Thinking About Installing Wood Flooring In the Bathroom? Know the Risks First  

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Many homeowners who have hardwood flooring throughout their home love the color and richness that wood adds to any room. 

But should that include the bathroom?

The beauty of wood flooring is enough to compel many homeowners to install this material in such an unconventional space. While there’s no denying that aesthetics are important, practicality is just as crucial to the choice of flooring—and most professionals would agree that wood in a bathroom is not a wise decision. So what’s a homeowner to do? Luckily, there are some wonderful alternatives that can achieve a similar look and feel. According to Paul Carter, EVP, Strategic Initiatives at Empire Today, “The most common issue we see is customers say they want “wood” flooring—when what they want is a wood look. Once they are shown the visual beauty and the performance attributes of wood substitutes, they quickly shift to wood alternatives.”

And if you truly desire wood flooring in a bathroom, there are some considerations to keep in mind.  

1. Professional installers typically don’t encourage having wood floors in the bathroom—and for good reason.

Installers see the effects of humidity and water on wood when removing floors, so most agree: no hardwood in the bathroom. 

Wood is porous, so even when it’s sealed, it absorbs a bit of everything it contacts. Floors will come in contact with water regardless of how careful one is: bath water splashes onto the floor, wet hands drip, toilets can overflow, and showers can generate steam that makes every surface damp. 

It’s important that the flooring in the bathroom be strong enough to resist these environmental elements, and wood simply can’t. As moisture gradually builds up the floorboards will begin to warp, curl, and discolor, eventually popping up installation nails and the boards themselves. The wood will stain and eventually begin to rot. 

In addition, water and moisture will seep between the boards. Even if they’re installed tightly together, moisture will damage the subfloor and create a perfect atmosphere for mold and mildew to grow. Even if the floor is underlaid with water-resistant boards, the presence of moisture between the wood and the subfloor will encourage mold growth—the water resistance simply ensures that there is nowhere else for the water to go. 

Finally, in a bathroom, water will pool in places and cause extra damage, along with peeling and cupping of the boards. 

While wood can be sealed in ways that make it slightly more suitable for a wet environment, it will demand much more maintenance than other types of flooring. According to Carter, “Wood flooring in bathrooms is generally a bad idea, unless it is highly treated with resins and other chemistry to make it waterproof.” The cost of maintaining water resistance is typically more expensive than the general maintenance of other flooring—and isn’t a guarantee that no water damage will occur. In the long run, it will require refinishing and replacement much sooner than other flooring. Constant refinishing will eventually make the wood too thin, so the floor will need to be replaced sooner too. Installers know this because they’re the ones who pull up damaged wood flooring to replace it on a regular basis.   

2. Choosing wood flooring for a bathroom can invalidate warranties.

Warranties for wood flooring will most often include the instruction not to wet-mop the floor or use household cleaners on the hardwood. In addition, most refer to “normal household conditions,” which include stable humidity and temperature—two things that are impossible to maintain in a bathroom, even with a dehumidifier and fan. Almost anything that constitutes “excessive moisture” will invalidate a hardwood floor warranty. Throughout the home, this can include water damage occurring beneath windows or inside exterior doors, damage due to roof or plumbing leaks, and any case where it’s evident that water was allowed to stand for an extended period of time. Bathrooms meet the criteria of places where there would be “excessive moisture”, as humidity fluctuates with every bath or shower, and the potential for splashes of water, burst pipes, or overflows are much more significant than in other parts of the home. As a result, even if the warranty doesn’t specifically mention bathrooms, the instruction to avoid wet mops and excessive moisture can make it very, very difficult to successfully file a warranty claim. 

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Bob Vila has partnered with Empire Today to help you easily get beautiful new floors at a great price. Free In-Home Estimates

3. Wood-look flooring is an alternative that can achieve the look you want without the drawbacks of wood. 

There are several options for homeowners who want a wood look for their bathroom floor but know the drawbacks of using standard hardwood. These options may not have exactly the same depth or character as wood, but they will offer much the same look and a similar feel without the drawbacks and maintenance of wood. “There are beautiful laminate, vinyl, and tile options that remove the concern of drips, dribbles, drops, and spills common to bathrooms but still give you the look of real wood,” says Carter. Empire Today has some truly convincing options that can achieve that desired look and feel without the risks of using real hardwood. 

Engineered wood flooring is, in fact, wood, but it’s processed in a way that enormously reduces the maintenance and propensity to warp. Manufacturers take plywood, which is itself made from many thin layers of wood and glue, and apply a thin layer of hardwood on top using a chemical bond that makes the piece nearly impervious to moisture. The wood look is there, but the solidity of the layers and the material in the glue used to bond it together keeps moisture from seeping in. There is still some risk to using engineered wood flooring in a bathroom, as its water-resistance depends on the quality of the installation. If the boards are not butted up tightly enough together, it’s still possible that moisture will seep between the boards. While the boards won’t cup or warp, the subfloor is still vulnerable, making mold growth more likely. 

