Q: I've seen a few posts talking about whether or not someone should install hardwood in the bathroom, but not a lot about how to live with it. I recently bought my first place and the bathroom is full hardwood. I was lucky enough to meet the seller who had it installed and he told my agent that it has some special seal and has never been an issue.
Well, fast forward to our third month in, and some of the wood around the seams is starting to look a bit wrinkled, and there may be some moderate warping around the shower. We are super careful about not leaving any water drops on the floor but it's frankly a bit of a headache. It's starting to look dull and I'm sure at this rate will be totally warped in no time.
What I'd love to know is if there is something we can do, like extra protective sealing or some magic stain that makes this flooring easier to live with? Is there something we can do on our own, or should we bring in an expert? Also, if it's already starting to look warn, am I screwed? The floor can't be more than a few years old as my unit is in a recent loft conversion.
Sent by Michelle
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Michelle, why don't you contact a contractor in your area? It shouldn't cost much for a quick site visit. They can tell you more about the floor (material, finish) and what you might be able to do. It's not unusual for wood flooring to shrink over time. This would leave a bit of a gap for moisture to get at the unfinished sides of the wood and cause swelling. I'd also be concerned about moisture building up in the subfloor and causing more extensive problems. The fix might be as simple as re-sealing or painting the floor, but get a professional opinion, just in case.
Yep, get some professional advice-- and personally think that a painted wood floor in a bathroom would look fantastic!
Awhile back, my bathroom was featured here on AT:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/bathroom/before-after-sarah-beths-bathroom-078782
We have a painted bathroom floor... I did this for preservation reasons (the floor in the bathroom was originally hardwood and so we replaced it with new hardwood).
Anyways... we painted the floor with enamel and tried sealing it with the stuff they use on gym floors... but it turned the pretty blue and greenish haze. So I slapped another coat of paint on and sealed it with a couple coats of polycrylic.
That was in 2009 and the floor still looks brand new!
wood absorbs moisture. Is there adequate ventilation in the bathroom? a ventilation fan? If you take a hot shower, and leave the windows shut after, with no ventilation, then the bathroom isn't going to air out and the woods moisture content will rise with the humid air. It's ok and expect that this content will fluctuate, but at certain point it's too much. Even if you are to put a sealer coat on top of the wood that does mean the sides or end grain is sealed, just the top surface. If the bathroom gets overly humid without being aired out immediately, then the wood will beging to warp, stain, rot, etc.
I have wood floors in both my bathroom and kitchen, and did in both my previous apartments too. It warps and squeaks a little after a while, no matter how careful you are. But I've never had any serious structural problem or rotting.
*doesn't* mean the sides or end grain is sealed
We installed engineered hardwood in our bathroom, directly over the existing ceramic tile floor. Its been about 3 years now, and while we use a mat and check for spills, it still looks as good as the day it was installed.
In my parents house they have hardwood in the kitchen and powder room and have never had a problem. The floor is probably 15yrs old and there is no sign of any additional wear due to moisture.
Never believe anything the seller tells you.
Michelle, unless a floor is a solid hardwood, I do not recommend installing a wood floor in a bathroom. There are certain hardwoods that are best suited for flooring in damp wet locations; i.e., teak or cedar. Just going off of your post, you may have an engineered wood floor. And although they are very durable and sometimes even harder than solid wood, they are still a compressed wood with many layers that may be susceptible to water with repeated exposure. In that case, warping and curling will most likely happen. If you decide to keep the floor, I would recommend sealing it annually. Wood floors equal maintenance. If you like the look of wood, try replacing it with tile that has a wood finish. There are some great products out there that offer some very attractive finishes. Hope this helps.
Ask a flooring expert about marine varnish. If it works for boats, maybe it would work for your floor. But since it's a guess, definitely ask an expert!
The special seal the seller mentioned is perhaps gym seal, which is the lacquer that's used on gymnasium floors (i.e., think about the gym floor from your elementary school days). I don't know if it comes in varying degrees of "shiny-ness” but I do know of someone who used it on their kitchen floor and was very happy. You may have to go to a commercial grade floor-product supplier if you want to check into it.
If they are wood planks, this shouldn't happen so rapidly. Marine or star urethane keeps out the moisture, but if they were installed improperly you may have a larger problem. You should get a professional opinion to be on the safe side to make sure the problem isn't poor installation, improper product use (laminated wood in a bathroom is bad as Revcamp mentioned,) and sellers LIE. Warping around the shower when you are careful not to get it wet makes me think they didn't leave enough room for expansion and contraction, or that your shower is leaking.
*spar not star. Oops.
The floor could be refinished and then sealed with a nautical varnish used in ships and boats. This will protect the wood nicely