Synthetic wood type flooring
Thinking about putting this in a rental. Carpeting goes to hell in a short time. Concrete slab. I don't know anything about this product so any input would be appreciated. Thanks
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I'm not sure what you mean by synthetic. If it's compressed wood fiber and glue with the wood grain printed on it, you'll get what you pay for. It goes down easy and it will look it's best the minute you finish it. After that, well? Take a look at a product called Allure. It goes down super easy, It's heavy grade and wears well. It's also possible to replace by the piece if one gets trashed. I saw it in the entryway at our local hospital 5 years ago. It's still there. I put it in our kitchen. No trouble so far. It may be a bit pricey now but they make it in all sorts of patterns. And yeah, carpet in a rental especially, has to be a waste of time. 0 -
there are some good products out there now , paramount has a piece called rigid core , shaw has a piece called mr300 citadel . I personaly have installed both of these products ( train car loads of each ) in the past couple of years. there are others. the key thing is to be aware of the mil thickness of the wear layer and that the actual product is plastic ( or polymer ) all the way through. these floors will still scratch. ( pets , kitchen chairs , rolling chairs . dragging in appliances) if water gets under the flooring it takes forever to dry out. if not addresed the water will lay under the floor and condensate and could cause mold if not addressed. 0 -
ive had pretty good luck with the vinyl based product. comes in wood grained textures and colors. easy to install and seems to wear very well. 0 -
have the vinyl stuff in my kitchen and dining room, install miles of it in the apartment bldg i work at and it stands up well, also fairly quick and easy to install 0 -
oldemagics wrote:have the vinyl stuff in my kitchen and dining room, install miles of it in the apartment bldg i work at and it stands up well, also fairly quick and easy to install
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I grew up in homes with wood floors. Waxing, polishing, stripping, sanding then repeat for years. We have replaced carpet and installed the synthetic laminate and after 15 years, it still looks new. Damp mop cleanup is all you need.
The same laminate has been used in all the Walmart stores where I live for at least 12 years and still look new. Testimony to how tuff this stuff is.
Carpet sucks0 -
When Daughter and SIL bought their house, I helped install the "fake wood" flooring on bare sub-floors in 3 rooms. The stuff isn't too difficult to work with but eats saw blades like a kid eats candy.
Make sure you follow the recommendations for a sub-layer if installing on concrete slab and don't try to fit it too tight endways. IIRC, there had to be space along the side walls for lengthwise expansion/contraction of the material. This required some extra thick base trim to cover the gap.
Another thing, dogs with long toenails will scratch the surface leaving unsightly marks.
The "floating" floor we installed is 7-8 years old and is still OK except for the scratches left by their dog. No humps, squeaks, or gaps.0 -
LVT or luxury vinyl tile, numerous choices and if you buy the better grade lasts forever, super easy to install, score it snap it, floating floor. You can't refinish like real wood but it is also waterproof. 0 -
Mannington Adura Flex. It glues down but if installed correctly will give you years of service. Use Manningtons MT-711 adhesive and allow it to dry good BEFORE laying the floor. Doing this will allow you to peel up and replace pieces that may get damaged. Strike your layout lines prior to applying the glue.
A great floating laminate is Mohawk Rev Wood Plus. Supposed to be waterproof.
One thing about doing laminate flooring, if you try to use a standard carbide blade to cut it you'll ruin the blade in a hurry. Diablo makes one that is specifically designed to cut laminate and they claim it lasts 75 times longer than a standard carbide blade.0 -
In a Californian style ranch with two master bedrooms - the full footprint basement with 10' ceilings is divided into 4 quadrants...
A utility room with support equipment like HVAC and heat and hot water and a sump pump and dehumidifier and sewer and.water and gas and electric - etc...
A hobby level workroom / shop area with 2 heavy duty workbenches and pegboards and some mini warehouse racks and tool storage and reloading stuff...
An arts and crafts level workroom with bookshelves and a loveseat and a drafting table...
A 3rd small bedroom with a half bathroom and an Ethan Allen hutch...
In the craft room and spare bedroom we had and industrial strength heavy duty vinyl floor roll product put down on the floors that resembles reclaimed hand plained aged dark stained wood flooring. It's made of some sort of tough recycled composite material and it not only looks pretty nice it's easy to clean and maintain and it so far does not show ware - you can put down area rugs and it is under floor radiant heat compatible. The company also makes a similar product for garages that has a large tile or finished concrete look.
You do have to mop it and wash it and they have a swiffer dry or wet product for quick wipe down and clean up.
Mike0 -
We also put down the vinyl surfaced, cork back product in two rooms and a hall. It sounds a bit hollow when the cats stampede down the hall, or with some shoes, but it wears very well, is easily cleaned, is almost water proof, and has been mistaken for real wood. With pets, easy care was the goal. 0 -
MIL had Pergo laminate installed about 8 yrs ago, and between her and the grand daughter, I'm convinced it's pretty close to bullet proof. I just wish it was around when I had to maintain my Dad's rentals. 0 -
Be sure to find where it's made
& avoid anything made in China. Some of the Chicom manufacturers use materials that give off toxic fumes.
Neal0
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