timber door frames in shower

[bondibouy]

I am renovating my bathroom and ensuite and wish to have a long louvre window with lam glass in the shower bathroom area and a french doors with lam glass in the ensuite shower area.
The frames for these windows and doors will be getting wet regularly and Ive been told it would be better to use Aluminium frames for durability.
I would much prefer to use timber frames but have been told they would rot or discolour no matter what treatment I am prepared to apply on a regular basis.
My missus keeps asking well how come boats can be made out of wood??
Any suggestions on timber types and treatment??:confused:

[joe greiner]

Spar varnish (name comes from boat spars) is useful for exterior use, but still needs frequent maintenance. Wood doesn't mind being continuously wet or continuously dry. Alternate wetting and drying, such as near shower, is what kills it. To reduce this, consider complete encasement in epoxy or polyester resin, minimum 1mm thick. "Complete" includes all potential gaps, including holes for screws, as well as rebates for inserts.

I think you're inviting disappointment, and suggest you consider something less demanding.

Joe

[scubabob]

i'm not sure if this is of any assistance or not, but many years ago when i first started renovating, i built a double shower with slate on the floor and lined it with cedar panelling. Each panel was double coated with Cabothane (although the Cabothane people informed me that it would eventually absorb water) and then put in place then a final coat over the whole thing. Great thing was it felt great when you leaned on it and you could get subtle wifts of cedar smell when the hot water hit it. Thats beside the point i guess but the point is, it worked well and remained strong and never leaked at all in its 9-10 year life span. in fact when i redid the bathroom (with ceramic tiles this time) i kept what panels survived being ripped out and they are still in the shed. But then cedar is pretty good in most situations

[joe greiner]

Quite so. I stand corrected. Even untreated cedar survives outside exposure, except it turns gray. Perhaps scubabob's combination provided sufficient resistance to prevent significant discoloration. Since he could smell the cedar, it wasn't airtight. The final coat after installation likely helped a lot.

Joe