Timber floors in bathrooms with u/f heating?

[Pford75]

Having finally finished the exterior work, we are now finally turning to the interior! My wife longs to have a working shower and bath which doesn't leak (can't see what the fuss is about personally :wink: )

Anyway, we are fitting electric underfloor heating and would like to install hardwood boards in the bathroom. We can find lots of flooring specialists who can vouch for their floor with u/f heating, but none who suggest it's use in bathrooms.

Anyone have any experience/advice? This will be an adult's bathroom (ie. no major splashing and puddles!) and the various interior design mags seem to be full of bathrooms with hardwood flooring

 

[middi]

This is one of the regular indecisions which I come across.

Exposed wood floor in bathrooms or not.

There is nothing wrong with bathrooms or kitchen wood floors if you are willing to treat them with respect and take minimal precautions to keep them in good working order, they look extremely attractive.

It is better suited to be used by sensible adults than the hectic young family unit with wreckless younger children where a solid sealed floor with impermeable covering is more suitable.

If you like wood floors go for it, bearing in mind the above.

 

[Penners]

This will be an adult's bathroom (ie. no major splashing and puddles!)

I'm not playing the harbinger of doom, but I've yet to come across a bathroom where there isn't the occasional accidental splash of water on the floor.

I'm not so concerned about the hardwood - as Middi says, properly installed and treated it will cope with that - but are you entirely happy that your electric UFH will be splash resistant? I presume you've discussed the application with the suppliers?

 

[Pford75]

Thanks for the concern - there are a couple of electric u/f heating solutions which have been recommended to me for use in bathrooms. won't advertise them here though.

Basically they are a sealed unit and are not that different from an electrically heated towel-rail. They do need to be separately isolated though and with a thermostatic trip which would power them off in the event of failure resulting in overheating.

The main problem is that I don't want tiles (largely due to the weight on the floor). It's a large bathroom expanse with no supporting wall beneath and the cast iron bath (in a lead tray) is already quite heavy...so wood seemed the sensible option.

Anyone have any thoughts about amtico? Wondered whether this might cause more problems (ie. lack of breathability etc?)

 

[Penners]

Anyone have any thoughts about amtico?

Yes. It's *@x%&**# expensive!

 

[Nemesis]

Lino? The real stuff not placcy!

 

[Penners]

Lino? The real stuff not placcy!

Yup - it's lino, cut into fancy designs. But it still needs that extra mortgage!

 

[Moo]

Penners - I think you may be confusing Amtico with Marmoleum.

 

[Nemesis]

Amtico - very expensive. Can be cut into fancy shapes.

Lino - not so very expensive - can be cut into fancy shapes!

 

[Penners]

Penners - I think you may be confusing Amtico with Marmoleum.

I thought that was something you spread on your toast.

 

[Moo]

No - that stuff only comes in back.
Marm-o-l-e-u-m (can you can see the different spelling?) is what we've got in our downstairs loo, and very good it is. As far as I know it's good old lino (l-i-n-o-l-e-u-m geddit?) by another name.

 

[Penners]

It still sounds to me like a cunning blend of linoleum and Marmite. Which is actually a much better use for Marmite than spreading on toast, Disgusting stuff!

I shall now stop being flippant (for a very short time).