Wood floor in a bathroom - is it a good thing

[dylanswall]

I have just peeled away the grotty carpet in my bathroom and exposed som floorboards that are in very good condition.

Is it therefore ok to have a wood flooring (as they are likely to get wet or at least a little bit moist) and if so, I assume I need to treat them with something, but what is that "something."

Also, what do I need to do with the gaps between the boards (if it was the front room I would just use saw dust and glue, but not sure if I need to do something different for a bathroom).

 

[WoodYouLike]

Do you want the long or the short answer?

Let's start with the short: not really suitable in bathrooms. You will have to seal them really. really well.
Can't you cover them with tiles or vinyl?

If you want the long answer, just let me know

 

[dylanswall]

I can cover them with something but just thought that as they were in good condition, with a bit of TLC they would come up nice and look better than lino or tiles. Also, it would save me a bit of cash if I didn't have to fork out for something to cover them.

 

[dylanswall]

Was the long answer also that you can't?

 

[WoodYouLike]

Your exposed floorboards are presumably pine boards: softwood - damaged easily and very open pore structure. Prone to absorb moist and dent.
If no T&G then all the work you will do by filling the gaps in between will be a returning job, the movement of the boards will cause the filling material to fall through eventually.

You can sand it down to create a smooth surface, seal the floor with hardwaxoil - 9 times out of 10 a natural finish will turn the pine ugly orange - but after just a short while dents and damages will appear in your softwood floor.

You alos have to make sure no water spills and excess moist can get underneath the boards etc.

But... it is possible of course, you're the client

 

[dylanswall]

Oh well, it was a nice dream while it lasted. Tiles it is.

Thanks for the advice

 

[PerryOne]

I know of one bathroom floor where the owner sanded the pine boards, varnished them and sealed the gaps with silicone, using a lot of time and care - 8 years later they look as new and work perfectly.
Just as well really as the lady in question lives on the top floor of a block of Mansion Flats.

 

[howsey]

We did this in our bathroom: had to replace the original floor because of woodworm.

After treating all the joists I laid a pine T&G floor, let it settle for a few weeks then stained it, filled the gaps with a flexible outdoor sealant, then several more coats of exterior grade wood stain (the stuff that really stinks, not a wishy washy water based one).

I restained it again recently, after about ten years. It still looks good, and is a very practical surface for a bathroom - just make sure it's all well sealed.

 

[kevnurse]

If its wood effect you're looking for, there are some very good quality oak effect vinyls available, with some decent relief on the better ones. Obviously, cheaper than tiles, but waterproof all the same.

 

[garrymum]

I had laminate in my bathroom for years and never had problem.

 

[woodfinishes1877]

"Oh well, it was a nice dream while it lasted. Tiles it is."

Don't lose the dream just yet. In my opinion, and with first hand experience, using a clear waterbased/polyurethane finish offers ample protection on a bathroom floor - mine looks great after 5 years and that includes my wife not using the bath mat!

You could use Smith & Rodger's Aquacoat XTRA or Bona's Mega. You'll be really happy with the results.