When you go to sell this house, what is the best flooring material the buyer will want to see?

I am not sure how much glue they use to put these down, but that could be a PITA to remove in order to do hardwoods. However, since 2 years has been rough on your existing engineered hardwoods, I'd do the vinyl anyway...

I suppose it depends on what you mean by "engineered hardwoods". Most of the ones I've looked at can be refinished twice before they've been sanded too thin and have to be replaced.

This is really a personal preference. If I were looking to buy a house hardwoods would be a must in at least 75% in the living space. However I don't think you should worry about what will sell the house. I truly love hardwoods. I loved them in my 100 year old house and I love them in my new house. I have seen some beautiful LVP and I almost used it my mudroom and entry ways. I opted for tile instead but I did really like the LVP. You are the one who has to live in the house so use what you like and what functions well for your family.

If you buy better wood than a cheap 3K upgrade over plastic, then you will get better wear and better value long term. No 500K middle america home should ever have plastic floors. If that 500K was in NYC, then it'd be an entry level slum apartment, and you'd be lucky to get vinyl plank.

Think of it as a choice between plastic that looks close to wood vs 1/8" thin wood veneer. Some may view this as a choice between the lesser of two evils.

Is "luxury vinyl plank" an oxymoron, or just a cool slogan some advertising wonk dreamed up. Is there an alternative to "luxury vinyl" which is just "ordinary vinyl"? Curious minds want to know...

It means it's twice the price of regular vinyl plank. :-) It's not terrible and it doesn't show the tiny imperfections in the underlayment that the cheap stuff does. But it's still vinyl, and gouges are going to show. (Note: dog nails. Take it from someone who sees the daily damage pets do at a vet clinic. ) It has it's place and is great anywhere it's likely to be wet, but it's not as impervious to wear as people like to think it is.

Out here, it's common because of the beach environment, BUT the higher end homes go with wood-look ceramic tile, instead. Same water performance, but much better with the constant sand.

I think it's great for mud rooms, laundry rooms, etc. And I'm likely to put it in my kids' bedrooms, as they can't be trusted with carpet. But you can really see the difference in high traffic areas.

I'm finding, as I research things, that "no maintenance" really means, "this cannot be repaired or refreshed, so when it looks tired, you'll have to rip it out and replace it."

You have to make a conscious decision between "peel and stick" and "build for the ages." I'm hoping to head in the latter direction to the extent my budget will allow, but it is expensive.

OTOH, if you're following every HGTV trend in the book, go ahead and do "peel and stick," because by the time it's looking tired, it'll also be outdated, and will give you a good excuse to replace it.

Vinyl is vinyl no way around that but when does something that is just as visually appealing with much better wear and care characteristics surpass these engineered hardwoods.

Only in that most of the hardwoods can be refinished at least twice. If you're going for wide boards, you often must go with engineered to avoid cupping.

If you're talking purely about wear, wood-look ceramic beats both all to hell.

If an engineered floor is cupping, it's probably a poor quality floor, then. Engineered is expensive, too, for the good stuff. I got quoted $16/sq ft for 6" wide engineered reclaimed barnwood.

Get out of the basement $3 engineered wood products and into the $7-17 a square engineered. Quality engineered is indistinguishable from solid from the top view. And it's required with slab construction, which is most of the US these days. You can even get unfinished engineered if you want site finished, for whatever reason.

A lot depends on the brand of LVT or engineered. Cheap engineered or cheap LVT will still look cheap and both will wear poorly.

If you choose engineered you want one with at least a 2.5 mm wear layer (3 mm is better) so that it can be sanded 2x if necessary and so if you do ding it, you're not looking at bare wood from the base.

Quality LVT looks great. Having seen keywest's home and his LVT, I can attest to the fact that it looks beautiful and could fool you at first glance. And I'm guessing it will hold up well. However cheap LVT looks cheap.

As long as you're getting a quality product, I don't think you can go wrong with either one.

Agree with CP. And, yes, Virgil, there is a difference between LVP and cheaper versions. We just moved into an otherwise very nice rental, and the ordinary vinyl plank here is a totally different animal than the LVP already installed in the new house, both in feel and look.

Hi,

Ah the quest for the perfect floor....

In my experience, the "perfect" floor for a kitchen is whatever you don't have at present: if you have hardwood in the kitchen you know its drawbacks and you want tile. If you have tile in the kitchen you know its drawbacks and you want hardwood. Bottom line is that there is no "perfect" floor material, at least not one for all applications.

