[Andrew6127]

Looked at a bathroom floor today, the couple wants laminate.

There is an old heat radiator and a claw foot tub.

If I lift these up and place the floor under will the floor still float? I would think the weight would pin planks in place and let the rest of the floor still move causing some ugly joints later.

Aside from the weight, will the heat radiator 1 and 3/4 inches from the floor cause any issues?

Thoughts please and thank you.

 

[pinwheel]

For sure the wrong product for that application.

 

[Andrew6127]

For sure the wrong product for that application.

Right or wrong there is a check with my name on it at the end of the job.

I only have two concerns with a job. 1. It will be done correctly, 2. My money.

I'd carpet their bathroom if the price was right.

 

[ccoffer]

If the bathroom is small enough, I'd not care at all whether it "floats" or is pinned by the tub. Besides, the tub probably doesn't weigh any more than an entertainment center full of crap. Not to mention a decent sized bookcase.

 

[FRAME2FINISH]

No way even the slightest water will ruin it, I asked earlier if there was a new product out,

I didn't see it, I put laminate in my l/r , brought firewood into the wood burning room wood melted went under a two x sill and swelled the laminate!!!

I'm talking little amount of water, kinda like when your getting out of tub or shower . God forbid it got past the shower curtain!!!

It's your job too sell your customer the best floor for its use .

 

[rusty baker]

Right or wrong there is a check with my name on it at the end of the job.

I only have two concerns with a job. 1. It will be done correctly, 2. My money.

I'd carpet their bathroom if the price was right.

I don't do a job, if it's the wrong product for the application and will fail. The customer will blame you and it will cost you another job sometime.

 

[FRAME2FINISH]

Right or wrong there is a check with my name on it at the end of the job.

I only have two concerns with a job. 1. It will be done correctly, 2. My money.

I'd carpet their bathroom if the price was right.

How can it be done correctly if it's the wrong product too begin with?

 

[Golden view]

As long as your warranty is 1 day or less, go ahead and do it and make the rest of us look better.

 

[BThomas]

Andrew
I don't recommend laminate flooring for a bathroom but - If the customer wants it take some precautions. You will get open joints if you set the rad, tub and even the toilet on the laminate and remove the ability for it to move. You can set the toilet on a marble slab ( Required ) and trim to it. You can use solid blocking under the rad and tub feet and trim and 1/4 round to them. And most important - Glue and seal all the interlocking pieces with TB2-3. When laminate flooring first came out it required gluing all joint in kitchens and baths. I don't believe it is required now but I would not install laminate in any wet location without glue. It is easy. Just keep a bucket of water and rag with you to wipe any excess right away.
Bill T

 

[MIKE ANTONETTI]

Make them aware of potential problems, that it shouldn't be done, and ways to try to prevent known problems.
Use a quality laminate , I wouldn't be concerned about weight of tub, full of. 8lb per gallon water and the weight of person, the expansion will occur from that point out. Yes glue the joints, supposedly the areas of expansion should be filled with silicone, I question that based on cost of the tubes of silicone.
Concerns of radiator are nill. If they keep area rugs to catch drips I think they'll be ok, good exhaust system helps for humidity.
The bowl I do silicone the hell out of the area around drain flange expansion joint.

 

[dsconstructs]

It's not the weight, it's the water that should keep you from installing it in the bathroom.

Aside from that, I have 4 fish tanks in a room with laminate flooring ranging from 55 to 125 gallons. I (somehow) have no problems with it other than a few planks that will need replacing behind one of the tanks after not noticing a slow leak from a filter for a couple days.

 

[66 Shelby]

I, personally, wouldn't put any type of 'floating floor' in a bath/wet area. Too much potential for major problems. Also consider this, in your case - Water weighs approx 8 pounds per gallon. How many gallons does the tub hold? Do the math and divide that by the 4 legs that the tub sits on. Crushed floor at the weight points. Add in splashed water plus the radiator creating a moist environment = recipe for disaster IMO. If the HO INSISTS on it - NO WARRANTY! Get a SOLID contract written BEFORE the work is done. JM2C.

 

[ArtisanRemod]

Cheap Laminate in a wet bathroom will look like junk in just weeks. Why risk it?

 

[ccoffer]

WTF? Who gives a damn what people want to put in? It's their friggen house. I'd dare somebody to blame me for a product failure of any kind. What the hell are they going to do? Get an inspector to say the installer should have told them to go to hell?

I get that everyone wants to feel important, but holy shyte.

 

[JHC]

I think it would be more of them telling anyone who will listen to what a hack you are.

 

[MIKE ANTONETTI]

Hack is a word used for the quality of an installation, not a poor choice, or less than optimal decision on the type of flooring .
There are other wood products in bathrooms. Of far less moisture resistance than a high quality laminate.

 

[PrecisionFloors]

I give potential customers information. Free of charge. What they do with it is up to them. I'm in business to make money, not protect people from themselves. That's the government's job (apparently). That being said, vinyl plank would be a lot better choice and would accomplish the aesthetic goals that laminate will. If I couldn't convince them of that I'd question my ability to sell and their ability to think.

 

[ccoffer]

In other words, you aren't some arrogant prick who has elected himself the arbiter of what a consumer is allowed to have installed in their home.

Maybe we have that in common. hehe

 

[FrankSmith]

WTF? Who gives a damn what people want to put in? It's their friggen house. I'd dare somebody to blame me for a product failure of any kind. What the hell are they going to do? Get an inspector to say the installer should have told them to go to hell?

I get that everyone wants to feel important, but holy shyte.

So you care if a few pieces get pinned down and the joins come apart but not if the floor gets wet and falls apart? How do you decide which issues warrant your concern?

When some one contacts me about a job I have two goals. One is to answer there questions as well as I possibly can. If they are talking to other contractors me goal is to provide obviously better answers and ideas. If I do this I do not have to sell me business based on what I think is important because I already sold them based on what they think i important.

Number two and more relevant to this conversation. Regardless if I get the job or not it is my goal that they are glad that I was involved. Perhaps I got the job and did an awesome job. Or maybe I talked them out of the job. Regardless of what happens if they are glad they called me, it will benefit me some how.

 

[pinwheel]

I really don't care what people do with their own homes. What I do care about, is that they call me to give them good advice & call me back on the next project, or tell their friends how happy they were with how the project came out. If I recommend a product that fails, they're likely not calling me back the next time they need work done.I'm with precision, luxury vinyl would be a good option.