I have a midcentury house with a basement where the laundry and water heater are located. Recently, I discovered that the flippers who renovated the house installed vinyl laminate flooring right over what seems to be a floor drain. There's a noticeable dip in the vinyl exactly where a drain would be. Is there a way to access it without tearing up all the flooring? We don't have any DIY skills, and my online searches haven't given me any clear guidance. It seems like it was a mistake to cover the drain. What kind of contractor should I look for, and what advice do you have?
4 Answers
You could try using a sharp razor blade to carefully cut around the area where you think the drain is. Make small cuts, don’t go too big at first. Once you can confirm it’s a drain, cut out more vinyl and seal around the edges with some silicone. It’s in a utility space, so if it looks a bit rough, it's not the end of the world!
Welcome to the world of home renovations—sounds like this is just the beginning of your 'What were they thinking?!' moments!
Is it laminate or vinyl? If it's laminate, beware—it might not hold up well in a damp environment. Basements usually need a slope toward the drain, not a flat surface for floating flooring. Check if it’s level, and figure out if there’s actually a drain under there before making any more changes!
I wouldn’t assume there’s actually a working drain there. Many of these drains get abandoned and you can’t be sure without pulling some stuff apart. Or if you’re feeling bold, you could just go for it with a hole saw and see what happens!
It's that waterproof vinyl flooring that looks like wood. I thought laminate was the same thing! Good point about the slope; I’ll check that with a level. I've got a strong feeling these flippers didn't bother to level it before installing, so if it’s flat, that could be a sign there's no drain!