I live in Florida and I have ceramic tile throughout my house. We have sandy soil, so the sand will damage vinyl plank or wood floors. The ceramic holds up to our sandy soil, so it suits us. I also have a vacuum robot and mop robot to keep them clean. It makes life easier!
My daughter also lives in FL and anything other than tile would just not work! The dust and sand that comes in every day would destroy the flooring if it ere not tile.
I live in North Carolina and I have Porcelain tile that looks like wood in my home, I love it. I have pets and porcelain tile works great for them. It also keeps the house cooler in the summer. 😊
I installed LVP throughout the house. I was quoted $18,000 for labor and the LVP--which didn't include removing and reinstalling the toilets ($200 each X three), moving the fridge and stove, installing new baseboard throughout. The final cost would have been in the $20,000. range. I did the same job myself for $7000, and saved $13,000. I watched many RUclips videos on how to do this work, how to prepare the subsurfaces, how to cut the LVPs. I also purchased the best tools that the pros use. It took quite a while, and I'll never do it again, but thirteen grand is a lot of money to me, so I bit the bullet, and my floors look amazing.
Is it low VOC? It's going to be cheap if it's toxic. I wouldn't bid on your home full value because of that specifically. IDC if it's new...that's probably worse TBH.
@@ari3lz3pp $7K is not cheap for LVT being installed by the homeowner…. Mine was LOW VOC with a 20m thick covering and the flooring itself cost me $4800 for 1500 sq feet of floor.
Yes, I bought a home with glossy engineered wood floors and the immediate problem was paw prints from the natural oils on my pets feet. The floor looked bad constantly. I ripped them out and put tile as that is a desirable floor in Southern California.
All oil based products break down. Engineered wood is made from oil, and it looks cheap. Go with real hardwood, use a boat varnish to seal the floors in high humidity and put a couple of layers of varnish on it to make it scratch proof. The finish will last years and later, if you want to refinish the option is there.
The term ‘Luxury Vinyl’ is an oxymoron.. if the hardwood gets scratched then so be it. That’s what it’s there for. I would also avoid high gloss and go with a more matte finish. Also go with area rugs in high traffic areas.
Exactly. We used a varnish that prevents scratching on our real hardwood floors. I've dragged furniture across the floors, we have pets and we aren't careful, but we don't have scratches.
Luxury vinyl is a locking system, floating floor, the cheap stuff is glue on and far thinner. Put yes, it's still vinyl at the end of the day. Not much different than polypropylene carpets.
@@marcirobins5144 It's still plastic on your floors, but the branding/propaganda is brilliant. Pretty much just a worse version of a solid, continuous vinyl sheet floor.
I have to LOL, I looked at a brand new condo a few weeks ago, and they were price in a medium rage, 55 plus. I could not believe they didn't even have hardwood as standard, they were legit putting sheet vinyl in the kitchen, dining, bathrooms, and laundry room as standard! WTF, you want me to pay 520K to get sheet vinyl flooring?! 🤦♀
There are exceptions, but it is mostly 90s, 80s or 70s houses that have hard wood, especially if want solid hardwood. At least in this price range, but I think part of it is solid hardwood is way more now than it used to be and it is not easy to add since it requires more depth than standard floors.
@@misterogers9423 In my area a brand new build is EXPECTED to have zero carpeting and either LVP or Hardwood at least on the entire first floor with exception of bathrooms!
I agree! It's a new SCAM. Vinyl is slightly less maintenance but it's not worth the feel IMO AND the toxins....high VOC with vinyl. Some companies lied before...then when tested by a trustworthy third party they had all the toxins expected. I won't trust vinyl and I also don't like carpet because if it's not wool it's not great either. But even polyester carpet is better than vinyl and laminate. It's sad people don't do their research thoroughly. So many places legitimately are bragging about new vinyl. They can call it "luxury" like putting a pig in lipstick.....it's still a pig. But many of the younger people also that DO have money for a home are easily fooled. They don't put the effort into details much so they eat up that marketing. 😢Even plenty of wealthy people with blind trust. It's pretty wild.
The niche market to Boomers is a ripoff to our downsizing and releasing liquidity for our future needs…!!! Pure greed to rob us after life savings!! I was in a beautiful home In Lebanon County, Pa… I customized much and it was a gorgeous place….my financials changed and I moved to Tulsa to be near children….My Pa house is still a looker and I am happy on same size home for less expenses but ….builders are sucking the blood out of their elders here by selling $500,000 55+ housing!! (Obviously the old oil money people can do this but not typical middle class citizens!!!
Sheet vinyl, well laid by a pro can look amazing. And it will look good and last for years. But so often it is not put in right and starts to form hills and valleys. Our retirement home had it in the kitchen and dining room. I liked the pattern, but a trip hazard, especially for my husband. Thankfully, I know how to tile. I put the orange underlay under. Strongly recommend. The main bathroom had laminate laid over 2 layers of sheet vinyl which had been stapled on. No hills or valleys though. Just lumpsm bumps and cracks. Last year we ripped out the tub and put in a walk in shower with seat and rail. This year I put in the tiles, and tiled around the tub. Hardwood, laminate and tile floors are all easy to learn to install. However, condos are designed and built to fall apart in 10 to 20 years.
My house is 105 years old and still has its original hardwood floors. I had 3 dogs who lived here for years with zero issues. My neighbors also have hardwood floors and I have never heard them say their cats caused an issue with their hardwood floors.
7 dogs and 2 guest dogs have lived in my home at various times. Usually, we have at least 3 dogs in the household. They have turned polished hardwood floors into "distressed" wood floors. But everyone else LOVES wood floors. I like how they look, but I don't love them as a dog owner.
It’s a combination of dog weight and nail maintenance, mostly. If you are constantly maintaining the nails and you never hear a click when the dogs walk, they will not scratch the floors. If this is not the case and the dog is lightweight, the nails will not scratch the floors. If the dogs are large and the nails are not constantly maintained, the nails will scratch/dent the floors unless the wood is particularly dense or it has a rock hard factory finish. If the floors are scratched or dented, it will be more or less visible depending on the finish (color/sheen). And how much you care will depend on the look you’re going for. Also, I’ll note that the fir my house was built from is rock hard and difficult to drill through. Fir I buy in the store is much softer. It’s also possible for the older wood to have different properties from the new growth wood- so what may be true of your hardwood may not be true of similar wood type purchased new today.
@@whiteserpent6753 Exactly. Our dogs are 6 lbs and 12 lbs, and their nails get trimmed regularly. No problems with our post Civil War hardwood plank floors (which we love).
I’m one person with 3 cats whose nails get trimmed monthly and my wood floors have been damaged. I even chose one that supposedly had one of the strongest finishes at the time. I’m in FL so it’s engineered. You can’t put true hardwood on a slab.
Hardwood can last, and be scratched proof but it depends on how they were treated, and varnished. A few coats of boat varnish and they become water proof too. Our real hardwood floors will never need to be refinished, and we have cats. They were installed at a time construction of hardwood floors included aluminum oxide. They are extremely durable, scratch proof and with a top coat of boat varnish are water proof.
Yes, hopefully she put the engineer wood over the tile so the next person can restore it. I put in engineered wood just in the bedrooms and it didn’t survive my teenagers so 16 years after it was installed it was ripped out and replaced with a commercial glue down LVP.
Grey is depressing. Mine is brown with some grey in it, with natural looking knots. Uniform all around with no light/dark boards. It's looks more than fine for my rental.
My apartment (built in 80s) has the gray simulated plank flooring, so ugly. And oddly a remodel of an old apartment has the very same. A Chinese restaurant has the identical same floor, it's approx. 20 yrs old and all the finish is worn off. Heck, I'd take the 60s - 80s vinyl flooring over that! And the gray has simulated knots that conceal dirt, floor always looks dirty!
There is nothing wrong with grey luxury vynal flooring. I was raised with’ ‘earth tones’ and I’m sick of them. I love grey, it’s not depressing, especially in sunny areas like calif. I just went to a flip today and it had grey luxury plank.
