Official Floor Thread: Anyone used vinyl plank flooring? (1 Viewer)

[El Floppo]

I have installed many ceramic tile floors, hardwood, and vinyl plank floors over the years in many basements, bathrooms, kitchens, etc.  I am never going to install another ceramic tile or hardwood floor in my home again.  

Can you explain this decision further- thanks.

 

[Foosball God]

So he's going to take a 30% loss on his labor for your girlfriend?  Weird.  Why would he give your girlfriend a $2550 gift?   What a great guy.  I'd tell him to take a hike.   When you cut it just score and snap it like drywall.  Easy as can be.  Pull the baseboards and cut the jams with an oscillating cutter for a professional looking install.  

HE WANTS TO HAVE SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH HER!!!

 

[Sabertooth]

HE WANTS TO HAVE SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH HER!!!

No need to yell.  

 

[Sabertooth]

Can you explain this decision further- thanks.

As guy who has flipped 26 houses, I'll take a crack at it.

First, ease of installation.  It is easier than anythng else to install.  You need a utility knife and knee pads.  

Durability - if the floor settles, tile cracks.  Hardwood floors can get burned, scratch or scuffed.   I vinyl plank can of course be damaged, but to fix, you simply remove the damaged piece and replace it.  The whole replacement is about 20 minutes and that includes digging a new plank out of the basement and throwing away the old one. 

Resistance to water - obviously vinyl won't soak up water.  Meaning humidity does nothing to it.  It won't wick up water and warp or buckle.

Very thin also so you can go over existing floor in more cases. 

But thicker than Linoleum too so you can float it a bit more effectively.  If something is off just a hair, you don't sweat it like you would with a tile or rolled linoluem.  

 

[SWC]

the water resistance that old staplertooth mentions is also why it is great in basements you get a little damp down there who cares with carpet you get mildew blah blah blah take that to the bank brochachos 

 

[shuke]

that old staplertooth 

 

 

[dgreen]

Ugh. Trying some peel and still planks. Supposedly should be able to just clean the floor and use a 100lb roller for them to stay. That hasn’t worked great. Have also tried primer. A little better, but still some not staying flat. Not someone suggest adhesive. Really? I need adhesive to put down peel and stick? So stupid. And now I read the adhesive is supposed to acclimate for 48 hours? What is this crap? Was really trying to have this basement floor done today. I may skip the acclimation and see how that works. If it fails, might ditch it and go with the clickable kind. 

 

[Mad Cow]

Going through a huge home renovation right now and we are going to use plank in our kitchen, 2 bathrooms and big living area.  If you go up in the quality, man it looks and feels great.

 

[Da Guru]

My GF is gonna put LVP in her house.  about 1700sq ft worth.  Her neighbor does contracting work and quoted her $3.50/sq ft for install.  He says he usually charges $5.  It does include one flight of stairs.  Is that pricing reasonable??  It seems really high but WTF do I know.  Anyway, I know it's easy to install so we'll probably end up doing it anyway.

If this type of floor is "so easy" to install it should be a little cheaper.

 

[Foosball God]

About to lay down some plank in my basement.  Just finishing up the framing for the new bar area first.

 

[Kanil]

About to lay down some plank in my basement.  Just finishing up the framing for the new bar area first.

This sounds like a euphemism to me.  Maybe I'm spending too much time in @Nathan R. Jessep's threads.

 

[glock]

:dot:

 

[SWC]

brohans i do not like peel and stick especially in a basement it gets damp humid blah blah blah that just messes with glue so just go with clickable floating planks and the thicker the better it think but make sure it is not so thick that it will not follow the contour of your floor i did use some construction adhesive at drain areas to just make it really stay down and also i did use some quick set to even out a few areas between slabs before i put it down that is just my experience and my work is well its swc work so thats not even government work so that that for its worth take that to the bank brochachos 

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Btw, you guys are alllllllll wrong about this stuff being water resistant or waterproof. While the newer materials may indeed be resistant or waterproof, none of it allows the water that gets trapped underneath to breath. (Dry)

-Over concrete - trapped moisture that will literally never dry until you pull it up. It will eventually smell musky.

—Over porous materials such as a wood sub floor... in the right conditions (such as opening up the ceiling below to allow air to circulate while blowers,  dehumidifiers and heat is applied ,) it might dry out but 99% of the time not fast enough (<72 hours) before either mold sets in or your wood subfloor is warped. 

Im saying this as someone who is a certified microbial consultant, trained remediation technician and until recently, worked specifically in the remediation industry for the past 10 years. 

 

[glock]

Btw, you guys are alllllllll wrong about this stuff being water resistant or waterproof. While the newer materials may indeed be resistant or waterproof, none of it allows the water that gets trapped underneath to breath. (Dry)

-Over concrete - trapped moisture that will literally never dry until you pull it up. It will eventually smell musky.

