While wood isn’t typically a popular choice for shower flooring, it adds personality and versatility to your bathroom. The different wood used for shower flooring, including cedar, teak, and mahogany, have their strengths and weakness, but this post focuses on teak shower floor pros and cons.
The pros of teak shower floors are that they are beautiful, durable, water-resistant, comfortable, and resistant to fungi, mold, pests, and water. However, the downside is they aren’t waterproof, hard to maintain, expensive, leave room for bacteria, and can damage other materials.
Before embracing teak and installing it on your shower floors, you must weigh its pros and cons. So, keep reading for more on the subject, including how to install, polish, and clean a teak shower floor.
Teak Shower Floor Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons | |
| 1. | Durable | Expensive |
| 2. | Beautiful and stylish | Hard to maintain |
| 3. | Water-resistant | Requires special cleaners |
| 4. | Premium value | Not waterproof |
| 5. | Warm, non-slip, and comfortable | Forms room for bacteria |
| 6. | Multiple installation ways | It can destroy other materials |
| 7. | Available in engineered and solid variants | |
| 8. | It doesn’t need varnish or stain |
Teak Shower Floor Pros
Here are some of the benefits that come with teak shower floors:
1. They Look Beautiful
Teak’s uniform grain and rich green hue, teak gives it an unrivaled luxury appearance. You may have one of the most beautiful hardwood bathroom floors if you know how to take care of it by cleaning and polishing it regularly.
Since it comes in distinct styles and finishes, you can match it with many bathroom furnishings. Teak’s natural finish, for example, is ideal for rustic aesthetics, while darker colors suit modern and striking bathrooms.
2. Water-resistant
Teak wood is very impervious to water because of its organic oils, which makes it endure longer. When subjected to moisture, it does not swell or bend.
Therefore, it is inherently water-resistant, making it the preferred flooring material for bathrooms, kitchens, and mudrooms. Some firms also employed it to construct ships that could last for years.
Teak is also resistant to mildew and mold because of its water-resistant characteristics. If you leave it untreated, it will not create a breeding habitat for any fungus.
Furthermore, because water cannot penetrate, it seldom rots.
3. Durable
Teak is a long-lasting wood floor material. It is tougher than oak, pecan, and walnut, with a Janka Hardness Rating of 1000 to 1155, making it an ideal choice for shower flooring.
Furthermore, teak is scratch-resistant; it can handle the brutality of your pet’s nails. It can also tolerate extreme heat and cold, making it ideal for restrooms with hot water and areas with high traffic.
4. You Can Install It in Multiple Ways
Teak, like other shower flooring options, has two configuration options. You can nail, staple, or glue it to the subfloor. Alternatively, you can float it like snap-together tile flooring.
The former is more costly but provides a more lasting solution. The latter is cheaper and speedier but has room for warping and buckling caused by changes in humidity and temperature in the building.
5. Warm, Non-slippery, and Comfortable
Wood holds heat for an extended period than other forms of flooring, like pebble and tile shower floors. Moreover, it’s also less slippery than tiles when wet.
In addition, teak shower floors are also more soothing on the feet, especially when not wearing shoes.
6. Resistant to Pests, Mildew, and Mold
Pests such as fleas, termites, cockroaches, and other insects hardly meddle with teak wood because they cannot penetrate or gnaw on it. Moreover, it inherently resists fungus and mold in damp environments like the restroom.
7. Doesn’t Require Varnish or Stain
One of the standout features of the teak floor is that it does not require staining or varnishing. Even better, you don’t need to sand it.
It is feasible due to the long grain, which resists splintering. Teak is shiny all the time, with or without stain or varnish, because of its high natural oil content.
8. Comes in Solid or Engineered Variants
Teak is a costly exotic wood. As a result, engineered teak flooring with less teak is becoming increasingly popular, particularly among those on a budget for bathroom renovations.
Although there are some drawbacks to this kind of teak flooring, they are minimal compared to all the benefits.
Teak Shower Floor Cons
Below are the weaknesses of teak shower floors.
