Vinyl plank flooring has been used under several components – from bathtubs to bathrooms to vanities. But can you put a toilet on vinyl plank flooring and still get the perfect outcomes?

Generally, you can put a toilet on vinyl plank flooring to improve the overall outlook of the toilet and also support its weight. Without the vinyl plank flooring, the weight of toilet is supported by the pipes or subfloors and that isn’t a good thing.

If you have just moved in to a new home and you’re remodeling the bathroom toilet, you probably need to learn a few things. This article helps you with tips on the same. Read on.

Can You Put a Toilet on Vinyl Plank Flooring?

Toilets come with unique use. They are designed to carry the weight of individuals who use them. A person goes in there and spends a considerable amount of time.

This happens routinely. There are also kinds of pressure on the toilet that’s exerted on the pipes and the subfloor. For this reason, putting a toilet on top of a vinyl plank flooring would be of great benefits.

First, the flooring beautifies the space. But most importantly, vinyl plank flooring offers the much needed support to the toilet, relieving that pressure from pipes.

If this weight continued infringing on the pipes and subfloor, there’s no doubt they’d be damaged with time. Moreover, without the vinyl plank flooring, the toilet may move about, which is not good either. Installing the vinyl plank flooring comes first, then you set the toilet on the floor to close any gaps.

Notably, vinyl planks are 100% waterproof. And that’s exactly the kind of material you need to install under your toilet if you’re thinking in the direction of longevity.

You can also make your space well furnished, complete, and finished by laying more flooring around the toilet. This is what would improve the appearance of the space around your toilet.

Even as you do this, it’s important to stick to the rules of thumb. Thus, when installing the vinyl plank flooring, you must leave the space against the wall. This provides room for expansion when there’s changes in temperature regimes.

How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring on Your Toilet?

When it comes to the installation of vinyl plank flooring under the toilet, the process flows the same way as the installation in a bathroom.

In a nutshell, you’ll need to remove the toilet. Lay the toilet around the floor drain. Rest the toilet back and ensure that its base covers the cuts around the drain.

Also consider the toilet flange. What is this? This is the part that the toilet is anchored to the floor and it connects to the drain pipe.

The toilet flange should be well positioned – it should be flush to the floor and not too high. Otherwise, it’s easy to get your toilet rocking as well as leaking.

If your toilet flange is higher, you definitely need a plumber to lower it for you to avoid the aforementioned issues. So, before you secure the flange to any height, be sure to measure in order to get the correct height.

With the flange set, it’s time to start the actual installation process.

Remove the existing flooring

The first thing to do is to remove the toilet and the subfloor. But when you get to the toilet flange, be careful not to bust it up accidentally with your tool.

Don’t forget to cut off water supply to the toilet. You want to disconnect the system to be sure that there won’t be any problem water.

Lay the bathroom floor

Since these are luxury vinyl plank flooring, you can lay the planks from the middle outward. When you get to the toilet drain, stop there.

Place a tracing paper on the toilet drain and draw around the outer edge using a pencil – you should make a circle. Then using a razor knife, carefully cut out the traced circle.

Trace the cut out paper circle on a cardboard. Cut out the traced circle from the cardboard, again using the razor knife.

Lay the vinyl plank loosely on top of the toilet drain

Don’t mind if it covers the drainage, it’s just for some time. It should align to the original plan of the of the flooring.

Take the previously cut out cardboard circle and lay it on top but right in the position of the toilet drain. Mark the circle on the flooring.

Cut the marked area

Using a suitable tool like a jig saw or wet saw, cut around the marks. As you cut the plank, it skirts around the drain edges nicely. Fit the cut pieces and finish installing the flooring.

Raise the Flange Level

Make sure you reset the level of the toilet flange to be at par with that of the new flooring. You can do that by using extenders on the flange.

Once you are done securing the extenders, you can now caulk around the flange perimeter to ensure everything is well done.

Reinstall the toilet

After you finish the process above, it’s now the time you take back the toilet. You can also replace the wax ring that usually helps seal toilet to its drain.

As you undertake this process, it’s vital to take proper measurements especially with the last piece of flooring. Not only is this plank supposed to fit nicely but also leave the prerequisite space between the flooring and the wall for purposes of expansion and contraction due to temperature changes.

You want to be spot on when laying a vinyl flooring. If you make a slight mistake, you might end up restarting the entire process.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Vinyl Plank Flooring in Bathroom Toilets?

Without a doubt, vinyl plank flooring has gained serious recognition in the past decades and still many people are embracing it’s use. Whether it’s in households, offices, cafes, or commercial applications, this is an item on the move.

So what makes it sell so fast and rapidly especially for those people wishing to use in bathrooms? Well, vinyl plank flooring is best known for its 100% water resistance. It’s completely waterproof and that’s what makes it the preferred choice for use in damp areas like a bathroom.

The vinyl plank also provides great comfort underfoot. Its thickness is not the ordinary one you see in the thin vinyl sheets. These planks are multi-layered for ultimate thickness.

The durability of these materials is top notch. Thanks to the multi-layered structure, vinyl plank flooring can serve your needs for around 20 years without having to think about replacing. They can withstand serious traffic and of course a bathroom has a fair share of that.

Installation is easy, especially with the click-lock versions. They usually come with tongue and groove connection for easy snapping together. Moreover, vinyl plank flooring is easy to maintain. Since it’s in the bathroom, it’ll be even much easier.

This flooring is offered in many colors, patterns, and styles that can fit nearly every kind of bathroom set up.

However, vinyl plank flooring has its issues. For the glued-down version of the flooring, disassembling can be quite the hardest thing ever. In that case, it won’t be ideal to glue down your vinyl flooring.

If a sharp object like a knife falls on this floor, it can puncture easily. And if it’s not made of a rigid core, even objects on top of it can cause denting. Overtime, vinyl plank flooring discolors, more so in a room with heavy sun light.

FAQ on Can You Put a Toilet on Vinyl Plank Flooring

Should vinyl plank flooring go under toilet flange?

In general, a toilet flange needs to be on top of a new flooring. It’s vital that the flange and the toilet be on the same plane.

Sitting the flange lower on the finished floor is a risk. It could leak toilet water in to the floor or worse off in between the tiles.

Can you put a toilet on a floating floor?

You can put a toilet on a floating floor because there’s always room for expansion and contraction all thanks to the gap between the floor and wall.

Can you install vinyl plank flooring in a bathroom without removing the toilet?

It’s definitely possible to install a new flooring in the bathroom without removing the toilet. But it’s not the recommended way of doing things.

Final Thoughts

So, can you put a toilet on vinyl plank flooring? Yes, you can put a toilet on top of vinyl plank flooring. This flooring helps carry the weight and pressure applied to the toilet.

If there was no flooring under, this weight rests on to the pipes and subfloor. In the end, it could damage the piping system.

When installing the vinyl plank flooring, a lot of care should be taken to avoid messing up with toilet parts. If you can’t do this process perfectly on your own, seek the services of a professional.