Hi folks

I could use some ideas for covering a concrete bathroom floor, am a bit
stuck. AIUI the main options are vinyl, tiles, carpet, and expensive
applied waterproof finishes such as asphalt. I've tried an impermeable
finish (vinyl) and the result is the concrete soon becomes soaking wet,
and anything attached loses its grip, and of course if left like that
theres going to be quite a damp problem. So it needs to be something
porous (it stays dry with a porous covering) - and all I can think of
is carpet! Nooo, pleeease. Is there anything else?? Or is there no
other choice for this one.

If carpet is the only choice, I wouldnt know what carpet to use.
Bathroom carpets IIRC have an impermeable backing, so theyre out. That
leaves only non-bathroom rated carpets, which sounds less than ideal.


ta, NT

wrote:
Hi folks

I could use some ideas for covering a concrete bathroom floor, am a bit
stuck. AIUI the main options are vinyl, tiles, carpet, and expensive
applied waterproof finishes such as asphalt. I've tried an impermeable
finish (vinyl) and the result is the concrete soon becomes soaking wet,
and anything attached loses its grip, and of course if left like that
theres going to be quite a damp problem. So it needs to be something
porous (it stays dry with a porous covering) - and all I can think of
is carpet! Nooo, pleeease. Is there anything else?? Or is there no
other choice for this one.

If carpet is the only choice, I wouldnt know what carpet to use.
Bathroom carpets IIRC have an impermeable backing, so theyre out. That
leaves only non-bathroom rated carpets, which sounds less than ideal.

Instead of rubber/waffle-backed bathroom carpet you could have non-bathroom
carpet such as a cord, but unless the damp issue is sorted you will still
have problems - no carpet will cope with very wet conditions. What is the
source of this water that caused the vinyl to be soaking wet? Is it caused
by splashes from the bath/sink, or people stepping straight out of the bath
dripping wet onto the floor? Ceramic floor tiles might be a better option.

I've tried an impermeable finish (vinyl) and the result is the
concrete soon becomes soaking wet,

You've got to work out why this is the case. Is the damp coming up through
the concrete, down the walls and under the vinyl? Or, perhaps, is it treated
like a wet room, with people not bothering the scrape the worst of the water
off before stepping out of the bath?

If carpet is the only choice, I wouldnt know what carpet to use.
Bathroom carpets IIRC have an impermeable backing, so theyre out. That
leaves only non-bathroom rated carpets, which sounds less than ideal.

There is always an alternative to carpet in a bathroom. Cyanide pills, for
one.

Christian.

Huge wrote:

There is always an alternative to carpet in a bathroom. Cyanide pills, for
one.

No need. When you slip up on a wet tile/marble/vinyl/WHY bathroom
floor and crack your head on the corner of the bath, you'll be dead
anyway.


I'm with Christian on that one - carpet in kitchens and bathrooms is the
work of the devil. I'll take my chances with slipping any day (and this
is from someone who spent 3 months in a cast last year after slipping on
some loose gravel :-).


--
Grunff

The message
from Grunff contains these words:

I'm with Christian on that one - carpet in kitchens and bathrooms is the
work of the devil.

Yup - bathrooms should have impermeable floors.

You could use the heavyweight vinyl that's used to do sealed bathrooms.
There's a trick to mitering the corners so there's an upswept curved
corner. That'd keep the moisture out from under and provide a nice easy
to clean floor, too.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

On 2 Oct 2006 11:58:22 GMT, Huge wrote:

And even in our kitchen we have sea-grass matting over
the slippery, hard, ugly, dangerous tiles, which I throw out and replace
every few months.

puzzled

If you don't like the tiles why do you replace them every few months?

Christian McArdle wrote:

I've tried an impermeable finish (vinyl) and the result is the
concrete soon becomes soaking wet,

You've got to work out why this is the case. Is the damp coming up through
the concrete, down the walls and under the vinyl? Or, perhaps, is it treated
like a wet room, with people not bothering the scrape the worst of the water
off before stepping out of the bath?

I guess either its a poor dpc or its bathers... which one I dont know.
Leave the floor bare and it stays dry though, soon redrying after
splashing, hence a permeable covering would work. But under the vinyl
that was put down, it just soaked.

However what solution to either of the above is there? Any
afterward-applied sealant would cause the slab to soak and then there
would be a real wall damp problem... so the simple solution is to stick
with a permeable covering.

And carpet is the only permeable covering I can think of. I dont want
to carpet it though, really.