Luxury vinyl plank flooring (LVP) or sheet vinyl flooring that is designed to look like wood can be another great alternative. LVP features tongue-in-groove planks that fit tightly together, reducing the likelihood of seepage, and looks quite convincingly like wood planks. Warping is still a possibility, but much less so, and replacing an LVP floor is significantly less costly than replacing a hardwood floor should that become necessary. Sheet vinyl is also budget-friendly, and while not quite as convincing as LVP, has the benefit of being truly waterproof as long as the edges are carefully sealed. Vinyl in both forms has a warm feeling underfoot that, while not the same as wood, is much softer and less shocking than tile during cold months. When choosing vinyl, ensure it’s rated for a wet area.

Newer to the market than wood or vinyl, wood-look tile is a wonderful alternative. Made of ceramic or porcelain, the finish on this tile closely mimics wood grain in both appearance and texture. It won’t have the warm feel of wood, but in every other aspect, wood-look tile gives the appearance of being real wood. This kind of tile can be installed with grout lines that appear to be seams between planks or, depending on the manufacturer, with a groutless look. Highly resistant to staining, with no danger of warping and very minimal likelihood of water seepage as long as the grout is occasionally sealed, wood-look tile is less costly than hardwood but offers a more luxurious finish than vinyl.

4. Whether you are choosing to install wood flooring in a bathroom or if you already have wood flooring in your bathroom, maintaining the area is key to avoiding issues like mold, warping, staining, and more. 

What if there’s already wood flooring in the bathroom? Or what if, for any reason, wood is really the only option for flooring in a bathroom remodel? As with any type of flooring, the best way to prevent damage is through careful and regular maintenance. For wood flooring in a bathroom, the maintenance will be a bit more intensive than for other kinds of floors. 

• The first step is to make sure the floors are well-sealed. Carefully drip some water onto the floor and see what it does. If it beads up, the sealant on the floor in that area is still intact. If it spreads, runs, or begins to absorb, the sealant probably needs to be reapplied (in either case, immediately wipe up the test drips). It’s important to carry out this test regularly, in both high-traffic and less-used areas of the floor. The finish may need to be reapplied every few months in a bathroom that is heavily used. 
• Next, inspect the plumbing for leaks or signs of aging. If a fixture has a lot of corrosion, there are water marks in the cabinet underneath, or the shutoff valves don’t turn, repair them promptly to reduce the likelihood of a flood and to ensure the water can be shut off quickly if there is a problem.
• Check the edges of the tub and shower for areas where water from the shower or bath regularly sprays out, and consider adding surrounds or shields to keep as much water off the floor as possible.
• Clean the vent fan, if there is one, and make sure to keep it free of accumulated dust, hair, and debris so that it can function properly. 
• If there is no vent fan, or if members of the household regularly take hot showers, consider adding a separate dehumidifier to the bathroom. Consider choosing one where the desired humidity can be set so that it will turn on and off as needed. 
• Use sizeable bath mats with water-resistant backing, and hang them to dry promptly after use. 

5. Wood flooring is ultimately better suited for other areas of the home. 

If a homeowner’s vision of their bathroom includes a warm and stylish hardwood floor, it’s certainly an option—as long as the homeowner is prepared to maintain the floor and deal with the inconvenience of regularly checking the seal, managing damp bathmats, and keeping tabs on the humidity levels. But there are strong alternatives to choose from, especially with the improvements in LVP and tile wood-look flooring. With the range of colors and grains available for LVP and tile, it’s likely that even the most discerning homeowner will be able to find an option that matches or closely resembles the wood that exists in the rest of the home. Choosing a company that offers all of the types of flooring under consideration should allow homeowners to compare the options under the guidance of installers who understand the pros and cons of each type. Because the hardwood alternatives are likely to last longer, protect the structure of the home, increase the stability of the subfloor, and keep mildew and mold at bay, it’s best to let hardwood shine in the areas of the home where it’s best suited and choose a different option for the bathroom.  

If you’re still not sure about your flooring choices for the bathroom, hiring a flooring professional from one of the best flooring companies like Empire Today can help. By going straight to a company known for quality flooring and installation, you’ll avoid falling for flooring scams or making common mistakes when redoing floors.

Empire Today employs experts who know how to help customers navigate the many choices they have and ultimately help them choose the right flooring. And perhaps most importantly, they have a line of high-quality products that can make choosing flooring an easy and exciting experience. 

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Carpet, hardwood, vinyl, and tile flooring.

Bob Vila has partnered with Empire Today to help you easily get beautiful new floors at a great price. Free In-Home Estimates