Hmmm, my experience with LVP (two homes both sold 200K+ over purchase), don't go cheap, get a good installer that can do straight runs, and keep a magic eraser on hand for scuffs. Had it in my open concept first floor, spills, puppy messes, and 3 pit bulls and a rotty couldn't scratch it. Took it like a champ, if that were new hardwood, i would have been in tears.
@@marinahillier3292 I Had it my entire life; yes, it is, but one excitable day from the Amazon delivery guy with my 140lb Rottie, and you can pay the damage to my floor. Had it in my Hoboken apartment - Brazilian walnut, gorgeous, but the only thing I worried about on that floor was my girls' 4 inch heels.
Vinyl flooring has BPA. Though covered with a "protective layer", wear will eventually cause the layer to erode and release the BPA in the vinyl. BPA is a known endocrine disruptor. With babies crawling around at floor level, vinyl flooring shouldn't contain a substance that impacts development.
@@lhartwig2354 I have looked for such labeling and have not found it. Perhaps it is in the fine print. VOC Free flooring is easly found but BPA free more difficult to find (as yet even a google search for "BPA free vinyl flooring" fails to produce BPA flooring options.
Yes. Hardwood is beautiful. But the way we live nowadays, LVP is the way to go. For pets and kids. Put them in my last 2 homes.. and I hate wall to wall carpet anywhere. I have area rugs. The worst is when people put new carpet in to sell.. I just think it needs to be ripped out.
LVP is shorthand for Luxury Vinyl Plank. There are five main types of hardwood floors. They are: vinyl, laminate, parquet, solid and engineered hardwood flooring.
@@bettysmith4527 If the house is going to come with carpet anyway, it might as well be NEW carpeting. I wouldn't let the carpeting be a deal-breaker for an otherwise nice or suitable house. All things considered, new carpet isn't the worst thing. The only caveat would be if you thought the carpet was covering something up.
@living2day617 Plantar fasciitis? I think tile of any sort can be exceptionally dangerous for older people. It can be very slippery when wet, but if they are to fall for any reason, they will have more risk of substantial injuries from broken bones or head trauma.
Hardwood looks great, but any cat owner knows that cat barf will eat the finish no matter how quickly you clean it up. Tile or LVP is the way to go IMO. As a long time pet owner I would pass on a home with hardwood flooring.
I have LVP and as soon as it was installed, my cat had an accident on it, aka pee, it floated on top, didn't penetrate. I cleaned it and no smells remained. My dogs didn't scratch it, but when I moved some furniture, I scratched it a bit. Fortunately it doesn't show.
I grew up with hardwood and have it now. The materials used to refinish hardwood has improved a ton. I have a cat that pukes a lot and it has not damaged the floors.
We have been in our older (1908) home for almost 50 years. We have raised our children here and have had many cats. Our original hardwood floors still look great!
I totally agree with you. I had carpet throughout my house and it detest it. Finally was able to update and put in LVP. The first time I heard the cat puking I came running with a paper towel and a Clorox wipe. As easy as that.
Purchased a new built house, had carpet taken out and hardwood installed the entire first floor, including the kitchen. Previous house carpet over hardwood had carpet removed, floors refinished and wood flooring in the kitchen. It was an excellent decision when it came time to sell.
I guess I’m just a boomer at heart because I thought the title in your house was beautiful!! Yes tile is hard and can be loud but it is durable, easy to clean,and timelines. If you want carpet throw some rugs down. Rugs create soft places, define a space and provide noise dampening.
My in laws always have put tile in their homes because they could run their pipes under it to make it heated. I always thought it was still cold and slippery. Now they have engineered hardwood and complain constantly.
The main thing to keep in mind when choosing a hardwood floor for a kitchen is to select a wood essence that has a janka hardness rate of at least 1300 and up
I shied away from Hickory for my customers here in the desert southwest because of end-checking (see below). A smooth finish maple will show dents no matter how hard it is - it's wood after all. Just be realistic, manufacturers and refinishers can make the wear surface as resistant as possible but can't do much for impact damage (and a Janka test is just for that, good advice). And you're going to need humidity control if you live where it's dry - sometimes lots of moisture added just to get to 50% relative.
Amateur installation of engineered wood and laminate is a huge issue, it even sounds bad walking on it! Pay a professional for installation! Also, no matter what, do not change flooring from room to room, unless it’s carpet in a bedroom of tile by the tub. When I was in real estate , I saw homes with tile in one room, laminate in another, a different tile in another, what a mess!
If the floor is uneven underneath the lvp or laminate you are going to have issues with the floor moving up and down as you step on it. A professional is only going to fix that if you pay them extra, and it's going to cost quite a bit extra perhaps even more than the installation
I replaced my carpet and tile mix with LVT from California Bamboo. I purchased the xtra wide plank. It looks real, it’s waterproof and the stuff I got is much stronger than engineered hardwood. It does not scratch. I spilled nail polish on it and removed it with nail polish remover can’t tell. I have I all over my home. I love this stuff! Oh, it wasn’t cheap. It was around 15k for 2000 sq feet. I shopped around and got the best looking and most durable I could find. But definitely pay for an installer.
I have Cali bamboo flooring in our main living area. I was considering their vinyl for our bedrooms since they no longer make our color of bamboo. Was it easy to install?
I generally agree with everything you recommend with the following caveats. First, wood flooring in a kitchen is not always a great choice because a kitchen floor often has much more traffic than the rest of the house. Our last house had wood flooring in our kitchen that needed refinishing prior to being placed on the market while our other floors were in very good condition. Fortunately, we were able to hire a flooring refinisher that did a very good job at the openings to adjacent rooms. I would always suggest tile in kitchens. Second, I would usually recommend ceramic tile in finished basements. Third, if at all practical, I would avoid prefinished wood flooring, it looks like prefinished wood flooring. As a retired architect I wish real estate agents would use correct terminology. Two examples of incorrect terminology heard on this video include two favorites of real estate agents: "home" and "hardwood" when referring to floors. an unlived in house is not a home, it is not a home if no one lives in it. Not all wood floors are hardwood, douglas fir, and other species of softwoods are often used for flooring. Unless one is specifically speaking of hardwoods such floors should be referred to as wood floors.
Hardwood has gone through as many trends in finish as anything else. 2000s purpleheart can make your home unsellable. And hardwood is frequently destroyed in kitchens from ice maker failures.
I live in Southern California and tile floors are very common, we have a expensive neutral beige/white tile that looks very good and is easy to keep clean, just have to have the grout professionally cleaned every few years. We do have an upgraded low pile carpet in the bedrooms but that is just our preference.
Neutral color ceramic, marble, and slate tile, are among my top flooring choices (after solid hardwood). Tile is durable, easy to clean, and a great choice when indoor air quality is a top concern.
Indoor air quality and VOCs are a top concern of mine, along with allergies. Nothing beats tile for that and ease of cleaning. @@altitudeiseverything3163
My house was built in the 60s. Previous owners put asbestos tile over original hardwood flooring and then later put expensive wool berber carpet on top of the asbestos tile. When we bought the house we didn't know what was under the carpet but it looked nice enough that we planned on keeping it. During the final walk through we found out there was water damage on the carpet in multiple spots that had been hidden under large heavy furniture pieces. We still closed on the house but wanted to replace the carpet right away. That's when we realized there was asbestos tile underneath. We ended up paying a lot of money to an asbestos abatement company and then thousands more to install hardwood... and the asbestos abatement company told us the original flooring was hardwood but it wasn't salvageable.
A good idea for sellers is to go to new home displays, they will see the up to date choices in flooring, countertops, fixtures, lighting etc. i was in real estate for years partly working selling existing and also worked for builders. If a seller has decorating, that is too specific it can hurt thecsale, that is why new home displays are so good because the choices appeal to the masses.
One thing I know is that, if you live where sand gets tracked in, you better have some kind of durable tile or even concrete at the entry doors. That sand will eat through wood and vinyl real quick.
no only sand, but salt or other road chemicals, if you live in a snowy state, it's going to end up in your home regardless of having rugs in your entry way.
@@cherylanon5791 , or you could just do what millions of people around the world do: don’t wear your outside shoes in the house. Put on house shoes inside.
