Wood in the bathroom: yes or no?

Wood in the bathroom: yes or no?

Many carpenters are uncomfortable with the idea of ​​laying a wooden floor in the bathroom. This is certainly not uncommon, as many colleagues are skeptical about using wood as a flooring material in the bathroom. Sure, the bathroom is the area in the home where moisture is most often found. However, it has transformed from the once cold tile desert into a real oasis of well-being. And there is no better material for this than the number one carpentry material – wood. Why skip this trend? With two successful projects, Tischler Journal would like to show that a wooden floor in the bathroom doesn't have to be a no-go.

Wooden floors with advantages

Why should you avoid a wooden floor in the bathroom? In this area in particular, the advantages of a wooden floor are many times over. If you walk barefoot on a wooden floor, your feet will always be warm, and not just in the bathroom. Even if there is no underfloor heating. Furthermore, a possible wooden floor is relatively seamless compared to the standard tiles laid and therefore easy to clean. When renovating, a wooden floor can easily be repaired, sanded or redesigned by staining or coloring. Appropriate follow-up care by applying oil again is also possible in a short time without much effort. Wooden floors also have a moisture-regulating effect. Due to the hygroscopic properties of the material wood, they absorb humidity from the surrounding air and then release it back into the environment when the humidity is correspondingly low.

Changed heating habits

Long gone are the days when bathrooms were hardly heated, selectively or only intermittently. It is now understood that a cooled room requires far more energy to heat up than one that is always kept at a constant temperature level. Most bathrooms in our latitudes have a balanced temperature. Ceilings, walls and floors therefore have a constant temperature level. A uniform surface temperature prevents condensation from forming. A statement from building physics states that water vapor turns into so-called condensation water at a surface temperature of less than around ten degrees Celsius. In simple words, one of the most important laws of building physics for the carpenter, even when it comes to interior design. If condensation water repeatedly penetrates the joints and connections at regular intervals and over a long period of time, damage is inevitable and can hardly be prevented. This factor must be communicated to the client - ideally in writing.

Situational structure

Of course, a fundamental distinction must be made as to which installation situation one finds when requesting a wooden floor in the bathroom. Here it must be clarified how the floor should be designed. Is it an existing building or a new building? Has a screed been laid or does a substructure need to be installed? How is the floor structure? Does insulation need to be laid? Is a moisture barrier required? Or does special attention need to be paid to soundproofing? These are all questions that should be clarified before planning begins. It is also important to discuss things that include the wall design. Should wall paneling be installed at the same time? Or is it renovation work that only involves replacing the flooring? Enough to talk about to go into detail with the builder or planners.

Gluing wooden floors

The possibility of laying a wooden floor onto a screed by gluing it is certainly not unknown. Basically, this also happens when gluing wooden floors in the bathroom. Of course, only when the surface has the properties required by the parquet adhesive. If a multi-layer floor is desired, a waterproof glued product should be used. Please pay attention to the recommended wall distances. Applying an additional contact layer on the underside of the material is advantageous. This improves the adhesion between the floor and the screed. In addition to gluing to the substrate, the joints between the individual boards must be sealed against moisture penetration. Silicone is not a good choice here, as this sealant sometimes has paint-destroying properties. Sometimes the surface coating no longer holds in places where the sealant escapes during installation. It is therefore important to ensure that you use a silicone-free sealant.

Lay floorboards on a substructure

Of course, this also applies to the floorboards that are to be laid on a substructure. With this type of installation, it is also important to seal the joints between the individual boards accordingly. Particular attention is paid here to the substructure. This should be as self-supporting as possible. In the best case, some kind of substructure frame can be assembled on site and placed on the bare ceiling. Spacer blocks can be used to ensure height compensation and rear ventilation. Underlay pads, such as those used in terrace construction, are also suitable for height compensation. Another option is stilt supports, which are also used in terrace construction. The existing substructure decides. If there are visible, resilient ceiling parts, such as ceiling beams, these can be used as a support. Since this approach requires you to get involved with the existing structures, there is no silver bullet for this type of installation. Using experience gained from daily work, solutions can be developed that can be adapted to the respective circumstances.

Seal the ceiling and joints

Depending on the requirements of the building owner or planner, it is advisable to seal the unfinished ceiling or unfinished floor accordingly. Depending on whether the bathroom is in the basement, ground floor or attic, the sealing requirements differ. If sealing against rising moisture is required in a basement room or on the ground floor without a basement, sealing against escaping moisture may be desired on one of the upper floors. In order to implement this accordingly, a type of vapor-permeable sealing membrane or a coat of paint can be used. Nobody can predict how user behavior will develop in the future. A seal offers additional protection for the underlying structural parts. Of course, this also applies to the expansion or edge joints in the screed. This must be protected from moisture penetration when gluing the wooden floor. Here too, this measure provides additional security. Appropriate sealing films, sealing tapes, paints and adhesives are available from specialist retailers. If you combine this work in coordination with the other trades involved in the property, such as drywallers, plasterers, tilers and painters, you get results that are durable, easy to renovate and therefore long-lasting.

Structuring workflows

A very important factor for long-lasting results in this sensitive area is compliance with work processes. In the first step, the floor is laid untreated and the joints are sealed as described. In the next step, the surface is sanded according to the manufacturer's specifications and the surface treatment is carried out. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding surface coating in this sensitive area. All drying times must be adhered to. Once the surface treatment has been completed, the connection joints can be sealed and further work such as paneling or edge strips can be carried out.

Conclusion

Wooden floors in the bathroom are an alternative to the widespread tile floors. Work with types of wood that do not react too quickly to moisture. Douglas fir, oak, walnut or larch are native types of wood that cope well with moisture.
The durability in this sensitive area largely depends on user behavior. It is important to raise awareness and inform them accordingly. Another important fact is the planning and execution of the work. If the approach here is tailored to the high demands on planning expertise, nothing stands in the way of long-lasting wooden floors in this sensitive area. ■