From Around the Web - Wood in the Bathroom?? Absolutely! - Bathrooms for Less Call or Text 516-790-5910 %

Tile is a natural choice for baths, given the moisture situation. But some homeowners do choose to include wood in their bath area.

If you think about it – this isn’t as big of a stretch as you might think. Afterall, many boats are still crafted from wood (and think about those gorgeous teak decks!)… so with the proper planning and care, wood is a viable material in your bath.

As Mark Clement shared in a Houzz article, “you can do amazing things with wood, even in the bathroom. The way it feels, sounds and even reflects light is wonderful. It also offers color and depth, and can soften the look of hard ceramic finishes.”

So for example, Mark talks about using wood on the ceiling to add warmth and natural light reflection. “Yes, this ceiling is above a shower. You can imagine the potential moisture problems. I always recommend using a fan in the bathroom, but adding a second barrier between the steam rising from the shower and what’s behind the ceiling might be smart here. I recommend sealing the wood surface with boiled linseed oil and/or urethane. I also recommend sheeting the ceiling joists with 15-pound tar paper (the black paper you see under roof shingles) before installing the wood.”

Photo credit: Becker Architects Limited via Houzz.com

You can also use wood planking on the walls: in this case, Mark recommends looking at making the graining the star of the show: pick planks with lovely grain patterns, and then protect those planks with a water-based urethane to keep the natural wood grain vibrant.

Wood on the floor in a bath area is quite feasible: as shown in the example here with a wood pallet floor – which could be made from something like pine, cedar or fir. (If you want the idea of wood, without it being permanently in place

Photo credit: Home Tech Renovations via Houzz.com

like a pallet floor, try a wooden bath matt — which can be often found at many home furnishing stores in bamboo.)

Wood can create continuity: by including it from a hallway or bedroom and into the bath, your wood floors can create a level of continuity throughout your home. Further, in more industrial applications, wood floors, pallet area or ceiling treatments can soften the look of an industrial bath. Raw cement tiles are softened by the warmth of wood, thus creating a more harmonious look throughout.

But, maybe you’re a little hesitant to include wood in the bath area. Many of us are. So many of us are taught to be hesitant about including wood around water use areas, for many reasons.

But now you can have the look of wood without the worry. Thanks to new manufacturing and production processes, you can have the “look” of wood in porcelain tiles that are so real looking, that to the naked eye, you would never know that you’re not looking at hand-scraped wood plank floors. These tiles look exactly like wood, and even come in “planks” to emulate the cut wooden plank – but in a porcelain tile format.