@@wallihaley5194 Yes, so simple and widespread. Americans are still at the were-you-raised-in-a-barn level it seems. It's hard to train children and men to not wear outside shoes in the house. Japanese people have it down practically to a science, having separate toilet shoes in some households.
@@virginiamoss7045 , yes, and I read recently that not wearing your outside shoes in the house keeps the floors 80% cleaner. I do know that this is a more common practice in some parts of the country especially where the winters are cold and snowy. But I do it as a standard practice. I keep a basket of washable slippers by the front door for guests, and that helps.
The real estate market is about ready to burst. Like in 2008, Hardwood is really nice, however put on slabs in Florida as well as humidity just makes it risky..we love our tile flooring that looks likes wood. It also works out well with having our dogs. Our beautiful tile is porcelain tile. Great quality. We kept every bedroom, 4 bedrooms with same floring.
Good to hear some people still love hardwood floors. We have a regional place that manufactures hardwood flooring and they say they have really seen a down trend in sales due to the use of the LVP. Glad to hear people in the know still appreciate the real thing.
My decision for any change in my home to sell is based on ROI. If a home decorator runs $1000 and the tile swap out is $4000 then will I received more than $5000 in sales price? I am not a realtor but I can add just fine. Valuation used to be based on comps and square feet. Small adjustments can be made from new upgrades but they are just that, small. My thoughts are different than yours, I would rather see the potential ROI as a gain and not a loss. There is no doubt that making the home the best in city will increase sales price, but spending $5000 for new floors to get the same sales price makes no sense to me. I would rather given a cash incentive to the buyer for $2000 if new floors were indeed bad. Not to just change white to beige.
I think there are two potential issues. One is, keep in mind that realtors benefit if your house sells for more money because their percentage commission is applied to a higher price, correct? So, if you do the math and the only person coming out on the transaction is the realtor, think hard about whether you want to go down that path. On the other hand, I remember being a new home buyer, looking at houses, and thinking, "I'm going into home buying expecting that I need to repaint everything, which I can do. I also need to buy appliances (which don't come with the house). But I can't also replace all of the flooring." If you give me a $2k credit and I need $5k+ to do the flooring, well, that's an issue. If the flooring just isn't my ideal, depending on how far off it is and how long I'll need to tolerate it, I may be able to handle it. If it's not in good repair, that's different.
@@whiteserpent6753 No disagreement from me. My home is in excellent shape not because I might want it sold but because I have no interest in living in trash. I comprehend the realtor is the one who really benefits from any upgrade. And I never found any realtor who cared more about my listing than her own new car outside. Once I sign the paperwork with the realtor, I doubt very much if they will do more than list and then expect that big commission. Very high reward for not much effort. My approach is to do my homework and give the realtor a finite time frame to sell. Only if that realtor works by showing the home, having open houses, and keeps in weekly contact will that realtor get any time extension at all.
@2023Red I always interviewed multiple realtors before deciding which one would represent us in selling our home. It was sometimes hard giving the news to a candidate that we selected someone else, but we typically got good results.
@@charmc4152 I have not met a realtor who had our interests in mind.? Their only objective was getting us to sign them as the listing agent. At age 76, we are cautious.
Very impractical advice. I'm 73 years old. When I was a boy all new homes had hardwood floors, anything else was an upcharge. My home was built in 1921 and had beautiful white oak floors. Over the years I've had them refinished 4 times. It's a real pain to do and the floor doesn't look good for long. I put luxury vinyl plank over the wood. If people don't like it, they can pick up the vinyl and the floors will be there ready to refinish. You don't glue or nail vinyl plank down so the wood floor is intact. Engineered hardwood is not as durable as she is hoping it is. Additionally, she could have used a sheet underlayment over her tile and used whatever flooring she wanted. Simply have the doors cut down and install thresholds. Remember them? They had a purpose. Builders don't use them to save money
i would only add that it isn't very practical for her to advise we talk to our designer to make our choices. how many of us are going to hire a designer when we change our flooring? average people don't hire designers or decorators!
I bought a house in 2010 that had wall to wall carpet. I removed the carpet. As a hardwood flooring contractor, I put in hardwood flooring everywhere, except for two of the 3 bathrooms. I also put in white oak treads and risers and new white oak posts and handrails. For the floors, I put in 13/16 inch thick rosewood parquet that I had bought 30 years ago in Thailand, and bordered it in each room with 2 rows of select white oak flooring. I did the same in the master bedroom and in the basement. For the 2 smaller bedrooms, I put select white oak flooring in. I plan on selling house in 2-3 years and refinishing floors before selling. I’d love to put solid white oak 6 paneled doors in house but I’d never get my money out of it.
We bought our home with a $.79 per sqft laminate flooring. We assume the previous floor was pretty bad. It’s not fooling anyone but it’s easy to keep clean. We’ve lived with it for 7 years and it’s held up okay. We have plans to replace it when the kids get a little older. For now it’s nice to have a floor I don’t care if it gets damaged.
Anything replaced before the kids move out will be replaced again after. I still have vinyl in my one upstairs bedroom. Very outdated. It is a guest/ craftroom. But it was well laid and still going strong. Guessing it is 34 years old.
Homes in the southwest are almost always, slab on grade, with very little soil moisture. So, tile makes much more sense, as it can be installed directly over the concrete slab.
I got a StainMaster 25-year warranty waterproof and scratch proof VPF. The only reason for that was because they had a 70% per box sale at tech 4th of July and ended up redoing my whole home, including labor for 4.4k Had there not been a sale, I'd probably had have to had gone with the peel and stick vinyl like these new construction crap holes. I do recommend the flooring I got. It's thick, my dog nor furniture have scratched it and it's holding up really well.
You better not have a big dog if you want wood floors. I put luxury vinyl floors in my whole house. They don’t get scratched by my Rottweilers so I love them.
@@KimSmith-b9v You can Google hardwood, they do get scratched and dented but that also depends on the type of sealant and your lifestyle. We have 3 160 lb plus livestock dogs and we live on a farm… so lots of heavy things, lots of animals, lots of kids… our hardwood floors got beautifully dented and dinged.
I have engineered hardwood and crazy lab whose nails can barely be trimmed. I have scratches, but they aren’t tragic. The first thing I did was put down the biggest best rugs I could. Hollywood looks like a pretty mellow dog to me, I do wish my Hank would mellow out a bit.
I'm looking at hardwood, or was thinking of laminate, which also seems almost as pricey as LVP---until watching your video. Apartments I've lived in had herringbone parquet floors which were beautiful (pre-war) and the other choice I like are the thin strips. I was thinking of asking a local agent, because I'm not thinking of selling right now. Just have worn out carpeting and need to change now anyway. Looking at comps in the area (central NJ) seems most folks have been putting in that grey LVP which actually looks cheap and horrible and fake IMO. I'm more a traditionalist in this regard---oak flooring should look like oak flooring. Thanks.
We remodeled an older home and added engineered hardwood throughout, including the kitchen. It is warm and beautiful. On the day we moved in though, our movers gouged the floor by scooting our heavy sofa. Luckily I was there and put a stop to everything until I got felt pads installed under every single surface that was touching the floor. I can now easily move heavy pieces of furniture to clean. After 11 years, our floors look great! We also bought extra flooring, luckily, since we have had 2 water leaks. Our flooring company removed and replaced the damaged, warped pieces and you would never know it.
My husband always buys an extra case or two of tile, wood, and LVP for that reason. Thank goodness! At least 3 times it saved us from having to replace an entire floor. Also, for tile and lvp, they go in and out of style and chances are, 5 or 10 years later, you won't be able to find a replacement.
That luxury vinyl plank top layer looks like the Armstrong cushion-step vinyl flooring I had installed throughout most of my custom house. It's incredibly durable, easy to clean, very non-slip, warm and soft under foot, and spilled liquids don't drool down between planks of wood or engineered wood or vinyl wood planks. People look down on sheet vinyl, but I could not be more pleased with this flooring. It was top of the line, but you generally get what you pay for. It's less expensive than planks and installation should be professional to avoid seams (it's amazing to watch them work).
