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nachman_manager
- February 21, 2023
Flooring Your Bathroom
You shouldn’t try to cut corners when remodeling a bathroom. To guarantee that it is watertight, all materials must be chosen with care and thorough research. What may result from using subpar installation techniques and materials? You’re actually making a favorable environment for mold and mildew to flourish. We at Nachman Remodeling Company will not say that tiling your bathroom is a do-it-yourself task. There are many things that could go wrong, and you would then have to pay a professional to fix the problems that may potentially happen.
Renovations involve a lot of material choice, but it’s also important that everything be done correctly. Think about the floor of your bathroom, for example. If the area beneath the tile is not adequately protected, mold might still grow even if waterproof flooring is installed.
Please always keep in mind that the best return on investment will be provided by remodeling your kitchen and bathroom.
Do you intend to replace the flooring in your bathrooms? These are some bathroom flooring dos and don’ts to keep in mind.
Do not lay tile upon tile
This is a common occurrence. The belief that fresh tile can be added on top of old tile is shared by homeowners and even tradesmen. They believe it will save them time. Your new tiles and grout will crack if you do this.
Do carefully select your tiles
You can select a floor for the remainder of your home based on design preferences. But there are other things to think about when choosing your bathroom flooring, like moisture protection, installation simplicity, and longevity. The best material for bathrooms is tile according to many people and their experiences. If put properly, it can resist water and clean up effectively. You also need to think about how long the tiles will last. Conduct your homework on vinyl planks, porcelain tiles, and ceramic tiles.
Porcelain tiles are our preferred choice here at Nachman Renovation Company. For bathroom remodeling, we frequently pick to install porcelain tile. It is a stronger tile that is also highly sturdy and has a very low tendency to absorb moisture (good for high moisture areas). Porcelain tiles typically have an absorption rate of less than 0.5%. Porcelain tiles come in a wide variety of styles. You may also get ones that mimic wood, mix and match, and experiment with the design.
There are various possibilities for bathroom tiles, but make sure to verify the porosity rating of your tile and preserve it from moisture.
The concept of tiling the entire bathroom sounds like an amazing idea! When combined with a curbless shower, it produces such a sleek, seamless appearance.
Installed, porcelain tiles typically cost between $5 and $15 per square foot. Vinyl tiles are also resilient, simple to maintain, and reasonably priced.
Don’t try to install hardwood flooring for your bathroom renovation
Stay clear from hardwood floors if the location has a lot of dampness! Although laminate flooring is a substitute for hardwood, it is not slip-resistant. Laminate flooring’s exposed core is another place where moisture can seep in and lead to mold problems.
Do make sure to waterproof your floor
The next step is waterproofing, assuming your subfloor is sound and level. Lay a layer of unaltered thinset mortar on your substrate before attaching your watertight, uncoupling membrane on it. You arrange your tiles lastly after adding another layer of thinset mortar on top of the membarne. Modified thinset mortar cannot cure adequately without air, thus we avoid using it. Both the waterproof membrane and the tile are airtight. It would take an eternity to dry since there would be no airflow.
When there is moisture present, all floors swell and shrink. You’ll start to see cracks in your tiles and grout as a result of the substrate’s expansion and contraction. Key to this process is the uncoupling membrane, which permits the substrate to expand and contract at its own rate without impacting the tile layer above. Skipping this step could be a bad idea and may result in unexpected outcomes later during the renovation.
Don’t forget to thoroughly inspect the underlay
You cannot accurately assess the condition of the underlay without pulling up the current flooring. Remove the outdated flooring, evaluate the condition of the subfloor, and make any necessary repairs. You would not want the floor of your bathroom to conceal any undiscovered problems that can cause mold. Try to do it right when it’s still your first time. If your bathroom floor is the case, don’t cut corners to not feel any regrets later.
Do make your floor ready for tiling
It’s crucial to level your floor before tiling. Using a level to measure the dip is one method of determining whether your flooring is uneven. A ball can also be rolled on the ground to see if it moves in the direction of a dip. You can keep the floor in your bathroom from having cracks, dips, or even squeaks by taking the extra time to make it level and true. A flat floor also makes it much simpler to install tiles.
Don’t hesitate to invest your money in heated tile flooring
Stepping onto a freezing floor first thing in the morning is not something that you would want to experience. Therefore, we strongly advise you to think about floor heating systems if you are investing in new bathroom floors. Formerly, in-floor heating systems were only available for brand-new construction. They may now be quickly put in a bathroom that already exists, so that is no longer the case. Uncoupling technology is a feature of Schluter’s DITRA-HEAT series of electric floor warming systems that prevents tiled floors and grout from cracking.
Our skilled and experienced crew has some advice for you: always keep a box of spare tiles on available in case you need to replace one in a few years. Finding an exact match years after you installed the original tile is difficult, but replacing a broken tile is quite simple.
Nachman Renovation Company is always at your service to offer you assistance for bathroom renovations and answer all your questions along the process. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experienced staff for your upcoming projects.