Floor-covering options for bathroom ? - suggestions ?

Hi again

Yet another little niggle.

In the main bathroom the builders took it upon themselves to make a 'feature bathroom'.

((I've been in software long enough to know that 'feature' is another word for 'defect' ! - and this one's no exception..))

S0 - Lots of black and white tiles, looks like a cross between a Bratislavan sauna - circa 1957 and an old-fashioned butcher's shop - and about as inviting as both !

Anyway - we've sorted out the most impractical bits - but we're puzzling over the floor-covering.

Currently has a complicated pattern of black & white ceramic tiles - diamond-laid on plywood with zig-zag black & white border - yeuch!

To make it more exciting - some of the tiles are badly laid - so they're 'clicking' as you stand on them....

Options

1) Vinyl flooring - but you'd need to lift the existing tiles and get back to a smooth surface otherwise any inperfections (like little bits of tile adhesive) will show through

2) Clip-together 'wood' flooring - might work laid on top of the tiles

- but might not be so good in a bathroom with the damp

3) Re-tile - no thanks....

4) Lay flooring-grade t&g chipboard sheets on top of the existing and then vinyl

5) Leave the existing tiles as they are (possibly find some way of 'fixing' the odd 'wobbly' one (small masonry drill and inject PVA under the tile) - and lay underlay / carpet on top - but how to fix the carpet grippers

6) As (5) above but use foam-backed carpet as a strictly short-term solution ( a year or so) until we've got everything else finished

I should add that there's only the two of us, and we're both old enough to be pretty good at 'aiming' toilet-wise, so that's not an issue with the carpet

Have we missed any other options ? What does the team think ??

TIA Adrian

Reply to
Adrian
Loading thread data ...

Do you have experience of Bratislavan saunas? ;-)

If so, sauna you than me...... I prefer the Finnish ones.....

Anyway, moving right along....

Personally, I like tiled bathroom floors, but leaving that aside.....

I would rip the tiles up. Since several are already loose, I suspect it would be a quick job.

Then regardless of what's next, get some WBP ply and screw it down to the floor to make a flat and sound surface.

I wouldn't use laminate flooring in a bathroom (actually I wouldn't use it anywhere, but especially not in a bathroom). Same goes for carpet - yuk in a bathroom regardless of aim.

Once that's done, you can lay your vinyl.

It seems to me that unless you are planning to redo the bathroom completely, titting around with coverings and bits on the existing floor will take almost as long and cost almost as much as doing the job properly. If it's delay until you redo the whole bathroom, then I would have thought repairing the existing floor with decent tile adhesive (not PVA) plus using some machine washable rugs would be a practical solution.

Reply to
Andy Hall

On Wed, 18 Oct 2006 08:22:04 +0100 someone who may be Adrian wrote this:-

Flotex.

Still the question of getting a level floor first, but it does combine the practicality of vinyl with the warmth of carpet.

Reply to
David Hansen

Cork tiles?

Reply to
hicks

He lives a little way from there.

Even so, not a good idea on top of the ceramic ones. They need a flat surface.

Reply to
Andy Hall

No - but I saw a film once

....good.....

Yes - I'm sure that ripping up the tiles will be quick - it's getting a level surface after that that seems as though it might be a bit of a pita

We thought t&g chipboard - but same idea

Maybe..... - thanks for the suggestions

Adrian

Reply to
Adrian

Is that the stuff that's abit like carpet tiles - but on a roll ??

Hmm - OK....

I seem to think that the floor levelling is the major part of the hassle..

Reply to
Adrian

Boom boom !

And they're a bit of a pain to maintain, as I recall from many years ago....

Thanks both

I think it's looking like the 'quick fix' solution at the moment - some cheapy foam-backed carpet for 6 - 12 mths - we need to get a few things 'finished' as the place is in danger of degenerating into a house full of unfinished jobs..... you know the type of thing ??

Thanks Adrian

Reply to
Adrian

On Wed, 18 Oct 2006 20:15:11 +0100 someone who may be Adrian wrote this:-

It has shorter hairs and is thinner, but apart from that your description is correct.

Reply to
David Hansen

Reply to
Richard Bates

Oh yes you can, but you have to make the wood bloody rigid and the tile cement and grout a bit flexible.

CONCRETE is flexible to, you know.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.