My toilet leaked, the retaining ring rusted away, and the leak rotted some of the plywood floor. The bathroom is 5×8 plus a tub, 3 adults share it, the vanity and fixtures are medium grade. (The house is 20 yers old, we bought it new, we could easily be here for another 10-20 years or we might relocate in 3-4 years. I am a DIY’er, so I don’t know much!)
- I removed the toilet and the original sheet vinyl (20 years old, in place when I bought the house)
- I am using a 4″ wide belt sander to smooth the floor – it is slow going and dusty altho not bad since I started using the shop vac
- I cut out a square that contained all the bad plywood – 39″ x 27″
- Then I realized that this was subfloor (3/4″) and underlayment (1/4″), so I cut out a slightly larger edge of underlayment – 42″ x 30″ – I assume this will be substantially more solid
- I will screw 5″ wide 3/4 ply under the edges of the hole in the floor so about 2 1/2″ overlaps the opening to create a large “lip” (I plan to use 2 1/4″ exterior screws every 6″ to go through the 1/4″ old underlayment + 3/4 of subfloor + 3/4″ of the 5″ wide strips)
- I will custom fit the edges of the replacement 3/4 subfloor (39×27) and screw it into the joists plus screw into the 3/4″ ply lip that I created
- I will custom fit the new 1/4 underlayment (42×39)
QUESTION 1: Any problems with these steps (I still haven’t done 5-7)?
QUESTION 2: Should I attach the UL into the subfloor with screws or nails? If so, should I sink the screws so they dimple into the UL surface? (I think I read in a FH forum post that nails were better than screws for UL)
I am pretty sure I can get the new piece of UL to be qute smooth and level with the original by shimming or sanding or whatever. I can tape over the seam, I can caulk it. But everybody says any irregularity will transmit through the new vinyl.
I plan on using thick vinyl tile, maybe even tile that can be “grouted” (fake grout designed specifically for that tile).
- Example is Stainmaster Luxury Vinyl (pushed by Lowe) – extra thick, cusioned, “residential limited lifetime guarntee” – Armstron makes a few (I just realized that Stainmaster seems to be the big producer of “groutable vinyl tile”)
Or a “regular” flush fit premium vinyl tile (extra thick, long guarantee). I am capable and willing to do sheet vinyl, but I haven’t found any in stock that I liked, most sheet vinyl I’ve noticed doesn’t look very good – plus it costs are high (I need a 5×8 piece that I remove a 48×16 from for the built-in vanity, so I am paying for 60 ft2 versus 33 ft2 of tiles).
FWIW, I have done ceramic tile, a floating wood laminate floor, and a 3/4″ prefinished nail down oak floor. It seems like ceramic (or stone or porcelein) tile is over the top – the bathroom seems too low-brow to warrant the expense and effort.
- The extra cost in tile is – I think – in the Ditra and mortar, etc. The tiles themselves seem cheap – I found reasonable tiles for $1/foot2.
QUESTION 3: Do you have any comments on my my flooring choice?
QUESTION 4: Are vinyl “planks” preferable? It seems like they might bond to each other better, but this is one of those questions where I think your judgement really matters.
QUESTION 5: Are self-stick tiles good?
- The only “glue down” that I happened to notice were Armstrong Cera Roma tiles at HD. These are groutable using pre-sanded acrylic grout and cost $3.11/ft2 (just about every other vinyl tile I saw was about $1/foot2).
QUESTION 6: Is “leveling” likely to be a problem? It seems to me that the thicker vinyl tiles are not likely to transmit very minor irregularities.
- But if I am wrong about that, could I use leveling compound just over the seam area or do I need to do the entire floor?
- Or would it be better (cheaper and faster) to put down a second 1/4 underlayment? $15 for a 4×8 at HD, I can accomodate the extra height (trim door jamb, transition to carpeted hall). There would only be one seam, 42″ behind the toilet, 7″ from the wall.
Thank you one and all.
Replies
I didn't go through the whole thing, but it sounds basically correct.
But before you set the toilet take care to caulk/seal around the flange to assure that if the gasket leaks it will leak out onto the floor vs soaking in.
OP was too wordy
DanH wrote:
I didn't go through the whole thing, but it sounds basically correct.
Yeah - When I look at it now I realize I wouln't read through the whole thing!
But before you set the toilet take care to caulk/seal around the flange to assure that if the gasket leaks it will leak out onto the floor vs soaking in.
Your caulking suggestion seems obvious, but I had not thought about it! So thanks.
Doug
It's better to take your patch back to the joists themselves when possible-but easier to go just inside the joist and glue and screw a 2x4 block to the side of the joist. Between the joists, the block method you mention is fine-glue and screw that to your subfloor. I'd use deck screws that just made it through the sandwich.
Underlayment I fasten with a narrow crown stapler (or you can handnail using underlay nails (small head-barbed shanks. Screws way to bulky for 1/4" underlayment. Personally, I'd put down all new underlayment-the type recommended as suitable for you flooring choice. Cheap lauan isn't worth the effort. Use Dependable floor patch for the seams/nails if your finish product is thin-the thick plank and faux ceramic tile are fine w/o usually.
Self stick unless you glue them down are bogus.
best of luck.
Yeah, there is a sort of "primer" you can use with self-stick to get good adhesion -- basically makes the other side of a contact cement joint. Otherwise the stuff isn't worth using for anything than a quickie job you're going to redo "pretty soon".