How to Redo a Bathroom Floor

Whether you are dealing with a water damaged floor or are simply are not happy with the current flooring in your bathroom, the process of redoing a bathroom floor can be fairly simple. The smaller the space, the more freedom and ability you have to experiment with unique flooring types. Here's what you need to know to get started

Things You'll Need

• tape measure
• flooring of your choice
• tile grout/carpet glue
• tile cutter/carpet knife

Instructions

Choose Your Flooring

1. Select the flooring type. Tile is typically the first choice since it is more water resistant than carpet, but use your personal preference. There are different types of tile (such as mosaic) as well as linoleum, which can be found in some very funky colors and patterns, wood, and carpeting.

2. Measure the floor. Once you decide on a flooring type, measure the square footage of the floor. Calculate this by taking the width times the length of the floor. For example, a floor that is ten feet wide by ten feet long would be approximately 100 sq. feet. Remember to purchase more flooring than you need in case of accidents.

3. Prepare the surface for the new flooring. If you are using peel and stick tiles or carpet, you can typically place them right over existing flooring, unless the floor is carpeted. If you prefer to start from the subfloor, remove the old flooring, scraping away any excess grout or carpet glue.

4. Cut the flooring to fit. If you are using either peel and stick or ceramic tiles, measure how many tiles you will need, and if necessary, cut them to fit. For carpet flooring, wait to cut until the carpet has been glued to the subfloor or surface.

5. Apply your adhesive or grout. Start in the farthest corner of the room and apply your adhesive. If you are tiling, start by working in small areas so that your grout will not dry before the tiles are applied. Place each tile, center it and move to the next one. For carpet, apply the floor adhesive, and center the edge of the carpet first and then slowly smooth it out to avoid bumps.

6. Trim any excess material. If you are carpeting, trim off any excess carpet using a carpet knife. Work slowly to avoid cutting too much off at once.

Tips & Warnings

• Allow any new bathroom floor at least 48 hours to cure before using the room, or running water in the room to avoid mildew.

• Never rush when you are flooring, it is much more difficult --- and costly --- to fix a mistake than it is to do it right the first time.

References

• Installing Self-Stick Vinyl Tiles