—Over porous materials such as a wood sub floor... in the right conditions (such as opening up the ceiling below to allow air to circulate while blowers,  dehumidifiers and heat is applied ,) it might dry out but 99% of the time not fast enough (<72 hours) before either mold sets in or your wood subfloor is warped. 

Im saying this as someone who is a certified microbial consultant, trained remediation technician and until recently, worked specifically in the remediation industry for the past 10 years. 

Please tell me that you haven't worked for the SERVPRO- "Like it never happened." people... 

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Please tell me that you haven't worked for the SERVPRO- "Like it never happened." people... 

No. Those are all independently owned. Some are good and some are bad/hacks. 

My former company is top tier when it comes to handling the “emergencies” (fires,floods, car impacts and the like). They have other issues but they are the best in the industry at the emergencies and upper tier at the repairs. 

 

[dgreen]

How is this stuff for resale value?

We are getting some insurance money for some cracked kitchen tiles (from a leaking dishwasher) and are considering redoing the whole main level. Guy came today and said we shouldn’t do tile because our joists are too far apart and we’d need to have a lot of work done to make tile a good choice? He’s suggesting LVP and is going to give us an estimate in a couple days. But I don’t want to waste this opportunity (insurance money and we are going to refinance and possibly take out extra money to make some upgrades) on something cheaper that we will feel the need to replace again whenever we move (let’s say in 8 years for arguments sake). 

We have a 60 lb dog so we do need something durable. I read that bamboo is good for big dogs, but apparently the guy today said he’s not a fan of bamboo. (I wasn’t there so I’m just going off what my wife has relayed to me.)

 

[Kanil]

How is this stuff for resale value?

We are getting some insurance money for some cracked kitchen tiles (from a leaking dishwasher) and are considering redoing the whole main level. Guy came today and said we shouldn’t do tile because our joists are too far apart and we’d need to have a lot of work done to make tile a good choice? He’s suggesting LVP and is going to give us an estimate in a couple days. But I don’t want to waste this opportunity (insurance money and we are going to refinance and possibly take out extra money to make some upgrades) on something cheaper that we will feel the need to replace again whenever we move (let’s say in 8 years for arguments sake). 

We have a 60 lb dog so we do need something durable. I read that bamboo is good for big dogs, but apparently the guy today said he’s not a fan of bamboo. (I wasn’t there so I’m just going off what my wife has relayed to me.)

We've had ours for about 6 months now with a 60lb lab and a 200lb mastiff.  Dogs have not left any marks at all and we still don't see any traffic pattern wear developing.  As for resale value vs tile I'm not sure but it looks MUCH better than the carpet we had in before and I'm positive we've gained value.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

How is this stuff for resale value?

We are getting some insurance money for some cracked kitchen tiles (from a leaking dishwasher) and are considering redoing the whole main level. Guy came today and said we shouldn’t do tile because our joists are too far apart and we’d need to have a lot of work done to make tile a good choice? He’s suggesting LVP and is going to give us an estimate in a couple days. But I don’t want to waste this opportunity (insurance money and we are going to refinance and possibly take out extra money to make some upgrades) on something cheaper that we will feel the need to replace again whenever we move (let’s say in 8 years for arguments sake). 

We have a 60 lb dog so we do need something durable. I read that bamboo is good for big dogs, but apparently the guy today said he’s not a fan of bamboo. (I wasn’t there so I’m just going off what my wife has relayed to me.)

Your joists are to far apart? ? What year was your house built? 

If your subfloor is compromised from the water loss than it will need to be replaced (and should be covered). If you have tile then the cement board should have come up along with the demo. Tell me more or shoot some pics (if you want).

Your flooring guy sounds shady.

 

[Mad Cow]

We are about 4 months into our vinyl plank and we absolutely love it.  We have two different styles between main level and master bath and both are fantastic for wear and feel.

 

[Foosball God]

Redid our basement in it, and it looks fantastic

 

[dgreen]

Your joists are to far apart? ? What year was your house built? 

If your subfloor is compromised from the water loss than it will need to be replaced (and should be covered). If you have tile then the cement board should have come up along with the demo. Tell me more or shoot some pics (if you want).

Your flooring guy sounds shady.

I’m just relaying what he told my wife. I wasn’t there for the meeting. He said our joists are 24” and it’s best to have them at 18” for tile? He said that could be why they are cracking, even though our insurance has given us money because the restoration company suggested it was caused by water. The tiles haven’t been pulled up yet so I don’t know what the subfloor looks like. 

