LVP for a bathroom

Gavin83

I'm currently looking at flooring options for an en-suite and I'm leaning towards LVP with a wood effect. I have no real experience with this type of flooring but I've seen several on this forum swear by it so I figured I'd ask a few questions. Should I use glue down or click/floating? I could hide expansion gaps around the edge and wouldn't need to put anything heavy on it. However is installing a floating floor in a bathroom a bad idea? Obviously being in a bathroom a degree of water proofing is required and I can't help but feel with glue down you'll always have gaps between the planks, or does the glue seal this once laid? I'm also concerned about expansion/contraction and gaps forming. This does seem to primarily be an issue for poorly installed floating floors but can it affect glue down as well? It's not a big room, around 1.7m x 2.7m.

I appreciate the need for an extremely level, well feathered subfloor and to silicone where it meets a wall/cabinet/etc but still getting fairly mixed opinions as to the best option between the various products.

Thanks. 

JuzaMum

I have LVF throughout the ground floor of my house including a shower room. The fitters used a waterproof board under the LVF on the shower room floor. It's been down a good few years without issues.

Gavin83

JuzaMum said:

I have LVF throughout the ground floor of my house including a shower room. The fitters used a waterproof board under the LVF on the shower room floor. It's been down a good few years without issues.

Thanks. Do you know whether it was glue down or click?

Bendy_House

Gavin, what type of floor do you currently have? Suspended timber? Chipboard? Solid concrete?

Helped mil recently choose her new flooring, and Quickstep do a click-together vinyl (as well as glue-down), and it's reckoned to be 'waterproof' - ie it won't let water past its joints if wiped up within an hour or summat.

I think it's fair to say, tho', that unless you have a water-resistant sub-floor - like Juza had fitted - then the only flooring I'd rely on to be fully 100% waterproof is a continuous sheet, which is what most wetrooms will have.

In practice, most glue-down LVT should be fine, but I personally wouldn't expect it to be fully watertight, so wouldn't put it down in a 'wet' room if the sub-floor could be damaged. This should only be an issue in, say, family bathrooms where kids might make splashes which aren't mopped up; for normal bathroom/showerroom use, folk don't tend to leave puddles, do they...

rach_k

When I asked the plumber fitting our bathroom whether LVT was suitable for the floor, he said yes.  The guy who fitted the flooring also said it was fine, and he did all sorts of flooring so wasn't trying to sell us on LVT.  We have glue down tiles in the bathroom and kitchen with no issues.

Gavin83

Bendy_House said:

Gavin, what type of floor do you currently have? Suspended timber? Chipboard? Solid concrete?

Helped mil recently choose her new flooring, and Quickstep do a click-together vinyl (as well as glue-down), and it's reckoned to be 'waterproof' - ie it won't let water past its joints if wiped up within an hour or summat.

I think it's fair to say, tho', that unless you have a water-resistant sub-floor - like Juza had fitted - then the only flooring I'd rely on to be fully 100% waterproof is a continuous sheet, which is what most wetrooms will have.

In practice, most glue-down LVT should be fine, but I personally wouldn't expect it to be fully watertight, so wouldn't put it down in a 'wet' room if the sub-floor could be damaged. This should only be an issue in, say, family bathrooms where kids might make splashes which aren't mopped up; for normal bathroom/showerroom use, folk don't tend to leave puddles, do they...

Currently it’s chipboard. However it was carpeted and the chipboard is fairly knackered and will only get worse as I have to take a good portion of it up. So my plan is to replace it with 18mm ply, then overboard with 5.5mm ply and then feather the joints and screw holes.

Its not a proper wet room, just a standard bathroom. It’ll still obviously get wet though, especially with the amount the wife likes splashing around in the bath!

In my mind the click version feels like it should be more waterproof but the general vibe I’m getting at the moment is the glue down product is better.

Currently my bathroom is nothing more than an empty freshly plastered room. Maybe I should start a progress thread!

Gavin83

Just to add to this I am looking to DIY this. I’m slightly more drawn to the click product just because it seems easier to lay but I want the right product at the end of the day.

Most sources I’ve seen seem to suggest the glue down version should be a professional job. I’m wondering what I’m missing though as it really doesn’t seem that hard from what I’ve seen.

Bendy_House

See what Juza said about the waterproof layer fitted under her tiles? I've no idea what this material is, but I think it would be worth exploring for peace of mind. Also, since you are DIYing this, it'll only be the cost of the material, so surely worth it?

Funny - I was the opposite about the types of flooring when it comes to being waterproof! To me, a floating 'click' floor MUST be waterproof, or else you'll end up with water trapped under the tiles! Quickstep claim their vinyl click system is good enough, and will not allow water through as long as it's mopped up within a certain time - can't recall; it could even be as much as 24 hours, which is impressive.

BUT, if it fails, then you will end up with water trapped under your tiles, and a floating floor will take on a whole new meaning :-)

With glue-down, there is a whole layer of adhesive put down, so water that does (and it will) land in the bottoms of the butt-joints shouldn't have anywhere to go. BUT, I wouldn't use glue-down in a bathroom unless I was confident that the subfloor was 'proof.

It might be enough to roll on a latex or resin tank-proofing layer - there must be obvious ways of tackling this, methods used every day?

But, starting from scratch like you are, I'd go for a fully 'proof floor material, and then ideally glue-down LVT on top. If you go 'waterproof click' instead, then make sure you wipe up spills.  

Yes, glue-down should be very DIYable, but make sure you follow the full instructions, and watch lots of vids. Would you hire a roller for pressing them down, or just stand all over them, for instance...