Using wooden flooring throughout a home is a no-brainer for many homeowners. The look and feel just add an element no other material can match, but issues can arise when wooden flooring is suggested for the bathroom. You’ll find arguments on both sides of the coin when it comes to wooden flooring in the bathroom. Your job is to carefully weigh your options and go over the pros and cons so you can make an educated choice. If you are considering using wood for your bathroom flooring, it’s a good idea to get a handle on your options before you decide. For the most part, using softer woods like pine and fir is frowned upon, because they have a tendency to absorb moisture, which bathrooms produce a lot of. Some hardwood options you may want to consider include oak, cedar, teak, maple, cherry, walnut, hickory and ash. Some of the pros of having wooden flooring in your bathroom are the same as having it in any other room of your house. You’ll be barefoot a lot of the time in the bathroom, and a wood floor is usually warmer and more comforting than tile.
The colour of a wood floor is also more inviting than the relative coldness of tile. The look of wooden flooring in your bathroom can’t really be matched by any other material. Just as wood floors look beautiful in the rest of the house, they also look beautiful in the bathroom. Every plank of a hardwood floor tends to have its own personality, making you feel at one with nature. Wood floors are also on their own when it comes to interior design, as they don’t follow the trends and whims of the industry. Most of the cons that are part of having wooden flooring in your bathroom deal with the moisture aspect. Wood will expand and plump and warp, and if you don’t apply a quality finish to it after installation, you may be in for trouble. If you nail your hardwood planks to the sub floor, there will be holes in the moisture barrier underneath, which will allow moisture to seep down inside when water inevitably splashes on the floor’s surface. Using adhesives or click together wooden floors is a better way to go to prevent moisture issues.
Mold and mildew are also one of the cons of wood flooring, and the likelihood is much higher because of the humidity level inside the standard bathroom. As you probably know, mold creates odours that are unpleasant and can also create serious health issues for members of your household. If you’re intent on using wooden flooring in your bathroom, check the warranty to see if it still applies for a bathroom installation that requires quality bathroom accessories. With some brands and styles, the warrant is voided if you install it in an environment where high moisture and humidity exist, like a bathroom. Make sure you use bath mats where possible, clean up spills as soon as possible and use a finish that repels water and keeps your floor safe. Margaret Perron is an appliance repair do-it-yourselfer, home solutions enthusiast and a home maker. With over 10 years experience in the home improvement business she is well suited to advise you on the best solution for identifying and locating the best home services in your area.
You can follow her at Google+.We’re not going out on a limb when we say hardwood floors are one of the most popular, value-adding features in your home. But hardwood floors need regular maintenance and refinishing to keep them looking spiffy.How much wear and tear your floors get determines how often you need to refinish them and what product you use. A household with just two adults might only have to refinish every 10 years; a home with adults, kids, and a dog might need to refinish every three to four years.There are a lot of finishes out there. Use our at-a-glance guide below to choose the one that’s right for your home. We also help you decide if you want to refinish floors yourself.Wax is the time-tested, old-fashioned way to refinish wood floors and was routinely used before polyurethanes became available in the 1970s. Both paste and liquid versions are making a comeback with homeowners who want a mellow, low-sheen look, and with those who prefer to use natural products with low VOCs and toxicity.
It’s applied by hand working small areas at a time, which makes it DIY-friendly (but labor-intensive). It’s also easy to touch up a wax finish, so ongoing maintenance is simple.If you don’t want to darken your wood (which wax tends to do), first apply a base coat of shellac or sanding sealer that penetrates and seals the wood. Two to three coats of wax are recommended.Especially good for: antique flooring in historic homesCost: $10 to $25 per 1 pound covers 400 to 500 square feetPolyurethanes are today’s standard floor finish. Water-based varieties used to have a reputation for being eco-friendly (still true) but not as durable as regular polys. However, today’s water-based polys are nearly as tough as their oil-based cousins.One difference is final color: Water-based polys dry clear; oil-based polys have a slight amber tint.Water-based polyurethane has very low VOC content and is easy for a DIYer to apply. Three to four coats are recommended. You can use a water-based polyurethane over an oil-based poly as long as the old finish has completely cured (two to three weeks).
