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I have wood flooring in the 1/2 bath. As for using it in a family bathroom I would think twice if there is any chance of wet towels being left lying around. So depending on your mileage wood or not. Good luck!

There's no problem with wood in a bathroom if it is well maintained. Don't forget boats were made out of wood for centuries. A marine-grade varnish would do the trick, as well as remembering to keep the fixtures caulked.

I donno about this one. I have site-finished (not pre-finished) hardwood in my kitchen, and one of the things that happens is the boards shrink and swell with the seasons, opening and closing tiny gaps between the boards.

I had the unlucky timing of spilling a full Brita worth of water in the winter (when the boards have shrunk the most). A good portion of the water drained between the boards. The edges of the boards swelled up, forming ridges (called cupping). Eventually they subsided back to normal, but in the interim they looked like crap.

Unless your boards are fully finished on all edges, I don't know how you can avoid some gaps. And where you have gaps, you've got a broken finish that water can get into.

If it's a bathroom with a tub and/or shower, I'd be wary. Even if you are meticulous about wiping up water, being on constant alert for precipitation may dampen (sorry, couldn't resist) your enjoyment of bathtime. However, if it's just a half bath, I'd go for it! I lived in a house with a hardwood half bath for many years, and the bathroom hardwoods looked great even after 10 years of use.

I agree with Kalakala.

Thanks for the thoughts! It's just the guest bath, so although it does have the full bath thing going for it, it's rarely used to its full potential. I think we're going to go for it and just be careful. Thanks again!

--Tanner

I disagree with Kalakala... I have had wood floors in our bathroom with tub for 15 years and the floors are still dandy. I agree with Ebrown-- remember that boats were originally made of wood, properly finish your floor, and you'll be fine.

I think it depends on what kind of a person you are... If you can keep up with making sure water doesn't lie around it should be OK.

One thing to consider... at some point in time, the floors will need to be refinished. Bathrooms are tight, small spaces and getting a sander in there to do the job will likely be cumbersome and annoying. For this reason, we opted out of wood in our master bathroom.

We did put wood down in the kitchen with 4 coats of polyurethane, and I've been very good about sopping up spills. However, we had a bit of a plumbing leak and tons of water went everywhere. It was cleaned up within 20 minutes, however it was bad enough that it got into the wood. Now the floor in front of the sink (where I stand the most) is all warped and buckled. After less than 2 years of going down, we need to refinish it.

From that experience, I don't think I will opt for wood in high use water areas again...

I had beautiful hardwood floors in my last apartment's master bathroom (and an original clawfoot tub -- god, i miss it). I absolutely loved it...until the day my stiletto heel (and then my entire foot) feel through the floor. (Though this had years of daily use contributing to it) Water damage is a b*tch! Good luck -- just be careful ;-)

I'd go with an engineered wood laminate.

I think the wood should be fine, so long as in is on TOP of the floor and not the actual floor itself.

My parents have a bathroom that is tiled, and they just recently discovered that the wooden subfloor underneath the tile is rotten! The entire floor is going to have to be ripped out and replaced, so there is going to be a giant hole in the ceiling of the basement for a while.

Don't take any chances. If you install a wood floor (or any other kind of floor) over a wooden subfloor, make absolutely certainly that there is sufficient waterproofing between the levels.

engineered wood is a fancy name for junk wood.
its made primarily of plywood with a thin layer 1/8" of hardwood.

if you live in a co-op/condo that's a big risk with wood floor. Insurance, neighbors below etc.. In a house like yours, depends what is below.
do waterproofing below the finished surface with Laticrete and a membrane. do it right.

I live in a converted loft building, where everybody's floors are wood throughout (bathroom and kitchen). They look great, but we have had some leak problems. You have to be vigilant.

...boats have been made out of wood for centuries, but usually specific woods with a very tight grain, naturally impervious to water...

...if you were using teak or iroko or that special cedar that they make bath tubs out of in Japan, I'd say sure, go ahead, but otherwise, I think it is probably a bad idea, even in a guest bath which doesn't get much use.

...if you do proceed, think about getting a wall-mounted toilet that does not touch the floor, as the area around the base of the toilet is frequently a source of water damage.

ChzPlz, I just learned a bunch from your post, because I've got old hardwood floors in my kitchen and big gaps in between boards (with a little cupping). I noticed the gaps this winter especially - it is my first winter in the place so this is probably normal. However, I am thinking about re-sealing the floor and I'm wondering, is it better to re-seal it in the summer or winter because of the expansion/contraction that takes place or perhaps it doesn't matter?

Could I interrupt the floor debate and ask WHERE did you get the amazing French doors?!? I want to replace my dull hollow core bedroom door with a narrow set of French doors -- yours look ideal!

Thanks!

I now surrender the floor (heh), resume the debate!

I have bamboo in my kitchen, two entries, hallway, and two bathrooms and it's great. Hardwood has been in kitchens and baths forever. The problem isn't hardwood and water, it's hardwood and leaking pipes or poor drainage.

I've had wooden floors in the bath for years. Oak has a disturbing tendency to turn black if left wet for very long, though I've never had trouble with it. Maple is far more resistant to water induced discoloring, as you might see from the cutting boards in many kitchens.

Not sure about this...

I remember my parents put hardwood floors in their laundry room, had a big water pipe unhook from the back of the washer and destroyed their floors. EEK!

So it seems it's worth it if we're vigilant and have good plumbing luck...we're going for it! DivingBelle, the photo is one AT put up; not my doors--I agree, they're beautiful!

We moved into an older home with wood floors throughout the house, with the exception of the kitchen and two baths. During a kitchen remodel we decided to redo the flooring - adding wood to the kitchen and refinishing the rest of the floors throughout the house. With some heavy arm twisting, I was coerced into installing new oak floors in both bathrooms as well. I thought the wood wouldn't wear well in the bathrooms because we were far from perfect on upkeep - especially since we have a little one who loves to splash in the tub or leave the shower curtain open while showering!

I was wrong.

Speaking as someone who had the same reservations you mentioned - be brave! Get the wood floors. You won't regret it and wood floors are far less work to maintain than you might think.