Where to install hardwood flooring

When customers visit our showroom, they ask us all sorts of questions:

- Can I get hardwood flooring in the color of my dog?
- Can you make the floor in two different colors?
- If I drop a tomato on the floor, will the hardwood flooring stain?

Beyond these "unusual" questions, there are much more common requests that we often hear, which stem from outdated misconceptions. What we want to talk about today is the classic myth of "I don't want to put hardwood flooring in the bathroom or kitchen because it will get damaged."

FALSE! 

Before diving into the more technical explanations, we first want to share our personal experience. I've lived in the same house for over 10 years, with two children who are now grown, and a cuddly 35-kilo Labrador. As wood purists, of course, hardwood flooring was installed throughout the entire house, leaving no room uncovered. 

As you can imagine, that house has seen it all, but years later, and with very normal maintenance, I assure you that the floor is still in excellent condition.

Now, let's turn to the more technical aspects.

Regarding bathrooms, the most common fear concerns water spills on the floor and ambient humidity. For the first point, it's important to specify that hardwood flooring is much more durable than you might think, so problems might arise if a significant amount of water remained on the floor for several hours, but I don't think anyone enjoys having their floor flooded for several hours, regardless of the flooring type.

As for the humidity issue, simply ventilating the room occasionally is enough to avoid any problems. It's true that wood "absorbs" humidity, but for it to cause any kind of problem, the situation would have to be quite "extreme."

What if food falls on the floor instead? Will it stain?

First, we need to distinguish between varnished and oiled hardwood flooring. When varnish is applied, it creates a kind of surface film that protects the floor, while oil penetrates the hardwood. Returning to the initial tomato example, if it fell on varnished hardwood, there would be no problem. If the hardwood flooring were oiled, there would still be no need to worry; the important thing is not to leave the dirt on the floor for hours and hours.

As we mentioned earlier, hardwood flooring is much more durable than you might think, so the takeaway is this: if you like wood floors, don't hesitate to install them throughout your home.