I haven't used the planks but we just had sheet vinyl installed in the basement, and this is my impression: Planks are better if you want to DYI, sheet is in and done quickly (by someone else), sheet has no seams to deal with (peeling up or leaks from doggie), planks may be better if you want to avoid pattern repeats. We used sheet mainly because our basement floor is uneven and that was the simplest way to deal with it. We also have a dog (very old and somewhat incontinent) who sleeps there, and having no seams was a plus. The sheet vinyl certainly wasn't inexpensive, and installation was a big part of the cost; I imagine DIY planks would have cost less. Because I was not sure how wood-style sheet vinyl might look (pattern repeats etc), we used a tile pattern. I am very happy with it; it's cushioned, warm-ish and surprisingly non-skid for our dog. I've been impressed with the look of the wood pattern vinyl planks that people have posted here and in the Home Decoration forum, though. I haven't seen that in person, or the wood-looking sheet vinyl for that matter, to really be able to compare the way they look, though.

Don't know what other people are experiencing with the Trafficmaster floor tiles but I'm very satisifed with the product. You can install it/float it right over top the existing vinyl floor as I did.The original vinyl flooring in the kitchen was shot but i did not want to tear it all up and looked for alternatives and found this product. I watched a few youtube videos on installing the flooring and followed the advice about laying it carefully. I used a 4" Caster wheel available at Home Depot to apply strong pressure and roll the joints with and it worked great and after the job was finished, I returned the caster wheel for my money back. It seems wise to install the flooring at the median temperature that the floor will be most of its life to reduce any gaps from expansion, contraction, etc. and leave a tiny gap around the edges of the walls and counter bases so it can breath a bit. I left about a 1/8" gap. You can cover that gap with something like shoe molding. I installed the 12" x 36" Cyprus tiles for a total of about 250 dollars. i have lived with it for over a year now and I love it. Clean it with a wet rag or damp mop. If you get right down on the floor and inspect it all VERY closely you may find a few gaps between some tiles but they aren't even large enough to stick a credit card into.I have not had any lifting in ANY location. I have shown the floor to many folks and they like it a lot and others plan to try it in their homes.I do not know how it will perform on a cold concrete floor but it has performed beautifully in my kitchen.

This is a rare occasion I disagree with glennsfc. I would run it all left to right. In either the living room or hall it will carry your eye into the room and make each look wider. It will make the family room look deeper. Running it all the same way will aid a look of continuity even though the three areas are separated by the foyer. When there's a debate about floor direction I encourage the customer to lay out a box of material in the doorways in either direction to gauge the look.

Whatever you choose to do, remember that removing damages the planks. I would assume that any plank you need to remove at a later date is a "wasted plank". It cannot be used again. That's the EASIEST way to do this. That means you will need to have DOUBLE the square footage for your kitchen. And beware: floating floors MUST HAVE transition strips through doorways. The "walkway" you have set up is not considered appropriate. It runs through a doorway without a t-molding. Personally I would install the "rest of the house" up to the doorway to the kitchen. Lay down a temporary "uneven t-molding" through the doorway. It will be removed later and the proper t-molding will be installed as per flooring requirements (it should be written in black and white). Have the kitchen installed. Cabinets, boxes, counter tops, etc all finished up. Then lay the kitchen floor just before you install the appliances. Change the uneven t-mold for the proper t-molding through the doorway and you are done like dinner. This is the simplest way to do this. You will need to learn the installation technique from the family member and then finish the kitchen install yourself. Of course the tricky bit is the cuts, but this is how your project ended up "working".