Best Floor for Florida (hardwood, engineered, vinyl, laminate)

[Thundarr457]

When we moved into our current residence in Northern Florida we knew there was an issue with the floor. It was engineered hardwood light oak with 2 inch planks and had stains through out ranging from a few inches in maybe 10 spots to a few feet in 2 places. Our realtor insisted it was from a pet or spill and there was no active slab leak, they also insisted it was solid wood when it was actually a thin veneer over engineered wood and was too thin to refinish. We decided to replace it in the scope of a general remodel.

First step was removing the wood floor which took a week since it was glued down. They had to jackhammer each piece which disintegrated into smaller pieces, the final result looked like the surface of the moon replete with pits, cracks, glue and cheap leveling compound which left a very uneven surface. Even though there was no moisture present, even with substantial rains, we decided to have moisture remediation which is an (expensive) epoxy compound plus epoxy/cement compound in the cracks and then a primer and then self leveler which will not break down if gotten wet. The floor looked great, nice and smooth and grey. There was also considerable less humidity in the air.

Next was a new floor, we chose LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank) which I discussed in a recent thread. It was considerably cheaper than tile or wood and needed no additional treatment to prevent cracking like tile would require. The trouble was it looked cheap and awful and we stopped the install halfway through and returned what we could. We ultimately decided to go with porcelain square tiles which require an underlayment called Ditra which absorbs movement below it and comes with a warranty for tile replacement parts and labor if a crack should develop. It is also expensive $3-4/foot.

Here is my take on floor replacement for Florida based on our experience. Keep in mind that the moisture barrier they put down when they poured your concrete slab does not have an infinite lifespan (20 years max and then issues begin). In an existing house you have no idea of the condition of your slab that is under your finished floor.

LVP - has the stigma attached to vinyl. IMHO it looks cheap and not at all like wood. Its also waterproof. It scratches easily and if your house floods the water will collect underneath your waterproof floor and mold may be an issue. The solution is to remove the floor if its a floating, not glued down floor and spray it with a mold removal agent and then reinstall it.

Wood - with the ever rising ocean and water table, wood is not the solution it was years ago. if your house floods your expensive wood, or engineered wood floor will be ruined. We had 2 once in a century hurricanes here in 2 years and no one knows what the future will bring. You see wood as an upgrade in most tract homes of all price ranges. Tile is standard and wood looks considerably nicer than the base floor and its not something easily changed after the house is done. Carpeting can be easily ripped out but tile not so much.

Tile - ceramic or porcelain tile is the base floor on most new construction and is usually a 18 x 18 or 20 x 20 with a big grout line. Wood look which has the same issues as LVP in that it doesn't look like wood. You can spend a fortune on wood look tile that has very little repeat 1/100 or 1/50 and mimics wood but it still is not wood and is easily spotted, but many people like it. The larger the planks the more authentic and the higher the price, the higher the installation cost and increased risk of cracking. Probably better in a new build than an existing house unless you install a special underlayment. You can get a stone look porcelain square tile, which is what we did (polished looks better but is more slippery when wet). You can get travertine look, marble look, rustic styles depending on your preference.

Stone - natural stone is gorgeous and the better quality is expensive, difficult to install and needs frequent sealing plus its more maintenance than ceramic or porcelain tile. Its also softer and more prone to wear. Its more of the go to floor on high end houses where cost is not so much an issue.

Laminate - the flippers floor of choice since its inexpensive and has a "wood look". Its grouped in with LVP and is low cost and readily available in the big box retailers. It doesn't have the luxury look and is priced accordingly.

Keep in mind this is for ground floors on concrete slabs. If you have a second floor or basement or live in a multi story building then you have more options.

[chet everett]

Thank you for sharing your story. It may help others understand some options but it is far from complete.


To begin with Ditra is simply one product designed to act as an isolation barrier and moisture management layer -- https://www.schluter.com/schluter-us...TRA-XL/p/DITRA There are many other products in the broad category.


The decision to use a epoxy sealant after the removal of the engineered wood added cost to a project that should be done only if need to comply with standards such as ASTM F 1869 or ASTM F-2170. The condition of the slab should be evaluated based on local climate and hydrological patterns.


LVP is a very popular product that will perform well in many situations. It is a top choice in healthcare and similar demanding circumstances. There are huge range of options for installation and design -- Luxury Vinyl - Pillar Flooring




For decades the top choice for durable flooring in Florida and other demanding areas has been terrazzo. The expanded range of options that include this and other poured flooring should be investigated by anyone frustrated by the challenges in the areas with moisture issues -- Artistic Surfaces

Originally Posted by Thundarr457

When we moved into our current residence in Northern Florida we knew there was an issue with the floor. It was engineered hardwood light oak with 2 inch planks and had stains through out ranging from a few inches in maybe 10 spots to a few feet in 2 places. Our realtor insisted it was from a pet or spill and there was no active slab leak, they also insisted it was solid wood when it was actually a thin veneer over engineered wood and was too thin to refinish. We decided to replace it in the scope of a general remodel.

