@drives how big is the room you're doing? I guess I should clarify that the stuff is only available in 5kg tubs but if I end up needing a bit more then I have to find somewhere to dispose of it. Since I'm only doing one room and it's not even 3m2 (1650mm X 1650mm) it seemed like a lot if I'm only smoothing over nice new plywood.
Idiot's guide to laying LVT?
- Thread starter Mander
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That room in the photo might have used half a tub? Can’t quite remember but I don’t think you’d end up with loads left over. In any case I’m not sure you can get any similar products in smaller quantities as 5kg is quite a small size for a levelling compound.
So to revisit this thread, I decided that I wouldn't be able to do the screed and all around getting the toilet and everything else put in, so I changed plans to Quick-step click LVT planks.
However due to scheduling issues I'll have to leave an access point for the radiator pipes under the floor to be moved, but that needs to wait until the plasterer can do the wall. But I need to fit the flooring before the toilet and vanity go in.
So I have two questions:
1 - what is the minimum sensible width for a piece of plywood subfloor? The sheets are 2400x1200mm and the room is 1665x1700mm, not including a small bit that goes through the doorway. It would be easier to cut one big piece and one small piece, but then the small piece would be 1700x465mm. Is that going to be too narrow?
2 - can I even install the toilet and vanity on top of a floating floor? The toilet would be screwed down and the vanity is a "floor standing" kind that is basically a cabinet resting on the floor. I've read conflicting things about whether this will be a problem. The plumber said the flooring should go under the toilet but I'm wondering if I should not try to put it under the vanity.
3 - if I can't put the flooring and underlay under the vanity, what do I do? Would I need to put some kind of sealant on the plywood under the vanity to protect it from water since it then wouldn't have a waterproof underlay & floor on it? If so what kind?
I really did not plan this project well...
However due to scheduling issues I'll have to leave an access point for the radiator pipes under the floor to be moved, but that needs to wait until the plasterer can do the wall. But I need to fit the flooring before the toilet and vanity go in.
So I have two questions:
1 - what is the minimum sensible width for a piece of plywood subfloor? The sheets are 2400x1200mm and the room is 1665x1700mm, not including a small bit that goes through the doorway. It would be easier to cut one big piece and one small piece, but then the small piece would be 1700x465mm. Is that going to be too narrow?
2 - can I even install the toilet and vanity on top of a floating floor? The toilet would be screwed down and the vanity is a "floor standing" kind that is basically a cabinet resting on the floor. I've read conflicting things about whether this will be a problem. The plumber said the flooring should go under the toilet but I'm wondering if I should not try to put it under the vanity.
3 - if I can't put the flooring and underlay under the vanity, what do I do? Would I need to put some kind of sealant on the plywood under the vanity to protect it from water since it then wouldn't have a waterproof underlay & floor on it? If so what kind?
I really did not plan this project well...
1. No reason why you can't do this. I generally try to avoid plywood joins in high traffic areas of the flooring if I have the option, but not always possible and never caused me any issues. If you look at my first photo when I did mine, I had a narrower section of ply by the wall where my vanity unit now sits on top of. I had to cut it as otherwise I couldn't have fitted it in the room all in one piece.
2. yes- fixings for toilet pan will go through to the subfloor. As for vanity that will also be fixed to the wall behind as well as resting on the floor so again I would suggest will be fine. I would continue the flooring under where vanity is going, rather than try to cut it around the base unit and plinth if that is what you mean.
Why can't you get the plumber to adjust the radiator pipes where you need them to go, then do flooring, and then get them back to put the toilet and vanity in?
Personal opinion but I find glue down karndean has a more premium feel to click LVT. The screed part only takes an hour really, if that...
2. yes- fixings for toilet pan will go through to the subfloor. As for vanity that will also be fixed to the wall behind as well as resting on the floor so again I would suggest will be fine. I would continue the flooring under where vanity is going, rather than try to cut it around the base unit and plinth if that is what you mean.
Why can't you get the plumber to adjust the radiator pipes where you need them to go, then do flooring, and then get them back to put the toilet and vanity in?
Personal opinion but I find glue down karndean has a more premium feel to click LVT. The screed part only takes an hour really, if that...
Well there have been a few complications since my first post. One of the walls is in worse shape than expected so needs plastering, and some of the old pipework started leaking, and the timetable for all the works has been messed up. So I'm trying to figure out a way to get a working bathroom as soon as possible but still have a nice finish.
Edit to say I also had to change my flooring choice in part because the Karndean was too expensive, and I can do the click one fairly easily by myself.
Edit to say I also had to change my flooring choice in part because the Karndean was too expensive, and I can do the click one fairly easily by myself.
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Nothing difficult about the glue-down stuff, assuming you've ever helped a child with a craft exercise involving accurately glueing bits of paper with petit stick, you've got most the necessary basic skills!
1: you're worrying over whether to make one cut on a piece of wood, or two. It's taken you longer to write the paragraph of text asking about it than it'll take to make the cut
- agree with the advice to avoid placing the cut line under a highly trafficked area if you can
2: sure. The floor isn't going to expand and contract so much that it's an issue over these distances
3: wbp ply will be fine with getting splashed
1: you're worrying over whether to make one cut on a piece of wood, or two. It's taken you longer to write the paragraph of text asking about it than it'll take to make the cut
- agree with the advice to avoid placing the cut line under a highly trafficked area if you can2: sure. The floor isn't going to expand and contract so much that it's an issue over these distances
3: wbp ply will be fine with getting splashed
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The difficult bit was the scheduling. Since I couldn't do the subfloor all at once, I couldn't do the screed and level part. Sticking the tiles down is easy, I've done that before, but it in that case I was sticking them on hardboard and cutting around the fixtures, which I didn't want to do in this case.