I completely agree with you! There is unwarranted snobbery regarding sheet vinyl. Stay away from builder's grade. I went with commercial grade Armstrong sheet vinyl flooring in my kitchen and bathrooms in 2002 -- it looks fantastic today AND does not suffer from seeping of liquid and dirt between seams. Only thing is if you dropped a seering hot saucepan onto vinyl -- it will scorch!
@@lanialost1320 Oh, that's one thing I never thought about and have yet to experience. I'll be extra careful from now on. With my pattern, I can cut out the section damaged and inlay a matching cut out piece from scrap I saved and you won't even see the repair; So it can be repaired as well. One more: you won't hear your dog's click-click-clicking with it's claws when it walks or trots about at all.
I have sheet vinyl in my kitchen and bathrooms and I absolutely love it. I would still have sheet vinyl in my house if I became rich. It looks great, is none slip, comfortable under foot and has no cracks for liquids or worse to get into.
@@rosieposie9564 "... or worse ..." Made me laugh; my neighbor has a cat that is frequently vomiting a mess to clean up and she complains about the joints in her flooring. Then there are all the puppies in house training leaving puddles all over the floor. Vinyl has it's place; definitely better than carpet.
Great video. My only reservation about engineered hardwood is it may warp, swell, or disintegrate if you have a leak, pipe burst, or even a spilled drink that forms a tiny puddle and doesn’t get cleaned up quick enough. There are drawbacks to every one of these options, but since I live in the southeast where it’s humid it seems that LVP is the lesser of all the evils. Its main drawback is that if you have a leak, pipe burst, or spilled drink that doesn’t get cleaned up quick enough it won’t warp or swell, but mold and mildew can form underneath it. LVP also cannot be resurfaced so if you scratch it moving around furniture or something you’ll have to replace that piece of the flooring. So none of these options are perfect. It’s just what you deem to be the lesser of the evils. One type of flooring she didn’t mention is bamboo. I would like to get peoples opinions of bamboo flooring.
My daughter loves her bamboo floors. She has had them in her main living area for years and is now adding them to her bedroom. And she has had large dogs in the family the entire time. Not cheap though.
Bamboo is a great floor! Go with the expensive ones though. Cheap ones are made cheaply and you will have issues. Cali and Teragren make great products.
We have a 1930's home. We remodeled our kitchen years ago, removed the vinyl laminate flooring, water stained pine underneath, we had hardwood floors installed to match the rest of the home. Love it, yes, hardwood floors are lovely in the kitchen, they clean well, look warm and inviting. I always encourage people that hardwood in the kitchen is a great choice! Thank you for the video!
I grew up in a house built in 1720, with an addition built in 1830. The floors were pine. The back stairs were uneven in height, and were dished out from centuries of people going up those stairs. Loved that house. (The pine was a harder pine than you get today, and old, slow-growth pine that was harder than pine from managed forests.)
I live in a log cabin, so my late husband had rustic wood flooring installed. It looks beautiful, but is impossible to clean. Swiffer products can’t be used because the floor shreds the dry cloths and the wet ones don’t get in the crevices. The floor destroyed a Floormate machine, so I had to buy a very expensive commercial floor machine. Even then I have to do touchups by hand because of all the dips and “rusticness”. Don’t put in “rustic” hardwood flooring unless you can get on your hands and knees to clean it. I have 5000 ft of hard flooring to clean.
We put white oak hardwood in our homes, kitchens included. We put large white porcelain tiles 0.4 inches thick in the bathrooms and laundry rooms. We matched floor height so hardwood and tile are level. Small tile is out. Large format tile is in. Use 1/16 or 1/8 inch grout lines. Wider grout lines are out. I disagree on the engineered hardwood. It is difficult to match years later, if you have to do a repair or an addition. Sunlight eventually changes the color of both engineered and regular hardwood flooring. Engineered hardwood is more difficult to sand. Whereas hardwood flooring can be easily sanded and color matched by professional hardwood installers. Engineered hardwood is indeed a lot tougher, more stable, and lasts a long time. The only issue I have is trying to match engineered hardwood flooring years later. You are correct about carpet. I abandoned carpet in 2017. No one wants carpet anymore. Not all decorators are equal. Beware of decorators who want to experiment on your dime. Trying things they have never done before. One decorator talked one woman into staining a new hardwood floor black. The homeowner hated it. The floor never looked clean. I experimented with laminate flooring, but abandoned it. I did try vinyl tile flooring in a well pump room. It was a good option in the pump room where the well pressure tank and water treatment equipment is located. That room has a drain, in the event of a tank leak. That room has two tanks holding 156 gallons of water, a water softener, and a 49 gallon water heater. The floor is recessed one inch so water will drain before reaching the hardwood in the adjacent utility room. The tanks do not burst, when they fail, because well systems operate between 40 and 60 psi. The tanks typically develop a small leak. We have a moisture detector at the lowest point that alarms when water reaches the detector. That detector has saved us twice so far. The way I do tile is to use 1/4 inch Hardiebacker board that is nailed to the wood subfloor. Never had any tile crack, in over twenty years, and it can be removed years later if you want to change the flooring. In older homes, the bathroom countertops are usually too low. I raise the bathroom countertops 3.5 inches. I use 3/4 inch quartz or solid white cultured marble countertops in bathrooms. I use thick ( 1.5 inch ) quartz countertops in kitchens. Quartz never has to be resealed like granite does. Here is a tip for all homeowners. Fill out and send in the warranty cards for all new appliances. If you don’t do that, you will have to prove you purchased the appliance to get warranty work done. We had a $2700 smooth electric cooktop that was recalled due to a fire hazard. The company paid us the purchase price including tax, plus $300 for an install, plus sent a technician to remove it. It was so dangerous, we were told to turn the breaker off and stop using it. The company cannot contact you, if they don’t where it is. They know what store sold it, and when it was purchased, but have no way of knowing who is using it, if you don’t send in the warranty card or fill one out online at time of installation or purchase.
Had a leak on my hardwood floor while the house was in escrow. Replacing with tile. Too many things to leak in a kitchen. Unfortunately the MAJOR manufacturer quit producing their top seller so I could not get more to replace.! I was stuck with doing the whole downstairs of a perfectly good floor save 100sf of a wet damaged floor.
That really stinks and I'm sorry you had to go through that. I love the look of hardwood in kitchens but I always stick with tile for the reason you mentioned. I have tile and the first week living here I dropped and shattered a Costco size jar of pickles. I was glad to have tile when that happened, lol. The tile is very high quality with a good installation. I have seen homes with cracked tiles, so I know it isn't always ideal.
If you'd had a wood floor, there is a slim chance that the jar wouldn't have broken when it hit the floor. That's one thing I can say in favor of wood vs tile from personal experience. A tile floor virtually guarantees that anything glass, or fragile, that falls on it is likely to break. Wood can be a little more forgiving.
@charmc4152 That's true. I personally would love hardwood throughout the whole house other than bathrooms, but my husband can't be convinced so we have tile in the kitchen and front entryway because of harsh winter weather bringing in snow, salt and ice.
I have to disagree with your statement that LVP will scratch but engineered hardwood wont. Ive had both in the past 10 years. With a dog scratching maple engineered planks so badly, that after 3 years it had to be replaced. We used LVP and after two years with the same dog there arent any scratches. My neighbor had the same experience... although their engineered flooring was oak. They ended up sanding the floor and refinishing it...Then got rid of the dog.
We just had Provenza Moda LVP, (color is Buttercup) installed in our entire home. Absolutely beautiful and highly recommend! We also protected all our furniture legs just to be extra cautious.
The snobbery against sheet vinyl is just ridiculous and undeserved. Vinyl sheet has many advantages and it can also look great too if you get the better quality ones and get it installed professionally.
@@rosieposie9564 I agree! There are also different price points, so you pay a little more and buy better quality. I have 20 year old sheet vinyl in my laundry room and it looks great.
I have tile in the house I bought last year. I'm not sure if they're porcelain or ceramic, but I love the flooring. The kitchen and dining room floor are made to look like wood, and the living room has a mottled warm neutral look. But the tile is amazing in the dog days of summer in Texas, and I wouldn't want to change it unless I needed to. And then I might try to find a similar tile. If I lived in a cooler climate, a different flooring would be better.
