Redoing bathroom floor - "waterproofing it"?

andre_xs

Hi All,
Our first-floor bathroom has originally a wooden floor and we recently had a little leak and water came down into the kitchen. I would like to redo the floor, but this time it should be waterproof so that minor leaks (or "experiments" of the kids :-) ) don't immediately cause a water damage. It's a 1950s ex-council house with a wooden floor which has some flexibility when walking on it. The floor boards are pretty run down, have cracks and large gaps etc. Before the water damage, we had a kind of vinyl click-flooring (a bit like laminate) on top of the original floorboards, which looked quite nice (very convincing like wood), but was of course not waterproof at all... (this flooring is removed now).

I thought about putting in some form of vinyl flooring and use sealant (silicone or alike) around the toilet, basin stand, skirting board, etc. At the door, I'd like to have a little sill (maybe 0.5 cm or so) so that water wouldn't run directly into the hallway/landing area (and from there into the floor, causing water damage). Thus, in theory water could stand up to the height of the seals/sill without causing any damage.

I would like to either do it myself, or employ a handyman who already did a couple of jobs for us, not a professional company.

But I'm not sure that this is the best way to do it? Thus, I'd be grateful for any other suggestions, thinks to think about, etc.

BTW, of course tiling would be an option as well, but I think we'd prefer some form of vinyl. 

Many thanks in advance!

Jeepers_Creepers

Hi Andre.

I can't think of an easier solution to what you've described. That is all doable, and if you use a Fugi-type rubber finishing tool for the silicone, you'll get a lovely neat seal that'll look good as well as do its main job.

Is there any chance you are up for a bit of plumbing?! If you could remove the pottery, then you'll not only will the job of laying sheet vinyl be hugely easier (and you can even afford to get the edges slightly wrong as you'll be sili-beading them...), but it'll also, obviously, be the most waterproof surface you could have.

Removing pottery isn't difficult. The good thing is that it should all go back exactly as it came out - screws and pipes already in place.

You'll also save a small fortune  by laying it yourself, so could go for a really nice quality stuff with a grain-textured plank finish if that's what you are after.

You'd need to ensure that the floorboards are screwed down firmly, and any obvious gaps ideally filled. Then an overlay of - I guess - thin ply. But I'm sure others will advise on the best preparation.

grumbler

andre_xs said:

I thought about putting in some form of vinyl flooring and use sealant (silicone or alike) around the toilet, basin stand, skirting board, etc.

IMO, it's make much more sense (and is easy to do) to put the flooring under the toilet and the pedestal.  The latter is usually freestanding, the former is fixed with just two screws.

andre_xs

Thanks for the replies. Sorry that I didn't make that clear, yes, it was my plan to remove the toilet and basin stand. But still there are wholes in the floor for the piping, so I planned to seal around the toilet and pedestal, so that water even can't run under the toilet.

Yes, I plan to have a thin layer of something (plyboard?) to have a smooth surface - the original old floor is beyond an easy fix.

I haven't looked into the different types of vinyl/flooring available, will look into what you mean by "grain-textured plank finish" :-)

Norman_Castle

Definitely overboard if the floor is uneven. I attempted the same at a friends house for the same reason, kids! Their very uneven floor made the edges difficult to seal and any unsupported vinyl pulls away from the sealant when stood on.

andre_xs

Thanks to all.

Anything to look out for when choosing the vinyl? Are there better and worse types or alike?

Jeepers_Creepers

There are all sorts of qualities. I'm sure folk will be able to recommend brands.

I've seen Forbo vinyl tiles and was very impressed - far superior to Karndean, and cheaper. But whether they make sheets, I don't know.

I guess it's worth checking that they aren't slippery when wet...

Yes, secure all creaking f'boards. Glue/pin down thin ply sheet - not sure what thickness folk recommend? - and then, regardless of whether you screw the pan back down (you shouldn't have to, unless the floor has movement), def sili around it or else 'other liquids' could find their way under, and start to smell... Ditto with the pedestal - sili will be enough to keep it in place, so no holes through the floor covering.