Are you working on a bathroom renovation and wondering about tile? Specifically, do you need to remove the old bathroom vanity to redo your floor? Does tile have to go under the bathroom vanity?
Tiling under the bathroom vanity is not a yes or no answer. It depends on how you're doing your renovation. If you're leaving the current vanity, then no, you don't need to tile under it. If you're replacing your vanity, then you may want to tile under it. For a floating vanity, you will definitely want to tile underneath it.
So you see, it really all depends on what direction you're headed in with your renovation. We'll go into more detail on this in the post below.
To Tile Or Not To Tile Under The Bathroom Vanity
Deciding where to tile can be confusing. Especially when it comes to your bathroom vanity. The answer depends on the application, however. We'll look at a couple of scenarios below.
If you're renovating and keeping your old vanity, there are a couple of considerations.
- Is there flooring (tile, linoleum, hardwood) currently under the vanity and across the bathroom floor? If yes, the question then becomes, will you be tiling over all of it or removing it? If you're removing it, can you cut it away from the vanity easily? (as in the case of linoleum) If yes, then you can consider not tiling under the bathroom floor.
- Are you prepared to do the cutting and trim work to have the new tile fit properly around the base of your vanity? Because that is what you will need to do.
- Can you move your vanity out of the way, even if you are keeping it? If the answer is yes, then it is probably easier to replace all of your flooring at one time than to try and cut around it.
If you're replacing your vanity completely, then things become more manageable when dealing with the floor. Because bathroom vanities are not as weighty as kitchen cabinets, it is generally suggested to tile beneath the vanity. The exception to this is if you have heating ducts or other systems that take advantage of the hidden area beneath the cabinet and the tile will be a hindrance to their installation. Just know, that any time you tile around a bathroom fixture, it will take more in terms of labor and time to get the cuts right.
Are You Supposed To Tile Under Cabinets In General?
There is no black and white answer to this question. Much of it depends upon the structure of your subflooring and the weight it can bear. If you're placing hardwood cabinets with a slab of granite on top, it may serve the cabinets better to sit directly on the subflooring. This also makes for ease of putting in fixtures and other home system elements.
As for cost, it's a toss-up. You'll spend less on the tile if you don't tile underneath, but you'll spend more on labor to make the cuts to ensure a seamless fit up the bottom of the cabinets.
Should You Tile First Or Add All Fixtures First?
You'll want to do all of your rough-in plumbing first, so you don't have to drill through ceramic tile. If you've decided to go ahead and tile under your vanity, then you'll want to tile first before placing your vanity. The same goes for the toilet. However, for your shower and bath, you'll want your shower pan and your tub in place before you tile.
Does Tile Go Under The Toilet?
Yes. But you'll want to have it rough plumbed, and the toilet flange area marked. You can retile a bathroom with the toilet in place, but it will make your work twice as hard trying to cut the new flooring to meet the shape of the toilet. It is much easier to go ahead and remove it.
How To Clean Tiles Around The Bathroom Vanity?
After reading this, if you've decided not to retile and maybe you want to clean up and update what you've already got. But your tiles are super gross around your old vanity. What is the best way to get them super clean?
You're dealing with two surfaces: the ceramic tile and the grout lines between. There's nothing like dingy grout to make a bathroom area look dirty. And the tiles themselves will often end up filmy looking with soap and lotions spilled on them.
For the grout, you'll need a good stiff brush and a cleaner like Grout-EEZ. Follow directions for the cleaner, which typically involves letting it sit on your grout lines and penetrate for ten minutes. Then using your stiff brush scrub and clean up with warm water and a microfiber cloth or mop.
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A microfiber mop like this one works super well on tile. The mop head is removable so you can throw it in the wash once it's dirty, and you can buy additional heads, so you're never waiting to get one clean. This package also comes with a couple of microfiber cloths. The pivoting handle makes it easy to get in and around your bathroom fixtures.
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For the tiles, you'll want to be sure you use a product that can cut through soap scum and lotion residue. Products that include citrus work well and smell great while you're using them. Spray it on, let it sit for a moment, then wipe it out. If you have a particularly sticky spot, use hot water on your rag when wiping it up, which will further dissolve the scum or residue.
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Now that we've answered your questions about bathroom tiles under your vanity, perhaps there are other bathroom questions you have. Or maybe you want some inspiration for your bathroom renovations. Please check out these other posts on Home Decor Bliss below.
Bathroom Tiles Falling Off – What to Do?
Why Do Bathroom Tiles Crack? (And How To Fix That)
73 Awesome White Bathroom Ideas [Picture Gallery)
