Can vinyl planks fool neighborhood snobs?
danarasmussen
8 years ago
Featured Answer
Comments (53)
mushcreek
8 years agoalexamorrie
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Vinyl planks for 'hardwood' look - scratched on me!
Comments (37)I was going to go with engineered hard wood--BR111, amendiom fooring. I LOVE it. It is beautiful. I went back and forth to the stone yard, etc., to make sure it was the one I truly wanted to go with my kitchen cabinets and granite. Then, I heard the final quote from Lowe's for my kitchen, dining and living room area and hallway, which desperately needs new flooring. I figured since I was redoing the kitchen I may as well....I also wanted to eventually do hardwoods in those rooms as they are all open to each other. I wanted to make sure the the hardwood would be the same dye lot, etc. I was going to go with the engineered hardwood in the kitchen, dining area, living room (it is all one big room) and the hallway area. The quote for the engineered hard wood, materials and labor was almost $10,000! That was a far cry from the $3700 Lowe's first quoted me (of course, not on paper). I could have just cried! Now I am too looking at laminate again. I have had wood laminate in the kitchen, (before the demo), and the bathrooms and laundry room. I have an Armstrong one that looks like tile--25 year warrenty. My CG hates laminate, but he won't live with it (I will be the one, not him) nor will he install it. His, in his house, was ruined by a water leak in his kitchen. He has forever sworn off the stuff. I have had my wood laminate for about 5 years. I have loved it! It is easy to clean and maintain. Still looks new. If there is a ding in it, it comes with a putty kit to fill in the ding. I have only had one ding, put in by the installer! I don't have small children nor pets, however, my neighbor has wood laminate in her entry way, dining and living room area. She loves it and has grandchildren and a rather large golden. It looks great and she loves the upkeep as it is very easy. I really, really wanted the engineered wood for resale value. Once you see the depth of real wood, it is hard to go back to a "picture" of wood. It just doesn't have the same depth. The installer who came out to measure my house stated to go middle of the road with the warrenty for engineered wood. Don't pay more for the 25 year one, go for the 15 year one. Said the finish was the same for engineered wood, only difference as the thickness of the wood. He stated in 15 years, I would probably be tired of it anyway and would want a change. Also, even the 25 year warrenty floors will show wear and tear after 15 years. (Don't you hate the "throw away" mentality? But I probably won't be living in this house in 15 years and will be in a skilled nursing facility by then) However, you can refinish the thicker engineered wood a couple of times if you want. So, I am looking at the Pergo and Armstrong wood laminate floors. For the Pergo floors for the 30 year wood laminate, it does have a thicker coating on it. I took a screw to the samples this morning to see how they scratched. I didn't press real hard, but no scratches--or at least none that I could see. I am looking at a medium tone walnut. I do know that when I have inadvertantly dropped things on my wood laminate in the kitchen in the past, (glass bottles of things like grapeseed oil) they didn't break. They would have on real tile and I would have had to worry about keeping the grout clean. Ugh! So, I am trying to soothe my broken heart with the laminate and will ask again why the engineered wood (same price as the laminate or cheaper) costs so much more to install. I know they do level the cement slab prior to install. My GC stated one of his wood floor people he uses, could install a distressed wood floor in my kitchen for about $500 total cost for material and labor. I just didn't like the "distressed" floor samples he had. I am very tired of the country look and am going for the transitional look instead. I have done country for the past 35 years. I need a change! I have a very small kitchen and the flooring size is about 9 X 8 feet. Lowe's price was $1600 for the cheaper (15 year warrenty) engineered wood (materials and labor)! I am not sure the person there knew what she was talking about. Stated the vinyl that came with the house, which is glued to the slab floor of the kitchen would have to come up for the wood floor to go down. Then she was stating it might have asbestos! I said, oh please, it is the same cheap stuff they happen to have as one of their samples at the store! I thought the last part in my head and didn't state that out loud. I don't know what haz mat thing she was thinking! I showed her the cheap vinal I had. I asked if Lowe's sold something that had asbestos in it. I still may have to go with carpet in the dining and living room from Lowe's. They are having a special right now and I am just broke from my remodel of the kitchen. I will find out the cost of the laminate this morning when I am over there in a few minutes. I am sad about the whole thing. I was so happy to have finally made up my mind on the engineered wood. It really was going to be very pretty....See MorePicking vinyl planks that will fool even the flooring snobs
Comments (1)Look for brands that dont have a high repeat of wood grain patterns. There are some that are indistigunisable, usually those are more expensive of course. If you want the higher end stuff you should go to various flooring stores in your area, instead of hardware stores. Personally, I found the price too much for my taste at the flooring stores in my area and I found an acceptable LVP at one of the hardware stores, you can only tell its LVP if you look close. If you want product that will be hard to tell even up close then get the higher end stuff. Sorry I dont have any brands to list. Best way to choose is to buy one box and take it home and put it together on your floor and look at it at home then choose. Return any boxes you dont choose. Easy to do at a hardware store, but ask the flooring store if they do returns before you buy sample boxes....See MoreVinyl plank flooring in higher-end home?
