Teak is an expensive, high-quality wood that people add to the bathroom for shower flooring. People use them because they resist insects, bugs, pests, and wood termites.
Teak shower floor problems include color fading, frequent maintenance, less environmental sustainability, chemical staining, unhygienic condition, and faster aging. Moreover, they have gaps in the slats and create a breeding ground for bacteria and molds.
People love the teak flooring in the shower area because it is non-slippery and comfortable. Moreover, these can also add warmth and a rustic and appealing appearance in bathrooms.
| Problems | Solutions |
| Color fading | Coat the surface with silicon base teak sealer |
| Frequent maintenance | Apply oil to keep them shiny |
| Less environmental sustainability of teak | Use old teak wooden furniture |
| Chemical staining | Scrubbing with a brush after showering |
| Make unhygienic conditions | Regular cleaning of subfloors |
| Faster aging | Sanding and oiling |
| Difficulty in cleaning | Use teak-based cleaners |
| Impermeability to water | Sealing and polishing |
| Poor sealing and gaps in floors | Clean subfloors by removing slatted mats |
| Create a breeding ground for bacteria and molds | Keep them dry and apply vinegar or alcohol |
Color fading
Teak wood’s original and natural color varies from dark honey to silver patina. The color also changes when you sand and cut their slats for shower floors.
The color fading in these types is common because of their manufacturing material. It contains oils to give them a shiny and dark appearance.
Teak shower floors become dull when their natural oil evaporates because of long-term exposure to environmental conditions. The chemicals in bathroom accessories cause fading because it destroys essential oils.
Moreover, long-term water exposure leads to color fading. The problem comes when the shower cabin is near the window, and direct sunlight enters the interior.
The UV ray from the sun also causes their oil to evaporate and make them dull. Therefore, it is better to coat the exterior layer with a silicone-based teak sealer that prevents the evaporation of natural oil content by sealing the wood.
Frequent maintenance
The teak floors in the shower area need more maintenance and inspection than regular tile flooring. As a result, these become dull and look old when you do not maintain them longer.
Regular cleaning, scrubbing, and oil application are necessary to maintain their original shine and color. However, water exposure dulls their shine over time, and the whitish texture degrades your overall bathroom appearance.
It takes time and effort from the daily routine to polish and oil their surface. However, you can keep the teak shower floor clean and well-maintained by regularly scrubbing its surface with a brush and applying oil to restore its shiny layer.
Less environmental sustainability of teak
The environmental suitability of teak wood is less, and it is supplied in the market from illegal sources. In addition, these are slow-growing trees and take years to mature fully, but people cut them before their complete maturation.
Cutting before the maturation of plants makes them an endangered species. Cutting down the trees before their complete growth is not an eco-friendly option.
The immature wooden material is soft and has less durability. However, you can use the old home furniture to add teak flooring in the shower area.
Chemical staining
The teak wood is more vulnerable to chemical staining because of poor cleaning and maintenance. The cleaning products during showering spill on their surface and remains there when you do not clean them.
The hair sprays, gels, shampoos, liquid body wash, body lotions, and salts from the hard water produce tough stains on their surface.
Moreover, exposure to these chemical stains changes their color from honey brown to dull grey. Therefore, cleaning them properly after taking a bath is necessary so chemicals cannot produce stains and affect the natural oil.
Use the brush to remove the gel and other spillages from their surfaces and make them dry.
Make unhygienic conditions
Teak shower floor contains gaps between their slats which can make the condition unhygienic. This is because the water can enter into the subfloors through these gaps.
These gaps are not permeable to water but allow the cleaning detergents to seep through them. Moreover, the soap scum also seeps down from the gaps of the slated mats.
These are difficult to clean, and people rarely wash these spaces. However, you can feel their smell because a mixture of water and soap scum allows algae to come there.
Removing these mats and cleaning the subfloors to remove the shampoo, soap, body oil, and bath gel residues is necessary.
Faster aging
The teak wooden floor age faster, and you have to spend more cost for their maintenance and replacement. On average, the highly finished and sealed type can last 8 to 12 months.
On the other hand, the tiles and other stones last for years and do not require extra cost for frequent replacement and maintenance.
Finishing and changing them when you see greying on their exterior surface is necessary. The grey patina is a common symptom of their aging.
Moreover, water, bathing chemicals, and sunlight exposure trigger the aging process. The teak flooring with untreated surface and damaged sealing are more prone to premature wearing.
You can maximize their durability by sanding and polishing their surface once a weak.
Difficulty in cleaning
The teak floors are challenging to clean because of their slated mats and delicate hardwood type. You cannot use any home-based and bathroom cleaners on them.
These commercial cleaners contain harsh chemicals and leave stains on their surface. Moreover, these can also dull their original shine and make them look old and unappealing.
These cleaners also contain bleach and ammonia, which can affect their exterior surface and honey-brown color.
It is better to use cleaners specially designed for teak wood for cleaning purposes. These do not contain any harsh chemicals or cleaning agents.
Impermeability to water
The teak floors are water-resistant because of their natural oil content, but some untreated and poorly finished species are impermeable to water.
It allows the moisture to seep into their inner layer, and they swell from different areas. The swelling of wood gives an uneven appearance to the shower floors.
Moreover, it also feels uncomfortable to move on uneven surfaces. The water penetration also causes the rotting of wooden material.
The finishing layer and sealing can also get damaged when heavy items fall on their surface and make a scratch there. It is necessary to seal the scratch with a sealant so moisture cannot make its way to enter them.
It is also better to polish their surface to maintain their finishing.
Poor sealing and gaps in floors
Teak shower floors are not sealed properly, and you can see the gaps in the teak slats, which allow the moisture to seep into the subfloors.
The moisture comes on the subfloors, which are difficult to dry. In addition, the long-term humidity damages the sub-floors and wastes your money and effort.
Moreover, the small items from your hands also fall on the sub-floors through these gaps, and you feel difficulty taking them out.
Small jewelry items can easily slip from your hand and go down through the gaps of the slats. Therefore, cleaning the subfloors to remove the mats after 2 to 3 months is necessary.
Create a breeding ground for bacteria and molds
The shower floors made up of teak wood are the slatted mat types, and water can easily pass through the gaps present in them.
The water and soap scum mixture creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, molds, and fungus growth. You can see a green layer between the gaps because of bacterial and mold growth.
Moreover, you can also feel the uneven and musty smell from these areas because of bacterial and mold colonies. You can treat them with vinegar and alcohol because of their antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.
It is also better to take them outside for drying so molds cannot even grow on their surface because of the dampness of the wood.
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