Can I Install a Claw-foot Tub Over Laminate Floor?

Clawfoot tubs can add beauty and nostalgia to a bathroom.

If you have laminate flooring in your bathroom, you know that laminate can become dented, scratched and scarred by falling objects and when moving or installing furniture or fixtures. Putting a clawfoot tub in a bathroom with laminate floors can pose a danger for the laminate, from spilled water to indentations created by the weight of the tub. You can install a clawfoot tub over laminate, but you'll have to take some precautions.

Things You'll Need

• Lint-free cleaning cloth
• Wood floor buffer
• 4 floor mats
• Rubber-backed bathmat

Instructions

1. Wet a lint-free cleaning cloth and wipe down the laminate floor in the bathroom where the clawfoot tub will sit. Allow the laminate to air-dry once clean.

2. Run a wood floor buffer over the laminate in the same area you cleaned to make it shine. This won't prevent dust and dirt from collecting under the tub, but will lessen cleaning time in the future once the clawfoot tub is installed.

3. Place four floor mats directly onto the laminate floor where the feet of the tub will be placed. This will provide an abrasive-free buffer between the claw feet and the laminate floor.

4. Set the clawfoot tub directly on top of the four floor mats.

5. Roll out a rubber-backed bathmat next to the clawfoot tub, squaring up the rubber-backed bathmat with the tub to step on when you exit the fixture after use. This mat will keep water from dripping off your body and onto the laminate floor after bathing.

References

• "The Owner-Builder Book: Construction Bargain Strategies"; Mark A. Smith, Elaine M. Smith; 2008
• "This Old House Complete Remodeling"; This Old House Books; 2004