Wfon55
New Member
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
I'm replacing the underlayment over the subfloor around the closet flange. The old underlayment was particle board or OSB, and over the years it acted like a sponge, absorbing water from leaks. It seems to have spared the plywood subfloor. I'm planning to put in a vinyl tile floor.
Two questions:
(1) Should I replace the underlayment with OSB, or should I be using plywood, or does it not matter?
The rest of the underlayment appears to be a mix of plywood and OSB/particle board, as can be seen in the attached photo.
(2) Should I remove the closet flange to install the underlayment?
The closet flange is in good shape and is soldered on to copper pipe (see photo). I have easy access to it from the basement. Or should I piece the underlayment together in sections with the flange in place? If I left the flange in place, I'd try to slide the vinyl tile under the gap between underlayment and the flange, which could be interesting, considering the adhesive on the back of the tile. If I should remove the flange, should I call in a pro? It is a 4" pipe that is in close proximity to plywood, but I think I might be able to remove it by heating the flange from above - however, my equipment consists of a small butane torch I've used for small plumbing projects, and I suspect it's way too small for the task. Removing the flange would require two visits - one to remove and one to replace. I'm sure I'd still be faced with sliding the vinyl tile under the flange, since soldering it would damage the vinyl if it were in place.
Two questions:
(1) Should I replace the underlayment with OSB, or should I be using plywood, or does it not matter?
The rest of the underlayment appears to be a mix of plywood and OSB/particle board, as can be seen in the attached photo.
(2) Should I remove the closet flange to install the underlayment?
The closet flange is in good shape and is soldered on to copper pipe (see photo). I have easy access to it from the basement. Or should I piece the underlayment together in sections with the flange in place? If I left the flange in place, I'd try to slide the vinyl tile under the gap between underlayment and the flange, which could be interesting, considering the adhesive on the back of the tile. If I should remove the flange, should I call in a pro? It is a 4" pipe that is in close proximity to plywood, but I think I might be able to remove it by heating the flange from above - however, my equipment consists of a small butane torch I've used for small plumbing projects, and I suspect it's way too small for the task. Removing the flange would require two visits - one to remove and one to replace. I'm sure I'd still be faced with sliding the vinyl tile under the flange, since soldering it would damage the vinyl if it were in place.