HomeThangs.com Has Introduced A Guide To Choosing The Right Wood Floor For The Bathroom
(PRWEB) February 26, 2014 -- HomeThangs.com – the online home improvement store has made their goal to deliver the right product to the consumer. With that in mind, shopping and home design tips, as well as special product selections are being introduced.
Water and wood don’t play well together, so it might seem counter intuitive that homeowners are going gaga for wood floors in one of the wettest rooms in the home: the bathroom. Wood floors have a warm, inviting appearance that pairs perfectly with the rustic, relaxed spa style that’s so popular this year, but can be more than a little bit of a hassle. HomeThangs.com has introduced a guide to getting this look while reducing the worry about water damage.
Real hardwood is what this trend is all about: it’s natural, it’s rugged, it feels great underfoot, visually warms the space, and can help connect the bathroom with the rest of the house, especially one with continuous wood floors. But natural hardwood flooring is also highly susceptible to moisture damage: it can warp or discolor, or even mold or mildew. That said, most water damage comes from leaving puddles of water or wet towels directly on the surface of the floor for long periods of time, which causes the wood to absorb the water and gives it time to seep down into the cracks between the floorboards.
A little fastidiousness about making sure splashes and drips around the bathtub, shower, sink, and toilet get cleaned up quickly will go a long way towards ensuring a natural hardwood floor will stay in great condition, even with regular water exposure. But be sure to consider humidity levels in the bathroom, too; airborne moisture can have similar negative effects on wood flooring, so make sure the space is thoroughly ventilated, especially if it includes a heavily steam-producing feature like a steam shower.
The type of wood and finish used can make a big difference, too. All wood floors are varnished and sealed, but using a heavy duty marine quality finish will significantly enhance the floor’s water protection without altering its appearance. Engineered woods, which are made of a wood veneer over thin, compressed layers of wood and plywood, are a bit more water resistant than solid hardwood, and many species of wood have a greater natural resistance to mold, mildew, and moisture.
Bamboo, which is a darling of the green home movement for its sustainability, also happens to be harder, more durable, and more water resistant than many common hardwoods. Bamboo is technically a grass rather than a tree, but produces a light, natural colored flooring that will hold up better in moist conditions. Other tropical woods like teak are good options as well and leave a little more leeway in terms of moisture, so be sure to look into the specific qualities of various woods before making a decision.
In a very high traffic bathroom that’s used by people that are prone to leaving puddles or wet clothes in their wake, though, even the best and best sealed woods probably aren’t a good choice. But that doesn’t have to mean having a “wood” bathroom floor is entirely out of question – there are many faux wood alternatives out there that are much more water resistant. For light puddles, laminate planks are a good option. While these don’t hold up in very wet spaces, their synthetic surface won’t readily absorb water the way wood does. Water can get in the cracks between planks, though, so approach this option with caution.
Vinyl sheet flooring and linoleum, on the other hand, can be installed in large sheets with few or no small cracks for water to seep through. Though vinyl is synthetic and linoleum made from natural compounds, both are naturally resistant to mold and mildew. Vinyl is slightly more waterproof, but can’t be recycled, while linoleum is totally recyclable and even biodegradable, but slightly more susceptible to water damage. Both are a great, affordable option for busy bathrooms, as they can be printed to look just like real wood without the same need for constant maintenance.
Last but not least, the very most water resistant option is wood printed porcelain tile. Porcelain and ceramic tile are the top choices for a bathroom for a reason: they’re impervious to water. With the growing popularity of wood floors in the bathroom, manufacturers have started producing tile that’s the size and shape of wood planks, printed with high definition images of real wood. They won’t have the same physical warmth underfoot that real wood does, but the appearance is very close to the real thing, and the tiles can easily be replaced if damaged.
To get an idea of what these different options look like in action, check out the full article here.
HomeThangs.com is not only a home improvement superstore, it also provides expert design tips and a comprehensive shopping guide, taking the ideas from professional interior designers, and offering tips to the consumers on how to pick the products to best suit their needs.
Tanya T., HomeThangs, http://www.homethangs.com, +1 (866) 278-0880, [email protected]
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