In this post, I’ll walk you through various aspects of a teak shower floor, including its pros and cons so that you can make an informed decision.
Moreover, I’ll also be responding to queries related to the pros and cons of a teak shower floor to help you clear your doubts.
So, without any further ado, let’s begin…
Is Teak Suitable for a Shower Floor?
Teak is a viable option for your shower floor, and the credit goes to its moisture-resistant properties.
You can even think of considering a teak shower mat as it comprises wood that comes with high content of rubberlike resins that makes them slip-resistant.
And, the best part is, teak shower floors aren’t prone to mold, mildew, or even bacteria resulting in enhancing the safety and hygiene of your kids.
One of the many reasons why we recommend a teak shower floor is its waterproof property.
Needless to say, teak wood is unique in its sense. Not only is it durable, and strong but also waterproof.
Teak wood has higher wax content as well as produces its oil.
Most importantly, a teak shower floor isn’t susceptible to wood-eating insects so you can expect your teak shower floor to last for years to come.
Are Teak Shower Floors Slippery?
No, teak shower floors aren’t slippery, the reason being the presence of high silica content leading to a natural waxy non-skid resistance.
In layman’s terms, simply adding a floor or bath mat to your bathroom or shower area will help you in eliminating the hazards of the slick surface when your teak shower floor is wet, interesting, isn’t it?
Moreover, your teak shower floor isn’t prone to molds or swelling issues when exposed to moisture so you can consider it if you’re a resident of a hot and humid climatic condition.
When it comes to cleaning you can consider using a teak cleaner or even a homemade solution of vinegar and warm water will do the trick for you.
All you need to do is to spray the solution on your teak shower floor and wait for at least 10-15 minutes.
Then, wash it with a soft cloth.
Make sure, the vinegar solution has properly soaked into the teak before cleaning with a sponge in line with the timber grain.
What is a Teak Shower Floor?
A teak shower floor is nothing but a simple floor insert made of teak wood rather than a whole shower floor made of teak wood.
The teak shower floor insert has great significance as it is made into slats that can be easily rolled out onto the shower floor something similar to a bamboo mat.
Here, you also need to understand that the wood slat shower floor can either be a series of small & tiny slats that can be easily rolled up or a large slat customized to fit the size of your bathroom.
The larger slat is relatively more permanent as compared to the smaller ones.
Although, when it comes to maintenance the smaller one takes the lead.
Teak Shower Floor Pros & Cons | Comparision Chart
| Teak shower floor pros | Teak shower floor cons |
| Beautify your bathroom due to its enticing characteristic | Maintaining it is tedious & time-consuming |
| Its water-resistant characteristic makes it suitable for most environments as well | Lack of proper & regular maintenance may lead to bacteria growth |
| Non-slip, warm, and highly comfortable | Expensive |
| Durable and long-lasting | A special cleaner may be required but not always |
| Resistant to mold & mildew growth | May not be the best choice for end users who are on a shoestring budget |
| Equipped with premium features |
Teak Shower Floor Pros
Let’s have a quick look at the pros and cons of a teak shower floor.
Beautiful & Enticing
Do I need to convince you that a teak shower floor is beautiful and will add value to your bathroom?
Needless to say, teak wood is beautiful and enticing even in its natural form.
Moreover, if you’re taking care of it through regular and proper cleaning and polishing then it will last for years to come.
A teak shower floor’s rustic and premium look gives it an edge over its competitors.
Water-Resistance
Compared to other types of wood, teak wood is highly resistant to water due to its natural oils which make it last longer too.
And, the best part is, it won’t swell or bend when exposed to moisture and that’s why teak wood is used to build ships that lasted for years.
Still, I would advise you to protect it so that it can last for years to come.
Non-Slip, Warm & Comfortable
Compared to the pebble shower floor, a teak counterpart will retain heat for a longer duration.
As mentioned earlier, a teak shower floor is also non-slippery when wet like tiles.
Also, teak shower floors are more comfortable for feet when compared to pebble shower floors.
Durable
A teak shower floor is more durable, and strong as it doesn’t chip or scratch easily.
Trust me, it will not break even if given medium to high pressure.
Also, it is capable of withstanding a lot of heat and cold so you can treat it as a viable option for your bathroom with hot and cold water.
Resistant to Pests, Mold, and Mildew
A teak shower floor is capable of naturally resisting fungi and molds even in moist conditions like the bathroom.
Furthermore, pests such as termites, fleas, cockroaches, and others pests can’t penetrate or chew on a teakwood floor.
Has a Premium Value
A teak shower floor is considered one of the most valuable shower floors.
At the same time, you should understand that it’s expensive and may not be suitable be someone who is on a shoestring budget.
Teak Shower Floor Cons
You must consider and evaluate a teak shower floor’s cons before making a purchase decision.
Difficult to Maintain
Of course, you need to maintain your teak shower floor regularly to reap maximum benefits from it.
So, to keep your teak shower floor in good shape, you need to clean and polish it regularly.
The cleaning process involves complex steps and is time-consuming as well.
Compared to teak shower floors, other floors such as pebble shower floors, and tile floors are easy to clean and maintain.
