How to Replace a Wet Bathroom Floor
An old wood or vinyl floor in a bathroom that’s been damaged by exposure to water should be pulled out and replaced before the damage goes farther inside the structure of the floor. Vinyl tile is one sensible choice for your replacement floor, because it’s easy to install, with only a razor knife necessary to cut it around the toilet drain and tub, and it can go over any kind of underlayment. Don’t re-floor until you’re sure you’ve solved whatever problem caused the wet floor. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Adjustable wrench
- Hammer
- Flat bar
- Scraper
- Space heater
- Chalk snapline
- Carpenter’s square
- Tile glue
- Adhesive trowel
- Vinyl tile
- Razor knife
Instructions
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1
Turn off the water to the toilet at the valve behind it. Disconnect the water line from the toilet and remove the mounting nuts holding the toilet base to the floor, using an adjustable wrench. Lift the toilet straight up and move it out of the room.
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2
Pull up the existing floor covering with your hammer and pry bar, so you’re down to bare underlayment. Use a floor scraper to get the underlayment smooth and flat.
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3
Run a space heater in the room for 24 to 48 hours, until you’re sure the underlayment is dry.
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4
Lay two iover the floor that cross each other in the middle, using a chalk snapline. Use a carpenter’s square to ensure the lines are square against each other. Adjust the lines if needed.
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5
Apply tile glue over the intersection of the two lines with an adhesive trowel, covering enough space to accommodate four tiles. Press the four tiles in place at the intersection, setting them firmly in the glue with their edges against each other.
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Spread more glue and install more tiles, working your way out from the center toward the walls. Use a razor knife to cut the tiles as needed around the tub, toilet drain and against the walls. Allow the glue to set for a day and reinstall the toilet.
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References
- Photo Credit bathroom image by nutech21 from Fotolia.com
