Wow Teeda, that looks so rich and beautiful. Does it feel like you're walking on real hardwood or vinyl or laminate? I need to remove the ugly carpet from my lower floor and I'm struggling with choices.

sky

sky, I just did a barefoot comparison between my upstairs natural oak floors and the vinyl. No, I cannot say you feel like you're walking on natural wood. Doesn't have the bounce or resilience (part of this is that the vinyl is directly on concrete slab as opposed to wood subfloor/joists upstairs). However, that's fine for me because area rugs will cover most of the traffic areas. I personally wouldn't use this product in more formal living areas, but I think it's great for basements/entrys/baths/kitchens (and it's very budget friendly which was a big factor in the basement).

Looks wonderful, Teeda. Every pix I see of that vinyl plank impresses me more. Enjoy your new floor.

Wow, that looks fantastic! Wonderful job.

That looks wonderful! Where did you purchase the planks? I did a web search and came up with nothing as far as where to purchase. Thanks!

I love the way this looks!! I've been looking for something to put in our basement as well. It is also a concrete slab. Can you tell my how it will do with a pool table sitting on it. I need something that won't show dents (we'll be getting a new pool table in a few years). I also didn't see anywhere to purchase it. I'm interested in the $/sq. ft. price.

Thankx!!

Wow - really really nice for basement space. Looks great.

Teeda,
It looks great!! The rug looks so soft -

Like it! I noticed a few times Candace Olsen used a vinyl wood floor in basements - very smart decision.

Smiles:)

Thanks everyone. Cattnap, the only place I know to order it is Lowe's. We ordered it from them on-line and had it shipped to a local store. You can't beat the price--.99/sq. foot! It's also quite easy to install so in addition to the planks themselves being inexpensive, you don't need to pay for installation. Before learning about Novalis on GW forums, we had looked at a variety of laminates, full sheet vinyls and carpet. Honestly, I think this flooring looks as nice or nicer than many of the mid-range laminates we saw. Last spring we had an Armstrong Cushion Soft wood look vinyl flooring installed in a tiny bathroom at our cabin--it looked wonderfully realistic but was also four times the price!

laFonda, I think you could probably put a pool table on this--especially if the legs have casters or other floor protectors. Plus the great thing about is that all you need to do is keep some extra planks on-hand (we have an extra box stored) and easily replace any that get damaged when you move the old pool table. We're planning to move a piano down there once everything is finished, and I think because the vinyl sits right on the concrete it will be fine.

Wow, teeda, that looks great!! Do you think that would stand up to scratches and dings made by dog nails?? I really think I would like to use some of this. My dog's nails scratched our hardwood floors in the foyer so he is kept to the carpeted areas of the house :)

Home Depot has them too.

Perhaps Oceanna can chime in about the dog scratches--she's had her floor in for a while now. You can also buy individual planks at Lowes (.99/ea) which are great for sampling the various finishes available --and maybe test for scratches/etc. We don't have a dog--just a cat, and I'm more worried about the furniture when it comes to her!

Wow! That is great.

My husband doesn't know this yet, but that's what's going in our gameroom - looks fabulous.

The more I see of this type flooring the more impressed with it I am. It looks great - would love to see more pics when you get a chance!

Teeda, it looks great! Isn't it easy to work with? I sure thought so. Even when I scored it and thought I'd gone too shallow it snapped off clean every time. I loved laying it as with every plank the floor got prettier. I think you're going to love living with it.

You said you wouldn't do it in more formal areas. Can you please explain why not? I'm seriously considering it is why I ask.

Snickysnacker, I have 3 dogs, and until a couple of weeks ago had 5. The heaviest dog was about 50 lbs. I have seen no damage from dog nails. I'm thinking the floor has been down about three months. I will say you should be careful moving a heavy piece like a refrigerator, though.

LaFonda, all vinyl will dent if you put something very heavy on it -- again I'm thinking of something like a refrigerator. I'd go ahead with the floor and put larger sliders under the pool table feet to spread the weight out a bit and I'll bet you won't get dents.

Teeda - we have a decorative weight-bearing column in the basement - will that pose an installation problem?

Bumping for Teeda.

Cattnap, I don't imagine that should be a problem--you'd just cut the vinyl to fit around the shape. Don't know if your column is round or square--it would be a bit trickier if it was round but you could still do it (using the same tricks a tile installer would use to tile around a round column). If you didn't get close enough and there was a gap, there is a flexible molding available that allow you to trim out round pieces. I hope I'm answering your question! Anyhow, you could probably ask folks on a flooring/tile forum how they would "cope" around a column--I'm sure it can be done.

Hi Oceanna--yes, I agree it was easy (although we've still got to finish some of the trickier spots) and so much fun to lay down. Every few rows DH and I would stand back and say "WOW, this looks so great!" and then be inspired to keep going!

I guess the reason I personally wouldn't use it in a formal space is because I have the old fashioned mentality that you use your "very best" products in the formal areas (which in reality is probably silly because these tend to be the least used areas) so as to "set the tone" for the rest of the house. So I would put down the most expensive flooring/carpeting/whatever that I could afford in a part of the home I was hoping to make a good first impression (in other words "high impact" decorating in small areas to set a tone that may not in fact be accurate in other areas). However, I think the style of the home is a factor. My house is a traditional colonial with very formal spaces in the front of the house. I like the warmth, and resilience of traditional hardwood in those areas. If my house was more casual I would certainly consider it. Actually, the first time I saw this product was someone who posted pics of using it throughout her house--it looked great (her home was on a slab so it went directly on concrete). The other thing is, because this stuff is so inexpensive, and easy to put down I wouldn't hesitate to use it anywhere that I was looking for a short term solution. There was actually a discussion somewhere on these boards if using it extensively in a home would hurt resale value. I think the consensus was that most buyers wouldn't want to see it throughout a house. But many people probably feel the same way about a variety of products, including more expensive laminate.

Thanks Teeda

Beautiful job, Teeda! I really love that rug - it's beautiful.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Teeda. I tend to agree. The catcher is budget. Oh, and I experienced the same thing you did when laying my floor; I kept backing up and looking at it and smiling, and smiling! I still look at it and smile.