Creates Room for Bacteria
Using a teak shower floor insert leaves space between it and the shower floor.
Moreover, this space will be occupied by water and can be a breeding ground for bacteria.
What I mean is that this requires that you frequently take the teak wood floor outdoors to dry as you clean the floor below it.
In short, it can be quite tedious.
Not 100 % Waterproof
Teak wood is highly water-resistant but still allows a small amount of water to pass through it.
Unfortunately, this can be damaging to the wood especially if it’s not properly protected and goes on for a long.
Furthermore, it also means the areas close to the wood can still be damaged by the water seeping through it.
May Need Special Cleaner
Though you can use homemade cleaner for your teak shower floor still we recommend using a special cleaner.
We at izzysmarthomeguide.com, recommend using a normal bathroom cleaner with teak floors given that they easily damage them.
Your cleaning work will become easier if you’re planning to use a special teak wood cleaner.
May Damage Other Materials
Unfortunately, teak wood can damage other materials such as acrylic tiles because of its hardness.
Expensive
In layman’s language, if you’re on a shoestring budget then definitely, a teak wood shower floor isn’t for you.
Since it has premium properties attached to it so you’ll have to pay a premium price to bring it home.
How Do You Clean a Teak Shower Floor?
As mentioned earlier, you need to clean your teak shower floor regularly to enhance its lifespan.
Cleaning a teak shower floor is tedious and time-consuming so you need to be very careful in expediting the cleaning steps.
Step 1: Make the Floor Spotless
First and foremost, you need to spray a moderate soap solution on the wood.
The next thing that needs to be done is to gently clean the teak wood texture as well as the bottom with a small brush.
Rinse it off with clean water and allow it to dry fully.
Make sure, you clean your teak shower floor once a week.
Step 2: Oil Polish the Wood
It’s an important step that you shouldn’t skip.
Using a soft brush, you need to apply oil to the teak wood.
Make sure to cover the nook and corners of your teak wood floor to prevent any last-minute debacle.
Also, we advise using teak-specific polishing oil to avoid harming the wood.
Allow 2 hours for the oil to absorb.
Step 3: Make the Wood Shine
This is the most important step and needs to be performed with utter care so that you can reap maximum benefits from the cleaning process.
Does it make sense?
This is the last step wherein you need to polish your teak wood shower floor in a circular motion using a dry polishing brush till the time it shines.
By doing so, you would be able to keep your shower floor shining for a longer duration.
How Long Does the Custom Teak Shower Floor Last?
Teak wood has a natural oil that provides it with a waterproofing property making it suitable for wet climatic conditions.
As compared to its competitors, a teak wood shower floor performs better in dealing with molds and mildews.
Trust me, even hardwood won’t live long if introduced to plenty of water.
In simple words, a shower teak wood floor should survive for at least 10 to 15 years.
Furthermore, teak wood when maintained and cleaned properly and used for outdoor furniture can last up to 50 years.
Tips to Maintain a Teak Wood Shower Floor
By following the below-mentioned tips, you would be able to maintain your teak shower floor in a hassle-free manner.
- First and foremost, you need to ensure that the shower bench is cleaned regularly so that soap residue and hard water don’t get accumulated over the teak wood.
- You have to keep your shower bench dry as the presence of persistent moisture can damage it quickly.
- After a shower, you must clean up your teakwood shower stool and floor using a soft cloth so that it can dry fastly and quickly.
- Last but not least, for retaining your teakwood shower floor, you must use teak oil once a month.
How to Identify Teak Furniture?
By following the below-mentioned steps, you would be able to easily identify teak furniture.
- First and foremost, you need to understand that real teak flooring contains visible ink lines and oil spots. On the other hand, imitation teak flooring doesn’t contain any ink lines or even distributed light. The good news is, teak wood has both an ink line as well as an oil stain.
- At the same time, you need to understand that the color change to a large extent depends upon the species. For example, premium quality teak will have golden-brown color which will slowly and gradually, fade because of the decline in its quality. Moreover, teak can be yellowish-white in appearance.
- Most importantly, with oil the grain of real teak is shiny. On the other hand, the fake teak will be drab and fearless.
- I’m assuming that most of our readers would be aware of the fact that the teak flooring is both lighter and heavier than rosewood and hemlock. Trust me, you’ll find the fake teak wood to be quite weighty and will give you the impression that it is high-quality wood so be careful while choosing teak wood furniture.
- While cutting a teak wood, you’ll find a unique fragrance that is missing in the fake counterpart.
- Teak sawdust consists of a good amount of oil and is also soft which isn’t the case with fake teakwood.
- If you’ll drop water on a fake teak wood it will absorb it quickly. On the other hand, a real one will absorb it very slowly.
- Last but not least, if you’ll submerge real and fake teak wood in water for at least 24 hours, then the latter will twist and bend while the former will not lose its orientation.
Teak Shower Floor Installation
The steps involved in the installation of a teak shower floor are easy and will not consume much of your time for sure.
However, you need to be handy with the right set of tools and materials.
Moreover, you can order teak wood boards for cutting or buy ready-made teak wood slats for use in your bathroom.
