bathroomflooringvinyl-flooring
I am installing these tiles in a bathroom mainly used my youngsters in a bath.
When they inevitably splash water on the floor won't the seems in these tiles allow the water to pass through.
I really want to do the flooring install myself and want to give these tiles ago.
What can I do to prevent any water getting through the gaps?
Is caulking a viable alternative?
Congratulations on the cork. I put cork in my master bathroom a few years ago and it was the best floor I've ever had - warm in the morning and soft under bare feet. I liked it so much I put cork in our kitchen too.
My feeling is that you don't need to seal it. I didn't see any lifting or swelling on our floor over three years. We're not especially fastidious people either - we basically just swiped puddles with a towel when we saw them.
Any sealant you put on that is capable of sealing the joints will be a film finish. My gut says the subtle expansion and contraction of the cork along with the flex of the floor will crack a film finish like that in pretty short order, defeating the purpose.
One thing you could try if you're nervous is some clear wax. Test it under a cabinet or something to see if you can force a tiny bit into the seam and still thoroughly remove it from the surface. Also satisfy yourself that the solvent in wax doesn't damage the finish of the cork tiles. If it works ok, it might slow down penetration of water into the seams while still remaining flexible.
Assuming you want to do this right and don't mind a little elbow grease.
Remove the ceramic tile, and strip the floor down to the bare concrete. Technically you don't have to do this, but not doing it is, IMO, just lazy. Building up the floor is convenient but not the best work you can do.
Now that you're down to bare concrete, install Dri-Core tiles or something similar for subflooring, making sure you add ventilation as per manufacturer instructions. This product protects itself from moisture (except in a flood of course) and will likewise protect the tile from small moisture accumulations.
There are a number of interlocking carpet tile products available that allow you to do a floating style installation.
The grout question is a non issue if you remove the ceramic, as you should.
Best Answer
They are waterproof in that you can get the top as wet as you want. They are not waterproof in that they will keep water off your floor, nor will said water not affect the bond to the floor. These tiles may be able to last sitting in water but they will not keep water from getting underneath. Your only options are really one sheet of vinyl or tile (could I guess use a membrane).
If you install these right though I would bet that 99% of the water (given you don't just let an inch of standing water sit) will never meet your subfloor. No caulk is needed, just make sure that all of the edges are tight and clicked into place. To keep your bathroom better suited for a kid you may want to make sure baseboard are sitting right on these and caulk between baseboard and tile.