How To Install Floating Vinyl Plank Flooring In A Bathroom: 6 Step Process DIY Solution

Many people are finding themselves interested in installing vinyl plank flooring in their bathrooms as it’s recently been a new trend among amateur homeowners.

And, since you’re reading this article, you must be too, right? Well, good news for you because this article is a detailed guide on how to install floating vinyl plank flooring in a bathroom.

Mind you, it is drawing attention because it has a special characteristic: they look like wood or ceramic floors but they aren’t. You can also easily install it on your bathroom floor yourself. That’s great!

Check this Too: Bathroom Rugs Safe for Vinyl Flooring

How To Install Floating Vinyl Plank Flooring In A Bathroom

However, before we step into the main territory, let’s find out what tools you are going to need.

Important Tools To Use:

• 2 x Husky Knee Pads: for security and comfort  
• 1 x Demo Bar tool
• 1 x Belt Sander tool
• 1 x Tapping Block Hammer
• 1 x Non-marring Mallet tool
• 1 x Jigsaw Machine Electric
• 1 x 13” Vinyl & Laminate Cutter

Necessary Materials For The Job:

• Vinyl Plank Flooring Tiles: An ample amount  
• Threshold Molding: According to your need
• Flooring Installation Kit: Full size
• Quick Clamps: According to your need
• 100% silicone Caulk: In amount according to the need

Step 1: Getting Rid Of Flooring That You Already Have

• Toilet removal: First off, you need to remove the toilet temporarily. Don’t worry! We’ll install it after the flooring is completed.

• Removing the existing tiles from the floor: At this point, with the help of a pry bar and a large demo bar, you should start pulling out your existing tiles from the floor. And, gradually detach all the pre-existing flooring tiles.

But, be cautious not to damage any water line running under the floor.

Step 2: Preparing The Subfloor

• Evaluating the floor level: Check and verify if your floor is evenly leveled or not. If it has a hump or something, you have to flatten it.

• Get rid of the mastic, nails, and seam lines: At this level, you have to get rid of all the mastic from the floor. If you see the seam lines from previously installed tile flooring being prominent, use a belt sander to level the floor.

Also, check if any nail heads are sticking up on your floor and get rid of those too.

Notes: While completing all these steps, be sure to wear your knee pads or you could end up hurting your knees.

Step 3: Preparing The Toilet Flange And Extra Underlayment

• Lowering the toilet flange: You have to choose if you need to lower your toilet flange or not. In order to do that, put a piece of vinyl plank beside the existing toilet flange. 

Your vinyl plank should be at the same level as your toilet flange. If your toilet flange is a little higher, you may need to install a lower one.

• Applying silicone caulk: Clean up the surrounding floor of your bathtub and apply silicone caulk alongside the bathtub sideline.

Step 4: Making A Layout And Installing The Tiles

• Initiate a layout: Now, you need to measure the total area of your bathroom. It is better to sketch your bathroom floor in your notebook. 

Also, calculate the area of each Vinyl plank tile. 

Now, compare and evaluate how many tiles of vinyl planks you will have to use to cover up the whole floor.

• Taking note of the straight reference line: At this point, you will be installing the first row of tiles along the straight reference line along your bathroom wall. 

If your reference line is not straight, it can be tricky to adjust the vinyl plank tiles to the reference line.

However, you can use a tile cutter to cut down on your tiles and adjust with the reference line of your bathroom floor. Here’s a video of how you can do it.

Also, you can use the jigsaw cutter to cut your tiles to your desired size and shape.

• Make ample holes for the waterline and your toilet flange: In the spot where your toilet will be, you have to make a hole in the vinyl plank tile where the toilet flange can sit. Also, to make place for other water pipelines entering the floor, you have to make necessary holes in the tiles.

In order to cut a hole for your toilet flange, you can use a second spare toilet flange to use as a reference while cutting the hole through the tiles.

If you see there’s still space between your tiles and the toilet flange after cutting your tile, use silicone caulk to fill up the gap in between.

Step 5: Install The Flooring Tiles And Tapping:

• Installing the vinyl plank flooring around the toilet flange space: Now it’s time to install your first row of tiles along with the bathtub and the toilet flange. 

After you have successfully installed the specifically designed tiles around the bathtub and your toilet flange, the rest of the vinyl plank tiles are easy to install.

• Tapping the 2nd row of tiles into place: Install the second row of your vinyl plank tiles keeping the first row as a reference. In this process, use a soft mallet and tapping block so your tiles don’t accidentally get shattered.

Carefully tap through the seams with a mallet. This will lock the tiles in their place and the first row will be integrated with the second row of tiles.

• Cover the floor with vinyl tiles: Now that you have completed placing the first and second row of your vinyl tiles, gradually install and tap through the 4th and 5th row and so on.

Slowly, you will cover the whole bathroom floor. If you reach the air vent of your bathroom floor, install a specially cut tile around the air vent that is specifically made suitable for your air vent.

Now, gradually install and tap the remaining tiles until you have reached installing the last row of your tiles.

Step 6: Setting Up the Trim, And Applying Silicone:

• Placing vinyl plank tiles around the bathroom door trim: Select the vinyl tile that you will be putting around the door trim. Sketch the tile with a pencil where the door trim is likely to be placed. Use a jigsaw cutter to make a cut in the tile to accommodate the door trim.

Now, slowly install the tile that is cut for the door trim. Take the help of a mallet to place the tile correctly into its place. 

• Applying silicone caulk to cover any space in between: If you see any vacuum line between the installed tiles and the door trim, apply silicone caulk in that space to fill it up. 

Also, apply silicone caulk around the bathroom wall lines to fill up any existing vacuum between the Vinyl planks and the wall.

What You’ve Been Missing

Karndean Flooring Problems
Vinyl Flooring in Bathroom
Best Alternatives to Caulking Around the Bathtub

Final Words

Well, there you have it, people. Hopefully, you have successfully finished installing Vinyl plank flooring in your bathroom after following the aforementioned steps. It wasn’t that hard, was it?.

For additional help in the process, you can consider watching this video to get more ideas of which direction to lay vinyl plank flooring in bathrooms. 

The article above is dedicated to readers like you so you can approach the DIY way of installing vinyl plank flooring in the bathroom. We wish you the best of luck in the process of doing so. Have a nice day, thanks !!!