Sorry I can't help you out but I know that latex- or rubber-backed rugs will discolor vinyl flooring also. It happened in one of our bathrooms :( We were told there wasn't anything we could do about it but we were planning on putting down laminate so I didn't worry about it.

I still cannot locate a source where I can order a reducer or transition for the doorway where the vinyl tile meets the carpet. There are none I can find to match the Shaw Array Resort Tile Sunlit Sand I have. Mrobvious, who makes the Burmese Slate #23 please, The floor has already been installed and flooring store will come back and replace the cheap metal strip when I find the right piece as they don't carry anything for LVT. This is a picture of the doorway, cabinet color and LVT before it was grouted. Thanks! Can I use a wooden one or wood tone that matches the color of the oak cabinets there or would that not look right? This post was edited by tinker1121 on Thu, Oct 16, 14 at 5:56

Janka ratings work for SOLID hardwood - not engineered. The reason: the wear surface (that they use the ratings with) is so THIN it doesn't offer the full DENT resistance. Yes...dent resistance. Not SCRATCH resistance - only dent resistance. The Janka test is based on how much force it takes to embed a metal BALL into the wood. This has NOTHING to do with the scratch resistance. Think "bowling ball" being dropped onto the floor, not "dogs nails" on the finish. Two VASTLY different things. So many people have been fooled by Janka ratings - especially with engineered wood. White Oak is just fine for "hardness". It really is. But if you insist on working with Janka ratings (which are useless) with engineered flooring, then you are welcome to keep looking. Hard maple will offer an option. Hickory is rarely stained "gray". That's why you are having such a tough time finding it. Maple and hickory don't really like to take a stain. And the gray stains are the HARDEST to get to work "right". So add hardest to get to work with a difficult wood to stain = no one brings it to market. I think you would enjoy the look of European Oak. It has a natural silver/gray tone to it. And the thing you are looking for: Taber ABRASION test. This is the test for scratch resistance. That is the test that is the most important to the N. American consumer. Scratch resistance - not "hardness".

Mineral spirits certainly won't be strong enough. Maybe it would work on a shiny surface like a wood floor with a lot of elbow grease but not for carpet. Lacquer thinner might work but I don't know that I would want to saturated my carpet with that. Have you considered replacing carpet just in that area? Sometimes depending on the type of carpet you can do repairs and it doesn't show.