Luxury vinyl tile / plank
Reid Baldwin
| Posted in Green Products and Materials on
We need to select our flooring. Our plan had been to use wood laminate, but several people we know have recommended that we look into luxury vinyl. We hear that it looks very similar to wood or tile, is much easier to care for than wood, and is much cheaper than tile. Do people on this forum have experience with and/or opinions about this type of flooring?
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Replies
Reid,
I think this is an aesthetic judgment. If you have looked at this type of flooring, and if you have concluded that you can live with the look, go ahead.
I wouldn't put too much stock in the word "luxury." I don't think it means anything in particular, and it's an odd designation for a category of flooring. (It's a little like the term "architectural" in "architectural asphalt shingles." I guess we're supposed to think that these asphalt shingles must be the good ones, because they are the ones that architects buy. As if architects know anything about roofing...)
Sorry I didn't see your question earlier; you may have already made a decision on flooring. I have had LVT in my house ( and tiny house) for more than 10 years and it is awesome! Being in the commercial construction realm, I was aware of LVT products for years and when it was time to floor my own garage entry/mud room, I went with an oak plank look strip LVT (Amtico). It is not easy to install due to the floor needing to be very smooth and level, but for maintenance and wearability it can't be beat. And everyone thinks it is actual oak.
At the time I instaledl my floor Amtico was just about the only game in town, but now I see it everywhere, at a much lower price, so I'm not really sure the quality is the same.
I used to have luxury vinyl, and the kids and dog were a little rough on it. I switched to bamboo flooring and couldn't be happier: It's so easy to care for, looks better than most of the real wood floors I've seen, and it's so ridiculously easy to fix scratches. I think you should try it! Read up on it if you don't believe me: https://www.ambientbp.com/blog/how-does-bamboo-flooring-stack-up-against-other-popular-flooring-options
What about below grade?
Sure. This is exactly what I plan to do with a product like Delta FL below it. My basement slab doesn't have insulation.
I have LVT in my condo in FLA and the stuff is awesome. Wife loves the easy cleaning.
Alex,
I have no experience with bamboo. How do you fix scratches, and is it easy to refinish?
If it's a deep scratch, I use wood putty, but I've been able to fix small surface scratches by just buffing them with a little olive oil. They seriously go right away! Refinishing them is prettymuch the same as wood, except you probably won't need to sand them, which is really the most tedious part.
Thanks Alex!