Oops ya sorry the Centiva doesn't mention about temps or direct sunlight. I think I got mixed up reading about installation temps or something. Does the asphalt staining mean if I got some stuck under my show from the street and I rubbed it into the floor unknowingly I would stain it? The Centiva is partially made out of some kind of recycled product to be a "green" floor, but does it mean it performs worse? Our kitchen has three 3'X4' south facing windows but I'm replacing them with Milgard Low-E windows that's supposed to block out 95% of the UV and I'll be using roller shades so I think the direct sunlight won't be an issue as it voids the warranty on the Nafco tiles I read. It's just confusing with all the vinyl tile flooring types and reading complaints about them from flooring salespeople, contractors and the Internet that I don't know what's good or bad. Is there a vinyl floor brand that will last 20+ years or just give up on LVT and install porcelain tile and use rubber mats? Thanks for your suggestions.

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!!

Hi, I posted a question in Design Dilemma yesterday and attached a picture of some Armstrong Alterna samples I am considering. I am reattaching them here as they might be close to what you are looking for as well. Most of the LVT I found is too patterned for me, but these three are subtle. This Armstrong style is the Multistone line and there is a white in this grouping that is even more even in tone and light in color than the three I am considering. All the LVT brands seem to have a solid white but that is just too stark and modern for my taste. Mannington Audra has Manhattan White and that is also very pretty. I was able to borrow the samples from the flooring store to take home, but I ordered some samples directly from Armstrong. However, I was a bit miffed for getting charged $8 for a tiny 8 x 8 sample plus shipping. I believe Mannington will send a sample for free. Armstrong is made in the U.S. and Mannington is bringing theirs back this summer (I called each company because this is important to me).

Thank you all for your suggestions! I am loving the earthy slate tiles. The parquet flooring is beautiful, but somehow it reminds me too much of the hardwood covering the rest of our home (very thin boards, maybe?), not sure if I'm making any sense at all anymore! I'm hoping to install the LVT myself after much more research, but I wonder how you'd go about peicing together those those color variant slate tiles without it looking a mess... hmm!