Hardwood flooring works in pretty much every room of the house. It makes living rooms look inviting, and bedrooms feel cosy and it’s far easier to maintain than carpet in any room where you can find the kids. But, you may have often heard people say that the one place in your home where you don’t want to install hardwood flooring is the bathroom.

With everything we already know about hardwood flooring, particularly it’s vulnerability when it comes to water, that idea makes complete sense; however, this doesn’t mean that hardwood flooring in the bathroom is a complete no-go.

Here are some of the pros and cons of hardwood flooring in the bathroom, and how it can be maintained in such a high-risk space.

WATER EXPOSURE

Bathrooms are the room in the house most exposed to water, especially on the floor. There are likely to be spills and splashes every day, whether it be when you’re brushing your teeth, washing your face, or taking a shower. This is even more of an issue if you have children who are likely to play in the bath and cause a lot of water spillage onto the floor.

Wood floors and water do not go together; wood is a porous material which means moisture can easily be absorbed into it. Hence, if water gets onto your hardwood floors, it can seep through the surface of the wood, and can cause damage to the structural components leading to expansion and movement of the floor panels. It can also cause discolouration over time.

This means that if you have wood floors in your bathroom, then you will need to wipe away any spills immediately to prevent damage. This can be difficult to keep on top of as it would mean having to wipe down your bathroom floors almost every time you, or someone else, used the bathroom.
As time consuming and as much as an inconvenience as this may be, it’s what needs to be done if you want to avoid irreversible damage to your hardwood floors.

HUMIDITY AND MOISTURE

Even when drops of water are not directly getting onto the floor, the other hazard comes from the humidity that builds up in a bathroom when taking a shower or hot bath.
The hot water causes steam which builds up in the air and creates moisture on the floor which then infiltrates your hardwood flooring, causing just as much damage as directly spilling water onto it.

Again, there are a couple of things you can do to reduce this risk and limit the damage. By installing a good exhaust fan or keeping a window open when running hot water, you’ll greatly reduce, or even completely eradicate, any build up of steam in the bathroom.

These options can be costly and inconvenient (for example, opening a window in the winter or below freezing temperatures could make your bathroom really cold) and they do not always completely prevent moisture from getting onto the floors. However, they are the best options available to you if you want to maintain your hardwood flooring.

FLOODING

The biggest risk of flooding in your home is in the bathroom because of the sheer number of plumbing fixtures in that particular room, and the fact that this is the one room in the house (aside from the kitchen or laundry room) where you have running water.
If there were to be a flood in your bathroom, it is highly likely to completely destroy your hardwood floors.
This means that what might normally be a small leak, or accidentally overflowing the bath, which can easily be solved with a mop or some towels, may result in you having to rip up your wood flooring and invest in something new.

This is a massive inconvenience and cost that many people choose to avoid by not installing hardwood floors in a room with a high risk of flooding.

There is really not much you can do to lower the risk other than be extra cautious and take immediate action should you think there is a leak of some kind, so you just need to be aware that this is a risk you need to carefully consider before deciding to have hardwood floors in your bathroom.

AESTHETIC APPEAL

On the more positive side, it’s undeniable that hardwood flooring looks amazing no matter which room it’s in, but there’s something even more aesthetically appealing when it’s in the bathroom.
This may be, in part, due to the fact that you don’t see it as often, since hardwood floors in the bathroom is not the most popular home interior decision, making it a unique and bold choice.

Furthermore, there are so many styles and colours of wood to choose from when it comes to flooring, that you can design a space that perfectly exudes the atmosphere you want to create in that room, and, for most, a bathroom is a place to relax and unwind. A rich, dark wood against the traditional white, porcelain bathroom appliances, i.e. the bathtub, toilet and sink, achieves this with ease.

WARMER THAN TILES

Stepping out of a nice, warm shower, barefoot, onto cold tiled floors is possibly one of the worst feelings you can experience and not the greatest start to your day.
Unless you want to fork out on underfloor heating, the best way to avoid this is to opt for a warmer flooring option - hardwood flooring is just that.

Wood floors are far warmer to the touch and feel nicer on the bare skin than the traditional tile, which is particularly important if you have a large bathroom and a lot of empty floor space that you’re likely to be walking around on.

It’s fair to say that the downsides, or disadvantages, of installing hardwood floors in the bathroom can be managed if you are willing to invest a little time and care into maintaining them.
With that being said, any flooring option will have it’s cons; for example, tiles can be easily chipped or cracked which can ruin the whole aesthetic of the room and be difficult and costly to repair. Therefore, the decision to opt for hardwood floors in the bathroom is, in essence, no more risky one than any other type of flooring.

As with any home interior decision, you should consider all factors and weigh up the pros and cons before making a choice. What one person may consider a dealbreaker, may be a non-factor for another person, so don’t let other people’s opinions sway your own. Having said that, it always helps to speak to a wood flooring expert on the matter as they can provide an unbiased and professional opinion on the matter.