On the big novalis post, it appeared that someone had used some type of felt subfloor? We are getting ready to install floor over vinyl and concrete (removing concrete) and wondered if roof felt could be used to help even out floor? Thanks for any advice on this!

I was just talking with a flooring installer today about putting Adura planks on stairs. Adura planks are wood-look vinyl by Mannington; they are similar to the Novalis, I think. He said it could be done, but that they would need to be glued down (not "float"). He showed me a special metal thing that would be put on the edge of each step (comes in different color metals). It is cut to fit and nailed down with special nails with rounded heads (not big ugly regular nails). The strip also has ridges in it for traction. The metal strip is about an inch wide. I don't know what it is called and I don't have a picture, but he had them at the store and said it is a pretty standard installation, so they shouldn't be hard to find if you contact a flooring store.

I stopped by my local Lowe's a few days ago and looked at the Novalis. LOVE IT. I bought one single 18x18 tile to show my husband, and he likes it too. We plan on buying the tiles in the next couple of weeks (we have a 10% coupon as well!) and will lay them down in early September in our kitchen and eating area. Here are pics of the tile I picked, up against our dark coffee colored wall, up next to our maple cabinets in the island, and what it would look like coming out from the black fridge (with the light coffee colored wall to its left). I can't wait to get this project done - I'll be sure to post before and after pictures!

OK....so here is what I WOULD DO: Pull the carpet and lino BOTH and FIND OUT what's underneath. Carpet hides the WORST subfloors (both in prep and in materials) on the planet. Builders KNOW they can mess up the subfloor because carpet will hide everything. So....once carpet and line are GONE...I would then choose an installation material BASED ON the subfloor material that is in place. Example, if you have PERFECT PLYWOOD (which is EXPENSIVE....so I HIGHLY DOUBT IT) then you can think about peel and stick vinyl (which will be cheap, cheerful and require replacement rather quickly = 5 - 7 years). If you have PERFECT CONCRETE SLAB (again...HIGHLY DOUBT IT) then you can think peel and stick. See above. Now back to reality. The chances are you have bad subfloors. As in laun or fibre board or OSB (oriented strand board = looks like the plywood has been made from potato chips). If this is your substrate, peel and stick will NOT STICK. That means you NEED TO LOOK at floating (click together). The price will go UP because of the price of the locking system (royalties, manufacturing machines are expensive, etc) but the INSTALLATION will be faster/easier. Or you have horrible concrete (lumpy, pitted, sloped, etc.) and you need SERIOUS repairs on the concrete. That type of repair isn't going to come cheap. And it is a gut-wrenching DIY project. And vinyl is great for dogs....but PLEASE WORK with a product that is NOT MATTE. We have dozens of threads with people CRYING over their matte finished vinyl....and HATING IT. And NO, the finish is not defective. Which makes them even MORE upset....because there is no warranty covering "angry". And just for fun, a rental unit will have a different life expectancy for flooring. Rental units have a 7 year life cycle for flooring. Yep. That's sever (7) years and the floors need replacing. So....choose what YOU LIKE today. Get it as tough as your budget can allow (high-end laminate in the living spaces + decent vinyl in kitchen/bath/laundry) and then realize it will only survive a few more years (2-4 years) as a rental floor. That's it. And LAMINATE (especially the high end one's) are EXTREMELY tough. They are STUPID-EASY/cheap to install as DIY and require LESS PREPARATION to the subfloors than vinyl. Because rental property is in your future, don't think anything beyond "seven years".