Talk to me about vinyl tile! (flooring, color, ceramic, plank)

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by accufitgolf

Hopes

While I posted earlier, one thing one might ask is how long does one want the flooring to last? Meaning if a stop gap (say less then 10 years, or for whatever reasons) then if the present flooring is a relatively smooth surface (sloped or not) then cover it with sheet vinyl, make it look good for now, and address the issue later.

You could buy top line sheet vinyl and have installed for much less then any product so far mentioned.

Hope this helps.

I know! The laminate tile will cost $2,000 and the snapstone will cost $2,500 in additon to the mortar. That's just for materials since we'll do it ourselves. I think it's funny when people call these cheap flooring options. I could install hardwood for much less money. (I know because I have already installed hardwood elsewhere.)

I guess it's smooth enough. I remember my husband being surprised how much sheet vinyl would cost for a bathroom since it requires such a long piece. I'd have to see what sheet vinyl looks like these days. It's worth looking into since I did say we're considering ALL options.

[golfgal]

There are a lot of sheet vinyls that look like tile that are very realistic. I have a couple friends that have this in their kitchen and unless you actually touch the floor you can't tell it's not tile. I also know a few people that have used the vinyl tiles, the ones you place just like ceramic, etc. tile. They like them. They are soft underfoot. You have the same issues with keeping grout lines clean, etc. as you would with tile but you can place them together without grout lines if you want. I've considered using those in our kitchen and laundry room but I think I will probably go with a nice looking sheet vinyl instead.

[accufitgolf]

Sheet vinly has come a long way. In our last two homes, we had hardwood installed in hall, dining, great room areas, carpet in the 3 bedrooms and nice sheet vinyl in kitchen, master bath, spare bath, and laundry area. The vinyl looks great. Just two adults and two cats so not much wear and tear, but in the long run it could be replaced if needed.

I vac and wet swiffer mop it occasonally.

[greg42]

Another vinyl tile product you might look at. Someone else brought it up in another thread I think it was, and I was intrigued because it is local. Flooring Tiles | Commercial Flooring | Vinyl Floors - Karndean USA

That said, it's not clear if this is a good DIY choice. Seems to be all about authorized dealer/installer. Rusmur Floors is the closest dealer for north Pittsburgh area I think.

$2000 does sound expensive! I would like to do some flooring in my house and hope to cut the cost by doing it myself. Hope I can find something that makes sense. Unlike the patio I'm going to be sure to price it against having someone else do it.

[southernnaturelover]

I wouldn't want laminate in a kitchen. If spilled liquid isn't cleaned up immediately it will seep down into the cracks and swell it up. Plus that awful click click sound.

I would go with sheet vinyl. Some of the newer stuff is really realistic looking and thick enough to have some cushioning. I put some in my bedroom that has a matte finish and looks like ceramic tile, I'm very satisfied with it. The really shiny stuff is what looks dated to me.

[animalcrazy]

We had to level our concrete basement floor with tons of liquid leveler. We had a dirt floor with plywood in our laundry room next to the basement. We were lucky that every thing lined up and is seamless between the porcelain and the wood floor we put in the laundry room. If you put down durarock in your kitchen and use a leveler you can put down porcelain or ceramic. Our basement tiles have been down for around 6 years now without cracking. It really is much nicer than vinyl. You may have to use a threshold if the floors are slightly different heights.

[BigJon3475]

Also another option is the vinyl plank flooring that comes in sections like a hardwood does. It's pretty realistic looking and you can choose from all sorts of wood colors.

The good thing about that type of flooring is that if you get damage done to the floor you can replace just that pieces, or pieces, that are damaged as opposed to having to re-lay an entire new piece of sheet vinyl.

[accufitgolf]

Originally Posted by BigJon3475

Also another option is the vinyl plank flooring that comes in sections like a hardwood does. It's pretty realistic looking and you can choose from all sorts of wood colors.

The good thing about that type of flooring is that if you get damage done to the floor you can replace just that pieces, or pieces, that are damaged as opposed to having to re-lay an entire new piece of sheet vinyl.

Sheet vinyl can be patched. I had in done in a bathroom because of a toilet leak discoloring the vinyl, seeping up from underneath. It is a tile pattern look and the cut/patch was made along a "faux grout" line and it is impossible to tell.

[BigJon3475]

Originally Posted by accufitgolf

Sheet vinyl can be patched. I had in done in a bathroom because of a toilet leak discoloring the vinyl, seeping up from underneath. It is a tile pattern look and the cut/patch was made along a "faux grout" line and it is impossible to tell.

Well then you're one of the lucky few that got an outstanding vinyl installer.

I've dealt with 100's of vinyl replacement and not one have I seen a patch in sheet vinyl that the edges didn't start coming up after a year or so of cleaning solutions and/or water.

The point I was making is that any Tom, Dick or Mary could replace one or more plank sections.

[akck]

I wouldn't discount ceramic tiles yet. I'd check out www.johnbridge.com forums, which has tiling professionals who provide DIY support. Explain your situation there and they may have solutions that will allow you to install tile. If they think there's a good chance of failure, they will tell you and suggest you try some other flooring.