How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring in a Bathroom
Learn how to prep, cut, click, and seal luxury vinyl plank flooring around bathroom fixtures and door jambs for a 100% waterproof finish.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
- Tap Start Camera Coach when you want hands-free voice help.
- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Utility knife with fresh blades
- ✓ Tapping block and rubber mallet
- ✓ Jamb saw or oscillating multi-tool
- ✓ Contour gauge
- ✓ Framing square
- ✓ Tape measure
- ✓ Spacers (1/4-inch)
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) tiles
- ✓ 100% silicone caulk (bathroom rated)
- ✓ Toilet wax ring replacement kit
- ✓ Underlayment (if not pre-attached)
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Ensure the toilet water supply valve is fully shut off and drained before pulling the toilet.
- • Always cut vinyl planks scoring away from your body on a stable, flat surface.
- • Wear cut-resistant gloves when handling fresh utility knife blades and scored vinyl edges.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Remove Toilet and Undercut Door Jambs
Shut off water, drain and unbolt the toilet, and lift it clear of the flange. Lay a scrap plank upside down against door casings as a height guide, then cut the bottom of the jambs flush with a jamb saw. Vacuum all debris to leave a bare, clean subfloor.
- • Toilet flange is exposed and stuffed with a rag
- • Door casings have a horizontal slot matching plank thickness
- • Leaving the rag out of the toilet drain, allowing sewer gas escape
- • Cutting jambs too high, leaving an unsightly visible gap
Plan Layout and Establish First Row Baseline
Measure the room width to ensure the final row will not be under 2 inches wide; rip down the first row width if necessary. Snap a chalk line parallel to the longest straight wall leaving a 1/4-inch expansion gap. Place plastic spacers against the wall along the entire starting edge.
- • A straight chalk line runs across the room
- • Spacers evenly lined against the starting wall
- • Starting with a full-width plank that leaves a tiny sliver on the opposite wall
- • Failing to place expansion spacers against drywall
Score, Snap, and Lay the First Row
Connect the short end-joints of the first row using the angle-lock mechanism, tapping lightly with a rubber mallet and block. Score the end-plank to length with a utility knife and square, then snap the core over your knee or workbench edge. Use the cutoff piece (if over 8 inches) to start the second row.
- • A complete, tightly seamed first row resting flush against spacers
- • End joints fully locked with zero height lip between boards
- • Using end pieces shorter than 8 inches to start subsequent rows
- • Hammering directly on plank tongues without a tapping block
Click and Lock Field Planks with Staggered Joints
Insert the long side tongue into the groove at a 30-degree angle, lower the plank, and slide it against the adjacent plank. Tap gently along the seam with a tapping block until the joint closes completely flat. Maintain a minimum 6-to-8 inch stagger between end joints of adjacent rows.
- • Uniform surface with no visible gaps or raised seams across rows
- • End joints staggered in a random, stair-stepped pattern
- • Creating an H-pattern or aligning seams within 6 inches of each other
- • Leaving micro-gaps that allow moisture penetration beneath planks
Scribe and Cut Around the Toilet Flange
Use a contour gauge or cardboard template to map the curved profile of the toilet flange onto the plank. Cut out the traced curve using a utility knife or jigsaw fitted with a fine plastic-cutting blade. Keep the cut inside the perimeter covered by the toilet base footprint.
- • Plank fits around the flange with a 1/4-inch expansion perimeter
- • Flange bolt holes remain completely unobstructed
- • Cutting the opening larger than the base of the toilet fixture
- • Placing planks on top of the flange ring rather than cutting around it
Install Last Row and Apply Waterproof Perimeter Seal
Rip the final row to width, insert it using a pull bar hooked over the edge, and tap the seam tight. Remove all perimeter wall spacers, reinstall baseboards or shoe molding, and apply a smooth bead of 100% silicone caulk around the tub, shower base, and toilet perimeter to prevent water intrusion.
- • Final row locked tight with 1/4-inch wall gap preserved beneath baseboard
- • Continuous, smooth silicone seal along tub transitions and vanity edges
- • Nailing shoe molding into the vinyl planks instead of into the baseboard
- • Skipping perimeter caulk, allowing bath splash water under the floor
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Fix This Build That — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Jamb saw? Hand saw held flat against a scrap plank
- No Contour gauge? Cardboard template hand-cut with scissors
- No Tapping block? Scrap piece of vinyl plank with interlocking tongue intact