Let’s have a quick look at the installation steps involved in teak shower floor installation.
Step 1: Shower Floor Measurement
First and foremost, you need to measure the size and shape of your shower floor.
Secondly, you need to jot down the measurements indicating their respective sides as well as lengths.
For avoiding any mistake or last-minute debacle, better take the measurements twice.
The use of diagrams to showcase the actual shape and dimensions of your bathroom can be the best way to avoid any errors.
Step 2: Plan the Wooden Floor
Make sure, your teak shower floor is an inch shorter than your bathroom floor.
For this reason, you need to allow a ½ inch on each end when measuring the wood for your floor.
On the other hand, for a large single slat, all you need to do is to measure the bathroom size first and then subtract an inch so that you can find the exact size of wood that you would be needing for this project.
For a series of slats, you need to measure the floor and then measure the slats to leave ½ inches on each end. The slats need to be ½ inches apart from each other as well.
Step 3: Cut the Wood into Size
This is an important step where you need to cut the wood into smaller sizes in such a way that it’s an inch shorter than the length of your bathroom.
Moving further, you need to cut two or three bracing boards about the size of the slats.
These bracing boards play a crucial role in holding the slat together.
Step 4: Screw the Slats to the Bracing Boards
This is an important step and needs to be performed with utter importance so that you can reap maximum benefits from the right installation.
First thing first, you need to evenly spread out the bracing board on your bathroom floor in such a way that wooden slats can be easily placed on its top without any hassle.
The slats should be positioned in such a way that they are half an inch away from your bathroom’s wall on either side.
Also, each slat should be half an inch apart from the other.
The last thing that you need to do is to screw the wooden slats to the bracing boards, and yes you’re done with the installation process.
I’m attaching a self-explanatory video for your perusal.
Each time you’re going to have a shower, simply place the teak wood on your bathroom floor.
After your shower, don’t forget to clean and dry it.
If your teak shower floor is losing its shine then don’t forget to polish it.
Teak Shower Floor | Alternatives
From my experience as well as the knowledge that I’ve accumulated over two decades, all I can say is that the teak shower floor is the best wooden floor that I’ve known so far.
However, if you’re on a shoestring budget and can’t afford a teak shower floor then you can think of considering its alternatives that are also good in their performance.
| Shower Floor Type | Features |
| Cedar | Water-resistant, durable, rot-resistant, affordable |
| Hinoki | Water-resistant, purifying & healing qualities |
| White Oak | Water-resistant |
| Bamboo | Sustainable, affordable |
Bamboo Vs. Teak Wood: Which One Should I Buy?
- Bamboo is less resistant to water as compared to teak wood.
- Teak wood is capable of handling more weight as compared to bamboo.
- Teak wood has a darker and more luxurious finish than bamboo.
- Teak wood is relatively expensive when compared to bamboo.
- Bamboo is relatively more sustainable as compared to teak wood.
Teak shower floors are the best shower floors for wet conditions.
However, if you’ve budget constraints, then you can think of trying teak wood alternatives.
Irrespective of the type of wooden shower floor you’re planning to buy, make sure you’re considering the right shape, size, colors, versatility, drainage, and most importantly, ease of maintenance.
Porcelain and ceramic are considered the best options based on durability.
Teak Shower Mats that We Recommend to our Clients
Below are some teak shower mats that we’ve been recommending to our clients, and the feedback that we’ve received so far is positive and promising.
SeaTeak Square Wooden Teak Shower Mat
The SeaTeak Square Wooden Teak Shower Mat is one of my favorites because of the idiosyncratic features that it is equipped with.
After taking a hot shower, you don’t have to worry about dirt build-up, thanks to its specks of a dirt-resisting feature.
Not only is it easy to clean and quick to dry but also consists of high-oil content making it water-resistant.
On top of it, the SeaTeak Square Wooden Teak Shower Mat is also weather-resistant.
In layman’s terms, it endures hot & humid weather conditions without high-maintenance cleaning.
(Check Current Price On Amazon)
Nordic Style Premium Teak Shower and Bath Mat for Indoor and Outdoor Use
The Nordic Style Premium Teak Shower and Bath Mat for Indoor and Outdoor Use is a 100 percent solid teak wood bath mat.
Moreover, Nordic Style is known for its non-slippery and oiled finish features.
A value-for-money product that you’ll never regret investing in.
It is easy to store, thanks to its easy placement and movement.
The water-resistant mat is meant to last longer, thanks to its natural elements that are capable of easily blocking out parasites and other undesirables.
Even when the mat is wet, it will offer you a non-slippery surface, thanks to its soft-grooved wooden grain.
(Check Current Price On Amazon)
It’s A Wrap
First and foremost, I would like to thank you for being with us till the end.
Secondly, I would like to bring to your notice that I along with my core team have put loads and loads of effort into coming up with this idiosyncratic superlative piece of information on the topic is teak suitable for a shower floor.
And, in case, you liked our effort and want to appreciate us then please do share this post with like-minded people and the ones who are in search of similar information.
Long story short, I’ve tried to the best of my capabilities to include all the information in a bundle form at one place so that you can make an informed purchase decision.
That’s all, as of now:):)
