How To Install Armstrong Luxury Vinyl Tile

Vinyl plank floor bathroom installs are a hot new trend.  The vinyl flooring designs have come a long style and information technology can wait like wood or even large format ceramic tile.  And vinyl plank flooring is piece of cake to install and goes in fast.

Simply should you put vinyl plank floor in a bath?  There are a few things to consider before you have the plunge.  I swapped out my ceramic tile floor for vinyl plank flooring and learned a lot along the fashion.  I'll aid yous figure out if this flooring is right for your bathroom and show you how to do information technology yourself.

I installed Lifeproof Vinyl Plank Flooring, which is a luxury vinyl plank flooring.  If you're planning to apply a skin and stick or glue down vinyl flooring both of those products are installed differently.

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Hither is what you'll need for the project:

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Does Your Bath Include a Shower or Bathtub?

This is the first question to consider because a half bath (but a sink and a toilet) has a lot less water to exist worried nigh.  There are still steps you'll demand to take to protect against h2o issues.  But overall this is an easier bathroom to tackle.

Take a full bathroom?  Then did I, and I even so installed vinyl plank flooring around the toilet and bathtub using a few steps I'll evidence you.

Is There a Manner To Waterproof Vinyl Plank Floor?

Luxury vinyl plank flooring is a waterproof surface, simply it'due south also a floating flooring.  This means information technology needs expansion cracks forth the walls which are then covered up by trim.  In a room without a water source, that's non a big deal but in a bath it's a major factor to consider.

Existing Sheet Laminate Floor

If you lot already have canvas laminate in your bath you should be in good shape.  You can lay your vinyl plank flooring right on top of information technology.  But make sure it's apartment and not peeling up anywhere.  You lot'll still want to add 100% silicone caulk in front of the bathtub which I go into adjacent.

Existing Ceramic Tile Flooring

But what if you have a ceramic tile flooring like I did?  You lot'll demand to remove the tiles, underlayment, level the subfloor and and so lay your vinyl plank flooring.  I go through this whole procedure below so keep reading; you can likewise check out my video tutorial.

Then you'll put downward a dewdrop of 100% silicone along your bathtub before laying the vinyl plank flooring.  After the flooring is installed yous'll add another dewdrop of silicone between the flooring and the tub to make this area waterproof.

The manufacturer's instructions for my vinyl plank flooring said to go out the other three walls silicone-free to let for expansion.  I'll talk more about this beneath.

Will You Need to Lower Your Toilet Flange?

First of all, what is a toilet flange?  A toilet flange is the part that secures the toilet to the flooring and is connected to the drain pipe.  The flange should be flush to the surface of the flooring, or slightly proud.  If your toilet flange is too high though, yous can get a rocking toilet and leaks.

If you go from a ceramic tile floor to vinyl plank flooring (similar I did), the height of your floor will most likely be lower.  I saw this first-mitt after I removed the ceramic tile and underlayment.  I planned to add a plywood underlayment to my subfloor and and then add my luxury vinyl plank floor.  The problem was my toilet flange was about ½" higher than I needed it to be.

I lowered my toilet flange on my own, merely I'd recommend having a plumber practise this for you because it's not a small-scale job.  Another option would be to build upward the floor with a thicker underlayment.

Step 1: Removing Existing Floor

Remove Toilet

I started the demo by taking out my toilet.  I also removed the mirror and vanity from my bathroom because we're planning to remodel the whole room.  I'll be edifice a new vanity for the remodel, just If y'all're keeping your vanity then there'southward no need to remove it for this install.

Remove Trim

I'll as well be upgrading the baseboards to a taller version, so I went alee and pulled out all the trim likewise for a clean slate.  You can keep your trim in place and just remove the shoe molding if yous adopt.

Next I plugged upwardly the air vents with some towels so dust and debris won't country in at that place.

Remove Ceramic Tile Floor

At this point you should be ready to remove your ceramic tile flooring.  Recall, if yous have sheet laminate and your floor is level, you don't have to remove the laminate.  That means you can skip steps one and 2.

My floor was installed on top of an OSB subfloor.  I used a combination of a small pry bar and a large demo bar to get between the subfloor and orange underlayment.  Using these tools I was able to pry up the ceramic tiles and all of the underlayment.

When you get near the toilet flange, slow down and have your time.  The last affair you want to practice is bust upward your flange or worse yet snap your water supply line.  Same goes for around the tub.  Y'all don't want to damage the tub past slamming into it with a pry bar.

Once I had all of the flooring removed I vacuumed up the debris to come across what I was left with.

Stride 2: Prep Subfloor

Check Floor For Level

Now that the subfloor was clear I checked to brand sure it was in good condition.  Then I checked it for level, and I constitute at that place was a hump on the seam in the subfloor.

Remove Mastic

I needed to become all of the mastic off of my subfloor and so started by using a scraper. After scraping the subfloor I switched to using a belt sander which worked actually well.