I recently installed Mannington's Adura vinyl plank flooring (the interlocking planks--not glue down) in a room over a garage that was going to be a playroom/exercise room. The product looks great--color and texture is difficult to distinguish from wood and the owners love it. Take a look at it and see what you think.

Best wishes for a successful project.

In my experience, the "perfect" floor for a kitchen is whatever you don't have at present

Great answer.

In my current house, I have a plethora of flooring:

- We have carpet in our family room and living room. I like that it's warm and if you haven't run the Roomba in a day or two, bitty bits of whatever don't stick to the bottom of your feet. However, carpet has a short lifetime and is labor-intensive to keep clean.

- The tile in the bathrooms is cold to the foot, and although it's easy to care for, I have no great love of it. The tile in my classroom aggravates my foot condition and is hard on the knees. Changing it out is serious, serious work. Of all my floorings, it is my least favorite.

- The engineered hardwood in the entryway is trouble-free. Comfortable, easy to keep clean, looks good a long time.

- The sheet vinyl in the kitchen and office are also trouble-free, and they're a notch warmer to the foot than the engineered hardwood. Again, comfortable, easy to keep clean, looks good a long time.

My personal plan: I'm going to use good quality LVP throughout the house ... except for the showers. My grandmother had terrible trouble with changes in flooring and thresholds, so I'm planning for my house to have NONE of those ... again, except for the showers.

Mrspete,

I didn't mention it, but a year ago we build an accessible home for a client with a disability: it had no thresholds and a gradual ramp to the entry doors (the crawlspace was below grade and waterproofed.) We used Armstrong glue down laminate throughout. It is a great looking product and perfect for their needs, although I prefer the Mannington interlocking product.

Quality LVP may look like wood, but floors are for walking on and there isn't a doubt when you walk on it that it's vinyl. That said, vinyl has many pro's, and we've used it in certain areas of our house. I'm in the northeast - here wood is expected in a home of that price point, but I understand that in other areas - namely the south and SW vinyl is more typical. Just like here vinyl siding is expected for that price point, but in areas it would be considered cheap and cement board or brick would be standard.

You can walk blindfolded feeling the difference between wood and vinyl? Impressive! For wood I like site-finished, 3/4 plank North American hardwood. Nothing worse than cheaply produced, throw away flooring made from exotic rainforest species.

I was skeptical recently when a client chose luxury vinyl for the kitchen, laundry and powder but so far, I'm impressed. It's an Adore Naturelle product and looks more authentic than their Shaw engineered wood with scraped finish. Even if the engineered wood floor wasn't "scraped", the luxury vinyl has a more site finished look with it's tight joints compared to most engineered wood.

KW.....looks great! I've mentioned in the past, on that show 'Flip or Flop', they use this all the time on houses 500k and up.

You can walk blindfolded feeling the difference between wood and vinyl?

I'm counting on being able to feel a difference in my not-so-young knees and feet. I definitely feel the difference -- in a negative way -- after standing up on tile all day at school. In my own home, vinyl and carpet are my friends.

Thanks mrspete. I get carpet, but generally feel the indoor air impacts tip the overall health balance, especially when utilizing better footwear and insoles. Can you elaborate on vinyl you experience an orthopedic improvement with? Is there added padding or a certain brand worth checking out?

Love the look Keywest. Interested in more information.

Thanks
mrspete. I get carpet, but generally feel the indoor air impacts tip the overall health balance, especially when utilizing better footwear and insoles. Can you elaborate on vinyl you experience an orthopedic improvement with? Is there added padding or a certain brand worth checking out?

Sorry I didn't answer this question; I didn't see it.

I don't understand that comment about indoor air and footwear.

What I can say about vinyl, tile, whatever flooring and orthopedic improvement: I have some moderate problems with my feet and knees -- nothing out of the ordinary. Standing on tile at work is harder on my feet and knees; at the end of the day standing on the tile, my feet ache. On the other hand, at home where I have mostly carpet and vinyl, the problems are minimal.

I don't think a particular brand matters, but vinyl is "softer" and more "springy" than hardwood and especially more so than concrete or tile.

I would go LVT. When the kids are older of if you want to move, you can upgrade. Damaged engineered hardwood is no selling point at all.

I wish I had seen this thread earlier. I am trying to make flooring decisions as well, for our new house. We have 2 stories on a basement. I'm thinking site finished 3/4" hardwood above ground and LVT in the basement.

I'm getting a price from a company for rift/quarter sawn white oak finished on site and they do water based finish only. My last house had oil based finish so I'm concerned that the water based may not hold up as well.

