How To Repair A Rotted Bathroom Floor

Suspecting that your Bath Floor & Subfloor might exist Rotted due to H2o damage?

In this guide you will acquire:

Common Causes of Rotted Bathroom Floors
How to tell if your Subfloor has Started to Rot and if it can be repaired or will need to be replaced completely.
How to Repair & Replace Rotted Bath Subfloor & Floor.

Rotting Bathroom floors can pose a serious run a risk to the safety of you lot, your family, and the structural integrity of your home.

Bathrooms in particular are at greater adventure of water harm than most other rooms in the house, and when wood gets wet it becomes prone to rotting.

Most Common Causes Of Rotted Bathroom Floors & Subfloors

Given that the bath likely has more plumbing in it than well-nigh other rooms in your dwelling house, the most common cause of rotted flooring and h2o damage is going to be leaks.

Even uncomplicated things like splashes and tub spills can lead to serious water damage if left ignored, so it is important to become them cleaned up right abroad.

Cracks in your pipes and plumbing tin can also lead to water arresting into the wood, and could go undetected until the damage is already done.

If in that location's a room beneath the bathroom, check the ceiling in that room. Dark spotting or discoloration could indicate a leak in the plumbing.

Another culprit could be an improperly sealed toilet. Most toilets connect to the floor with a flange, which is so sealed with a wax ring.

If the wax ring isn't properly installed or breaks, the toilet will leak, and nearly of that water volition leak into the floor underneath. If you expect effectually the base of your toilet where it meets the floor and the wood looks softened or discolored, chances are good there is a leak which has begun to damage the flooring underneath.

If left too long, the flooring will need replaced entirely. In the worst case, your Subfloor in the bathroom will need to be replaced as well.

How Practice I Know If My Bathroom Floor Is Rotted?

Rotted subflooring is a upshot of unresolved and ongoing water impairment. When water leaks or splashes are allowed to continue to accrue, your flooring in bathroom will continue to absorb moisture, and over time as information technology remains in contact with the subflooring will brainstorm to cause rot.

Signs of rotting bathroom subflooring include:

1. clammy, musty smell

Rotting wood gives off a singled-out, unpleasant odor, and is a good indicator your flooring and subflooring are beginning to rot.

2. Mold and/or mildew that keeps growing back

Ongoing moisture issues provide ideal weather for mold and mildew to abound.

3. Warped floorboards and walls

When woods absorbs moisture, it swells and warps, causing uneven floor and tin can fifty-fifty wick up into the walls.

4. Soft, squishy, or spongy floor

As wood rots, it volition become soft and spongy, causing the floor to feel soft or accept an aberrant amount of give to it when stepped on.

5. Noticeable gaps in the caulking betwixt the tub and the floor, or the tiling

As the flooring continues to rot, things like tubs and tiling can shift, causing gaps to appear in the caulking which tin atomic number 82 to more h2o getting in and exacerbating the process.

Should You Repair Or Replace?

In most instances of severe water damage, the best selection is to have the subflooring in your bathroom completely replaced.

In some instances where the rot is only surface-level and in a small area cutting out the affected expanse and replacing it with new plywood/floorboards will make more sense.

In cases of serious water damage and wood rot that has taken over all your subfloor in the bathroom, replacing is the safest route to go.

Once woods has begun to rot, the damage is irreversible. When wet, forest begins to grow a certain type of fungi that feeds off of the moisture, which in plow destroys the forest as it does so.

This process is detrimental to wooden flooring, subflooring, and floor joists.

If rot has begun to take concur of your floor joists, a repair merely isn't viable. They will need to be replaced. The flooring will no longer be safe, equally it will begin to sink, and could even become compromised completely over time.

H2o Damaged Bath Floor or Subfloor?

Call844-994-1288 for a Risk Complimentary estimate from a Licensed Water Damage Restoration Specialist in your area.

We Tin Assistance Assess the Damage & Repair / Supervene upon your Subfloor.

How To Supervene upon A Rotted Bathroom Subfloor

Replacing a Rotted Bathroom Floor / Subfloor can take anywhere from 8 to 24 hours of bodily labor fourth dimension, so you'll desire to plan in advance so you accept enough time to finish

Earlier you begin you'll demand to turn off the water to the bathroom.You should also consider cutting the power to the bathroom via your billow box, if possible, to eliminate whatsoever adventure of electric shock.

Before beginning, you'll want to also gather some tools and materials such as:

A circular saw
A variable speed drill for driving screws
A measuring tape
Chalk
A claw hammer
A pry bar
Spare hardware, such every bit nails and screws, two to 3 inches thick depending on your subflooring
Sheets of Plywood the same thickness as your current subfloor if y'all have plywood subfloor & if you lot plan to only replace some areas.
New Floorboards if you your subfloor isn't plywood.

