May/June 2020 47IF YOUR BATHROOM TILE IS SOUND, FRANKLY,
you’re better off cleaning it, sealing it,
and leaving it alone. Tearing out porce-
lain tile and replacing it is a huge deal.
If the bathroom has an ugly vinyl floor,
however, a good fix is to install a form
of waterproof floor known as solid core
LVL (luxury vinyl tile). Solid core LVL is
a form of plank flooring that looks very
similar to the laminate floor types that
have become popular in the last 20
years. The biggest difference: The base
of each plank is water-resistant, and the
center is made of pulverized limestone
and plastic resins. The faces can be
printed to look like stone or wood.
Some solid core LVL planks can be
installed directly over existing flooring.
Others require that you first roll out a
protective sheet. The process is pretty
simple. (1) The long axis of the planks
align with the long axis of the room.
You start on one side and lay down the
flooring parallel to the wall, clicking each
piece onto its neighbor as you go. The
manufacturer may advise you to use
a thin bead of specialized glue at each
plank, and (2) silicone caulk in the gap
where the flooring meets the wall, trim,
TOOLS AND
MATERIALS
Flooring
Pull bar
Wet/dry vacuum
Mallet
Tapping block
Ta p e m e a s u r e
Utility knife
Combination square
StraightedgeLAY FRESH FLOORING
DIFFICULTY: ●●●●● (FOR PLUMBING, FLOORING, AND HEAVY STUFF)
vanity, tub, or shower curb. If there is
a cold water supply tube through the
floor that supplies the toilet, you may
need to very carefully caulk the cavity
below the escutcheon. The most diffi-
cult step in the entire job likely will be
removing the toilet before installing
anything, so the flooring goes under it
and not around it. Some manufacturers
say it’s okay to cut the flooring around
the toilet, but you don’t want that. If
condensation runs down the face of the
toilet, or there is a plumbing leak, water
could get past the sealant at the base of
the toilet and seep under the flooring.
You might not find out until you have adisaster on your hands.
To remove the toilet, turn off its
water supply and undo the connection
for the cold-water line. (3) Use a wet/
dry shop vacuum to siphon water from
the bowl. Loosen the nuts that fasten
the toilet itself onto the toilet bolt and
lift the toilet off. Stuff a rag in the drain
opening to block sewer gases. (4) Cut
the new flooring around the toilet drain
and its mounting flange. (5) When you
reinstall the toilet, you may need an
extension or spacer kit (such as the
Oatey Set-Rite) to lift the toilet so that
it makes a watertight seal despite the
increased height of the new flooring.13254