If carpet is the only choice, I wouldnt know what carpet to use.
Bathroom carpets IIRC have an impermeable backing, so theyre out. That
leaves only non-bathroom rated carpets, which sounds less than ideal.

There is always an alternative to carpet in a bathroom. Cyanide pills, for
one.

quite


NT

On 2 Oct 2006 13:19:54 GMT, Huge wrote:

On 2006-10-02, Steve Firth wrote:
On 2 Oct 2006 11:58:22 GMT, Huge wrote:

And even in our kitchen we have sea-grass matting over
the slippery, hard, ugly, dangerous tiles, which I throw out and replace
every few months.

puzzled

If you don't like the tiles why do you replace them every few months?

There's always one.

And I fully intend it will always be me.

Carpet, carpet tiles-- over 35 years we tried all variations. The best
long-lasting and above all hygienic solution in the bathroom is ceramic
tiles with a washable cotton/synthetic nonslip-backed bathroom rug on the
surface, next to the bath or shower and in front of the toilet. Carpeting
plus moisture plus warmth = bacteria (and fungus) multiplying. This is
especially the case of carpet/carpet tiles near the toilet.

In our kitchen we have woodlook-laminate with a piece of carpeting on top of
that, as big as the free area (not under the cabinet/appliances). The
carpet is necessary because laminate is super-slippery. The carpeting can
be rolled up and sent to the cleaners-- I do that about once a year.

Those who say they've felt well in hotel rooms where there's carpeting on
the floor, especially in the bath, are kidding themselves. The bacteria and
fungus are lying in wait, delighted about new sources of nourishment.

In article ,
"MB" writes:

Those who say they've felt well in hotel rooms where there's carpeting on
the floor, especially in the bath, are kidding themselves. The bacteria and
fungus are lying in wait, delighted about new sources of nourishment.

My body came with a mechanism to protect it from bacteria and
fungus. This mechanism does require constant exposure to these
items in order to continue working properly, and so creating a
super clean environment is a very bad thing.

--
Andrew Gabriel

Owain wrote:
wrote:

I guess either its a poor dpc or its bathers... which one I dont know.
Leave the floor bare and it stays dry though, soon redrying after
splashing, hence a permeable covering would work. But under the vinyl
that was put down, it just soaked.
And carpet is the only permeable covering I can think of. I dont want
to carpet it though, really.

There's a variety of mesh, interwoven, and ribbed matting and
duck-boarding available from industrial suppliers. Non-slip and
resilient so kinder on the tootsies than concrete, and easily lifted and
hosed through if it gets mildewy.

Owain

I suspect that may be what this rooms needs, regardless of taste.
Commercial grade carpet tiles I've seen were always solid backed, will
have to look around for some mesh backed ones. Still have not come to
accept this though!


thanks, NT

MB wrote:
Carpet, carpet tiles-- over 35 years we tried all variations. The best
long-lasting and above all hygienic solution in the bathroom is ceramic
tiles with a washable cotton/synthetic nonslip-backed bathroom rug on the
surface, next to the bath or shower and in front of the toilet. Carpeting
plus moisture plus warmth = bacteria (and fungus) multiplying. This is
especially the case of carpet/carpet tiles near the toilet.

In our kitchen we have woodlook-laminate with a piece of carpeting on top of
that, as big as the free area (not under the cabinet/appliances). The
carpet is necessary because laminate is super-slippery. The carpeting can
be rolled up and sent to the cleaners-- I do that about once a year.

Those who say they've felt well in hotel rooms where there's carpeting on
the floor, especially in the bath, are kidding themselves. The bacteria and
fungus are lying in wait, delighted about new sources of nourishment.


Not so.

If the heating and ventilation are good, the carpet will dry out very fast.

If its swept daily, no spores will remain in it either.

As an inveterate asthmatic, I know what a low fungal environment comes
from: cleanliness and dryness.

The "hygiene" issue is a red herring, unless you are in the habit
of regularly missing the lavatory.

Actually, studies have shown that most urine contamination is through
unavoidable aerosol, not through poor aim.

Christian.

On 2006-10-04 13:29:11 +0100, "Christian McArdle"
said:

The "hygiene" issue is a red herring, unless you are in the habit
of regularly missing the lavatory.

Actually, studies have shown that most urine contamination is through
unavoidable aerosol, not through poor aim.

Christian.

Reminds me of the Swedish pharmacist sketch (you need to add the accent
for it to work):

Man: I would like to buy some deodorant please

Pharmacist: Ball or aerosol?

Man: Neither. I want it for under my arms.