Is Bamboo Flooring Right for Your Bathroom?

If you are undertaking a bathroom renovation, you will have to think very carefully about the material you choose for the flooring. Of course, the floor in a bathroom is going to be exposed to both heat and water, but you also want it to look good, so there is more than just functionality to take into consideration. Bamboo is a material that is gaining popularity in homes and gardens. But there are conflicting opinions over the use of bamboo as a flooring material in a bathroom. Here are the pros and cons.

The advantages of bamboo bathroom flooring

First of all, with a chemical treatment bamboo can be water resistant. This means that the general splashes that occur in a bathroom shouldn't be harmful for bamboo flooring.

Another major reason why people choose to invest in bamboo is that it's a very ecologically sound material. Climate change is a much-discussed issue today, and choosing sustainable materials helps to look after the earth's resources. Bamboo is actually a grass and not a wood. This means that it grows very quickly, and bamboo that is cut down can be easily replenished.

Additionally, bamboo is also a wonderful choice when you want to achieve a natural and organic look for a bathroom renovation. Accent the floors with small pots of bamboo plants and you'll create a serene atmosphere that makes being in the bathroom a pleasure.

The disadvantages of bamboo bathroom flooring

Although bamboo is resistant to water and therefore things like mildew and mould, it's still not totally immune to water, even with a protective layer of polyurethane. This means that bathroom splashes should pose no problem, but if your bathroom springs a leak or the bath overflows and this gets into your bamboo, the whole floor could potentially buckle and would need to be replaced entirely.

It's also worth taking into consideration that bamboo is not 100% stain proof. Fortunately, the bathroom is not a room where there is huge potential for staining like a kitchen is. The use of harsh soaps on the floor and even spots of water that aren't mopped up quickly could, however, still cause some stain damage. This means that bamboo might not be the best material for a bathroom in a family home where there will be lots of splashing from bath time with toddlers.

Armed with this information, you can make a decision as to whether bamboo is right for your bathroom. 


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