I've spent time on the flooring board and there is lots of debate re: water based vs. oil based finishes and durability. But, no consensus.

any opinions here???

Also wanted to add that we put down glue down LVT in a gut office remodel several years ago and it still looks great. It actually looks like the day it was installed. I think Mannington Adura.

Otoh...my lake neighbor also has a home in Fla. on the ocean..and chose a beautiful engineered hardwood by Bella Cera. Several years old and looks great.

I am going to eventually get site-finished flooring with a spot-repairable finish. That is post-kids, though. Kids are hell on floors. I am in love with mesquite, but it's soooo dark I might get some white oak.

Right now, I have $1 sqft stick down vinyl. And everyone thinks it's real--including a custom cabinetmaker.

Prefinished floors look cheaper than my $1/sqft vinyl stickdown because of the awful bevels and edge gaps.

Waxed maple is going on the dance floor sooner than that, but it will halve nasty maintenance. Can't be helped on a dance floor, though.

I am also considering using LVP in the main living areas in my circa 1982 North Carolina townhouse. The Flooret Modin "Kingswood" rigid vinyl planks with cork backing look really good. I like the idea of one continuous, economical, low anxiety "wood" flooring in the foyer, kitchen, full bath, hallway, living & dining room and the stairs. These carry a non-transferable lifetime warranty, and are a 40mil wear layer, 7mm thick, 9 x 72 inch plank for $3.95 sq ft. They also offer a one-piece stair tread & bullnose, albeit only 12mil wear layer on these. Zillow rates my townhouse around 185k, so I was wondering if I should get a wood product or this LVP?

Keywest230 - I love your LVP floors. What is the brand and style name?

What do you guys typically budget for refinishing a site finished hardwood?

i was quoted just shy of $5K for 1,100 sqft.

Whaas, from past experience that sounds about right. We last refinished our floors in our old house about 3 years ago.

PVC flooring. Looks great. Just close your eyes and ears and good sense to the naysayers.

For new homes, I've never used anything but tile (preferably porcelain), real wood and stone. Now moving onto polished concrete and terrazzo.

I am building in North Carolina---near beach. I have a choice of several Mohawk engineered hardwood products. A visit to the flooring shop informed that engineered hardwood cannot be refinished at all and only has a 25 year warranty. The LVP I am looking at GEM Coastal has a lifetime residential warranty and no VOCs. Living in a humid climate where beach sand and water will get on the floor as well as a dog---we are thinking that LVP is the better choice. Also LVP is lower maintenance, easier to clean and quiet.

@keywest230 Can you tell me the color of your LVP? Looks beautiful!

We have site finished red oak flooring in our 3,000 sq ft NC home. We love it! 15 years later, 2 grandkids and 2 large dogs it still looks good but could use a good buffing. Wouldn’t have anything else.......except when we built our sound front NC beach home we went with LVP, click together, with thick cork under each plank. Installed throughout the entire house. It is perfect with the kids and dogs, sand and water! Cleans easily, looks just like hardwood and feels great! We get many compliments on it. The only thing I would never do is laminate. Next wood look porcelain because of the grout lines, and then engineered hardwood, unless it’s the kind that has a thick wood top, but still don’t like the beveled edges. It’s all a matter of preference and you just have to do what’s right for you and your family.

So let's talk the about the difference between an engineered hardwood and a vinyl plank. And there are more than just the difference between the two flooring options. There are many differences within each type of flooring. For example: engineered hardwood flooring can come in different thickness overall and vinyl planks can come in different plank styles (glue down, WPC and SPC).

Let's break this down for you guys a little further.

Engineered hardwood is an incredible option for an authentic with longevity in mind. Typically is worth less than it's hardwood counterpart (hardwood) but in some instances, depending on the wood species, a high end engineered hardwood veneer could be worth more than a low grade hardwood such as your North American (domestic) species.

Engineered hardwood is more often on the 7/16" side of thickness and that is your more price friendly thickness. You can special order a thicker 3/4" board, but that will come at a heftier price because it's added layers. The added layers create a more stable plank that expands and contracts at a lower rate than it's 7/16" counterpart.

Engineered hardwoods always should and for the most part come prefinished with an aluminum oxide coat. This very coat is your barrier against everyday beatings from walking traffic and dropped items. This coat is very tough but no floor or finish is indestructible. You will have dents and scratches pop up over the years. Depending on the company, you can buy "refinish kits". Although, technically you cannot refinish aluminum oxide, the kits just help you hide the scratches until you decide to do a professional refinish to your floor.

