How to deal with floor waste and existing floors?

[huckfinn]

Hi,

Question from Cairns: we're raising a queenslander and renovating. An existing kitchen would be ideally converted into a bathroom. The existing floors are beautiful Jarra boards and we'd like to keep them. Hence the problem of what to do concerning the installation of the floor waste and the floor slope towards it....

Thanks for any advice!

H.

[Jason]

Hi @huckfinn,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community and apologies for the slow reply. Hope you are OK at present - I know many people in Cairns are struggling at the moment with the heavy rain. 

This sounds like quite a challenge and might be best addressed by a professional who can inspect your home. But let me tag a few experienced members for their thoughts: @TedBear, @Jewelleryrescue and @EricL. My immediate thought is whether you might be able to lift up the boards and re-use them elsewhere in the home?

We are looking forward to seeing how you can transform your home. Please feel free to post anytime you need a hand or have a project to share with other members. 

Jason

[Jewelleryrescue]

Hi  @huckfinn 

I can appriciate your love of the jarah flooring. Typically any residual spills on hardwood floor should leak through the boards and will re dry from the top and bottom, of the floor and not rot. But they not meant to be wet often like in bathrooms.

I havnt check building codes lately but you might be in for taking out the jarah floor for  now and putting in a cement sheeting floor with water proofing and angles for the drain etc possible tile over that.  Ie a standard  bathroom floor.

Then all your water proofing done use your pulled out flooring and made into flat timber floor panels  that are removable ? To air them and reseal them periodically against water. 

But it is best others chime in and add their thoughts too.

[EricL]

Hello @huckfinn 

Thanks for sharing your question regarding your floor waste. I agree with @Jewelleryrescue's suggestion and that is to check your local council's rules and regulations regarding bathroom floors. 

I also suggest engaging the services of a local registered builder and asking them about the revamping of the floor area. But from a renovation point of view. I suggest preparing yourself and your budget for the possibility that the Jarra floorboards will need to come out. It's better this way so that you won't get a shock should the flooring need to be changed.

Another option would be to use a special-order product called Johnson Tiles 150 x 900mm Pecan Matte Brunswick Tile. It mimics the characteristics and natural imperfections of wood with additional contrasts and details like veining, knots and shades. Brunswick offers great design possibilities through its intricate natural wood design and richness of detail all infused into one tile.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric