I’m getting conflicting advice from fellow DIYers in the pub.
I’m laying 4mm vinyl plank flooring on top of 9mm ply which I’ve recently screwed down. Should I lay the vinyl flooring up to the wall plaster then tile down the wall onto the top of the vinyl, finishing the joint with silicone.
Or, tile down to the new ply, then lay the vinyl flooring up to the tiling.
And does it make a different whichever method I choose ? Any advice please?
|
|
Isn't an expansion gap necessary? I thought it was usual to remove skirting, lay flooring (with an expansion gap), then replace skirting on top of flooring to hide gap.
|
|
No skirting in bathroom. There will be an extension gap where the vinyl extends under the bath at the other side of the small room
|
>> No skirting in bathroom. There will be an extension gap where the vinyl extends under
>> the bath at the other side of the small room
Expansion doesn't happen only in one direction, and if it did, probably not the direction you wanted it to!
So, lay floor, leave expansion gap all round tile down to floor, seal edge with good fungicidal silicon.
|
I laid LVT in our kitchen about 2 years ago. Shop told me an expansion gap wasn't necessary on 10m2 so I laid to within 2mm of tiling/skirting and finished with silicone. No problems so far.
I'd tile wall first as whilst the flooring can have a guarantee up to 25 years, the floor is more likely to need replacement than the wall tiles.
|
Stupid me. And my pub diy pals.
Tile wall to floor, then lay vinyl plank up to tiles, leaving potential expansion under bath. Then if flooring needs changing, different colour or material, the wall tiles adjacent to floor aren’t being disturbed.
It was a long boozy night last night...NYE I was in kip by 9PM as I had an early start for a big walk NY Day, got slightly dehydrated and the beers with friends went down rather too well.
I think the aquaplank with U.K. Flooring Direct has a similar 25 yr guarantee. I won’t be around then. Either in person or the property!
Last edited by: legacylad on Thu 2 Jan 20 at 08:54
|
>> I'd tile wall first as whilst the flooring can have a guarantee up to 25
>> years, the floor is more likely to need replacement than the wall tiles.
Its fairly easy to pull up and re-lay the flooring even if it has been tiled down onto, as long as there was a small gap.
|
I've vinyl flooring planks in my dining room. It was laid professionally and rather than remove and replace the (40-year-old) skirting, I opted for a wooden bead between the skirting and floor. Everything was alright for a while, but the heavy wall furniture along one side obviously didn't allow the floor to expand and it rose.
I've also seen vinyl flooring planks laid with a cork 'expansion' join at the edges. That also buckled.
Be very careful. I've seen silicone beads break, with a very large gap where the floors expanded.
|
|
It’s best to remove the skirting boards, a simple job, they are just nailed to the wall with cut nails and with a little car can be removed intact. Not only a far neater job but a gap can be allowed between the flooring and the wall. The flooring can then slide under the skirting boards as it expands Or contracts. If tiling always lay flooring first for the same reason. Important also to allow the flooring to come up to room temperature before laying. Then the flooring will have already expanded to something like its maximum dimensions
|
Good advice.
I’ve put the click lock vinyl flooring in the room to warm up ( bought from U.K. Flooring Direct)
9mm ply now laid over floorboards with cut outs where necessary for all the bathroom pipework.....I just need to decide whether to bother with the 1mm underlay . ..not the old style foam stuff.
Last edited by: legacylad on Fri 3 Jan 20 at 15:01
|
Update.
I put down a layer of 1mm compressed underlay. It probably gives a bit more give to the vinyl plank, probably adds a little warmth...not that you’d probably notice but it was cheap enough for a roll at the local trade shed.
Bathroom 1 job finished.
Plan A was to refurb both the 21yo main bathroom and adjacent en-suite identically....White suite, black gloss under sink cabinet, half tiled rather than the previous fully tiled, with pale grey wall tiles and click vinyl UK Flooring Direct Spectra pale grey Boulder Oak plank. The only contentious bit being the pumpkin coloured ( literally) paintwork...I was persuaded to use that colour by a girl I know who is rather good at interior design. I love the contrast but it’s easily changed in future.
Now I’ve lived with it a few months, I’m thinking of Plan A/2. Just different flooring. Possibly 18mm dark Oak 3 Strip lacquered solid wood. Obviously I’d have to seal it, but it does look good against a black cabinet. Maybe change the current pale grey metro tile (7.5cm x 30cm) colour as well .....
Question is, even with good extraction, is a decent hardwood floor advisable in a lightly used en-suite or stick with 4.5mm click vinyl ?
Hopefully someone may have used solid wood flooring in a bathroom so can advise of any pitfalls. TIA.
|
|
Id be considering its resistance to the environmental conditions of steam and water in a bathroom.
|
Quite. I do like ‘proper’ solid wood....35sq metres of my lounge and hall is Junckers 22cm solid beech ex sports hall flooring. A real labour of love taking up the old floorboards, fitting, sanding and sealing with Granwax.
The 5 sq m of lacquered dark oak plank I’m thinking of putting down in my en-suite looks A1 ( it’s laid out loose now in the new bathroom over the new vinyl plank) but even with excellent moisture fan extraction and light use it could go wrong over time.
I’m 50/50 about getting a similar shade in Spectra waterproof click vinyl
|
|
It may have been alluded to above but products like Karndean look very realistic and are fully resistant.
|
|
Yes Karndean. easily the best vinyl, over wood every time for bathrooms and kitchens. Wood looks and feels great but a large spill of water wont be good news
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Sun 28 Jun 20 at 14:42
|
I used Amtico in 2 bathrooms many years ago...it was excellent stuff and similar to Karndean. I’ll check the price and specs of Karndean vs the Spectra Aquaplank I bought from UK Flooring Direct for bathroom 1 refurb @£25 sq m.
I’ll try to sell the solid wood flooring I have .....I’ve also got a spare 15sq m of Junckers solid beech (22mm) ex Sports hall flooring left over from my lounge and hall. Now that does look good once refinished and sealed with Granwax.
|
Laying vinyl flooring - bathtub tom
