INSTALLING THE WOOD FLOORING INSIDE THE BATHROOM. IS IT POSSIBLE?

This is a crucial decision. Also, among the most convinced people that decide for wood floorings in their houses, many change their mind regarding one of the most used and important room of the house life: the bathroom.
Are wood flooring and bathroom two elements that can’t leave peacefully? The opinions are contrasting, like in every important issue.
Nevertheless, the bathroom is the “nest” of some of the most terrible natural enemies of wood: water, steam, moisture, as well as detergents and products for the cleaning of bathroom fixture. In spite of this, the answer is yes, it is possible to install a wood flooring, but under certain conditions.

WOOD FLOORING IN THE BATHROOM: ADVANTAGES.

What about feeling relaxed barefoot in the morning, after waking up, or in the evening, before going to bed? What about feeling on the skin the warmth and the unique and inimitable textures of this extraordinary material, that nature gave us?

Not to mention the aesthetic factor: wood flooring perfectly matches with every furniture style for bathroom. Whether you choose an industrial atmosphere, shabby-chic or boho-chic, rough or minimal, the wood flooring can enhance all the other elements and materials: furniture, accessories, stone, ceramic, glass, metal.

WOOD FLOORING IN THE BATHROOM: DISADVANTAGES.

We’ve already mentioned the worst “enemies”: water, moisture, steam, chemical products.
We certainly need to pay more attention to:

• immediately drying the excess water;
• often ventilate the room, above all after bath or shower;
• an excess of moisture in bathrooms without windows, so wood flooring is not recommended;
• in areas more subject to water leakage (such as under sink, coming out from shower or bath) it is recommended to use an absorbent mat, only during the use, and remove it immediately after, taking care of drying the wood.

CHOOSING THE WOOD

Not all woods are suitable to become flooring for bathroom.
The woods recommended by installers are doussié, iroko, merbau and teak, i.e. woods, that don’t suffer from moisture. There is no agreement about oak: someone doesn’t recommend it because it is weak if exposed to jumps in temperature and moisture. Moreover, in presence of moisture, it loses tannin, leaving dark spots on the surface.

BROWN WOODS: IROKO AND TEAK

Iroko is from Equatorial Africa. It is a hardwood, but stable and easy to work. It darkens over time. It is highly resistant to jumps in temperature and it is often used in exterior parts, in addition to kitchens and bathrooms.
Teak comes from tropical wood of tectona genre. The wood is hard and naturally oily: this last feature makes it one of the best woods regarding water and moisture resistance. In fact, it is used for ship decks, musical instruments and wood floorings for interior and exterior.

RED WOODS: DOUSSIÉ AND MERBAU

Doussié is from central and western Africa. It is highly resistant, not very deformable and hard to be scratched, so it is suitable for spaces with high traffic.
It is also quite resistant to water, moisture and difference in temperature.
It can show many shades, from yellow to brown, depending on the cut and the exposition to solar radiation.

Merbau (or kwila) is from equatorial area and it is very hard and resistant to temperature, moisture and mechanical stress. It can have many chromatic sheens and the color intensifies over time. Woven fibers are a characteristic of merbau.

LIGHT WOODS: OAK.

As already mentioned, some people don’t recommend oak because of tannins which create darker spots on the surface. However, this happens after a prolonged contact with water or inside non-ventilated rooms.
Because of its hardness and resistance, it is a very common and available in any format wood and it is suitable for the entire house. Bathroom included, provided you take the necessary care.

SOLID OR PREFINISHED?

Usually solid wood is not used because people prefer prefinished wood, composed by more layers and more stable.

TYPE OF FINISHING

Prefinished wood is treated with coatings or oils.
About this we find two schools of thought, but the coating is the recommended choice regarding the bathroom.

Inside Solid range of Renner there are coatings such as SolidZero, SolidClassic, SolidNature and SolidCrystal: these are all certified for resistance to wear (UNI EN 15185), dirt (UNI 9300) as well as chemical agents (UNI EN 13442). This last feature is very important because, as already mentioned, the bathroom is a room inside which detergents for clothes and bathroom fixture are more used.
SolidZero is highly matt, recommended for light wood and certified to resist against cold liquids (UNI EN 13442), scratches (UNI EN 15186:2010) and jumps in temperature (UNI 9429/89).

TYPE OF LAYING

Laying is the most important aspect: if it isn’t a state-of-the-art laying, durability of wood flooring and quality of the entire work are really compromised. It is suggested to call a professional.
Floating laying (i.e. dovetail) is not recommended for the bathroom. A glued laying is preferable, in order to avoid infiltrations. Moreover, all blocks and the flooring perimeter must be sealed together. The wood is a living material and tends to dilate and narrow.

MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING

Wood flooring needs a constant maintenance, in addition to removal of water traces as soon as possible and room ventilation.
The wood, as natural and living material, need nourishment. It is necessary to use specific products, in order not to damage the surface.
In addition to broom and vacuum-cleaner, we can use a water-based neutral detergent, such as SolidClean, suitable for all wood floorings treated with Solid coatings range. It has very low solvent content, so it isn’t dangerous for the environment and for the user.
It can be applied with a soft soaked cloth and doesn’t need rinsing.

To conclude, yes, some attentions are needed, but the beauty and the sensations of the wood flooring in the bathroom are worth all the efforts.