Bathroom Floor Suggestion

[Jacob Ellis]

Hey All! I am house hacking now and plan to turn the property into a long-term rental. One of my tenants got a lot of water on the floor during their last shower and the floor water began running through the ceiling of the downstairs bedroom. I found the floor needs a bead of caulk between the tub base and the floor, but shouldn't the floor be water-proofed enough to prevent that leak?

Should I simply caulk the seam of the tub and floor, or should I redo the tile flooring in the small bathroom and ensure it has a proper water seal if the property will become a long-term rental?

[Greg Scott]

No matter how well a tile floor was done, it wasn't meant to hold water like a bathtub.  Normal hot / cold expansion will create some hairline cracks in grout and caulk, especially where the wall meets the floor.   Put enough water there and eventually it will find its way through.

If the water has started to damage the subfloor from ongoing water exposure, it is time to replace.  Does the floor feel solid or does it have some give in it?   If the floor feels solid as a rock, I'd just seal up where you think it's leaking with caulk.

Perhaps more importantly, have a conversation with the tenant about water.  They should be covering the costs of damage from these events.