A wood worktop might be a familiar choice for a kitchen centrepiece, but there are many more areas around the home where solid wood can add a touch of natural class to the environment.

One such place is the bathroom, and indeed we regularly hear from customers who have chosen one of our worktops for use in this space. Whilst you may think that solid wood isn’t the ideal surface for high-moisture settings such as this, with the right care and maintenance timber worktops not only look stunning but can also provide many years of joy.

Perfect Bathroom Choices

Moisture abounds in bathrooms, meaning that a hygienic surface is a bonus – and fortunately, hardwood is one of the most naturally hygienic materials. Two of our timbers, however, stand out above the rest; iroko worktops are both anti-bacterial and resistant to water thanks to the timber’s naturally high oil content, whilst our caramel bamboo worktops are also resistant to bacteria and are naturally watertight, which helps stop bacteria colonising on their surface.

If these two timber choices don’t suit your bathroom theme, however, there are plenty of others to choose from. Why not consider our rich black American walnut worktops are equally dense and feature beautiful grain patterns.

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Water-Safe Finishes

Given the right treatment, any of our wooden worktops are perfect for use in a bathroom, and when it comes to choosing the right finish, there are three popular choices for sealing the worktop to stop it from warping, cracking or discolouring.

Oiling: Using Rustins Danish Oil as a worktop treatment creates a water-resistant surface if carried out regularly. Oil delivers perhaps the most pleasing finish as it is low lustre, and helps accentuate the colour of the wood, but will need attention to stop stains forming if water is left on the surface. Fortunately, the nature of wood means that – should severe staining occur – the timber surface can be sanded back and oiled, creating a finish that is practically as good as new.

Lacquered: For many people, a lacquered finish is preferred in a moist environment such as bathrooms, as it seals the wood whilst providing a hard-wearing surface, ensuring that the worktop is fully protected and will not stain. Lacquering does create a shiny surface – which does not have the same natural quality as an oiled finish – but requires the least maintenance once completed.

Varnish: Whilst both varnish and lacquer can provide a glossy finish to wooden worktops, varnishes are also available in a semi-gloss or satin sheen finish, and are made using a combination of resin, drying oil and thinner, rather than the plastics and solvents found in lacquer.

Specialist Customisation

If you are sold on the idea of using solid wood work surfaces in your bathroom, but have a specific gap or pre-existing sink to fit the worktops in or around, our fabrication team can create a customised worktop to your exact specifications. Choose from irregular cutouts, holes for pipework, radius corners or soft profile edges.

Simply visit our innovative Online Worktop Customisation Tool and create, price up and pay for the bathroom worktop of your dreams; or, if preferred, send us some measurements and a simple diagram of what you require and our highly-trained team can turn it into a CAD template. Once your diagram has been confirmed, your choice of timber will be cut to your specification by our highly sophisticated CNC machine, and given a beautiful finish by hand.

Worktop Customisation Services

Image credit: Jon Shorty