I'm going to put lino down in the bathroom, and at the moment its floorboards.

I'm assuming that i have to put some ply sheets down on top of the boards, what thickness do i need?

I'd go for 4mm, but thats just a guess. And another guess being as its a bathroom you will need to watch for water and damp and how it will affect the ply.

tbh...if the boards are good, ie level and tight, it's not really necessary.
I've layed straight over floorboards before with no probs. If you want to line it use very thin ply and panel pin it down.

John

I would just use hardboard. the idea is just to cover the gaps in the floorboards so that the lino doesn't sink into the gaps which would then show in time. Plywood is overkill OMHO

Cheers

Mark

you only use plywood wbp ply from b&q its cheap

(waterproof boilproof ply)and you use ring shanked nails put one nail evry 30cm x 30cm across the full sheeted floor 2 cm in from the edges. if your puting them in a standard wooden floor useing 6mm ply 10mm floor boards you should buy 16mm ring shanked nails as you dont want to hit any pipes under the floor
as for hardboard if it gets wet it stinks it rots and it exspands and costs about the same as ply.hardboard is about as good a newspaper thats why they invented Medite (waterproof hardboard mdf)
after 20 of years fiting kitchens and bathroom you learn a thing or two.
if its doing do it right or not at all as it will cost you a lot more in the long run.

[Edited on 23/9/06 by thunderace]

[Edited on 23/9/06 by thunderace]

thanks guys..
off to the local BnQ..

Hardboard is better to use than ply.

Never lay vinyl in bathrooms yourself! Many good men have gone insane trying to get a good fit around a toilet base!

Laminate flooring is even worse!

i did it once and made a right mess so ended up taking the toilet , sink and pedestal out laying a flat sheet and putting everything back on top of it

I took the toilet and basin pedestal out , then I cut the hardboard to be a good fit (3 bits together) , then before I fitted the board I layed it on top of the vinyl / lino and marked round it and cut the vinyl.

Fitted the board with ring shank nails , then popped the vinyl down (no cutting!!) and finished it of with a small bead of white silicon.

Much easier than trying to cut the vinyl in situ........

I wouldn't even consider lino these days.
Ceramic tiles are so cheep now and with modern adhesives you can lay directly onto sealed floorboards.
I personally wouldn't consider anything else in wet areas.

Ceramic tiles + wet bathroom = flat on your face. Just a tip. When I've layed floors in bathrooms we've sprinkled talc down before putting the hardbaoard down, will absorb any moisture and supposed to stop it creaking or squeaking or summat.

quote:

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Originally posted by BKLOCO
I wouldn't even consider lino these days.
Ceramic tiles are so cheep now and with modern adhesives you can lay directly onto sealed floorboards.
I personally wouldn't consider anything else in wet areas.

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quote:

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Originally posted by mistergrumpy
Ceramic tiles + wet bathroom = flat on your face.

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quote:

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Originally posted by MikeRJ

I thought tiles on a suspended floor are a big no no? Apart from the weight, surely all the grout between the tiles will crack as the floor flexes?

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quote:

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Originally posted by BKLOCO
As for weight have you ever worked out how much a bath full of water weighs?

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quote:

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Originally posted by MikeRJ

Not a fan of floor tiles though, slippery when wet, cold in the winter and zero chance of anything breakable surviving if dropped on it (and the risk of cracking a tile if you drop something on it).

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after 20 years of fitting kitchens and bathrooms i do know what im talking about hardboard is for brain dead guys that know nothing about joinery only what there mate told the down the pub one night pissed
Ever tried removing wet moldy expanded hardboard IT STINKS WHEN ITS DAMP OR WET..(Stuck down with ring shank nails after some diy guy pipes have been leaking for a year )
Remove toilet sink door bath panels ect.
Makes it easy to lay the ply wbp will last for ever and not a year or two

IF IT’S WORTH DOING DO IT RIGHT OR NOT AT ALL

I MUST MAKE HALF MY MONEY REMOVING THE MESS BAD DIY GUYS DO.
FUNNY IT’S ALWAYS THE WIFE I DEAL WITH.
NEVE SEE THE HUSBAND

I NORMALLY CHARGE ABOUT DOUBLE FOR REPAIRING BAD DIY AS IT TAKE THAT LONG TO RIP OUT WHAT HES DONE
THE WIFE ALWAYS SAY YES NO MATER HOW MUCH MY QUOTE IS.

SORRY IF I SOUND A BIT HARD BUT IM SICK OF GUYS TAKING BS ABOUT STUFF THEY NO NOTHING ABOUT

Hardboard can only get wet and soggy if the edges of the lino aren't sealed. I took up some very old lino when I moved into my current house (had gone stiff and just broke when I lifted it) and the hardboard underneath was perfect.

Also the WPB and WPB ply refers only to the glue that holds the laminates together. If ply has to be continuously exposed to wet conditions it has to be painted or otherwise protected or it will rot same as any wood.

quote:

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Originally posted by MikeRJ


Also the WPB and WPB ply refers only to the glue that holds the laminates together. If ply has to be continuously exposed to wet conditions it has to be painted or otherwise protected or it will rot same as any wood.

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I HAVE SEEN A TEST FOR BOAT BUILDING THE WBP WAS STUCK IN A BUCKET FOR ONE YEAR OUTSIDE TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN (THE WBP WAS FAR EASTERN FROM B&Q 12MM)
IT WAS FOUND TO BE 100% OK.
MOISTURE DAMPNESS AND CONDINSATION ALL WARP ROT AND EFECT HARDBOARD.

FFS AFTER 20 IN THE JOB I THINK I SHOULD KNOW WTF IM TALKING ABOUT OK.

whoah there guys!!!!

We really can argue about anything, cant we??

anyway, thanks for all the advice; i think a combination of all the opinions leads to-

remove wc, pedestal, bath panel first

cut sheets as simply as possible

put sheets in to test fit

cut lino to size, using wood as template

tack wood down, then lay and glue lino

re-install wc, pedestal etc etc

that sound about right??