Vinyl Plank Flooring? Suggestions for Kitchen Floor

[aclark]

I was told by a contractor that Life Proof from HD was his go to for basements. Once I get there, I'll be looking at that direction for our basement project.

 

[Mgderf]

Is the Life Proof product at Home Depot really "Waterproof"?


I will be replacing an engineered wood kitchen floor that has water damage from a backed up floor drain in the nearby utility room.
With a 60 year old home on a slab, I doubt that the floor will stay dry forever.

Packages read, "100% waterproof".
It's solid vinyl, therefore hydrophobic.
Simply put, it can't absorb moisture.

 

[dsol]

We are going to install USFloors (usfloorsllc.com) COREtec vinyl plank cork backed flooring in our place. Good stuff. One of my old computer clients is a flooring company and he highly recommends this brand.

 

[hoosierdoc]

This is what we have

https://www.carpet-wholesale.com/it...-flooring/authentic-plank-(wpc)/hermitage.php

 

[sugarcreekbrass]

This is what we went with in our kitchen after our son did part of his house with it. It is cheaper than Lifeproof. It's not as think but it holding up and looks great.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Home-De...ank-Flooring-19-39-sq-ft-case-60019/206268083

 

[chezuki]

We put this stuff in when we renovated the kitchen. Floating vinyl tile. It goes in fairly easy, and the finished product is tough and water-proof. We have two big dogs that skid out on it daily and never leave a mark. It was <$3sq ft if I recall correctly.

 

[nighthawk80]

I just helped install the following stuff and it was the nicest and easiest stuff I installed to date. It took a bit of work to tear it up too. I helped install it at a friends house (whole first floor 1600 sqft.).
https://www.nicefloors.com/titan-rigid-core-heracles-71-tc233rc-pad

 

[woowoo2]

We are going to install USFloors (usfloorsllc.com) COREtec vinyl plank cork backed flooring in our place. Good stuff. One of my old computer clients is a flooring company and he highly recommends this brand.

Coretec is the brand that refused to honor their warranty when we had issues with a three year old installation in our living room.
They claimed that the company was bought out and they would not honor warranties from the previous company.

 

[mom45]

We compared the Lifeproof from Home Depot with the Cali Bamboo that Lowe's carries. The Cali Bamboo was a special order as they don't keep it in stock...probably due to the price, but it was worth the wait. It has a slightly thicker wear layer than the Lifeproof and has the cork backing so no underlayment was necessary. We installed it over our concrete basement floor and it literally transformed the room. It has been in since November 2017 and looks like new. The area where we installed it is our most used room. It is a walkout basement and that is the entrance we use nearly 100% of the time. We bring firewood in every day with a cart across the flooring, have cats, etc. Cleans up very easily and even dropping firewood on it doesn't mar the finish. They do say not to use chemicals or soap on it so I use a Norwex Microfiber mop system that cleans with just water.

https://www.calibamboo.com/vinyl-fl...LdgWizaj6ClNH4hRFOyd_06UxhxbV914aApNVEALw_wcB

This is a Before picture



And After

 

[Tactically Fat]

I can tell you what NOT to buy. Don't buy the LVT that has the ceramic wash on top. It's marketed as kind of a hybrid between LVT and a ceramic tile. Don't do it. It'll scratch and gouge and you'll not be happy. Every single dropped fork or butter knife will leave a mark.

DO buy the thickest you can.

"Waterproof" is only as good as the installation/how the pieces fit together. The planks themselves are waterproof, yes. But if your floor isn't perfectly level, large spills and leaks will run to a wall - and then right down to the subfloor under the trim.

 

[dudley0]

I worry about rolling desk chairs. I am in mine a lot and there is a bit of weight distributed in those five casters.

I put click vinyl from Menards down in a kitchen but sold the house so have no idea about how well it stood up.

Have a house with a leaky basement that I just started on. Wondering if I put the plastic down and take it up the walls if that will allow the little moisture that gets in to make it's way to the floor drain. But then I have to worry about the slight taper for the drain as well.

Just wish I knew more about the vinyl planks.

