Replacing some gluedown LVT tiles - cutting them

[canalsiderenovation]

Long story short, taken out toilet which I've never liked (huge argument with other half about how I can be offended by the old loo). The new one is slightly smaller so need to replace a few of the LVT tiles. Got old ones up, old glue off, purchased adhesive and sorted nice templates of what I need to cut.

 

Without risking taking my fingers off - is there a special type of tool I should be using or knife? Had a little practice and my god it's tough stuff (or I'm just weak)! 

 

Getting grief about how I've created lots of other jobs now and I want to prove it's really simple and we don't need the flooring man to come back at more cost. And let's face it at some point it's inevitable I'll have to replace a tile and this is just good learning.

[joe90]

Perhaps it’s too late but I would have tiled it THEN installed the new loo, no cutting 🤷‍♂️, however a Stanley knife with new blade will do it (but mind your fingers).

[canalsiderenovation]

8 minutes ago, joe90 said:

Perhaps it’s too late but I would have tiled it THEN installed the new loo, no cutting 🤷‍♂️, however a Stanley knife with new blade will do it (but mind your fingers).

Haven't put new loo in yet 😁 still got a rag shoved in waste pipe but need to cut some tiles that were alongside the back wall too (I wasn't planning on cutting the tiles around the loo rather just putting the loo on top of them) which is what the installer did (obvit need to cut around the waste pipe hole in floor though). Because of the UFH the toilet wasn't fixed onto the floor and the plumber never bothered to stick it down with sealant etc. Probably a good thing as it was easy to disconnect etc.

Edited April 13, 2023 by canalsiderenovation

[canalsiderenovation]

5 minutes ago, joe90 said:

however a Stanley knife with new blade will do it (but mind your fingers).

 

I must need to be tougher with it (or get a better knife)!

[ProDave]

Use a good quality metal knife with a good new blade, don't even think about it with a cheap plastic knife.  Don't hold the knife with your finger on the blade, just hold the handle.

 

+1 for tile the whole floor then put the loo back.  Fewer cuts less to get wrong etc.

[joe90]

10 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Use a good quality metal knife with a good new blade,

+1, the blades go blunt quite quickly, new blade only.

[S2D2]

If it's the really rigid boards you can just score with a Stanley knife as deep as you can then flex the tile along the line and it will open up the cut and snap cleanly. I only did this with straight cuts though, not a c shape. Pliers help if it's just a small piece needs snapping off depending where the score line ends up on each tile, grip the waste piece as you will damage it.

[JamesP]

I have just fitted 60sqm of Parador 914mm x 457mm x 6mm LVT and used a table saw, circular saw and jigsaw. 

Tile first before fitting the WC as others have mentioned.

If using a Stanley do a couple of test strips first.

[canalsiderenovation]

Thanks I've ordered a new decent knife and a pack of new blades and will practice first. Luckily our flooring company sent out about 20 extra packs of flooring too many so we have absolutely lots spare Incase I make a dogs dinner out of it.  Not sure how I'm going to cut out the circle of the waste in the floor but it doesn't matter if it's a bit rough as we won't see it. 

[Nick Thomas]

If it's anything like the "rigid core" floating LVT tiles, scoring it didn't work well for me with curved cuts. I just used a jigsaw 🤷‍♂️, and a dremel on some particularly awkward bits.

 

As the cutting blade heats up, it can start melting the vinyl and get gummed up, but not the end of the world for a few small cuts in inconspicuous areas.

[canalsiderenovation]

Success ready for us to fit the new toilet tomorrow. Minor injury but I did a pretty decent job even though I'm covered in soudal adhesive.