On hearing that wood flooring and wood-effect floor products are now available for the bathroom, most people would say that they simply won’t work. Wood has a notoriously bad relationship with moisture and humidity, swelling and warping when exposed to water or excessive heat. This theoretically means that it is a bad choice for wet environments such as bathrooms.

However, there are ways that you can use engineered wood floors in the bathroom with limited risk of damage to the floor and an eye-watering bill to replace the floor. If you love how wood floors look, especially in places where you don’t expect them just like the bathroom, follow these tips to get your dream bathroom floor:

• Thoroughly acclimatise the wood. Before installing the floor in the bathroom, you need to acclimatise it to the humidity and heat of the room. This can be tricky with a bathroom, so speak to a wood floor expert about the best way to do it.

• Get the floor professionally fitted, preferably by an expert in fitting bathroom floors. It is very important that your wood floor is fitted without gaps between boards through which water can penetrate. However, the floor may also need space to expand and contract with changing humidity levels.

• Get a water-resistant finish. A good quality sealant and finish not only looks great, but it also protects the wood from moisture penetration.