Fix Floor Seams and Check Nails

Next I vacuumed upward all the mastic and checked to see if the floors were level.  Unfortunately the seams were all the same proud, which is a pretty common occurrence with wood subfloors.

I took the belt sander to the seams to level them out the all-time I could.  I check them often with my level until they were flat.

Finally I felt effectually and found any nails that were sticking up.  Then I hammered those beneath the surface with a nailset.

There was a lot of scraping and sanding in this projection and my knee pads were a lifesaver.  I used the Husky Gel Soft Cap Construction Knee Pads and they were only what I needed.

I got these as part of the Home Depot ProSpective program and they worked crawly.  They have a 3-signal buckle system for easy adjustments and so they fit most everyone.  And they are comfy with a gel inner core and a non-marring prophylactic cap.

Make sure you have a pair of knee pads earlier you showtime this, or any other flooring project, y'all can thank me later on.

Pace 3: Lower Toilet Flange and Add Underlayment

Lower Toilet Flange

At this betoken you'll need to decide if your toilet flange needs to exist lowered.  The easiest fashion to exercise this is to lay a piece of your vinyl plank flooring and whatsoever underlayment you'll exist using, next to your toilet flange.  Compare the height of your new flooring to the pinnacle of your current toilet flange.  You want to toilet flange to be flush to the flooring, or slightly proud.  If your toilet flange is too high I recommend calling a plumber to lower the flange for you.

Add Silicone Caulk Along Bathtub

Before I added the plywood to my subfloor, I cleaned upward the side of the bathtub.  Then I laid down a new bead of silicone caulk to stop any water from getting nether the tub.

Add Plywood to Subfloor

I decided to add 5mm plywood to my OSB subfloor.  This was an optional step, only I wanted to have a smooth surface to work with when I installed the vinyl plank flooring. It also helped raise the floor up to the level of the toilet flange.

The plywood gets secured to the footing with staples….a lot of staples.  After securing one corner I came beyond the canvass diagonally.  This helps get good contact in the center of the canvas and then you lot tin work your manner outward to avert humps.

Add More Silicone Caulk In Front of Bathtub

I used an ⅛" spacer between the plywood and tub and removed it and filled that gap with more silicone caulk afterward I was washed.

I also went back and set any staples below the surface that didn't get sunk all the way.

Footstep 4: Layout and Install First Row of Tiles

The vinyl plank flooring I'm using is made to look like large format ceramic tiles, complete with faux grout lines.  Each tile has a barrier congenital in for audio dampening and you don't need a curlicue out underlayment considering it's already built-in.

Plan Your Layout

You can layout your tiles in the room and accept measurements to calculate offsets and minimize small pieces during install.  Merely I prefer a more tech savvy approach.  I used Sketchup to draw the room to verbal dimensions and added tiles in a brick design.

I saw 5 rows would fit almost perfectly.  Then I put dimensions on the first and last tile of a row and moved the entire floor to get an even match at the kickoff and end.

And if y'all want to go a step further, which of course I did, you lot tin add in the pipes and vents to programme around them besides.

Adjust Tiles to Straight Reference Line

Installing the outset row can exist tricky if your wall isn't straight.  I snapped a chalk line at a right bending to the tub 5" off the wall using a carpenter's foursquare as reference.

Using that line I could see the wall tapered out ½" at the far end and I marked other points along the manner.

I cut the offset tile to length using my layout drawing.  I'thousand using a tile cutter for a clean border, just you tin cut this many other means like I outlined in my 6 ways to cutting vinyl flooring video.

So I could use the points I measured to brand the taper or scribe on the plank.  Since the far side was ½" out, I had to accept ½" off the first lath to let for a full plank at the far end.

I made the cut with my jigsaw.

Then I brought the piece back to the bathroom to cut a hole for the water supply.

Make sure to cistron in the ¼" expansion gap when y'all take these measurements.  I used scraps of the underlayment taped to the wall as spacers.

Drill Holes For Water Lines and Toilet Flange

I drilled the spot for the h2o supply line using a spade bit.  Then I turned off my water and took off the shut off valve to slip the slice over the piping.

I'd bought an actress toilet flange and it turned out to exist the perfect reference to trace for the cut out.

I went back to my store and cut the curve out with a jigsaw.  The jigsaw is definitely the most versatile cut tool for vinyl flooring installs.

The piece fit in perfectly, and you'll find I put some other ⅛" spacer against the tub since I'll be caulking that seam at the stop.

This might seem like a lot of work up front, but getting the first row correct is super of import and sets the stage for the rest of the install.

I repeated these same steps for the next ii tiles in the first row.  The 2nd slice needed a slightly starting time taper every bit the wall had a crash-land out from a stud on it.  And after the taper I cut a pigsty for the hot water pipe.

For the terminal piece I cut it to length then put a pocket-size taper on the forepart end leaving the back end at total width.