As ever, be sure to wear necessary protective gear such as safety glasses, and follow all manufacturer instructions and precautions when using power tools.

One time you've gathered your tools and materials and have replacement plywood to supercede the rotten areas, the process to replace your rotten bathroom subfloor tin be broken down as follows.

ane.Remove fixtures as necessary

First and foremost, y'all'll demand to remove any bathroom fixtures that might be in the way if the area beneath them has been affected.

This tin can include toilets, sinks, cabinets, and even bathtubs or showers in some instances.

If you're planning on doing a remodel anyways, removal should be relatively easy. Just if there are fixtures you want to save, this tin become complicated very quickly.

Be as gentle as possible with anything you lot want to save, and make certain yous have a new wax ring and bolts prepare in example you have to remove the toilet.

2.Remove flooring and underlayment

The easiest way to remove the bathroom floor is ordinarily to start at the wall, and work your fashion inward. Remove the moulding along the wall (once more, doing so carefully if you're intending to reuse information technology), then first sliding out planks if it'southward a floating floor.

If it's a flooring that's nailed/glued downwards using a crowbar or claw hammer, pry up the old flooring. If you're removing laminate, you may need a scoring tool of some sort.

If your bathroom has ceramic tile floor, chances are its going to break when you lot remove it, and then it's probably best to programme on replacing information technology.

But if you lot're intent on trying to save it, you tin can endeavor to exercise so by removing the grout first with something like a grout saw or utility knife, then working the tile loose with a putty knife.

Once the bathroom floor is up, the underlayment should be exposed, which tin can be removed well-nigh every bit easily. Unlike subflooring which runs the length of the firm, underlayment is specific to each room, and hopefully acted as a barrier to prevent damage to the subflooring.

It may take some elbow grease if it's been glued down, but in the event of nails a claw hammer volition practice the play a trick on.

iii.Assess damage to the subflooring

With the subfloor exposed, this is when it comes time to run into the severity of the wood rot in your bath subfloor & deciding whether the subflooring needs to be completely replaced or only some areas of it.

Whatsoever signs of water damage or rot to your subflooring should be taken seriously, and when deciding whether to supersede information technology'due south e'er best to err on the side of caution.

If the rot has gone all the fashion through the bathroom subflooring and is completely rotten, removing it and so it tin can be replaced will be necessary.

If there are visible signs of mold or mildew in the wood, yous'll want to use caution while working in the area.

Cheque the areas around where your toilet is/was at this fourth dimension, and encounter if information technology will need replaced as well.

Toilets are ane of the most common culprits of rotten bathroom subfloors.

Anywhere y'all meet signs of water harm should be assessed to ensure the structural integrity hasn't been compromised, and you should always prioritize your family's safety over cut costs in materials.

four.Cheque plumbing for functionality

With the floor removed, now is also a adept time to audit the visible plumbing of your bathroom. Spotting signs of leaks and other water impairment should exist easier now.

Look effectually where the toilet and sink were installed in particular, as those are oft problematic areas.

If you removed the tub and/or shower, now would besides be a good time to cheque that plumbing for leaks likewise. In the event of croaky or severely damaged plumbing, it might exist worth considering if its time to call in a professional for aid.

Replacing the flooring will be for nought if it's but going to get wet again.

5.Remove and replace subflooring where needed

Subflooring generally runs across the bridge of the business firm and underneath walls, so removing the damaged section is going to take some cutting, which is where the circular saw comes into play.

If planning to supplant only a smaller section of your rotten bathroom subfloor we volition need to cut out the rotten areas and supplant them with new plywood or floorboards.

We will focus more on replacing Rotten Plywood Subfloors, the process will exist almost the same for floorboards.

Measure carefully while making note of the dimensions (write these down), and apply chalk lines to outline the area that needs cutting.
While cutting, follow the chalk lines carefully and be sure to wearable safety glasses to avoid any incidents involving flying splinters.
Ensure that each cutting bypasses an intersection with an adjacent cutting by near an inch so that information technology cuts completely through the plywood.

Once all cuts have been fabricated, remove the section of plywood subflooring. If nailed downwards, a claw hammer will be your best bet, but if glued this may crave the utilize of that prybar again.

Now that the joists are exposed, accept time to inspect your floor joists, and ensure they oasis't begun to rot also.

Unfortunately floor joists can't be repaired in the same manner every bit subflooring, and if they are h2o damaged or showing signs of mold volition need to be replaced, sometimes new floor joists tin be "sistered-in".

If they're damaged and demand to exist replaced, this is definitely a betoken where yous should consider calling in a professional person. Replacing joists can be unsafe work, and if done improperly tin be a major safety adventure for you and your family.

If you see whatever signs of mold or mildew, now is the time to address that every bit well.

