Will Sheet Vinyl Work For Us/Some Alternatives

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

My wife and I need to come up with flooring for out the 800 square foot ADU we are building in Broomfield Colorado. The ADU is being built to PASSIVE house standards.

Attached are some images of the unit. The front of the house is facing west and will get a lot of sun.

Part of our requirements/needs reflects our age. I am 68 and my spouse is 75.

We do not want a hard floor thus concrete, porcelain, etc tile are out.
It has to be non-slippery.
We would like to use the same flooring throughout the house. This includes the kitchen and bathrooms.
I sometime use a rollator (a walker with four wheels) so it must be able to travel easily on the floor
We would prefer something waterproof as we may get a dog.

The product that appears to best meet our requirements is sheet vinyl. What do you think of this approach.

Another alternative may be luxury vinyl planks or tiles. While some claim to be waterproof I know if there is a seam, it can leak.

My final alternative is Perfection Floor Tile. This is a product I have used before and love. Its major drawback is that it is water resistance and NOT water proof. If you are not aware of this product, check it out.

Any thoughts and comments greatfully appreciated

LJK.

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Comments (9)

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HALLETT & Co.
2 years ago
I would do a poured epoxy floor over a concrete micro topping but that goes against your no hard floor rule, but I don’t find sheet vinyl substantially softer when installed over a slab…
chispa
2 years ago
There are very few floors that are completely waterproof. If you really love the Perfection Floor and it has worked for you before, why reinvent the wheel?
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We just finished remodeling our kitchen and the product I liked best was a Mannington sheet vinyl. I am a Realtor and am in and out of a lot of homes, and have seen AMAZINGLY life-like vinyls. I decided I wanted vinyl as we have another home that has tile, and I wanted something warmer and softer in this house...but I wanted that look. The product that we used was called Mannington Sobella Supreme Guadalajara. (The samples on the web-site don't look a thing like them...see the real samples if you can.) When I had a guy out to give me an estimate on our tile backsplash he reached down and touched our floor and said "OH! This is vinyl! I thought it was tile..." And I told him I was so happy because he was a tile expert and he couldn't tell. The other night we had some neighbors over and the husband looked at our floor and he said "Your tile floor looks nice but do you find that it is really cold?" And I said "It's vinyl." At which point he also reached down to touch it. Anyway, to each his own, but they have come a VERY long way with vinyl sheet goods. Good luck with whatever you choose, Cathy
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Wow. Ok. Where to start. First and foremost the SHEET vinyl is the only one that can brag about water proof. If you have leaky pets or leaky people, this is the go-to product if water PROOF is a requirement. Sheet vinyl requires a professional install which is normally quite reasonable. The costs grow with the subfloor PREPARATION costs (where are a separate line item that may not have a "final total" until the job is complete). The click together vinyl planks are all the rage right now. Some are DIY friendly - but most are quite picky about technique and take +++patience to learn how to do it right without breaking the click-edge. It is possible to do this yourself....but it requires an understanding that you will have a STEEP learning curve. Be OK with that. The cost to install the planks is a little bit more than laminate flooring. Again the costs go much higher once subfloor preparation is added in. Again, this is a separate line item that, as above, might not have a final tally until the job is complete. The "flatness" quotient for vinyl planks is extremely important and can be considered outside the comfort zone of many long-term DIYers who have tackled several different projects. Again, it is possible to DIY....but it takes quite a bit of time to learn the skill/trade. A professional can have most of this done before you have figured out how to work the self-leveling-compound (which is not self-leveling BTW). Is there anything else that you were looking at for information? I've just touched on the two biggest differences between the two products. I didn't know how much info you were looking for.
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Your best bet is AREA RUGS. Large, inexpensive area rugs. The rugs will be big so they will not move around. Do NOT purchase any rug with a rubberized backing. You want a natural/regular weave backing. Go ahead and cover the wood in wall to wall to wall area rugs. Ikea has some great sizes for very little money. Remember: vinyl and rubber (natural latex OR man made rubber) have a CHEMICAL REACTION to the FINISH on the hardwood. Vinyl stains hardwoods...like a horrible tobacco orange. Vinyl also 'melts' some polyurethane finishes to create a gooey mess. Wood floors are meant to be lived on. Puppies live on wood floors and wood floors live on. It is the way of the world. Puppy accidents, if cleaned up quickly, will not cause damage.
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JP Haus
2 years ago
The only other seamless flooring I know of is Forbo's Marmoleum. However, it may not withstand your rollator or puppy claws. Sheet vinyl can be susceptible to damage, too, but at least it's cheaper and easier to maintain.

I agree with Hallett & Co that if you're laying sheet vinyl over slab it won't be much softer than any other flooring. We've had a couple of houses in FL with vinyl over slab in some rooms (such as the laundry) and it was no easier on the joints than our tile floors. One product I'm familiar with that can help is Dricore subfloor. While the top layer is OSB, since you plan to use a sheet vinyl you shouldn't have to worry about liquids getting through to damage it.

While you didn't ask, I hope that your architect and builder can find a way to provide access to that ADU without the need for steps. My husband and I are in our 60s, and I've had to use a wheelchair for extended periods over the past two decades, so our new house will have no steps front or back. Wide (min. 36") doors and halls, plus a 5' turning radius in several rooms, were requirements for our home so it's ready for whatever happens later.
einportlandor
2 years ago
I've had marmoleum in my kitchen for about seven years, and a crazy dog for about six of those years. The floor is not perfect but it's pretty darn good. My flooring is tiles but it comes in sheets as well. Consider that schools, hospitals, etc. have used marmoleum for decades -- it's pretty tough. And I find it fairly easy on my feet, but I'm not on a slab. Good luck with your build -- the house looks fantastic!
LJ
Original Author
2 years ago
I am an idiot. It will be a slab, but built over a crawl space.!
partim
2 years ago
My home has large west rear-facing windows and doors. During the summer the sun penetrates deep into the house, heating it up all day and as it sets it's horizontal and blinding. We planted trees to shade the whole house which make it more comfortable. In winter the sun rises and sets so low that the east and west windows get almost no direct light. For most of the day in winter my house gets zero direct sun.

Yours will be the same. Your garage will get the best light. Any way you could flip the house so the living area can get some south-facing windows?
LJ
Original Author
2 years ago
I wish i could. i pushed for a south facing but they said the land dictated west.
Suki Mom
2 years ago
Vinyl Plank seems like your best option. Even sheet vinyl may have to be pulled up if there is a major leak.
partim
2 years ago
What I meant by flipping the house is that, as you face the house from the street, the garage is on the left (north-west corner) and the living areas on the right (south-west corner). You would at least have some south-facing windows in a living area, and the garage windows would face north not south. I'd flip the bedroom window/door to get more light in there, and more privacy from the street.

An even more light-friendly version of the house would put the bedroom and bath area in the middle of the house between the garage and the living room/kitchen, where you spend most of your daylight hours, at the sun-filled south side of the house.

Will Sheet Vinyl Work For Us/Some Alternatives

Comments (9)

HALLETT & Co.

chispa

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einportlandor

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Will Sheet Vinyl Work For Us/Some Alternatives

Comments (9)

HALLETT & Co.

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