Bathroom Floor Wood Rot

You will need to pull up the flooring and repair or the spot will.

Bathroom floor wood rot.

Dry rot is most common in bathroom floor areas around tubs and toilets. 4 spots on the flooring. But if your floor is severely rotted say more than an inch beyond the flange you re stuck replacing the flooring around the toilet. In the worst case scenario the damage is so severe that the floor gives way sending the bath tub toilet or shower stall crashing down to the floor below.

The homeowner had recently completed some plumbing upgrades which took care of the water source for the rot but the floor damage was already done. The only sure way to find out is to remove a section of the wallboard and check the wood behind. It goes under the flange and transfers the load of the flange and toilet and you out onto more solid surrounding wood. See even more great ideas at www cam.

If the remaining solid wood is wet ventilate the area and allow it time to thoroughly dry before installing replacement materials. Use a pry bar to remove any protruding nails and vacuum up the demolition debris. If there is an area that has not had a spill which caused a spot then it is likely that the wood in the subfloor is rotting. Sure it will take you some work but the end result is well worth the effort.

Exposure to moisture invites the onset of mold and mildew which has a damaging effect on wood. Dry rot involves less water but the destructive fungi that cause dry rot still need some moisture to do their wood fiber eating thing. When moisture gets under the tub or shower basin or between the shower liner and the wall it encourages mold and mildew to form which eventually leads to wood rot in walls and the subfloor. If you find mold growing the wood floor plates behind the wall are at risk of wood rot.

If only the area directly below the flange is rotted you can install a two piece steel closet flange support. Subfloor damage in the bathroom usually comes from a leaking toilet but it can also be the result of a persistent sink drain leak or even a drip behind. How to repair a rotted bathroom subfloor. Rotted bathroom floor if you find that your bathroom floor has rotted through you will need to replace it.

Look at the floor surface in the room. Pick a time to do it when the bathroom traffic will be lighter like during the summer months when people are outside more if possible and get started. This is a definite sign that there is a rot issue under that area of the flooring.