ARE LUXURY VINYL PLANKS BECOMING MORE POPULAR?
Shabnam Parang
4 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (6)
tatts
4 years agoChessie
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Prints left on luxury vinyl plank floors!!!!
Comments (488)We had Johnson Hardwood"s Luxury Plank Vinyl flooring, Public House- whiskey sour installed by the builder after we looked at the product at a flooring center recommended by Johnson. We have lived in the house for exactly 2 years, and for the first year the flooring cleaned up nicely. In the beginning, I had contacted the "technical rep" for Johnson, and he recommended Rejuvenate LVF cleaner as it is low Ph. That is the only product I have used on the floor since we moved in. We loved the floor so much that we paid $7000 to have it installed in our lanai last year. In the past several months, the floor in the main house is blotchy or spotty throughout, and it looks like certain areas have a film. We clean up water and spots immediately, but the spots continue to show when the floor is wet or dry. So far the lanai doesn't have the same problem, but it's only a year old now. I did report these issues to the technical rep at Johnson, and he wants we to contact the maker of Rejuvenate as that product is likely the cause of the spotting all over the floor. He also wants me to find out who the contractor bought the flooring from when the house was built, and I am to provide the name and contact info for the flooring contractor who installed the floor in the lanai last year. I have tried to take photos with my iphone, but only a few of the spots will show up. I clean this floor at least twice weekly with the Rejuvenate and I vacuum it daily as everything shows up on the dark floor. I know I am going to get the run around from the Johnson rep. I am so upset that we paid top dollar for what we thought was a quality flooring only to have it look like cheap vinyl flooring. I wish we had never heard of Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring....See MoreLuxury Vinyl Plank Interlocking Vs. Peel and Stick Floors
Comments (19)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"....See MoreEngineered Vinyl Plank (EVP) vs. Luxury Vinyl Plank vs Engineered Hard
Comments (24)@V M sorry, just seeing your post above. We are just now finally breaking ground on our home so I don't have pics of the flooring to show you from my house. I will come back and post when I do but that will be some months from now. But we are paying, I think, 15K for our Multi-Length Rigid Core SPC floors in color Sandhill. Our house will be 2975 sf and this floor covering will be throughout the home, except in 3 of the full baths and the utility room. I'm not exactly sure how many square feet that leaves but hopefully you can do some rough math. Everything goes through my builder so I don't have an exact price per square foot to provide you. I also am not sure if this includes labor to install....See MoreEngineered Hardwood, Luxury Vinyl Plank, or Luxury Vinyl Tile/Stone?
Comments (9)Installing hardwood in Florida takes extra effort. The first part of that effort is having EXCELLENT humidity control in the home. In hot, humid climates that means the A/C might not be enough. It might require an additional whole-home dehumidifier. It can also rule out an 'open window' type of home. Again, it depends on the location and the humidity levels. Hardwoods must be kept in a 'happy humidity' range between 45% - 60%. At all times. Every minute of every day. For ever and ever. And ever and ever. That means you will spend more on your HVAC system to have that type of 'push button' control (whole home humidifier/dehumidifier). And then the type of build also dictates the best practice for installation of hardwoods. A concrete slab takes extra effort to glue down wood. A high-end adhesives must be used and those add $2-$3/sf...just for the glue. The hardwood and labour are on top of that. In Florida, the most appropriate floors are stone, tile, terrazzo or concrete. All of which are hard and cold. Of course a cool floor in a hot climate is a BENEFIT...not a drawback. Part of the cold flooring is it helps keep the house feeling cool. Vinyl is then the next option. The difference between the 'wood look' or the stone/tile look is simply aesthetics. If you LIKE the look of wood, then go for it. If you LIKE the look of stone/tile, then go for it. With vinyl you will require very good UV block on your windows. Ask your builder what level you have on your windows right now. You will want to find something with UV block ABOVE 50%. I prefer to see 70% - 75%. That keeps the vinyl and the house cool. But it also makes growing indoor plants a difficulty. Plants struggle with UV blocking windows at 70% or higher....See MoreSina Sadeddin Architectural Design
4 years agoNYCish
4 years agoChessie
4 years ago
Related Stories
MATERIALSWhat to Know About Luxury Vinyl Flooring
The flooring material has become increasingly popular. Here’s how to determine its quality and get it installed
Full StoryCLOSETSThe 15 Most Popular Closet Luxuries on Houzz
Turn distressing disarray into streamlined perfection with closet organizers and amenities like these
Full StoryYou Said It: ‘The More Dents, the Better’ and More Houzz Quotables
Design advice, inspiration and observations that struck a chord this week
Full StoryMOST POPULARWhen Does a House Become a Home?
Getting settled can take more than arranging all your stuff. Discover how to make a real connection with where you live
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDES10 Popular Home Design Trends — Timely or Timeless?
Weigh in on whether these of-the-moment decorating elements will have staying power or become a memory of these times
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESWe Bust 4 More Native Plant Myths
Have you been taken in by these fallacies about gardening with native plants?
Full StoryFLOORS5 Reasons Vinyl Flooring Might Be Right for You
This increasingly popular flooring material has some very real benefits
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNNatural Swimming Pools: More Beauty, No Chemicals
Keep your skin and the environment healthy with a pool that cleans itself, naturally
Full StoryFEEL-GOOD HOMEThe Question That Can Make You Love Your Home More
Change your relationship with your house for the better by focusing on the answer to something designers often ask
Full StoryMY HOUZZHouzz TV: A Couple’s Garage Becomes Their Chic New Home
Portland, Oregon, homeowners find freedom in a city-approved garage home with DIY industrial flair
Full Story
Chessie