The use of wood floors in bathrooms always seems to meet some form of resistance... While every situation is different, in most bathrooms, wood, if properly chosen and installed will work just fine. For those that chose wood, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Use a specie (type of wood) that is stable such as; white oak, mahogany, wide pine, doug fir or any of the reclaimed varieties. The choice of wider individual widths like 6", 8", 10" are better than narrower widths as these widths create fewer seams for moisture/water to seep into. When installing, it's very important to run the flooring parallel in length to the tub or shower and keep butt seams off to the sides. This is important because wood absorbs moisture/water more readily through the ends and less through the edges. When installing the flooring, glue down using a 100% coverage rate - this not only provides maximum adhesion, its also adds a layer of water resistance beneath the floor and room below. As far as the finish goes, use a water or oil based finished designed for use on flooring. Lastly from the common sense department - dry off as best you can, use floor towels/matts and wipe up any standing water afterwards and DON'T leave wet towels on the floor. For what it's worth, we install more wood floors in bathrooms than tile and can happily say we have had no reports of problems.

Any experience with Ipe or similar wood? My husband thinks I'm crazy, but I want wood in my bathroom.