How to lay Senso vinyl plank flooring over tiles?

Question

Hi support team!

I am going to put some Senso Vinyl planks over the tiles in my ensuite  (probably badly 😂).

I have read the article on the website. I have some questions.

* Please recommend some tools - a good Stanley knife that is comfortable to use, a big ruler, etc. 
*  I am laying the planks over tiles  - in good condition - Do I need to use the primer ? I want to be able to remove the planks if we decide to. I would rather use some sort of underlay than primer.
* Transition to wet Area. - see photo. What kind I do to transition from the planks to the walk in shower? (you got it, something easy to do)
* Same for transition to carpet - see photo…

Ok if you tell me to get a pro to do it, I would understand, but I would like to have a go  myself…😁

JacobZ · Answer

Hi @Coco_M,

I completely understand wanting to give it a go, particularly when you're looking for a relatively inexpensive way to update the bathroom. Unfortunately, having had another look at the transitions, particularly the one into your shower, it simply isn't suitable to use this flooring without modification to the area.

These self-adhesive planks are not designed for direct wet areas, and with an open, flush transition into the shower, there is nothing to prevent water from travelling out of the shower and reaching the exposed edge of the flooring. Water could then find its way underneath the planks and compromise the adhesive.

This is particularly concerning when combined with installing the flooring directly over the tiles without the levelling and priming required by the manufacturer. There would be a significant risk of the flooring lifting, moving or otherwise failing prematurely.

Unfortunately, I just don't think the proposed installation is a viable option given these factors. A professional flooring installer would also need to work within the manufacturer's installation requirements, so I wouldn't expect them to recommend installing the product in this manner either.

If you did want to use this flooring, there would need to be a suitable physical water stop separating the shower from the remainder of the bathroom, which the flooring could then terminate against. The tiled floor would also still need to be levelled and primed in accordance with the Senso installation instructions.

I realise that's probably not the answer you were hoping for, but I'd much rather flag these issues now than have you put the time and effort into the floor only to run into problems.

Jacob

Coco_M · Answer

Hi @JacobZ,

Thank you for your reply and the list of tools. I understand your advice but I still want to have a go. It's not an expensive project.I did attach photos with the 2 transitions in my first post..

* The entrance of the walk in shower (it's the same tiles, no change in levels)
* The current edge with the carpet.

About the installation the of the planks, do I need expansion gaps on the edges of the room with Vinyl?

JacobZ · Answer

Hi @Coco_M,

I can certainly understand wanting to update the look of the floor while keeping the existing tiles underneath in case you want to return to them later. The difficulty is that the Installation and Maintenance Guide for the Senso flooring don't really lend themselves to this.

As per the manufacturer's instructions, when installing over tiles, you'll need to apply a suitable self-levelling compound over the tiled surface to fill the grout lines and create a completely smooth surface. This then needs to be primed before the Senso planks are installed. An underlay isn't a suitable alternative, as these planks need to be adhered directly to the correctly prepared substrate.

While the flooring could technically be removed later, once you've applied a self-levelling compound and primer over the tiles, returning them to their original condition would involve a considerable amount of work. Even after removing the levelling compound, I wouldn't expect the tiles and grout to look exactly as they did beforehand.

I don't want this to discourage you from the project, as the Senso flooring itself is quite D.I.Y.-friendly. It's just worth knowing before you start that if preserving the existing tiles for easy reinstatement is important to you, this particular flooring system might not be the best match for what you're hoping to achieve.

If you're happy for the tiled floor to essentially become the substrate for the new flooring, then you can certainly proceed following the manufacturer's preparation and installation instructions. If you were to skip the self-levelling compound and primer steps, then there are no guarantees that the product will stick or stay perfectly flat longer term.

For the tools, I'd suggest a

https://www.bunnings.com.au/stanley-interlock-fixed-blade-utility-knife_p5761192

, a

https://www.bunnings.com.au/crescent-lufkin-1000mm-40-stainless-steel-rule_p5663003

as well as a square such as this

https://www.bunnings.com.au/trojan-180mm-rafter-square_p0673721

. You'll also need a tape measure, pencil, chalk line and the usual cleaning equipment to ensure the prepared surface is completely clean before laying the planks.

For the transitions into the shower and carpeted area, if you can show us a couple of close-up photos of those areas and an indication of the height differences, we'd be happy to suggest some suitable transition trims.

It sounds like you've already had a look, but for anyone reading along, it might also be worth having a look at

https://www.bunnings.com.au/diy-advice/home-improvement/flooring/how-to-lay-vinyl-plank-flooring

to get an idea of the process.

Let me know what you think and if you would like further guidance, advice or alternatives, please let us know.

Jacob