We are using the restoration company that  USAA set us up with and the flooring guy was sent to us from the restoration company. He’s supposed to send an estimate soon. Hopefully it’s itemized so I can see what the heck he’s proposing. 

 

[cosjobs]

That's the good ####. The architecty ####.

Help me pick some flooring for the BRs in my new rent house.

Sams club has these for $1.79 a foot and reviews are great for durability. I think I prefer the driftwood.

I also like this and this (if it really looks hand scraped) and this

I prefer the lighter grayish colors to keep the room light, but I saw a home for sale with the handscraped hickory and it looked phenomenal. Most furniture is MCM in grays and blacks and chrome.

Despite being a rent house, I will flip in a couple years, so i would liek some wow factor that will last until I sell.. 

 

[cosjobs]

Which type is easiest to install and needs the least foundation work (i.e., perfectly level)?

Previous owners carpet reeks of urine. TO get it properly cleaned would cost over 10% of a new floor budget and still be crappy old carpet. What should I do to the floor before installation to neutralize the smell? Diluted bleach?

 

[rascal]

I have ceramic tile in our kitchen that we are going to remove.  Not looking forward to that, but the previous owner didn't seal the grout and several tiles have cracked and we can't find replacement tile.  This is one product we are looking at.  How does it do in a wet environment?  Will i have to refloat the floor to get it even? How do you deal with the thickness difference at the door jams (baseboards is easy enough as well will be painting next)?

 

[rascal]

Which type is easiest to install and needs the least foundation work (i.e., perfectly level)?

Previous owners carpet reeks of urine. TO get it properly cleaned would cost over 10% of a new floor budget and still be crappy old carpet. What should I do to the floor before installation to neutralize the smell? Diluted bleach?

Cat urine?  If so, that is the worst.  Bleach the hell out of it, bleach it again, and then again.  And then paint over it with kilz.  And then paint over it again.  Hopefully the urine isn't on the walls as you will have to replace the drywall to get the smell out.

My response assumes concrete floor.  Not sure about anything else.

 

[Sand]

Help me pick some flooring for the BRs in my new rent house.

Sams club has these for $1.79 a foot and reviews are great for durability. I think I prefer the driftwood.

I also like this and this (if it really looks hand scraped) and this

I prefer the lighter grayish colors to keep the room light, but I saw a home for sale with the handscraped hickory and it looked phenomenal. Most furniture is MCM in grays and blacks and chrome.

Despite being a rent house, I will flip in a couple years, so i would liek some wow factor that will last until I sell.. 

I've heard very good things about the "luxury" collection at HD.  This coming from someone who redid a house at the beach and talked with the property manager there, etc. to figure out what works best.  We chose a slightly lower spec tile (which they said will "work fine") and the monkeys who put it in completely mangled it.  Evidently the luxury stuff is pretty easy to snap together and, knowing what I know now, would have bought that.

 

[-fish-]

Help me pick some flooring for the BRs in my new rent house.

Sams club has these for $1.79 a foot and reviews are great for durability. I think I prefer the driftwood.

I also like this and this (if it really looks hand scraped) and this

I prefer the lighter grayish colors to keep the room light, but I saw a home for sale with the handscraped hickory and it looked phenomenal. Most furniture is MCM in grays and blacks and chrome.

Despite being a rent house, I will flip in a couple years, so i would liek some wow factor that will last until I sell.. 

Cos, I put that lifeproof HD product in my daughter's room.   It says it works well if the floors are not perfectly level, but if you have a plywood subfloor you'll feel the hollow spot near every seam where two pieces of plywood come together.   Also, the click and lock system is just a bunch of thin plastic.  If you line it up right and get it to click in the first try, it's fine.  If you miss by a little bit and press too hard, you break the plastic.   

Overall, I like the way her room looks, but in hindsight I would have used a different product over a plywood subfloor.

 

[cosjobs]

Thanks for the info guys. I decided to go with the Sam's Club Driftwood . 

My installer said we should open them and spread them around to air out for a day and acclimate to the room temp. Seems smart, but wtf do I know.

 

[NutterButter]

Cos, I put that lifeproof HD product in my daughter's room.   It says it works well if the floors are not perfectly level, but if you have a plywood subfloor you'll feel the hollow spot near every seam where two pieces of plywood come together.   Also, the click and lock system is just a bunch of thin plastic.  If you line it up right and get it to click in the first try, it's fine.  If you miss by a little bit and press too hard, you break the plastic.   

Overall, I like the way her room looks, but in hindsight I would have used a different product over a plywood subfloor.

When reviewing that before putting my flooring down, I came to that conclusion as well.  At that price point, I wasnt thrilled with the drawbacks.  I went with the peel and stick plank flooring instead from the depot.   The price per foot is crazy low.  We'll see how it holds up.