When deciding if hardwood flooring is right for your bathroom, consider these factors:

Finish

Hardwood flooring will plump, expand, warp, and stain at the touch of any liquids. The application of a finishing agent, usually a polyurethane-based sealer, can create an invisible surface over the wood, making it difficult for water to penetrate.

This finish should be reapplied regularly. Make sure to pay special attention to the seams, since this is where moisture is most likely to infiltrate.

It is important to choose a quality finish that is designed for water-heavy environments. You also have to be aware that the sealer will only protect the top of the material; any water that penetrates down through the seams can cause damage to the wood from the sides and below.

Type of Wood

Some types of wood are better at handling bathroom conditions than others. Generally, you should avoid softwoods such as pine and fir, as they will be less dense and more apt to absorb moisture. Good hardwood choices include teak, oak, cedar, cherry, maple, ash, walnut, and hickory.

Warranty

Most hardwood flooring will come with a warranty guaranteeing replacement if the materials fail during a specific time frame. These warranties often come with stipulations that void them if the floor is installed in a water-heavy environment, such as a bathroom.

Or they may define the flooring as "moisture-resistant," which usually means that you are expected to wipe the flooring dry immediately after condensation or spills contact the surfaces. Your warranty is voided if you fail to do this, and wood floors are never warranted against flooding.

Refinishing Hardwood Floors in a Bathroom

One of the great things about hardwood is that if you mess up and ruin the floor, it can generally be fixed by simply sanding down the surface past the level of any defects and then applying a new finishing coat to it.

Be aware, though, that the equipment normally used in other rooms to refinish hardwood is quite large and unwieldy. In many bathrooms, this will be done best with hand-power sanders rather than large machines, and so the process may be harder and more time-consuming than you first imagined. 

Are Hardwood Floors Right for Your Bathroom?

If you have the time and resources to do regular maintenance and install surrounds for extra protection, hardwood floors could be a good option that adds an elegant touch to your bathroom. When making your final decision, it is important to keep the woods most equipped to withstand moisture in mind.