Comments (85)My parents downsized for the 4th time and their latest house has LVP. It looks nice in their house and they picked a medium brown tone, so not a trendy color. Their last 2 houses had tile and houses before that had hardwood. I built last year and installed engineered wood floors through most of the house. I kept an open mind and did take a look at LVP when doing my research, but I didn't like the look and my DH hated how they sounded when he walked on large sample areas installed in the flooring showrooms. These days you are seeing the LVP being installed in higher end homes here in FL and buyers seem to accept it just fine, specially closer to the beaches. A couple of years ago I had started seeing the ceramic core floors with a wood veneer in Los Angeles, specially for mid/high end flips....See MoreCan't decide on wood look tile or Luxury vinyl planks for Kitchen!
Comments (25)I brought a sample home from Home Depot and could scratch it with my fingernail. Having said that, we went with a different brand as mentioned in my earlier post. it has a 5 mil wear layer with some kind of cerama beads, (I forget all the lingo I learned when researching ours). and I have never found a scratch on ours. We put it throughout our 1,000 sq ft cabin and also in our TV room at home. We have a 10+ lb. cat that tears around like a maniac. All claws intact. The wear layer is very important. It is recommended to put felt pads on all furniture feet. Makes for very easy moving of chairs etc. anyways. That way you shouldn't have to worry about scratches so long as there is no sand or stones lingering on the floor. But the felt pads would help minimize a problem anyways....See MoreUser
8 years agofunkycamper
8 years agojerzeegirl (FL zone 9B)
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agosls404
8 years agoscrappy25
8 years ago4kids4us
8 years agooasisowner
8 years agochicagoans
8 years agoamg765
8 years agobeachem
8 years agolam702
8 years agocookncarpenter
8 years agoFori
8 years agoLavender Lass
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agopalimpsest
8 years agoMicki-Micki
8 years agoNothing Left to Say
8 years agofunkycamper
8 years agoFori
8 years agoLavender Lass
8 years agonosoccermom
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agocpartist
8 years agoediblekitchen
8 years agodanarasmussen
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agopalimpsest
8 years agojess1979
8 years agobrdrl
8 years agochicagoans
8 years agoPatti
8 years agoszruns
8 years agocookncarpenter
8 years agocpartist
8 years agozver11
8 years agostarnold
8 years agoediblekitchen
8 years agogramarows
8 years agosocalgal_gw Zone USDA 10b Sunset 24
8 years agomrspete
8 years agodanarasmussen
8 years agoamg765
8 years agosteph2000
8 years agoTexas_Gem
8 years agosteph2000
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoDiana G
7 years agoRebecca
6 years agoAnglophilia
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agobargainhunter
6 years ago
Related Stories
REMODELING GUIDESThe Case for Linoleum and Vinyl Floors
Have pets, kids and a tight budget? Easy-care resilient floors may be the choice for you
Full StoryPRODUCT PICKSGuest Picks: Beautiful Things You Can Feel Good About Buying
Upcycled, ecofriendly or just made responsibly, these home accessories and furniture pieces will keep your conscience clear
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNThe Cure for Houzz Envy: Kitchen Touches Anyone Can Do
Take your kitchen up a notch even if it will never reach top-of-the-line, with these cheap and easy decorating ideas
Full StoryEXTERIORS5 Easy Tips for Choosing Your Exterior Paint Palette
Make your home the talk of the neighborhood — in a good way — with an exterior paint scheme that pops
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSHouzz Tour: From Shocker to Stunner in Houston
Once moldy and decrepit, this 1920s bungalow is now a neighborhood gem
Full StoryKITCHEN OF THE WEEKKitchen of the Week: Marrying Past and Present in Los Angeles
Something old, something new and all the rest make for a happy kitchen union in a tony L.A. neighborhood
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSHouzz Tour: Traditional Shingle With a Modern Soul
A home’s shingle-style exterior fits in with the neighborhood and allows for an open, harmonious flow inside
Full StoryTILETop Tile Trends From the Coverings 2013 Show — the Wood Look
Get the beauty of wood while waving off potential splinters, rotting and long searches, thanks to eye-fooling ceramic and porcelain tiles
Full StoryPETS10 Tips for Keeping Indoor Cats Healthy and Happy
It's National Cat Day: Ask not what your cat can do for you (because it will ignore you) but what you can do for your cat
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESWhen to Use Engineered Wood Floors
See why an engineered wood floor could be your best choice (and no one will know but you)
Full Story
Fori