What Type Of Subfloor For Bathroom

Choosing the wrong subfloor for your needs or having one installed incorrectly can have disastrous consequences further down the road.

What type of subfloor for bathroom.

Preparation for installing floor tile depends on the type of subfloor in the room you are tiling. If you are remodeling an existing bathroom you might find particle board or other less expensive wood fiber type products. If installed over concrete the recommended subfloor is either 3 4 inch thick plywood or 2x4s and a vapor barrier of either asphalt felt and mastic or polyethylene film is required. Some engineered wood flooring can be installed as floating floors over a wood subfloor or consrete slab.

A subfloor is the bottom most structural level of your floor. Excess moisture in the subfloor is a common reason for early replacement of bathroom flooring but it can be prevented by choosing the right material from the beginning. That usually means the underlayment and the subfloor also get wet. For more information download our pdf about types of subfloors.

My question is what type of wood should i use for a bathroom sub floor. It supports your decorative floor finish whether it s carpet hardwood vinyl laminate or tile. For this reason ceramic and porcelain tile floors can be considered somewhat delicate despite the inherent strength of the material. However you re not out of the woods.

Also rotten wood will flex a lot and this will crack all the joints and tear silicone caulk in the corners. The bathroom floor gets wet. When installing a ceramic tile floor on a concrete subfloor you don t have to worry about flexing as long as the concrete slab is at least 1 1 8 inch thick which most slabs are. It is important to choose the right type of subfloor for your surroundings climate and purpose as it will have a big effect on the finished result.

So your subfloor must be able to withstand this type of environment if water should get to it. Looks like you have to really check the subfloor for rot. Using the right type plywood ensures a long lasting floor. These are not good choices for a bathroom subfloor as they soak up water and they tend to swell.

By choosing the right material from the start your bathroom will stand a better chance of withstanding long term damage. Because of issues of moisture movement and adhesion ceramic tile will work well with certain types of subfloor underlayment systems and can go dramatically wrong with other subfloor materials. Concrete expands and contracts and that type of movement can also crack the tiles and the grout. Tile floors are especially heavy with layers of cement board mortar tile or stone and grout.