Luxury Vinyl Plank tile, a little cabinet paint and some shelves create a dramatic transformation in this guest bath! LVP is water resistant, scratch proof, dog proof and kid proof.....in other words it is almost indesctructible! I chose this patterned LVP tile because it was an inexpensive way to make a big impact! This project was really easy and took about 4-6 hours to do, however the grout takes about 3 days to cure, so you really don't want to use the bathroom until then. Before I installed the tile I painted the bathroom cabinet Tricorn Black by Sherwin Williams and allowed it to cure for 24 hours. I also changed out the cabinet knobs for some simple glass ones.
First determine the square footage of the space and then add about 10% for overage. This bathroom was approximately 20sqft. The tile I chose came in a box of thirty 9" x 9" tiles, which equaled 16.87sqft per box. Of course, one box was not quite enough!
I found my tile at Lowes, but you can find many, many styles and types of LVP at any home improvement store or online and overall it's a pretty easy project for most DIY'ers!
You will need the following tools for the project:
- Hammer and Chisel - to remove the quarter round
- Krud Kutter or any other de-greaser type cleaner
- Vinyl Tile Grout
- Painter's Tool or Caulk Blade
- Trowel
- Sponge for wiping the excess grout
- Tile spacers (I used 1/4")
- Utility Knife for cutting the tiles
- Triangle T Square
Step One:
Remove all of your quarter round from the molding and cabinet using the hammer and chisel. I saved all of my pieces since they were in good shape and that way I didn't have to re-cut all of the pieces.
Step Two:
Clean your floors with a de-greaser, I like to use Krud Kutter. It works with one application and creates a nice, clean floor so that your tiles will adhere properly. This is a really important step so don't delete it! Note: LVP tiles can be installed over most flooring, ceramic or porcelain tile, hardwoods and of course linoleum.
Step Three:
If you would really like to be precise, you can disconnect the water to the toilet and remove the toilet. I removed the caulk around the toilet, cut the water off and lifted the toilet but did not completely remove it. This way I was able to slip the tiles underneath as I installed them.
Step Four:
Start in a corner along a wall where you want full tiles to appear and work your way towards the door. You want the half tiles to be around the toilet, cabinetry and transition to the hall. Remove the paper backing and press the tile to the floor with all of your weight for at least 60 seconds. Use the spacers in between each tile.
Step Five:
Once all of your tiles have been laid you can begin to grout. I use the bathroom sink as a
water source, but if it is not easily accessible than you will need a large bowl of warm water. I used the caulk blade to spread the grout between each tile, pressing it in as much as possible and the trowel to spread it, but you can use the trowl only. Remove the spacers as you go. Try to get as little grout on the center of the tiles as possible.
Step Six:You can use the sponge as you go to wipe the tiles - make sure it is a damp sponge, not wet as it will clean too much grout out between the tiles. I waited for a few hours and then sponged the tiles to remove the excess, but either way works fine!
Step Seven:
Wait 3 days for the grout to cure before walking on it. After 3 days, re-install or install your quarter round and these simple grey shelves that I found online at Amazon, here are some similar ones.
Add some simple accessories and WHALA!
Here is the before and after photo of the bathroom! What a difference!
BEFORE
AFTER!
Hope this helps make your next bathroom remodel fun and easy! Happy Grouting!