23
Had to tear out my bathroom floor when the subfloor rotted out last month
I noticed a soft spot near the toilet in my bathroom about 3 weeks ago. After pulling up the tile I found the plywood was completely rotten from a slow leak over maybe 2 years. Ended up cutting out a 4x5 foot section of subfloor and replacing it with new 3/4 inch exterior grade plywood. The whole job cost me around $150 in materials but took 2 full days of work. Has anyone else dealt with hidden water damage like this? What did you use to seal the new subfloor before tiling?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
william_torres2mo ago
Hidden water damage" is an understatement, that's a full-blown bathroom betrayal. Sounds like you found the slow leak's secret retirement party right under your toilet. For the seal, I just slathered on a thick coat of exterior grade primer and then put down some redgard or whatever waterproof membrane you grab at the big box store. Honestly, after doing that kind of work, I'm convinced every bathroom has a hidden agenda against us, just waiting to ruin a weekend.
5
davis.ruby1mo ago
Whoa, hold on, I get it's frustrating but calling it a "full-blown bathroom betrayal" seems a little dramatic. I mean yeah, rotten subfloor is a pain, but it's not exactly a secret plot against you. In my experience, most bathrooms just have really old caulking or a wax ring that dried out, nothing personal. I'd also question if you really need a full waterproof membrane on a subfloor that's not in a wet zone, a good exterior primer and a tight tile install might do the trick just fine.
5