Hardwood Floors in a Bathroom?

So you like the look of beautiful, shiny wood floors so much you even want them in your master bathroom. But is that a good idea? Will the wood hold up to the moisture that is common in bathrooms? Are you making a very expensive mistake by laying down that warm golden oak floor instead of ceramic tile?

That, of course, depends on you and how you use the room. If, for example, your husband takes a shower and half the water ends up on the floor, then wood floors might not be a good idea. If he's that messy, you might save yourself a lot of stress of worrying about the floor by going with ceramic. Water won't hurt it at all if it is sealed properly. On the other hand, you could ban him from the bathroom and install an outside shower for him. Just kidding. Well, partially, anyway.

But all joking aside, the amount of moisture in the common bathroom could take its toll on a wood floor. But there are ways around this problem. You can simply install a powerful bathroom exhaust fan to pull the moisture from the room. These fans come in different shapes and sizes. You can even buy some that have the light combined in with the fan. Just make sure these fans are installed properly. The hose or pipe that vents the moisture up and out of the room should be extended all the way to the eave of the house. After all, you don't want to pull that moisture up into the attic and leave it there. You want it to go outside. If not, you're just transferring the moisture from one area of your house to another. Remember, the attics are just above your ceilings. And you sure don't want that moisture settling on the backs of the ceilings.

An exhaust fan will handle most of the moisture and steam from a shower or bath. However, that doesn't help the floor if the shower curtain gets left on the outside of the shower. To prevent this from happening, consider installing doors on your shower. These are especially good if the shower has only a small lip or edge. And doors can actually add beauty and style to the shower and bathroom. Clear glass doors are very popular today and help make a room look larger by not closing off part of the room. You have protection for your wood floors and it really looks good. Believe me, you'll be slapping your head and saying, "Duh, I coulda had glass doors a long time ago." But, hey, better late than never.

And last, but certainly not least, keep a large, rubber-backed bath rug or mat in front of the shower or tub. Make sure it is in the correct location for anyone stepping out of the shower or tub. No use having it if no one steps on it.

And then you may have to set a few little ground rules. That may be the hardest part of keeping the floor nice and dry. Insist he dry off in the shower or tub. You'd be surprised at how many people think they have to get out of the shower before they can dry off. Oh, I do mean turn the water off first. And teach him not to drop his wet towels on the wood floor. Either keep a laundry basket close by or have him leave them in the sink.

So you see, you can have those beautiful wood floors in your master bathroom if you want. Remember, where there's a will, there's always a way.