Such is the popularity of oak flooring, and wood flooring in general, it is no wonder people are looking into new areas to lay their flooring. One of the more common questions we are asked is Can I or Should I install wooden flooring into my bathroom?

Now if the wood flooring in question was solid oak flooring typically we would answer with no. This is all because of the changeable humidity that is present in a bathroom. Changeable humidity's can have quite a detrimental effect on solid oak flooring. When the humidity changes, a solid oak floor can experience problems such as cupping. This makes a solid oak floor unsuitable for a bathroom.

There is however no need to despair, as there is an alternative solution. Engineered oak flooring offers just that solution. Unlike solid oak flooring, engineered oak boards are made up of a combination of layers. Typically the top of the board is made up of around 6mm of solid oak. The rest of the board consists of around 15mm of ply. Each of these layers of ply have been cross layered and then glued to be firmly pressed together. The inner core of these layers incorporate a tongue and groove system, connecting the boards together. Like with solid oak flooring, engineered oak flooring is available in a range of different grades and widths.

The structure of engineered oak flooring means the boards are generally much more suited to a range of situations. Whilst solid oak flooring is highly susceptible to changes in humidity, engineered oak flooring is much less so. This means that it is much less likely that engineered oak boards will succumb to problems such as cupping.

Therefore in areas where there are greater changes in humidity, such as the kitchen or bathroom, an engineered oak floor is able to cope with whatever is thrown at it. This makes engineered oak flooring perfectly suitable for a bathroom environment.

Despite this, as with all oak floors, a few simple procedures should still be followed in order to keep your flooring in that same like new condition. A common occurrence in a bathroom could be large spillages across the surface of the floor. These should of course be cleaned up as soon as possible. Regular cleaning and maintenance is also an important factor in improving the floors life expectancy.

If you would like to discuss engineered oak flooring further with us, please give us a call on 01538 304584.

1 Comment

Hallo,
Please could you let me know whether you would put underlay beneath engineered oak in a bathroom.
Many thanks
Laurent

Laurent Reynolds March 6, 2017 at 6:40am

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