Is it possible to make a wooden shower curb?
jmacdonald
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
We’re remodeling our master bath, and while discussing ideas, my wife asked me if it would be possible to build a shower curb out of wood, instead of tile or stone. I immediately said no, but I’ve been thinking about it a bit and wondering what others might say.
I know it seems preposterous, but does anybody think it would be possible to create a wooden curb that would be watertight enough to avoid damage?
If I get any positive feedback on this I’ll consider it a bit more, but I’m still inclined to go with our original tile concept.
Thanks in advance.
Replies
Well,
A wood front and cap maybe.
You could run your pan up and over a built up curb. Tile up that side (interior) of the curb. Cap the top and outside of the curb with "wood" (what kind?)
Not sure yet. Teak, possibly, if I can find a supply. Stained red cedar, maybe. Any suggestions for decent, straight-grained rot-resistant wood would be appreciated.
I like the front and cap idea.
jmac
I'm not sure what wood.............would be best. One of the exotics, but expect color change and what sap says is probably true as far as finish. You'd have to seal all sides of everything and hope for the best to even stand a chance............probably.
And oils are not maintanence free.
I see you posted a reply several times-this software way too often "blocks" legitimate posters unless a switch has been thrown, which I just did. You shouldn't (might not) have trouble posting from now on. Let me know if you do.
As Calvin said... apply the wood as trim only with a waterproof curb beneath. Don't use any finish whatsoever. Use teak or some other wood that will look good in its natural state. Be prepared to be seeing some funky looking "stuff" growing on it, especially in the corners. That is, unless you clean it all the time.
I trimmed a shower window with wood once. I varnished and detailed this very carefully. Still, water got under the varnish and ruined it. I don't think any finish will keep out water indefinately.
Instead, eliminate the curb entirely with a curbless design. You can set a chunk of 2x4 on the floor for aesthetics if your so inclined. Simply throw it into the compost bin when it gets nasty.
Our main bath is paneled in WRC (but only from about 40cm off the floor on up) --including ceiling. I finished it with a couple of different protective stains, finally settling on Xyladecor, which I repaint every 6 years or so. If I were doing it now and didn't want to have to stain it, I'd probably go with ipe or possibly merbau/kwila; I've seen unfinished ipe used on the deck of a large pier at Yokohama, exposed to lots of sun and salt. Also a friend in my humid town has a deck made of ipe, unfinished. Seems to have great longevity. One potential problem is that ipe is pretty dark, so if the OP is looking for a lighter finish, ipe is out.
IMHO, any finish should be a stain-type absorbed finish rather that a film-producing paint.
One option to consider is to make it a slatted surface, elevated from the "real" surface on furring strips/whatever. This would assure that the wood would remain fairly dry when not actually in use (use synthetic furring) and would allow the "real" surface to be fairly ugly -- just functional.
Ideally the slats could be raised for cleaning. (Otherwise you'd get some ugly crud collected below.)