Especially good for: eco-conscious DIYersCost: $40 to $60 per gallon covers 400 to 500 square feetOil-based polys are the mainstay of floor finishing and widely used by professional finishers.Although they’re tough, long-lasting, and less-expensive than water-based polys, oil-based polys have a higher VOC content and stronger odor during application. A coat takes 8 to 10 hours to dry, so you’ll want to vacate your house until the floor is completely dry — and bring your pets with you. Two to three coats are recommended.Professional floor refinishers report some problems when using an oil-based poly over a water-based poly. Best advice: Don’t do it.Especially good for: professionally finished floors at a reasonable priceCost: $30 to $40 per gallon covers 500 to 600 square feet; it’s $1 to $2 per square foot to have a pro do it.The Cadillac (or Volvo) of floor finishes, acid-cured Swedish finishes are for pro application only. They’re among the toughest of all hardwood flooring finishes, and the most expensive.
They’re sometimes called conversion varnish sealers.Acid-cured finishes have extremely high VOC content; you’ll have to bunk elsewhere for a few days after finishing to give the odors a chance to clear. The finish takes up to 60 days to fully cure, but you can walk on it after three days. Keep furniture off for two weeks, and rugs off for the full 60 days so the fibers don’t stick.Especially good for: high-end homes with flooring made from exotic woods and floors with elaborate inlay designsCost: $3.75 to $5 per square foot professionally appliedThis is a durable finish that’s a step up in toughness and longevity from water- and oil-based polyurethane. It’s tricky to apply and isn’t recommended for DIY — it dries very fast, so speed and a deft touch are needed to avoid lap marks.It has a high VOC content, making a respirator and good ventilation a must during application. Homeowners and pets should vacate the house during application and for up to two weeks afterward.Especially good for: high-traffic areas and homes with multiple kids and dogsCost: $2 to $4 per square foot professionally appliedOil sealers have been used for centuries to protect and moisture-proof wood.
They’re easy to apply, and spot touch-ups are a snap. Because it penetrates the wood, an oil sealer enhances grain patterns and deepens the color of the wood. The finish itself doesn’t scratch, but recoating usually is needed every two to three years as the finish wears down.The basic ingredient is tung oil, a naturally occurring, low-VOC oil that hardens as it dries. It needs long drying times between coats (24 to 48 hours), so finishing a floor with the recommended three coats can take several days.Especially good for: historic homes with antique flooring; DIYersCost: $60 to $70 per gallon covers 500 square feetThis super-tough finish only comes on prefinished wood planks. You won’t apply it yourself, but you’ll need to know it’s there if you ever decide to refinish it. It requires special refinishing techniques, like sanding with milder grits before using heavier grits. Your floor refinisher can determine if your flooring is covered with an aluminum oxide coating.Polyurethane floor products have surpassed the usefulness of this time-honored wood finish.
Houses built before 1970 may have hardwood floors finished with shellac, and you can maintain and refinish them with another coating of shellac. It’s not compatible with more modern finishes, such as polyurethane, so only refinish shellac with wax or another coating of shellac.Test for shellac by dribbling a few drops of water on an inconspicuous spot. If the finish turns milky white, it’s shellac.Shellac is a natural product that’s non-toxic and produces few VOCs. It’s not as tough and durable as polyurethanes, and is susceptible to stains from water and other spills. However, it’s easy to repair scratched areas by rubbing out the scratches with denatured alcohol, then reapplying shellac.Shellac pairs well with wax. Use shellac as a base coat, and finish with two or three coats of hand-rubbed wax.Especially good for: refinishing antique floors already coated with shellacCost: $80 to $90 per gallon covers 300 square feetDoes your floor need a touch-up or an overhaul?1. For surface scratches and normal wear and tear, lightly sand the finish (called screening) and apply a new topcoat.