Flooring inside a bathroom is as important as any other part of your house. Bathroom floors and the overall effort put into the designing of a bathroom add a lot to the overall ambiance of the house. The most basic thing to consider when choosing the floor of your bathroom is the moisture. While some people might think that placing a carpet on a bathroom floor is a good idea will eventually find that it is actually not the case. The moisture inside your bathroom and the carpet flooring is not a good combination as carpets tend to absorb moisture that can attract bacteria.
Hardwood floors are a better choice as compared to carpets. However, there are certain things that you need to consider while choosing hardwood floors for your bathroom. The first thing that you need to ensure is that the floor is installed perfectly without any gaps through which the moisture can trickle inside the wood.
The second most important thing is to make sure that the wood is protected. Unprotected wood will stain, warp, expand, and plump at the touch of any liquid. So in order to avoid this, you need to get the hardwood floors in your washroom finished with a finishing agent such as a polyurethane sealer which will create an invisible layer over the wood, ensuring that no water is absorbed inside the hardwood floors. Special care needs to be taken for the hardwood floors inside bathrooms. The finish needs to be applied several times on the hardwood floors.
The third thing that you need to consider when choosing a hardwood floor for your bathroom is the type of wood that you choose for the floors. There are some species of wood that are more compatible with the moisture conditions inside the bathroom. Avoid softwoods such as Fir and Pine as they tend to absorb more moisture. Always check with the manufacturer on warranty for bathroom applications.
The best part of hardwood floors is the fact that they come with warranties and you can get them replaced if the material fails. However, the warranty might not cover the entire area of a bathroom as it is a water heavy environment, but some warranties do cover half the areas of the bathroom that are not so prone to getting splashed with water such as a half bath or powder room.
Hardwood flooring is best to give your bathroom a grand look. You can opt for the combination of floors inside your bathroom, enjoying the charm of wood in the areas that do not come in contact with water while using a different material for flooring where there is more moisture such as the shower area.