How do I fix a rotting bathroom floor if I have a limited budget & very little handyman skills?

Question

HELP!!! I AM GOING TO FALL THROUGH THE FLOOR SOON!

Answer 1

There are great books at the library on this subject pay them a visit.

Answer 2

I've always liked half-inch plywood for such things. With a drill/screwdriver, a cardboard template and a saber saw, you should be able to knock-out a new usable floor in no time. Just screw the plywood over the old floor.

The only tricky part will be around the toilet. To do that right, remove the toilet, place the plywood, where you need to, cut the hole for the toilet, and either use an extender, a superring or a wax-extender to reconnect the toilet.

Just a caveat, when you use plywood like this (CDX costs around $17.00), it is only a temporary fix unless you protect it with vinyl or other floor covering... Except of the floor covering and if you have the tools already, you should plan on spending about $25.

Also just to let you know that if you rent, your landlord should fix the floor, as it sounds like a safety/health hazard.

I hope this helps.

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How do I fix a rotting bathroom floor if I have a limited budget & very little handyman skills?
HELP!!! I AM GOING TO FALL THROUGH THE FLOOR SOON!

Answer 4

Bathroom Floor Repair

Answer 5

Well if it gets wet there, ply-wood isn't a good idea. They make this stuff called green broad.It's for bathrooms. But it has to be covered with some type of flooring. Tile is cheaper than a lot of people think. You can get it at Home Depot. I'm not sure how much it is but take your pics with you and they can help you make the best choice without wasting your money. Cause you might have a bigger problem than you think.

Answer 6

You need to tear the floor out. You also need to look for the cause of the rot. It is probably water and it is probably near the toilet or bathtub.

Do you have linoleum or tile flooring? If it is linoleum, you probably have graying or blackening of the flooring around where the rot is.

You need to tear that all out. You need to rip out the plywood or wood underneath and replace anything that is soft wood or rotting wood.

You then need to replace the rotten wood with fresh plywood. You might want to consider plywood that has been treated with silicone or other water repellent treatment.

Then you need to put new linoleum over it.

If you have a water problem on your floor, you probably have the same problem on the sides of your shower or bathtub.

It isn't really expensive to fix the problem, but cheap isn't better. It is going to probably cost you at least $300 to fix it.

Answer 7

Well the right way to do it is to remove the old and rotten subfloor and check the joists to make sure they are not rotted too...a cheap way out would be to use 3/4 inch pressure treated plywood and cover the entire floor...the pressure treated wood won't rot but if you don't remove the rotten plywood and and damage to the joist the rot won't stop

Answer 8

Remove all soft and rotted wood. Check joist; if damaged screw a runner to it. install 1x4 centermatch on entire floor over joist (with 2" screws in ends), making sure joints are tight. Install 15 lb felt overlapping that. Use sheet vinyl over that (making cuts as close to wall as possible). Install baseboards and base shoe. Caulk all seams.

Answer 9

Find a family member or good friend THAT YOU TRUST (those are the key words!) and see if they will do the work for you in exchange for work that you can do for them (whatever it is that you are good at--car repair, bookkeeping work, lawn care, taxes, etc.).

You could also try calling a local community help line...look in your phone book, online, or call your local court house...depending on where you live. Lots of times companies will do things "not for profit" in order to help in their community. Also ask about "Habitat for Humanity" in your area. They may be willing to help or suggest someone who can.

If these suggestions don't work, I would go with the insurance suggestions others have stated.

Answer 10

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Answer 11

Try dumpster diving at construction sites. Try calling Habitat for humanity and ask for any extra plywood. You can piece fit odd sizes by aniling to what floor you have now.