We did LVT as well, but after about a year are noticing some issues. Namely some high traffic areas are end-buckling, and some areas around multiple wall intersections are gapping. We're okay with it overall since hardwood likely would have done the same, but it seems like with the floating floor (which ours is), that there's been some shifting around as the house dries and cures this first year. A little sad, but they've held up amazingly well with the pets and fact that we track all kinds of dirt into the house. Some scratches (we're pretty hard on floors), but the DH husband reminds me it would be WAY worse if it was real hardwood. Most people can't tell the difference to be honest.

Yes, I have had three experiences with vinyl plank flooring, as follows: My father installed Konecto in his addition- a woodworking shop, bathroom workout room (with treadmill) and wine cellar (including stairs). The floor has been in for over two years and looks fantastic. Any scratches disappear with the same vinyl spray you use on your car's dashboard. I installed Konecto in the bathroom of my home that has now become a rental. The floor was so uneven that the tile installed, most likely just prior to sale, cracked and the grout fell out within a week of my moving in. Wet towels and puddles of water have sat on the year-old vinyl plank, with no problems. My father owns a working farm that he rents; Allure was installed in the kitchen and held up to the mud-and-gravel-encrusted boots that slog through the kitchen. It has been in for almost a year and looks great. These experiences drew me to vinyl plank flooring in the house I "inherited" when I got married; however, I still researched other options such as hardwoods and laminates. While it is a personal choice, I have found the following in my particular case: The house, in its present condition, needs so much work that we are upside down already (purchased from a family member, you know how it goes...) and have major expenses such as plumbing, electric, flooring and a kitchen- the current kitchen is gutted. For my neighborhood, I will never recoup the costs, even at bargain-basement prices. This is something all remodelers should consider- are you creating a $300,000 home in a $150,000 neighborhood? Also, with the way that folks love to remodel these days and put their own stamp on their homes, who is to say that the next owners won't cover your beautiful hardwoods with carpet? Finally, practicality: we have 2 dogs and 3 cats and plan for children soon. In our shotgun house we don't want to break up the visual aesthetic of openness by having different types of flooring in the living room, dining room, kitchen and bath, we wanted a unified, seamless look For water resistance, vinyl is the way to go. Not to mention the logistics of installation- in our situation the thickness of the vinyl works best with our current flooring/trim combination. If my situation were different, I might choose a different floor, but when looking at the whole picture, vinyl seemed the way to go for us! We also plan on staying here for some time, so resale is less of a concern, but it is in our minds (though I have never bought a house I didn't change, so your potential buyer might too!). If you would like pictures of the three aforementioned vinyl plank "experiences" I can ask family members/tenants to send some. Also, check out your local commercial joints. For example, my grocery store has vinyl plank floors that look great after 5 years of squeaky, wobbly cart wheels running over them. Hope this helps and good luck with your remodel!!

Salonva, we have Coretec for a year now in our Florida home. You clean it with water and vinegar. For the most part I spray with just water. We have a dog. No scratches from him, pulling chairs on, dropping something hard etc. It never looks dirty because of the grading, knots etc. I think I look at things a bit differently. Does mine look the same as hard wood that I have up north? No. But it looks nice! Yes there are some fake looking products, but I don’t believe Coretec falls into that category. We chose a beachy/ driftwood look. We were lucky to see this is someone’s home. We were going in a whole other direction! In the kitchen.

The quality of the product will depend on the price point you can afford. Nice quality starts around $4/sf (CoreTec comes in around $5/sf when on sale). You are looking get as close to these points as possible: 20mil wear layer (thickness of urethane coating over the vinyl itself) 5mm total thickness or better Rigid plank (8mm thick SPC core, etc) The one thing you need to know as a homeowner: 1. The labour to install ONLY covers installation - nothing else 2. Subfloor preparation is going to be more expensive than you imagined 3. The homeowner is responsible for the appropriateness of the material chosen What does this mean? You will need to pay for removal/disposal of carpet ($1/sf is common). You will pay for removal/disposal of tile ($2/sf is common). That's the demolition side of things. Now onto the PREPARATION side of things. You will need to pay for subfloor preparation. Vinyl needs FLAT and SMOOTH! Seriously...the thinner the vinyl plank the MORE work you need done. Be aware that carpet hides the WORST subfloors in the building industry. The subfloor under the tile will be in better shape than the carpeted area....no I'm not kidding. So preparation costs are often $2/sf (can be as high as $4/sf....but that is rare...but be prepared for it just in case). The time added to the job is another 1-3 days depending on square footage and size of the crew. Excellent. You have now paid (roughly) $4-$6/sf and you STILL need the floor installed. The cost of the product (we'll assume $5/sf) and the install ($2.50 - $3/sf is common for vinyl) adds another $7.50/sf. What is the SIZE of your project? How much carpet? How much tile? And what is your TOTAL budget once all the items are paid for and installed? Sometimes it is easier to start at the END and work backwards.