Footstep v: Install and Tap Flooring Into Identify

Install Vinyl Plank Flooring Around Toilet Flange

Side by side I cut a small-scale tile that would striking exactly in the middle of the tile in the offset row.  Then I put it in identify. Afterwards that I used a full size piece to get the other half of the notch for the toilet flange.

I went to the shop and cut the curve out again with the jigsaw and was gear up to start locking things in place.

Tap 2nd Row of Flooring Into Place

Y'all may have noticed that I didn't tap the first row of vinyl plank flooring into identify.  That'south considering I wanted to wait until I had tiles for the second row laid down.  Now I'chiliad ready to start tapping them into identify using a soft mallet and a tapping block.  I'll likewise be using a cheater's bar when I get to the finish of the rows.

I tapped the seams together with the mallet locking them in place.  Then I could push the 2nd row firmly into the 1st row with the tapping cake.

For the last piece in the row I pulled out the pull bar or cheater bar.  It lets you get over the cease of the tile and pull it tight into the balance of the row.

Install the Field of Vinyl Tiles

I continued down the 3rd row securing the tiles into the previous row start and tapping them tight, then locking in the short side. The last piece in the 3rd row hitting the air vent in the room.  Since I could lay the tile in identify right over the vent it was easy to mark for the width of the cut.

And so I just measured how far upward to make the opening and drew information technology on the tile.  And so I used my jigsaw to make the cut.

Information technology fit in perfectly and I moved on to the 4th row.

I worked my way downwardly the 4th row of tiles without an issue until I reached the air vent.  When I planned the layout I made sure to take a full tile end right at the air vent.  This makes the cuts a lot cleaner and gives the tiles more back up.

Install Last Row of Vinyl Plank Flooring

The concluding row needs to get cut to width and scribed only similar the first row. Y'all want to go out a ¼" gap at the wall for an expansion joint every bit well. I cut the piece to length then measured for the scribing cuts.  After a quick cut on the jigsaw it was a good fit.

Yous'll have to apply the cheater bar on this final row to pull it tight to the other rows just like we've done on the ends of each row.

Footstep half-dozen: Install Transition Piece, Trim and Silicone

I knew I wouldn't be able to knife the last two tiles into position because of the location of my doorway in relation to the tiles.

 That meant I would have to install the metal c-channel for my transition strip offset.  And then I could taper the tiles and install the last ii pieces in front end of my doorway.

Install C-Channel Strip

I have a 28" door going into the bathroom and the transition strip I'm using is a t-mold that is sold in 72" lengths. It's has ii parts, the metal c-channel that gets fastened to the floor, and then the t-molding that snaps into information technology.

I measured a length ½" smaller than the door opening and cut down the c-aqueduct with some can snips.  You tin as well use a hacksaw to cut this. When you're positioning the transition you want to think nigh where it'due south going to hit and if it volition testify or non when the door is closed.

My hardwood stops right where the face of the door volition be sitting so I positioned the c-channel so the transition would just sit on top of the hardwood. I secured it with the included screws and now I could take the measurements to scribe in my last two pieces.

Install Vinyl Plank Flooring Around Door Trim

The pieces will have a piffling stride cutting in them where the door opening sticks out farther than the wall.  And after a quick trip to the shop with the jigsaw I had the piece cutting to fit.

Then I decided to loosely lock in the natural language and groove lip on the long edge of the tile.  This would allow me to apply the tapping cake to scoot the tile under the trim.  I did this until the tile was in identify.

You may need to lift up on the end of the tile a petty to go it to lock in, but after some mallet piece of work it fit in like a champ.

I took the measurements on the final slice and cutting it to size in the store. I tried the same trick on the final tile, only since I didn't have open space to the left I couldn't really lock in the whole long edge.  But after a bit of maneuvering I was able to get it all locked in.

Adhere Transition Piece

I went alee and cut the transition to cease off this area.  Using my miter saw gave me some chip out so I went the old fashion route with a paw saw and it worked great.

The transition pops right into the c-channel and since my door jambs were under cut for a taller flooring I was able to slide the transition right under them for a make clean look.

This is not the right transition for my flooring.  I had to special order one which will match the floor much meliorate and it'll exist here soon.

Add Silicone Caulk and Attach Trim

Installing the vinyl plank flooring against the tub is an of import part.  I left an ⅛" gap betwixt the tub and tiles then I could fill information technology with silicone caulk.  We institute some grout colored silicone that matched pretty well and looks much better than white or clear.

I put the taller baseboards in to finish the install and it was looking actually nifty.

And that'southward how I installed vinyl plank flooring in a bathroom!  This large tile style vinyl plank floor came out looking way better than I thought it would honestly.  If you liked this project check out how I installed vinyl plank flooring in my laundry room.

The Home Depot provided me with product and/or budgetary bounty as a sponsor of this build.  All opinions are my own and are non filtered by the sponsor.

Source: https://fixthisbuildthat.com/vinyl-plank-flooring-bathroom-install-how-to/

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