First step was removing the wood floor which took a week since it was glued down. They had to jackhammer each piece which disintegrated into smaller pieces, the final result looked like the surface of the moon replete with pits, cracks, glue and cheap leveling compound which left a very uneven surface. Even though there was no moisture present, even with substantial rains, we decided to have moisture remediation which is an (expensive) epoxy compound plus epoxy/cement compound in the cracks and then a primer and then self leveler which will not break down if gotten wet. The floor looked great, nice and smooth and grey. There was also considerable less humidity in the air.

Next was a new floor, we chose LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank) which I discussed in a recent thread. It was considerably cheaper than tile or wood and needed no additional treatment to prevent cracking like tile would require. The trouble was it looked cheap and awful and we stopped the install halfway through and returned what we could. We ultimately decided to go with porcelain square tiles which require an underlayment called Ditra which absorbs movement below it and comes with a warranty for tile replacement parts and labor if a crack should develop. It is also expensive $3-4/foot.

Here is my take on floor replacement for Florida based on our experience. Keep in mind that the moisture barrier they put down when they poured your concrete slab does not have an infinite lifespan (20 years max and then issues begin). In an existing house you have no idea of the condition of your slab that is under your finished floor.

LVP - has the stigma attached to vinyl. IMHO it looks cheap and not at all like wood. Its also waterproof. It scratches easily and if your house floods the water will collect underneath your waterproof floor and mold may be an issue. The solution is to remove the floor if its a floating, not glued down floor and spray it with a mold removal agent and then reinstall it.

Wood - with the ever rising ocean and water table, wood is not the solution it was years ago. if your house floods your expensive wood, or engineered wood floor will be ruined. We had 2 once in a century hurricanes here in 2 years and no one knows what the future will bring. You see wood as an upgrade in most tract homes of all price ranges. Tile is standard and wood looks considerably nicer than the base floor and its not something easily changed after the house is done. Carpeting can be easily ripped out but tile not so much.

Tile - ceramic or porcelain tile is the base floor on most new construction and is usually a 18 x 18 or 20 x 20 with a big grout line. Wood look which has the same issues as LVP in that it doesn't look like wood. You can spend a fortune on wood look tile that has very little repeat 1/100 or 1/50 and mimics wood but it still is not wood and is easily spotted, but many people like it. The larger the planks the more authentic and the higher the price, the higher the installation cost and increased risk of cracking. Probably better in a new build than an existing house unless you install a special underlayment. You can get a stone look porcelain square tile, which is what we did (polished looks better but is more slippery when wet). You can get travertine look, marble look, rustic styles depending on your preference.

Stone - natural stone is gorgeous and the better quality is expensive, difficult to install and needs frequent sealing plus its more maintenance than ceramic or porcelain tile. Its also softer and more prone to wear. Its more of the go to floor on high end houses where cost is not so much an issue.

Laminate - the flippers floor of choice since its inexpensive and has a "wood look". Its grouped in with LVP and is low cost and readily available in the big box retailers. It doesn't have the luxury look and is priced accordingly.

Keep in mind this is for ground floors on concrete slabs. If you have a second floor or basement or live in a multi story building then you have more options.

[Thundarr457]

You don't know the condition of the slab until you remove the flooring. Cracking of tile, grout or stains on wood can indicate there are problems below. It depends where you live as well. We are near a system of waterways around a golf course. There are moisture and slab issues around here. My next door neighbor had similar problems. We decided on the epoxy sealant and self leveler based on LVP installation. As far as Ditra goes it has a better track record than other less expensive options. Again it depends on your particular situation.

[AlaskaErik]

When we bought our Arizona house we removed the carpeting and tile and installed 20 x 20 ceramic tile throughout. Four years later, absolutely no regrets. If I lived in Florida, I'd be inclined to do the same. Our Alaska house has LVP in the bathrooms, laundry room and entryway. The rest is laminate, except for carpeting in the master and guest bedrooms.

[dothetwist]

Our FL home has solid hardwoods (built in 1940s). They look great, but we have a hot tub and I had to buy rolls of carpet runners to keep water stains at bay. Wish we had ceramic tile.

But I would never consider the wood-look ceramic tile....what's the point of that?!?!? Have seen it in newer homes and I think it will look out-dated in a few years.

There are so many choices in tile....size, color, design. And since you are down to basics, you can add heating under the tile in bathrooms.