Yes we got hardwood all over the first floor and the half bathroom. However for the den which has concrete underneath, we got the engineered hardwood with 4 mm top which matches the solid hardwood on the first floor.
My home was built in 1970 - so no hardwood unfortunately. I just replaced my badly worn carpet with a low pile neutral luxury carpet ( looks great!) because I plan on moving in 1-2 years. I didn’t want to put a lot of money into hardwood or engineered hardwood that I wouldn’t get my money back when selling. I saw one comment that the person wouldn’t even look at a house if it was carpeted. I think that a mistake. You can find a great house with carpet - just change it. Sometimes the inventory is low and you aren’t going to find a perfect house. There will always be changes you have to make. My home had dirty green carpet and ‘70’s wallpaper everywhere. We made changes and the house is beautiful because the bones were great.
Great advice. I made 2 lists, the list of what I really want (important), and what is nice in a house, but not essential, or changeable - like paint color. After 2 years of looking, I didn’t find the perfect house, but a house & property I love. Yes, it’s older, but well maintained and with the original hardwood floors. Painting I can do.
We live in south Louisiana and have solid oak flooring. It does cup seasonally but that is now very minimal after 15 years. I probably would have gotten engineered hardwood if I’d known about this problem. My parent’s house had 2” solid strip oak and cupping wasn’t a problem. I have 4” and 5” planks.
I put carpet in bedrooms and ripped all carpet out of the main living and traffic areas and had a LVP FROM LUMBER LIQUIDATORS it looks like real hardwood floor,has ridges and is a Rustic Acacia.
I have a quality berber in the large family room and am loathe to rip it up when we sell in a couple years. It's beige and, has warmed up a room where we primarly live in long winters. I hope it might come across as more of a neutral vs a negative. But maybe not? Matching up woods becomes an issue then, as all we had to start with was carpet and lousy subfloor so did go engineered hardwood for the rest of the 1st floor minus kitchen tile. No hidden gems under the carpet. :)
I don't think replacing the carpet in just the one area is going to change your sales price enough to make it worth it, as long as the rest of your floors are desirable.
Absolutely on hardwood! Bought a 1941 home and discovered Cherry hardwood under carpet. Cherry trim in formal rooms had been painted over. I do think carpet is a good choice in upstairs rooms over principal downstairs rooms where foot traffic above would be distracting.
I live in a lovely old 1930s building, and our newest landlord is running amok. Went into a new neighbor's unit and was horrified! For years, every apartment had nice old hardwood floors, and between tenants they'd be refinished. Oh no no . . . this landlord ripped out the gorgeous old wood and replaced it with cheapo fake "wood." Heartbreak!
I’m so glad you said LVP next because I am in the process of finishing the upstairs of my house in it with the wide plank vinyl look and we love it and we don’t hear the dogs nails on the flooring either 😅
As always a video full of valuable info….Several years ago I ripped out my three different styles of ceramic/porceline tile (previous owner installed) that was mismatched and installed a super premium (thicker protective layer) LVP floor throughout the house….it looks great! My home has same flooring thru the home which makes the rooms appear bigger - without those different flooring transition's from room to room…I use area rugs and I get many compliments on my floors. Also, it’s super easy to care for. Speaking of ceramic tile, it was a horror show removing 1500 sq feet of it and was a mess to do it….yes, it was also very expensive removal - but am so glad it’s gone! No more dirty looking grout due to constant mopping.
@@alyross2850 I am sorry to hear that! The moron who installed my tile did the same thing - they used PORTLAND CEMENT rather than thin set. It destroyed my concrete slab in some places. I hope your removal goes smoothly. Word of advice…make sure they have machines in place BEFORE they start grinding to minimize the dust..which is very dangerous to breathe…there’s special equipment for that and its well worth the expense to have them use it…
I have new carpet in two of my bedrooms. I am going to leave it in. I’ve done a lot of other things that NEEDED To be done. The house is looking clean, up to date, and, will be move in ready. At some point I have to quit spending money on something that isn’t needed. I have carpet in the bedrooms of the house I’m living in now, and, I love it. Personal preference? I’ve talked to people in this part of Michigan, they prefer carpet in bedrooms
Carpet is simply a no-go for many with allergies. It not only traps pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and dust, but it sheds micro-particles of fiber (adding to the dust) and can outgas a variety of toxic chemicals (VOCs, fire retardants, stain repellents, etc.) to which some people are very sensitive). For us, not a “personal preference,” but a health necessity.
Carpet is warm in winter...and also quiet to walk on. I have oak floors in my living room, sunroom and four of my bedrooms, but all have carpets on top...not wall to wall, though.
Csn you do a video for design ideas in S. California and other markets? It seems that colors and styles okay in Orange County, California are not okay elsewhere, but what's best for OC vs east coast or midwest?
I haven’t looked at the tile you replaced with but I’m betting it’s a darker shade than when you bought. My advise is to buy the house you want and keep or replace the tile, colors, kitchen, baths whatever. Oh…you just said hardwood. You’re wrong. Works for you not us. We had a 5000 sq ft home with real hardwood. Didn’t like it. I agree with you on carpet.
we have zero hardwood floors, spec house built in 1960's, so there's carpet in bedrooms, LR & formal DR, and vinyl in the kitchen. There was slate in the entry area and half bath but it was ugly black slate in strange shapes---we had it jackhammered away and did put in porcelain tile which has been awesome. Wood in our snowy climate would be awful in an entry area due to sand/salt, I've seen it in other homes in our area and it always fails the snow-sand-salt test.
When it comes to water, hardwoods are different than soft woods. Soft woods will absorb water and rot easily. You will not have that problem with hardwood. It can sit in water and last for a year. Redwood and cedar would last probably 10 years. Any wood that I install, I coat it with Thompson's water seal, anyway.
Vinyl and laminate are toxic....I don't know of any that are truly low VOC. Stone and hardwood are best. Even though they can have toxins you can get types that are less likely to....even concrete can be better than most vinyl. Carpets are also pretty terrible because its expensive to use a decent kind. Engineered hardwood has come a long way! ❤ They have low VOC options, not the best but the most discounted option I'd take. I don't think people should settle for toxins like that in their homes....vinyl and laminate. I think it's crazy how little research people seem to do and that they will legit brag about terrible flooring. 😂 To me as a buyer it shows poor judgement and that they wasted a bunch of money making a place worse off.
@@KatiSpaniak massively agree with this. Have had to leave houses while house shopping that had new carpeting installed bc the fumes were so overwhelming. Same with some laminate flooring. People with allergies or chemical sensitivities know to stay away from houses like that - or know that flooring will need to be in the immediate budget.
As a flooring professional - retail and flooring inspector - some of this information is not correct. While a designer is good - I have worked with MANY - they are just looking for pretty, they do not know all the ins and outs of the correct flooring product for a project. I encourage anyone to go to a QUALITY flooring store - not a box store, not a call and install place, a store with a knowledgeable salesperson who can talk you though all the different types of flooring. I'd love to talk to you about some of the misinformation in this video. There are some really good-looking laminate floors out there.
This is a great video. Thank you. I have hardwood throughout. Except my open concept kitchen - we have slate floors. They are beautiful but, I realized I’m a bull in a China cabinet. Between my granite countertops and slate floors- my dishes and glassware don’t stand a chance. lol Just something to think about when buying your first home. 😉
I get that some would get a decorator, but not me. Never. They, just like the rest of the population, are a mixed bag. I know how to do research on my own. I'm not paying someone, who doesn't have my taste, to advise me.
I will NEVER EVER buy vinyl plank crap flooring. I hate it. I have it currently in a house and I hate it. I will replace it with carpet or lino. Not damn god awful vinyl plank luxury or cheap. I hate the stuff.
