Bathroom floor

[DerbyBorn]

Need to do up our bathroom. Thinking of replacing bath with a shower - not going to Wet Room - but possibly a large rectangular tray with some "drying off space"

Current floor is tongue and groove with carpet tiles. I know I really need to cover it with ply - but wary of creating a step. I am considering Kardean or vinyl flooring.

What can I get away with on the tongue and groove.Is there anything like a levelling compound for wood? Fairly wide gaps between the boards

Also - if I take the tiles off my plasterboard walls I guess it will wreck it. Considering a panel wall covering. Would you remove the tiles or leave them on. Any recommendations - or things to avoid?

[RJH]

FWIW, I used bathroom grade laminate over TG chipboard (the original floor was beyond saving) and mdf panel stuff over tiles/crumbly walls. I had to do it all quite quickly and to a budget, but it looks a lot better than it did:

Pithy comments about what it must have looked like before will be taken with good humour :-)

[Tim Lamb]

In message , DerbyBorn writes

The Karndean parquet laid in our hall/kitchen/diner was glued to a latex

*levelling coat*. The fitter was adamant that our nicely level, recently laid 22mm chip would not do. The latex powder mix is spread and then finished with a roller rather like an under clothed Hedgehog. Sets off over night. I don't know if t&g boards would do but the floor shop will know.

[Tim Watts]

That looks amazing.

[leenowell]

We have fitted click vinyl floor to one of our bathrooms and bathroom grade MDF to the other. The vinyl is a lot better as the MDF still tends to lift a little when wet and over time. If you run the boards perpendicular to th e current t&g I would have thought it would be fine. You could always stapl e hardboard down first it you wanted

[John Rumm]

6mm ply would be adequate for Karndean. I just did two bathrooms with it. Started with ply screwed down very well (all edges and 6" spacings), then a feathering compound on top.

You could use levelling compound - but ply will be better.

Remember the Karndean is only 3mm thick so the total thickness will be less than a carpet with underlay.

If they are sound and level you could tile over. You could strip the lot and re-board. Or rip em off, and skim it flat (even if not pretty) and tile that.

[Brian Gaff]

I like a good bath myself.... Still each to their own. Brian