Wood floor in bathroom--is this a terrible idea?

[SophieMiriam]

We are embarking on an ambitious renovation of our second floor. It was previously finished but really isn't any longer. The only remnants of the previous finish job are hardwood floors over the entire second floor (I believe pine), which need to be refinished. We are going to add a bathroom. Is it crazy to consider finishing the wood floor with a waterproof deck sealant and having the bathroom floor be wood? It just seems so much easier than pulling up a perfectly good wood floor to replace it with tiles. On the other hand I don't want to guarantee myself a mold problem that will have to be torn out five years down the road. Thoughts?

[Papa bear]

I’ve done wood floor in bathrooms on multiple occasions, including new hardwood and refinishing old floors. A basic poly finish should be just fine. Keep it dry when you’re in and out of the shower. 

I would hesitate to do this on a rental, but own residence is fine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SophieMiriam]

I forgot to say this would be a bathroom almost exclusively used by children. So there will probably be more water spills than in the average bathroom!

[nereo]

I forgot to say this would be a bathroom almost exclusively used by children. So there will probably be more water spills than in the average bathroom!

I've had wood floors in a couple of bathrooms, and its worked out, but isn't what I'd choose.  Mold wouldn't be my worry, it would be the boards swelling and warping with too much water (again, not a problem if you've got careful tenants, but kids... they're bound to splash a lot more water around).  Finishing with polyurethane will help - but if you're starting from scratch why not put tile in there in the first place?  IT will cost roughly the same.

[Papa bear]

Refinish the floors, 3 coats of poly.  If you are worried about the kids getting it wet, get a cheapo floating vinyl plank to put down and caulk the edges.  When they get older, you want to sell, or if they get effed up, pull them up. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BudgetSlasher]

My in-laws have wood flooring in both of their full bathroom and have been for the better part of a decade.

They have had no adverse impacts.

That being said they are very good about placing rugs at that base of the toilet, lecturing guests to fully towel off before exiting the tub/shower.

That being said I wouldn't do it in my bathroom, but that is because I often see water on the floor; be it from not toweling off well enough, dripping from the shower curtain, or some other method (heck I've been splashed over the shower curtain while the DW is washing her hair).

[soccerluvof4]

Bamboo no problems! Otherwise all the hardwoods such as teak, oak (especially white oak), cedar, cherry, maple, ash, walnut, and hickory will be fine. A click floor or glued would be better than nailed as well

[Sugaree]

Have you considered a wood-look LVP or laminate?  Our cheap laminate sat under water for three days after a tree came down on the roof and never buckled.  The higher-end laminate and LVT we replaced the carpet with looks good and seems to handle water well.

[lthenderson]

We've had wood flooring in bathrooms many times, including with kids. For me, the key is having an absorbent bath rug for them to step onto when exiting the tub, teaching them to clean up spills when they happen and just making sure the floor has a few coats of a good polyurethane on it when refinishing it. I prefer to refinish the entire floor as a unit to seal up the cracks between boards versus install a pre-finished wood flooring that leaves the edges open to water intrusion.

[J Boogie]

We are embarking on an ambitious renovation of our second floor. It was previously finished but really isn't any longer. The only remnants of the previous finish job are hardwood floors over the entire second floor (I believe pine), which need to be refinished. We are going to add a bathroom. Is it crazy to consider finishing the wood floor with a waterproof deck sealant and having the bathroom floor be wood? It just seems so much easier than pulling up a perfectly good wood floor to replace it with tiles. On the other hand I don't want to guarantee myself a mold problem that will have to be torn out five years down the road. Thoughts?

Not to nitpick, but pine isn't hardwood. I vote no for 3 reasons:

1 - Kids.

2 - Pine flooring is usually on older homes which are less likely to be level. You don't always have to level floors, but it's important in a bathroom so that water drains properly (unless you use the slope of the un-level floor to achieve even better drainage).

3 - 2nd floor means leaks will have greater potential for damage. I'd vote for putting down a waterproof decoupling membrane with waterproofing fabric wrapped up the walls a couple inches (that you would then tile over). Especially with kids, the floorboards swelling could be the least of your worries if bulk water gets where it shouldn't.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

Use marine epoxy. Plenty of wooden decked boats, aren't there?

[Kapiira]

Are the kids boys or girls and how old are they?  The molding behind my toilet (that I've had to replace twice) tells me it matters.

[tyrannostache]

Some of my relatives have cherry flooring in their main floor powder room (no bath or shower). It gets quite a bit of use. The wood around the toilet was absolutely destroyed within 2 years. Turns out that my male relative is, um, not very precise. I'd use tile or vinyl.

[J Boogie]

Come to think of it, my BIL has laminate flooring in his powder room and the area behind the toilet is all wrinkled up from water damage.

I'd go with tile for sure.

[slow hand slow plan]

There are really nice durable "wood" look a like  laminate floors now.

[MKinVA]

Ha, ha. Both of my sisters just said the other day, I will never have wood floors in the kitchen or bathrooms again. Especially, from the sister who has 4 year old grandson visiting often. He really is leaving his mark on the floor around the toilet. I would add it is not just the water, but if not completely sealed, wood also absorbs oils from feet, makeup, powders, etc.,  leaving stains.

[Sibley]

I vote no. Between kids and anyone male who thinks they have better aim than they actually do (sorry men, but it's a thing, and the guilty never seem to it clean up), recipe for disaster.

[middo]

I have a question before I say yes or no.  What sort of climate do you live in? 

I have had a wood floor in a bathroom in a warm dry climate, and no issues.  The main reason is that even if some water gets through minute cracks in the surface, or around edges, it dries out fully before it gets wet again, drying out any potential mould spores.

I have also had a wood floor in a cool damp climate, and it was a disaster.  No matter how we tried, there would always be some part of the floor that retained moisture, and we eventually had to replace it and tile over the waterproof plywood we used to replace the floorboards.

You may have different results, but anything that relies heavily on you going in and drying the floor manually every time the kids use the bathroom is probably not sustainable.

[soccerluvof4]

What did you decide to ever do?

[thedollarface]

I suggest to not use wood on your floor. I feel like it would still absorb moisture. If you like it because of aesthetic then I think you can use tiles with wood-like pattern.