I am currently at this very moment having some very beautiful sheet vinyl put in the the dining room kitchen laundry room bathroom all in one long sheet without seams. And it is beautiful it will be easy to clean and it will last a very very long time while still looking fantastic. Sheet vinyl the higher quality is going to be making a bigger comeback because the lpv flooring is absolute crap. Do your research and then do more research. If you are sensitive to chemicals then you will probably want to stick with hardwood but that's a whole Rabbit Hole to go down. Stick with what works for your house I am on a working farm and Homesteader there is no way that vinyl plank flooring will hold up it won't last 2 months in my house ask me how I know. In 2 weeks I'm going to be having carpet installed in the big living areas. It's a heavy duty Ironclad specially designed commercial type carpet. Will be much easier to keep clean it will prevent trips and falls. So it truly depends on your house setting and what is in style. There was a time pretty much the only thing that was available what is hardwood. Those that could afford it had throw rugs everywhere to cover it up. And yes it will last a lifetime there's floors that are 150 years old that turn out beautiful once they're redone. Most people still to this day put large area rugs over their hardwood floors I don't need two things to clean. Not to mention all that flooring is very slick and I have dogs when they run I don't need a dog with a broken hip or a broken leg. But then we're not really talking about that are we were really only talking about what the money on the table and in your pocket now having said that. In my opinion the very best floor you can get would be marmoleum as in an Old Fashioned linoleum made from natural products that in my area at least is one of the most expensive floorings you can put in 4 * out of my price range it would cost even more than Hardwood
I don't like any form of carpet for allergy and hygiene reasons but I agree with the rest of your post. Not everything that is trendy is good. Good quality, well installed sheet vinyl is both durable and beautiful.
@@rosieposie9564 for sure carpet can be a source for allergies/ mold/ and unhygienic depending on where you live. The climate and how you care for it make a huge difference. I have a very good vacuum cleaner that I use daily or every other day. It's fast and simple. With hard surface most of the things used just puff the dust into the air only to settle back down. Since I got rid of my carpet my house is so very dusty. I would have to tend to things many times through the day. So yes the carpet can hold dust. But a good going over first thing in the morning takes so much of it up. Then once a month or so I have a very good extraction commercial grade carpet cleaner. With vinegar water mix keeps things clean & fresh. I can also use hydrogen peroxide & water on the carpet. For here in my area that works very well. I know because when I have pulled carpet out there was no dust in the air. Also there wasn't any grit under the carpet. Now in the past oh yeah it was so gross. Over time I have learned what works. At least for us. I can say I also got rid of the carpet because I was concerned about fleas. Which we did have a bad case once. Then I learned how to deal with that without chemicals or DE ( I would NEVER EVER use DE again it was a NIGHTMARE) We have lived in this house for 30 yrs now and only once did we ever have a flea issue. Learned a lot then too hahahaha. I also learned than unless I have a hard offer on the table for selling I am not playing the game of this is what buyers want. Been there done that & several times I have been stuck with crap stuff & things I don't like. Things that don't work on a farm. This go round I have interviewed 10 different agents and 1 broker. Each one of them said something different about what the house needs. They ALL were going on their personal opinion. So I figured I would just start sticking with my gut. Sure I love to hear ideas and see number to help me make my decision. But in the end I have a very good track record for doing what works to get a place sold. I have seen first hand what good staging can do (several times) *side note On agent said oh your stager should have done better. We can do much better than that. He didn't know I did it. hahaha Then the next agent said wow your house was staged perfect don't change a thing. Again she didn't know I did it. Then yet another said wow you changed your house You shouldn't have done that it was so spot on for top $$ the way it was. Only it was over 5 yrs old and the flooring that I had put in had been the best seller for 3 yrs prior to that So it was 8 yrs old. That means to me pretty much over done and on it's way out. It was LVP bad color and because we had that we didn't see a leak and lost the sub floor in several rooms because of it. During the repair process several contractors laughed and said yup that stuff keeps me in business just for that very reason. None of them would have it in their house. I do love this topic. hahaha incase you couldn't tell
@@danelleroundabouts2559 Wow, I am impressed with the massive amount of effort to keep the carpet clean and fresh. I am far too lazy for that so it is hard floors for me. Also, most stagers, interior designers etc are full of bull. Most homes will sell if the location is "right" and the home is clean, tidy and not cluttered.
@@rosieposie9564 Thank you for that. The bull I have been told over and over again, well can get me. I start to think maybe I'm off base & it's just me.
I disagree with covering some Hardwood floors. The Mid-century floors common in the West used the 2 1/4" x 3/8ths" planks and they were mostly face nailed. These old floors require so much work to refinish them to look better, you are far better off leaving them as subflooring with some other floor over them like luxury carpet in the bedrooms or tearing them out for my dollars. I've only seen one floor redone that looks ok in a remodeled house like that but otherwise that floor always dates the look of the overall home and you can't win over the newer homes that are for sale.
"You can put hardwood in your kitchen because typically your floors aren't getting very wet unless you have a leak." LOL. And make a small problem MUCH worse.
I have a long kitchen 10x25, After removing the old linoleum I discovered in the eating area 10x10 that there was beautiful heart pine flooring under, The rest of the floor, which is the cabinet area with sink , frig and stove has plywood. I heard what you said about never covering hardwood and I feel the same way. The rest of the house also has all hardwood floors. How should I approach this area? Any ideas?
Sometimes it is okay to have the floor you want rather than what is going to attract others who someday will buy your home. I do have beautiful hard wood floors throughout almost all of my home, but I do have a cork floor in my kitchen. I am older and bake and cook all the time. It is so much better for my feet and legs. If we do sell we will just replace it. Oh, and our little guest bathroom has a floor made of pennies and that bathroom has a copper sink! and no we are not going to replace that. Everyone LOVES it.
I will NEVER have hardwood again. Omg it was so hard to take care of. I hated it for 20 years until we moved. Luxury vinyl tile is nice and way easier.
Personally, if I were building a new house for myself, and it was on a slab, I'd just have it dyed and power-troweled when it was installed. Why? Because I'm frugal, and I'd rather pay attention to a livable layout, minimizing energy use and maintenance, durability, and the like. I don't like being a debt-slave for the sake of frou-frou interior design.
I personally disagree with LVP being a good choice. It’s such a turn-off. And some types are quite toxic. Basically just looks like someone went the cheap/easy/mass builder route when they throw “LVP” in. And every time I see “luxury” in front of vinyl plank, my eyes roll.
So go with an over priced decorater to pick the latest trend, mostly ugly. Look at the years of prison grey they have pushed. Hidious. There are full new subdivisions that look like prison compounds now. First thing I painted over when we bought our home. Kitchen, diningroom and livingroom. Lovely golden wood ceilings, solid oak cabinets and the decorator told her to paint every wall and the wood stove stand, prison grey. I went with pale yellow. Six years later and still love it. Except the small bathroom. Not grey. It was S h i t brown. Had been a deep red, which would have worked for me. Also painted over right away. The other rooms were she had picked the colours were fine. Pale blues and greens. Slowly changed over the years. Still 3 rooms to go. Laundry room was ugly, but practical. Main floor. Thankfully I did not pick our retirement home based on decorating, but on practical things like wiring, plumbing, steel roof, drilled well, properly done framing, good windows, full bathroom on the main floor, etc. Also waste money on a so called pro who will likely do a worse job than you. The only time you need to use a pro is with vinyl sheeting. And then you better makes sure it is a real pro. If done right it can look great for decades. If done wrong, you are replacing it in a few years. I knew I would be redoing the kitchen and dining room floor when we bought the house. Nice pattern. Had hills and valleys. I might not be fast at tiling, but I am good. Always put the orange underlay. I know too many people who have paid pros thinking they would do a better job than they would and have regretted it.
I'm torn. My home was originally built in 1950 and has hardwood subfloor in the original part of the house, but an addition was added in 2011 in which laminate flooring was used. Over the years the kitchen has had so many layers of plywood and vinyl added to it so that it is now a full inch higher than my other floors. The original hardwood subfloor is not in great shape. It has some large (1/4") gaps throughout and physical damage in some areas. I would like to level the kitchen floor and lay LVP through out the house to give it a more cohesive look. What are your thoughts?
There is no such thing as “luxury vinyl”. I am looking for a new home and if it was flipped, has cheap white cabinets or vinyl plank I will not purchase it.
