bathroom flooring

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

I just moved in to a 1901 home with a full bath that has hardwood floors that were not sealed well. while the floors looked good before I bought the house this bath is one that I use regularly and after only 6 months the wood floors are deteriorating rapidly. rugs don't help. What is the best flooring material to install over the wood floors.

...And-do I need to put in a subfloor over the wood or can I install a floor directly on the wood?

I know most of you will tell me I'm silly to cover wood but in this bathroom that retains moisture, it is very impractical so I appreciate any alternative advice you may have. Thanks.

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Comments (4)

Nick Miller
8 years ago
Pics might help, and I'm certainly not a contractor so take this with a grain of salt, but installing something over the wood flooring seems weird. But it might also depend on what material you plan to use for the new floor. If it's floating vinyl planks that's doable over wood but maybe not the best choice for a bathroom with moisture. It would also be a bit higher than the rest of the floors depending on the material. I would think for tile it would be best to cut out the wood and replace the subfloor so you have a nice, new, even surface.

Is it possible to get the wood floors re-finished and re-sealed in the bathroom? Not sure what you mean by 'deteriorating rapidly', but even just applying new sealer and finish could be something you could do yourself.
User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Is it possible that there is moisture underneath the floor from a drip or leak? That would accelerate it. I suggest having a plumber take a good look down there.
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SJ McCarthy
8 years ago
I'm with pennydesign on this one. It would be odd to have a wood floor deteriorate SOOOO quickly just with stepping out of a shower for 6 months. It normally takes YEARS of long-term water seepage to do this. Years.

So....that being said, it is best to find out WHY this has happened and FIX the reason. This will often include ripping out the entire floor anyway. So you will need to fix the subfloor and reinstall a new floor anyway.

When it comes to old houses, using a band-aide solution (throwing down one floor to hide BIG water damage on another) is a recipe for a BIG renovation very soon down the line. That means you will cover it up today, but sometime tomorrow you will find a HUGE amount of rot that needs everything to be stripped to the studs (or worse yet...the studs need to come out too).

I would not cover this up and "hope for the best". Having owned a home in this age range, I would suggest you FIND the problem BEFORE you cap it and invite a NASTY mold infection to enter into your bathroom. Mold LOVES to spread. It LOVES damp and it LOVES lack of sunlight. And it LOVES to have lack of air movement (as in throwing down a new floor over top of a wet wood floor).

I hate to say it, but I have a feeling this is something bigger than "ugly" looking hardwood. Please bring in someone who can help you find the REAL problem. The wood is just a symptom of a much bigger problem.
chien tiing nn
6 years ago
oh.. I suggest having a plumber take a good look down there too.

or maybe this product can solve this problem for you.

https://www.saking.com/en/product-series/grouting-machine

hope you like it.