Next, you'll desire to cutting a piece of new plywood using the dimensions you gathered earlier (you lot wrote them downward, correct?). Brand certain you lot measure carefully considering this will need to fit into the hole you just created.

Lastly, affix the newly cutting plywood on tiptop of the joists, and spiral information technology down using the drill and screws. Brand sure y'all're screwing in to the floor joists, and keep the screws roughly 4-6 inches apart.

If the h2o damage is severe and all of the subfloor in your bathroom is completely rotted and needs to exist replaced, this will require taking upward/sawing out all of the subfloor and replacing information technology with new sheets of plywood.

6.Putting everything back in place

Once this is all finished, the whole procedure resumes in reverse.

Start with the new underlayment, and secure it to the new subflooring much the way you secured the subflooring to the joists.

If the toilet needed reseating, at present is the time to install the new flange and ensure the wax ring is set up properly.

Based on the type of tub you accept, this might be a good time to reinstall it as well. Doing and then will prevent it from scratching upwardly the flooring when applicable, and will make waterproofing the edges effectually it easier and more constructive.

One time this is done and the underlayment is secured, you tin begin reinstalling the flooring.

Depending on what kind of flooring you lot had, this could exist as easy equally sliding boards back into identify, or laying downwards new laminate. If your bathroom flooring was tiled, this unfortunately ways laying downwards the new tile, in which case you should follow all tile laying guidelines to ensure a watertight seal between them.

With the flooring back in place, installing remaining fixtures such as sinks, vanities, and toilets should exist a relatively easy procedure.

Ensure all seals are watertight when reassembling whatever plumbing below sinks, and apply caution when nailing molding back into place along the walls.

If yous're installing laminate or hardwood of whatsoever kind, exist sure to get out a gap for expansion below the molding, and permit the wood to properly acclimate to the room beforehand.

Subfloor Needs Replacing?

Call844-994-1288 for a Complimentary estimate from a Licensed Water Damage Restoration Specialist in your area.

Nosotros Tin can Aid Assess the damage & Repair/Replace Water Damaged Subfloors.

How Much Does Information technology Cost To Replace Rotted Bathroom Floor & Does Insurance Encompass Information technology?

On boilerplate, replacing a plywood subfloor costs between $800 and $1600 in a 300 square foot bathroom.

Depending on the size and complication of your bathroom'southward floor layout every bit well as the local contractor rates, you lot could be looking at spending more or less.

This will also depend if you are replacing the whole subfloor in your bath or only some parts of it need to exist cut out/replaced.

If doing yourself, You're looking at a range of $3 and $7 per foursquare human foot for materials, more than if you determine to bound for high terminate fabric or if you take floorboards instead of plywood every bit your subfloor. It's of import to remember that there will exist additional costs of labour/material if you besides demand your flooring replaced.

If you lot find out that your Floor joists are also rotten and demand to exist replaced in the bathroom, this tin skyrocket the prices!

In the outcome of water damaged subflooring that needs replaced, homeowner'southward insurance will normally cover subfloor replacement if it's due to recent water damage & Not negligence.

When consulting with a contractor, contact your insurance company to determine whether replacing the subflooring will be necessary and whether or not it will be covered past your insurance.

Can I Replace The Rotted Subfloor And Flooring Myself?

Replacing your ain rotted flooring and subflooring is possible, but will require some specialized equipment and materials. If yous experience confident in your ability and accept admission to the necessary tools and equipment/materials needed, it is entirely viable to supercede the rotted subflooring yourself.

I thing to bear in mind, however, is that subflooring typically runs in a continuous sheet underneath the walls. In order to replace it, you'll be looking at sawing out damaged portions of the subflooring, and potentially replacing damaged floor joists equally well.

Again, this can all exist washed with some proper research and no small-scale amount of patience, but should be given the proper consideration when deciding whether to take on this project yourself.

When To Call A Professional

Water Damaged subfloors & floor joists can lead to serious structural issues, and need to be properly repaired to ensure the safety of your bathroom floor.

If yous ever discover yourself questioning the integrity of your floor joists, that is a fairly articulate indicator it's time to get professional person assist or at to the lowest degree an assessment.

If there is serious forest rot in your bath subfloor, the adventure is you will need to replace all of the subflooring which often is best left to a professional.

Even if y'all've already started the repair yourself, if at any betoken you feel similar you're doing more damage than good, stop and contact a professional. Doing so could prevent more serious damage from being further incurred, and could prevent more costly repair bills in doing so.

Nosotros have Water Damage Restoration Technicians that can assistance accept intendance of your Rotten / Water Damaged Bath Floors/Subfloors.

For Disasters of all Sizes,available in 95% of the U.s.

Source: https://www.waterdamageplus.com/floor/replacing-rotted-bathroom-floor-subfloor/

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