Newbie needs advice.
I would like to lay a wood floor in the bathroom, against my better judgement.
It seems to me teak would be a good choice, as it is used in building boats.
I'm dealing with 44 sq.feet which runs right up to the shower curb. On an uneven concrete subfloor due to the fact I removed a wall.
I'm open to any suggestions on all aspects of installation and finishes.
Oh, and by the way, I've never worked with wood flooring. LOL
Cheers!

It is not really recommended. It can be done but it is usually advised not to your boat analogy is correct but unfortunately fatally flawed. Boats are not subjected to hot water vapor. In a bathroom you are basically steaming the wood daily. On a boat you are just submerging it in water. Further boats use marine varnish which cannot be used on wood floors. I wish it could as it is strong stuff but it is too slick for flooring and in a bathroom it would spell certain injury. If you do decide that you are going to install it the best recommendations are as follows.

1. Try to get an unfinished engineered wood.
2. Get acrylic impregnated wood.
3. Use Tung oil to further penetrate the wood.
4. Polyurethane all 4 sides of the boards with several coats.
5. Do not use a moisture blocker on the concrete.

kls, thanks for the reply.
I've always wondered about that boat analogy. I can see how it is fataly flawed.
Cheers!

Any feelings about cork or bamboo in the bathroom?

Both tend to be pretty stable. I don’t do a lot of cork so someone else may be able to comment. The bamboo will hold up, get greenwood CROSSPLY http://www.hardwoodinstaller.com/hardwo ... atural.htm it is more stable than other bamboos and have it screened and recoated with two coats of Bona Traffic on install. This will seal the top from moisture.


Again so it is clear I am recommending that you do not install wood in the bathroom. It is hit or miss sometimes the install is fine and other times it goes wrong. There are so many variables when moisture is present.

Would I need to lay down a moisture barrier under the bamboo?

Does the floor have the black adhesive residue? If so it is going to have to be removed before gluing down. You are on a second floor condo by your sig. If that is the case moisture in the sub-floor should not be a concern as the floor is being aired out on both sides. I would suggest not using a product like MVP because you are going to be introducing moisture from the top. Any place that moisture can escape the wood is a good thing even if it is into the slab. Your slab is going to be drier than you wood so use it to dry out your wood and dissipate the moisture. I would not use a moisture barrier in a bathroom application. It will trap the moisture and promote rot.

Good thinking. The slab is 2" and on top of what looks like 1" plywood.
regarding residue; do you think a self leveling concrete could be used to successfully cover up?
Or should I dive in and start scratching and scraping?

I certainly hope your planning a floating install.


I see red flags flying, if your planning on gluing, because something tells me you have gypcrete instead of concrete.

Hey Floorguy..good to get your take.
I have learned a lot from your other posts throughout the forum.
I am afraid to ask...What is gypcrete?

Gypcrete is a cementitious product used to provide a sturdy-looking floor, and sometimes used as a floor leveler.

It's a mixture of gypsum (as in sheetrock) and cement. When mixed with water, it becomes a pancake-batter mixture that is poured and leveled onto a floor. It's not good for much except looks, and then only for the first 6 months or a year. Most flooring manufacturers will not warranty their products if their are installed over gypcrete.

It looks like concrete, but it's softer and usually badly cracked. Your statement that it's 2" thick is key ... you would not find a real concrete floor that thin. It's usually soft enough that you can scratch it with a key.