 

[mom45]

I worry about rolling desk chairs. I am in mine a lot and there is a bit of weight distributed in those five casters.

I put click vinyl from Menards down in a kitchen but sold the house so have no idea about how well it stood up.

Have a house with a leaky basement that I just started on. Wondering if I put the plastic down and take it up the walls if that will allow the little moisture that gets in to make it's way to the floor drain. But then I have to worry about the slight taper for the drain as well.

Just wish I knew more about the vinyl planks.

I have a rolling desk chair at my computer. I have been rolling around on it for over a year now and haven't got a single mark from doing so. I'm impressed...it was a concern of mine too. We did put the pads under the legs of the heavier furniture but mostly so I could slide it better for cleaning, but we literally have zero marks on the floor from dropping firewood, the furniture, the cats, etc. When we redo the kitchen floor, we will be using vinyl planking in there as well. My linoleum in there has gouges from things being dropped, cuts from knives, etc. I've dropped knives on the vinyl planking a few times...no marks.

 

[MCgrease08]

I worry about rolling desk chairs. I am in mine a lot and there is a bit of weight distributed in those five casters.

I put click vinyl from Menards down in a kitchen but sold the house so have no idea about how well it stood up.

Have a house with a leaky basement that I just started on. Wondering if I put the plastic down and take it up the walls if that will allow the little moisture that gets in to make it's way to the floor drain. But then I have to worry about the slight taper for the drain as well.

Just wish I knew more about the vinyl planks.

If you're worried about the chair casters, it's easy enough to use a chair mat under the chair.

https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/478518/Realspace-Hard-Floor-Chair-Mat-Wide/

 

[Super Bee]

I have vinyl planks from Lumber Liquidators in my dealership. It sees lots of traffic and is holding up great.

 

[CopperheadL]

Lifetouch at home depot for vinyl flooring, its a waterproof easy to install floating vinyl floor.

 

[Itchytriggerfinger]

We put this stuff in when we renovated the kitchen. Floating vinyl tile. It goes in fairly easy, and the finished product is tough and water-proof. We have two big dogs that skid out on it daily and never leave a mark. It was <$3sq ft if I recall correctly.

+1 on the loose lay vinyl. I put it down in the basement and it's been super durable. I did drop a knife on a section but all it took was a couple of suction cups to pull it out and a new piece went right back in. We got ours at Floors To Your Home. Who? Floors To Your Home, that's who.

 

[dudley0]

If you're worried about the chair casters, it's easy enough to use a chair mat under the chair.

https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/478518/Realspace-Hard-Floor-Chair-Mat-Wide/

Used those when I still had a job. I always seemed to roll off of it.

 

[dudley0]

I have a rolling desk chair at my computer. I have been rolling around on it for over a year now and haven't got a single mark from doing so. I'm impressed...it was a concern of mine too. We did put the pads under the legs of the heavier furniture but mostly so I could slide it better for cleaning, but we literally have zero marks on the floor from dropping firewood, the furniture, the cats, etc. When we redo the kitchen floor, we will be using vinyl planking in there as well. My linoleum in there has gouges from things being dropped, cuts from knives, etc. I've dropped knives on the vinyl planking a few times...no marks.

Does your basement floor have a drain in it? That is what is concerning me about the current project house.

Great news about the desk chairs, as well as the normal wear and tear not being an issue. Have appointments in Muncie tomorrow and am taking the wife so will stop in at Menards and Lowes with her to have a look see. Might just make the trip more south to check out Floors to Your Home and Lumber Liquidators.

Still a little early for our place, but if I can get something for the project house that would be a good test subject.

 

[drawer86]

That's a sticky subject. If you have an impeccable underlayment and experienced installers it should work out nicely. If this is a commercial or high traffic application go with a commercial version by Tarkett or similar.

 

[chezuki]

+1 on the loose lay vinyl. I put it down in the basement and it's been super durable. I did drop a knife on a section but all it took was a couple of suction cups to pull it out and a new piece went right back in. We got ours at Floors To Your Home. Who? Floors To Your Home, that's who.

These edges interlock, so replacing a tile in the middle of the room would SUCK. You’d have to pull several tiles starting at the corner to get to it.