Bathroom Floor

Q: My bathroom floor has at least three layers to it. I think the first layer is the hardwood that is through out the rest of my house. It seems the next layer is some hideous looking linoleum or something like that, the next layer is what looks like plywood, and the next is self-adhesive tiles. I know that I need to take the last layer up before anything else can be done to it but should I take the rest up too. I want to do a mosaic type ceramic tiling.

A: I would take it all up. Get back down to the sub-floor and start over. At some point you will have a problem with the toilet drain and having to add another ring to raise the drain.

However, if you are comfortable with the toilet drain and the additional floor height, you can put ceramic on the plywood. Make sure the plywood is screwed down tight to the floor, any spring in the floor and the grout will crack between the mosaic tiles.

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Bouncy Floor Near Toilet‏

Q. As a Christmas present I plan on tiling my girlfriends' parents bathroom. While the job itself shouldn't be a problem, I've noticed the floor near the toilet is bouncy. I don't want to put 12x12 or 18x18 tile down, but I really do not want to rip everything apart.

Any suggestions?

A. As with most projects, it is the foundation that makes a bad job into a good job. It is not uncommon in older homes to have rotten floorboards and joists around the toilet. I suggest you take a look at the problem and then determine if the floorboards and or joists need repair or replacement.

There is little sense in putting good money over a bad sub-floor. A 1/4" of underlay may be all that is necessary to correct the problem

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When Installing A New Bathroom Floor - Consider The Toilet

One of the most common mistakes made when installing a new bathroom floor is not to raise the toilet bowl connection flange so that it is level with the surface of the new floor.

If you are installing ceramic, porcelain or natural stone tiles on a bathroom floor that had sheet vinyl on it, you are most likely raising the floor a minimum of ½” and possibly as much as ¾”.

In order for a proper seal to take place between the bottom of the toilet bowl and the drainpipe, the flange on the drainpipe must sit flush with the top of the new floor. There are products that you can purchase at your local hardware or big box diy retailer that will raise the height of the flange by increasing its thickness.

Toilet drainpipes do not have a trap installed within them, the trap resides in the toilet bowl. Hence, any sewer gases that may come back up the drainpipe will leak into the bathroom if the seal between the drainpipe flange and the toilet bowl is not tight. These gases, besides smelling very bad are toxic!

Bowl gaskets that have extended plastic are not sufficient to provide a seal.

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