LVP and engineered wood is made of OIL. No thank you. Hardwood is durable and will last forever. They can be scratch proof and water proof if they are protected properly. BOAT VARNISH/sealers will protect hardwood flooring in humid climates; like a boat on water. Engineered wood only has an inch of hardwood, and after redoing it once, the wood is worn away. The floors will always look dull and worn out. Oil products break down faster, (especially in high traffic areas) look dull, and cheap, because they are cheap. The off gassing is unhealthy and they tend to continue to off-gas without us noticing. People don't know how to seal hardwood, corporations want you to buy oil based items, and people do what is easiest, and as they are told. Don't rip out hardwood, because you think it's not good. Talk to a professional about using a boat sealer/varnish. Research how to care for hard wood. We treated and sealed our real hardwood floors. They are scratch proof and water proof. They will last longer than any of us, and we have pets.
I just cannot stand that GREY vinyl plank flooring with fake wood grain that's so popular. I literally wouldn't buy a house that had that throughout because I couldn't live with it. It looks so cheap and ugly to me. Over half of the flips I see (cheap remodels) in Southern California use it. I also look at houses for sale in AZ and they do the same thing. It's just tragic! Hardwood is so nice. I even love polished concrete in the right style house. Cork flooring is pretty very comfortable to walk on and works well in rooms without a lot of water like kitchens and bathrooms.
Before replacing carpet with wood realize your doors may have been cut for the carpet and will have a very high clearance so there can be a large gap under your door. Also if you’re installing it at the top of the stairs, a lot of times stairs are hardwood but the flooring is manufactured hardwood and they are not the same thickness. So you might have a mismatch in height with a little lip. Also manufactured hardwood will shift as your home settles so even with well installed wood it may have gaps after a couple years. It also needs to be cut to the post not to the wall. Even professional installers sometimes cut to the wall because inches add up, but it will cause it to shift, be a hazard and cause you to have to reinstall flooring after a very short time.
If you live in the southwest hardwood and it’s friends scratch with all the sand and grit, lvp outgasses which can be a problem with anyone with respiratory issues, carpet is a no because it is a money sink. I put in wood look porcelain plank tiles and love them. Easy clean, look great, and if you safe a few, easy repairs if someone drops something very heavy from a height.
I live in Florida and I have ceramic tile throughout my house. We have sandy soil, so the sand will damage vinyl plank or wood floors. The ceramic holds up to our sandy soil, so it suits us. I also have a vacuum robot and mop robot to keep them clean. It makes life easier!
Great tip!
Steamer is great on tile as well ...I also am in FL. Won't have anything else for flooring in FL. Then porcelain tile rectified!
@@debram476 that makes sense.
My daughter also lives in FL and anything other than tile would just not work! The dust and sand that comes in every day would destroy the flooring if it ere not tile.
I live in North Carolina and I have Porcelain tile that looks like wood in my home, I love it. I have pets and porcelain tile works great for them. It also keeps the house cooler in the summer. 😊
I installed LVP throughout the house. I was quoted $18,000 for labor and the LVP--which didn't include removing and reinstalling the toilets ($200 each X three), moving the fridge and stove, installing new baseboard throughout. The final cost would have been in the $20,000. range. I did the same job myself for $7000, and saved $13,000.
I watched many RUclips videos on how to do this work, how to prepare the subsurfaces, how to cut the LVPs. I also purchased the best tools that the pros use. It took quite a while, and I'll never do it again, but thirteen grand is a lot of money to me, so I bit the bullet, and my floors look amazing.
Nice! I love mine too! Look great…and super easy to clean. Glad you saved all the extra 💰💰
Glad you learned how to do the job right, big savings!
LVP is awesome and probably the easiest planks to install.
Is it low VOC? It's going to be cheap if it's toxic. I wouldn't bid on your home full value because of that specifically. IDC if it's new...that's probably worse TBH.
@@ari3lz3pp $7K is not cheap for LVT being installed by the homeowner…. Mine was LOW VOC with a 20m thick covering and the flooring itself cost me $4800 for 1500 sq feet of floor.
🐶. I live in Georgia. Engineered hardwood is fine. However, DO NOT get a high gloss finish. The dogs will scratch it. Matte is your friend.
Yes, I bought a home with glossy engineered wood floors and the immediate problem was paw prints from the natural oils on my pets feet. The floor looked bad constantly. I ripped them out and put tile as that is a desirable floor in Southern California.
Don't let dogs go inside your home. Yucko.
@@pinkorganichorse Don't have dogs if you aren't going to let them in your house.
All oil based products break down. Engineered wood is made from oil, and it looks cheap.
Go with real hardwood, use a boat varnish to seal the floors in high humidity and put a couple of layers of varnish on it to make it scratch proof. The finish will last years and later, if you want to refinish the option is there.
@@Ninjanimegamer I have bamboo hardwoods.
Had to refinish them with a matte finish and a lighter stain to mask pet scratches.
The term ‘Luxury Vinyl’ is an oxymoron..
if the hardwood gets scratched then so be it. That’s what it’s there for.
I would also avoid high gloss and go with a more matte finish.
Also go with area rugs in high traffic areas.
Exactly.
We used a varnish that prevents scratching on our real hardwood floors. I've dragged furniture across the floors, we have pets and we aren't careful, but we don't have scratches.
Luxury vinyl is a locking system, floating floor, the cheap stuff is glue on and far thinner. Put yes, it's still vinyl at the end of the day. Not much different than polypropylene carpets.
@@snoopybluejeansThere are different levels of LVP. Many commercial establishments use LVP.
Thank you, I laugh every time I hear someone says because I’m not buying what you’re selling.
@@marcirobins5144 It's still plastic on your floors, but the branding/propaganda is brilliant. Pretty much just a worse version of a solid, continuous vinyl sheet floor.
I have to LOL, I looked at a brand new condo a few weeks ago, and they were price in a medium rage, 55 plus. I could not believe they didn't even have hardwood as standard, they were legit putting sheet vinyl in the kitchen, dining, bathrooms, and laundry room as standard! WTF, you want me to pay 520K to get sheet vinyl flooring?! 🤦♀
There are exceptions, but it is mostly 90s, 80s or 70s houses that have hard wood, especially if want solid hardwood. At least in this price range, but I think part of it is solid hardwood is way more now than it used to be and it is not easy to add since it requires more depth than standard floors.
@@misterogers9423 In my area a brand new build is EXPECTED to have zero carpeting and either LVP or Hardwood at least on the entire first floor with exception of bathrooms!
I agree! It's a new SCAM. Vinyl is slightly less maintenance but it's not worth the feel IMO AND the toxins....high VOC with vinyl. Some companies lied before...then when tested by a trustworthy third party they had all the toxins expected. I won't trust vinyl and I also don't like carpet because if it's not wool it's not great either. But even polyester carpet is better than vinyl and laminate.
It's sad people don't do their research thoroughly. So many places legitimately are bragging about new vinyl. They can call it "luxury" like putting a pig in lipstick.....it's still a pig. But many of the younger people also that DO have money for a home are easily fooled. They don't put the effort into details much so they eat up that marketing. 😢Even plenty of wealthy people with blind trust. It's pretty wild.
The niche market to Boomers is a ripoff to our downsizing and releasing liquidity for our future needs…!!! Pure greed to rob us after life savings!! I was in a beautiful home In Lebanon County, Pa… I customized much and it was a gorgeous place….my financials changed and I moved to Tulsa to be near children….My Pa house is still a looker and I am happy on same size home for less expenses but ….builders are sucking the blood out of their elders here by selling $500,000 55+ housing!! (Obviously the old oil money people can do this but not typical middle class citizens!!!
Sheet vinyl, well laid by a pro can look amazing. And it will look good and last for years. But so often it is not put in right and starts to form hills and valleys.
Our retirement home had it in the kitchen and dining room. I liked the pattern, but a trip hazard, especially for my husband.
Thankfully, I know how to tile. I put the orange underlay under. Strongly recommend.
The main bathroom had laminate laid over 2 layers of sheet vinyl which had been stapled on. No hills or valleys though. Just lumpsm bumps and cracks.
Last year we ripped out the tub and put in a walk in shower with seat and rail. This year I put in the tiles, and tiled around the tub.
