Your Bathroom Floor Needs Repairs? Here is What You Must Know!

When you step into your bathroom, there are a few things as discouraging as feeling the floor sag beneath your feet. Likewise, you don’t want to see tiles buckling or toilet leaning because of a rotten sub-floor. If you see any of these signs, then it’s time for action.

Types of Flooring For Your Bathroom

The level of difficulty in repairing a bathroom floor can vary considerably depending on the type of floor you have and the extent of the damage. The average cost to repair flooring can be around $350 and $1250. Here is how the prices can vary, based on the used material:

* Vinyl Flooring: In some cases, the damage may be largely superficial and easily repaired. For example, if you have a vinyl or linoleum flooring, you might be able to remove it and replace with new boards. Be aware of the design and appearance, though, to avoid a floor that looks mismatched. Some other types of damage you’ll have to address are:

* Cuts and abrasions: fix these by replacing the affected pieces with new ones; Wear and tear: your vinyl flooring will lose its sheen and new appearance with time; to make it look renewed, add felt protectors or a finish; Burns: vinyl is susceptible to burn damage, whether from a hot iron or other personal appliances you keep in the bathroom; patch the burn spot or replace the section entirely; Buckling: your vinyl wood flooring, just like any normal flooring, can start to buckle; add more adhesive to keep it in place or cut out sections that mesh with one another too much to cause the buckling;

* Tile Flooring: If you have damaged tiles, repairs can be simple or problematic depending on the issue. Some of the common ones you’ll see with ceramic and natural stone tiles are stains, cracks, chipping, loose tiles, scratches, broken tiles. To address stains and scratches, you can use natural cleaning products designed for tile or use a polish to fix the blemish. For cracks, loose tiles and broken ones, you’ll usually remove the problem tile and replace it with a new one. Make sure they match though, or you’ll have a tile that stands out in your bathroom. You should always keep some extra tiles on hand for this reason.

* Wood Flooring: Hardwood is natural and somewhat living substance. This means you could run into a wide variety of issues, especially due to moisture in the bathroom. Some repairs to face with hardwood flooring include scratches, buckling, cupping, shelling, gaps between boards and mold. The imperative part about maintaining a wood floor in the bath is to get rid of excess moisture. This is usually solved with an exhaust fan that’s cheap to install. In case of buckling, cupping, shelling, and gaps, you’ll have to replace the boards. In case of mold, you better hire a remediation service. Scratches are slightly simpler to address. You can use a sander to get rid of the issue and then apply a new stain or finish to protect the floor. Putting down rugs is also a way to keep the wood floor protected.

Can You DIY?

Here are some things to consider when you want to DIY floor repair:

* Assess if the issue is cosmetic or structural: Cosmetic problems are fairly easy to fix. For example, if a water leak has caused discoloration of your vinyl floor, it is possible to strip away the old vinyl cover and replace the damaged flooring with new vinyl. Structural problems are more labor intensive and costly. If water has caused significant damage to the structural integrity of your floor, you’re looking at an expensive repair that includes removal of all damaged flooring, repair and replacement of the sub-floor and reinstall the floor entirely.

* Address the issue that led to the floor damage: In many cases, a damaged bathroom floor is the result of plumbing issues. And not all plumbing problems are that easily visible to the untrained eye. Sometimes evidence of water damage will appear away from the actual leak itself. That’s why before starting a floor repair, address the leak at it’s source. And of course, the most cost-efficient way to do this is to hire a professional.

* Understand the extent of repair work needed: If you find that your sub-floor is damaged beyond repair, you’ll likely have to remove everything in the problem area. If removal is required, the difficulty of the repair ramps up considerably, making it likely that you’ll need the help of a pro. But if your sub-floor doesn’t need replacing, you might still consider how you’ll dry it completely to prevent mold. In many cases, specialized equipment is necessary to dry the floor to stop the growth of mold and mildew.

* Consider your skill level: Some skills you will need are general carpentry, laying tile or other floor coverings, plumbing, demolition.

More Signs of Floor Troubles

If your floor is vinyl or linoleum, you might observe a stain developing for no obvious reasons. If you have carpeted floors, you might feel unusual dampness around the impacted area. Wood floors will likely show signs of warping or buckling. If you have tiled floor, you might notice individual tiles starting to loosen or the grout lines might become discolored. If your bathroom is on the second floor of your house, you might also notice a stain on the ceiling downstairs. And all these signs can occur long before your floor begins to feel spongy or soft from water damage.

Hire a Pro

When bathroom floor repair seems overwhelming, there is no need to worry. A professional can help you repair your floor with minimum disturbance to your daily routine. They’ll be able to handle everything from damage assessment to post-job cleanup. And you know, working with a pro saves you time, money and stress.