Hi guys. I am on a tight budget. Is it possible to sand down, seal and paint my floorboards in bathroom? My worry is that as there are gaps between them, all the humidity when i have a shower can go through the gaps and rot the joists. Any advice would be much appreciated.
floorboards in bathrooms
- Thread starter dotto
- Start date
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the best thing for bathrooms is laminate. you don't need to buy the expensive waterproof type that's classified for bathroom use. all you need is a bottle of pva glue and put a thin bead along each edge when you assemble the laminate.
the downside is that you have to buy new if it has to come up for any reason.
if you still want to sand & paint/stain the floor boards then why not. i am not sure what you're thinking of in terms of sealing. i don't know of a sealer to actually seal the floorboard wood but feel stain and varnish or spirit based paint ie not emulsion would be ok. any gaps in the floorboards are more difficult to deal with and i've not found a good method (currently use frame sealer).
in terms of the humidity/damp issue. timber will only be at risk of rot if it stays permanently damp/wet (over 20% for 8 wks) ie you need to be spilling water on the floor on a regular basis to the extent that normal ventilation cannot dry out the wood to keep it below 20% moisture content. a few splashes washing your hands would not matter for instance. showering everyday and dripping water in one area each time would matter.
suggest to counter this by using either a cork matt or soft carpet coverings which can be placed over any areas which see water before a bath or shower and monitor how wet they get. if necessary hanging them up to dry or sending them for the wash would mitigate the floorboards getting soaked. if you've got kids then put down several towels before they have a bath.
the best thing to do is try it out and see how it goes. if you can see damp spots on the floorboards which never dry out then it's not working and you need to put laminate in.
the downside is that you have to buy new if it has to come up for any reason.
if you still want to sand & paint/stain the floor boards then why not. i am not sure what you're thinking of in terms of sealing. i don't know of a sealer to actually seal the floorboard wood but feel stain and varnish or spirit based paint ie not emulsion would be ok. any gaps in the floorboards are more difficult to deal with and i've not found a good method (currently use frame sealer).
in terms of the humidity/damp issue. timber will only be at risk of rot if it stays permanently damp/wet (over 20% for 8 wks) ie you need to be spilling water on the floor on a regular basis to the extent that normal ventilation cannot dry out the wood to keep it below 20% moisture content. a few splashes washing your hands would not matter for instance. showering everyday and dripping water in one area each time would matter.
suggest to counter this by using either a cork matt or soft carpet coverings which can be placed over any areas which see water before a bath or shower and monitor how wet they get. if necessary hanging them up to dry or sending them for the wash would mitigate the floorboards getting soaked. if you've got kids then put down several towels before they have a bath.
the best thing to do is try it out and see how it goes. if you can see damp spots on the floorboards which never dry out then it's not working and you need to put laminate in.
Thank u 4 your input
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