1. Not Waterproof
Teak wood is water-resistant, yet a tiny quantity of water can still infiltrate it. Therefore, water can be detrimental to the wood if it is not covered and persists for an extended period.
It also implies that the water penetrating the wood might still cause harm to the surrounding areas.
2. Teak Is Expensive
Teak is often expensive because it is an uncommon type of wood. On account of stringent limitations, firms can only harvest it in restricted amounts.
If you are on a limited budget, seek cheaper options.
3. Require High Maintenance
To secure the glossy condition of your teak floor for an extended period, you must polish it regularly. You will also need to clean it daily to prevent stains created by chemical agents like shampoo.
These chores take a long time to do and might be tiresome. Traditional bathroom cleansers are too abrasive on the wood, so you’ll need to use particular chemical agents.
That explains why some people prefer tiles that only need painting.
4. Can Damage Other Materials
Teak wood is tough enough to harm other materials like acrylic tiles, which can be expensive to repair.
5. Teak Creates Room for Bacteria
Employing a teak shower floor insert creates more space between it and the shower flooring. Water will fill this gap and serve as a breeding ground for germs.
It necessitates taking the teak wood floor outside to air as you sanitize the surface beneath it.
6. The Sheen Can Get Dull
Teak will shed a fraction of its oils with time, dulling its inherent gloss. However, you can delay or even stop the process by applying oil to the shower flooring every two years.
Although teak oil is an efficient way to preserve your floor aesthetic, some people do not want to invest time and money in maintaining the shower floor.
How Do You Clean Teak Shower Floor?
- Use a mild soap solution on the wood and softly scrub the top and underneath with a soft-bristled brush.
- Leave it to air dry after rinsing with clean water.
- Use Star Brite Premium Teak Care Kit for thorough cleaning and stick to the guidelines. Clean the floor every week.
How To Polish Teak Shower Floor
Teak shower floors need regular cleaning and polishing to sustain their appearance and longevity. The procedure below will help you polish teak shower floors as required:
1. Clean the Floor
- Use a soft-bristled brush to softly scrub the floor after applying a mild soap solution.
- Let it air dry after rinsing with water.
2. Apply Teak Oil Polish
- Apply the oil to the teak wood with a brush and ensure you cover the whole surface. To avoid harming the teak wood, use polishing oil designed for it.
- Allow the oil to soak for 2 hours.
3. Polish the Wood
- Polish the teak wood in tiny circles with a dry-cleaning brush until it shines. It will make your floor look incredible for months to come.
- Clean and polish the floor whenever you realize it has lost its luster. With good cleaning and upkeep, teak wood in the bathroom may last 10-15 years before needing to be replaced.
How to Install Teak Shower Floor
Laying a teak shower floor is a breeze if you have the right tools and materials and follow the recommended steps. You can purchase teak wood boards for cutting or ready-made teak wood slats for the shower.
Follow these steps to lay teak wood floors:
1. Measure the Shower Floor
- Measure the size of your shower floor while taking note of the lengths and sides.
- Do it twice to achieve the correct measurements.
2. Plan the Wooden Floor
- Teak shower floors should be an inch shorter than bathroom floors.
- Consequently, allow a 1/2 inch on either end when measuring wood for the flooring.
3. Cut the Wood into Size
- To fit the shower, cut the hardwood slats an inch shorter than their length.
- Then, cut two or three reinforcing boards to sizes similar to the slats.
4. Secure the Slats to the Bracing Boards
- Arrange the bracing boards uniformly on the shower floor, then add the wooden slats atop.
- Check that the slats are a half-inch apart and half-inch from the bathroom wall on both sides.
- To finalize the operation, screw the wooden slats to the reinforcing boards.
- Set the teak floor on the floor and take a shower every time you wish to use it. After that, clean it as directed in the preceding stages before air drying it.
Final Thoughts on Teak Shower Floor Pros and Cons
Teak is a long-lasting and beautiful material that creates a perfect shower flow. You can consider several installation possibilities, thanks to the teak’s versatility.
Even though it demands high maintenance, it is well worth it if you would like to add an exotic flair to your bathroom.
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