Lastly, let's talk about refinishing your hardwood floor. Please have a professional do it! And it is very expensive to do this job. Depending on your floor size it can cost well over $3,000 USD. At this rate, you are in the market for a high level LVP.

Which brings me into the luxury vinyl plank spectrum.

As you all are aware, LVP's are dominating the flooring market and they should be. They do a very, VERY good job at imitating a hardwood or stone surface and multiply the longevity all the while. Vinyl has come a long way in the last couple of decades let alone the last few years as far as planks are concerned. There are plenty of options and so, so many different brands all wanting you business.

Luxury vinyl planks can be divided into two different categories in the market right now: glue down or floating. The first generation of vinyl planks are your glue downs. They are still very popular and serve as one of the friendliest DIY repair floors. You simply heat the old damaged plank, peel it and put a new one down. The floating aspect of planks gets a little more complicated as you can have a WPC (wood polymer composite), SPC (stone polymer composite) or a loose lay style. And you can look those up to see the complete difference in each to see what's your most needed. I'll lightly go over each to explain what they are.

While all three styles are virtually waterproof, you really can't go wrong with any and will have a good product in each one.

WPC's are a click based plank which does not require an underlayment, hence being labeled a "floating" floor. The foaming agent in the core of the plank helps with sound absorption and makes the plank a little more friendly to stand on. It's a thicker overall plank and you should think about how the trims will be affected.

SPC's are a click based plank which also does not require an underlayment which helps reduce the installation cost. The core is limestone based and makes it very rigid and tough. It's extremely dent resistant but for the most part is lower in wear layer for some reason. You can however find plenty of SPC's with a higher wear layer, nearing 28-30 mil, but it will cost you more because you will have a high dent and scratch resistance.

And finally you have your loose lay planks which are the ultimate form (as of now) in easy maintenance and installation. They do not require an underlayment, do not use a click system and don't need any adhesive (although some installers recommend gluing the perimeter). They have a friction backing which let you lay the plank adhesive free without any movement on its end. The plank itself is waterproof and pretty dent resistant.

While engineered hardwood does cost more and is less maintenance friendly, it does add value to your home with the hardwood veneer. The ability to refinish gives you a long floor life but the cost of a refinish is a setback in itself.

Luxury vinyl planks are a low cost and long lasting floor option but adds little to no value to your home. The endless options of styles and colors gives you endless customization to your home at a far less price.

Either option can last a while but at this time vinyl planks are a better option for any household with multiple members, both human and furry alike. I hope this little bit of information helps in the short and long run.

Just a flooring dude.

I am building a custom home near Seattle area (HCOL) costing over $1.5M. I have two kids and two dogs. My current home has Maple hardwood and though the floor has lots of scratches from doggy paws it still looks decent. I am also now wondering about getting engineered hardwood vs LVP in my new home. I really like 9” wide engineered hardwood and LVP from Cali Bamboo.

https://www.calibamboo.com/product-longboard-whitewater-white-vinyl-flooring-7902500201.html

https://www.calibamboo.com/product-new-world-engineered-white-washed-oak-flooring-7601002001.html

For my lifestyle and given the benefits mentioned above (beveled edges in engineered hardwood now scare me), it seems I should go with LVP. However given its a luxury house, I wonder if this will affect the resale value.

So confused ...

@Sonu Arora, the market is young yet for the vinyl plank, they have value (easy maintenance, waterproof, durable). However, solid and engineered hardwood will always have the highest value in the hard surface realm. At this point in time, you should go with what you can afford to do. I encourage you to go to the nearest TRUSTED flooring store and look around. At this time in the flooring industry, almost every major company has SPC Rigid core flooring, the biggest difference in all of them is what mil wear layer they have. With a couple of pooches, regardless of size, I'd say go at least 12 mil to be on the safe size. Also when you go to that trusted local floor dealer, make sure to ask for a lowered price since you'll be getting a hefty amount in square footage! If they say they don't do that, then just go to the next place. Good luck!

Sounds to me like you may be building a production home? If that is the case, I would Highly recommend the cheaper option...and go with the LVT (I just put it in our guest room/art studio due to the durability and the likelihood of water)...but my opinion is based on experience. Our last home was a production home in the midwest (it was the only building option in the area we were in...land wasn't available otherwise) We went into thinking that if we paid the upgrades, we would be getting quality. We DID NOT! You will pay a premium on an upgrade that is not necessarily an improvement in quality. In hindsight we would have been money ahead to have purchased the home with no upgrades, and gone room by room and upgraded to what we wanted in the 8 yrs we lived in the home.