Hardwood, laminate and tile floors are all easy to learn to install.
However, condos are designed and built to fall apart in 10 to 20 years.
My house is 105 years old and still has its original hardwood floors. I had 3 dogs who lived here for years with zero issues. My neighbors also have hardwood floors and I have never heard them say their cats caused an issue with their hardwood floors.
7 dogs and 2 guest dogs have lived in my home at various times. Usually, we have at least 3 dogs in the household. They have turned polished hardwood floors into "distressed" wood floors. But everyone else LOVES wood floors. I like how they look, but I don't love them as a dog owner.
It’s a combination of dog weight and nail maintenance, mostly. If you are constantly maintaining the nails and you never hear a click when the dogs walk, they will not scratch the floors. If this is not the case and the dog is lightweight, the nails will not scratch the floors. If the dogs are large and the nails are not constantly maintained, the nails will scratch/dent the floors unless the wood is particularly dense or it has a rock hard factory finish. If the floors are scratched or dented, it will be more or less visible depending on the finish (color/sheen). And how much you care will depend on the look you’re going for. Also, I’ll note that the fir my house was built from is rock hard and difficult to drill through. Fir I buy in the store is much softer. It’s also possible for the older wood to have different properties from the new growth wood- so what may be true of your hardwood may not be true of similar wood type purchased new today.
@@whiteserpent6753
Exactly. Our dogs are 6 lbs and 12 lbs, and their nails get trimmed regularly. No problems with our post Civil War hardwood plank floors (which we love).
I’m one person with 3 cats whose nails get trimmed monthly and my wood floors have been damaged. I even chose one that supposedly had one of the strongest finishes at the time. I’m in FL so it’s engineered. You can’t put true hardwood on a slab.
Hardwood can last, and be scratched proof but it depends on how they were treated, and varnished.
A few coats of boat varnish and they become water proof too.
Our real hardwood floors will never need to be refinished, and we have cats.
They were installed at a time construction of hardwood floors included aluminum oxide. They are extremely durable, scratch proof and with a top coat of boat varnish are water proof.
I guess I’m weird I liked your house tile much more then the floor you put in
Yes, hopefully she put the engineer wood over the tile so the next person can restore it. I put in engineered wood just in the bedrooms and it didn’t survive my teenagers so 16 years after it was installed it was ripped out and replaced with a commercial glue down LVP.
No grout no grout no grout!! Ugghhh
I lived in Latin America for 4 years. Everything is butt-tiled: no grout to get gross! It’s livable and easy to clean.
Epoxy grout is very easy to clean. Are used it for my kitchen backsplash and for my shower. It works wonderful.
@@leashgang1 sounds good
I did the absolute worst by accident. Got duped into gray lpv with grooved wood graining. I'm freaking sick to my stomach every day.😪😪😪
Grey is depressing. Mine is brown with some grey in it, with natural looking knots. Uniform all around with no light/dark boards. It's looks more than fine for my rental.
Why? The color? The graining?
You can do area rugs.
My apartment (built in 80s) has the gray simulated plank flooring, so ugly. And oddly a remodel of an old apartment has the very same. A Chinese restaurant has the identical same floor, it's approx. 20 yrs old and all the finish is worn off. Heck, I'd take the 60s - 80s vinyl flooring over that! And the gray has simulated knots that conceal dirt, floor always looks dirty!
There is nothing wrong with grey luxury vynal flooring. I was raised with’ ‘earth tones’ and I’m sick of them. I love grey, it’s not depressing, especially in sunny areas like calif. I just went to a flip today and it had grey luxury plank.
Hmmm, my experience with LVP (two homes both sold 200K+ over purchase), don't go cheap, get a good installer that can do straight runs, and keep a magic eraser on hand for scuffs. Had it in my open concept first floor, spills, puppy messes, and 3 pit bulls and a rotty couldn't scratch it. Took it like a champ, if that were new hardwood, i would have been in tears.
Hardwood is much more durable than people think
@@marinahillier3292only if it’s properly maintained. A lot of folks neglect their hardwood floors.
@@marinahillier3292 I Had it my entire life; yes, it is, but one excitable day from the Amazon delivery guy with my 140lb Rottie, and you can pay the damage to my floor. Had it in my Hoboken apartment - Brazilian walnut, gorgeous, but the only thing I worried about on that floor was my girls' 4 inch heels.
A house with LVP is an instant no for me. It's great branding, but it's still just plastic on your floor.
Vinyl flooring has BPA. Though covered with a "protective layer", wear will eventually cause the layer to erode and release the BPA in the vinyl. BPA is a known endocrine disruptor. With babies crawling around at floor level, vinyl flooring shouldn't contain a substance that impacts development.
Thanks for sharing this info, I didn't know
No some vinyl flooring has BPA but many do not. The ones that do not are clearly labeled.
@@lhartwig2354 I have looked for such labeling and have not found it. Perhaps it is in the fine print. VOC Free flooring is easly found but BPA free more difficult to find (as yet even a google search for "BPA free vinyl flooring" fails to produce BPA flooring options.
Yes. Hardwood is beautiful. But the way we live nowadays, LVP is the way to go. For pets and kids. Put them in my last 2 homes.. and I hate wall to wall carpet anywhere. I have area rugs. The worst is when people put new carpet in to sell.. I just think it needs to be ripped out.
LVP is shorthand for Luxury Vinyl Plank. There are five main types of hardwood floors. They are: vinyl, laminate, parquet, solid and engineered hardwood flooring.
Agreed! When reading real estate listings and the agent proudly puts "new carpeting", I just sigh and say... no thanks, moving on!
Carpet is gross.
@@bettysmith4527 If the house is going to come with carpet anyway, it might as well be NEW carpeting. I wouldn't let the carpeting be a deal-breaker for an otherwise nice or suitable house. All things considered, new carpet isn't the worst thing. The only caveat would be if you thought the carpet was covering something up.
@living2day617 Plantar fasciitis? I think tile of any sort can be exceptionally dangerous for older people. It can be very slippery when wet, but if they are to fall for any reason, they will have more risk of substantial injuries from broken bones or head trauma.
Hardwood looks great, but any cat owner knows that cat barf will eat the finish no matter how quickly you clean it up. Tile or LVP is the way to go IMO. As a long time pet owner I would pass on a home with hardwood flooring.
I have LVP and as soon as it was installed, my cat had an accident on it, aka pee, it floated on top, didn't penetrate. I cleaned it and no smells remained. My dogs didn't scratch it, but when I moved some furniture, I scratched it a bit. Fortunately it doesn't show.
I grew up with hardwood and have it now. The materials used to refinish hardwood has improved a ton. I have a cat that pukes a lot and it has not damaged the floors.
We have been in our older (1908) home for almost 50 years. We have raised our children here and have had many cats. Our original hardwood floors still look great!
Have cats…haven’t had any issues with engineered hardwood. Has been great!
I totally agree with you. I had carpet throughout my house and it detest it. Finally was able to update and put in LVP. The first time I heard the cat puking I came running with a paper towel and a Clorox wipe. As easy as that.
Purchased a new built house, had carpet taken out and hardwood installed the entire first floor, including the kitchen. Previous house carpet over hardwood had carpet removed, floors refinished and wood flooring in the kitchen. It was an excellent decision when it came time to sell.
I guess I’m just a boomer at heart because I thought the title in your house was beautiful!! Yes tile is hard and can be loud but it is durable, easy to clean,and timelines. If you want carpet throw some rugs down. Rugs create soft places, define a space and provide noise dampening.
Yep. Many people said that. But the tile was way too much.
I agree with you. That tile would have been a selling point to me. It was beautiful.
My in laws always have put tile in their homes because they could run their pipes under it to make it heated. I always thought it was still cold and slippery. Now they have engineered hardwood and complain constantly.
The main thing to keep in mind when choosing a hardwood floor for a kitchen is to select a wood essence that has a janka hardness rate of at least 1300 and up
I shied away from Hickory for my customers here in the desert southwest because of end-checking (see below). A smooth finish maple will show dents no matter how hard it is - it's wood after all. Just be realistic, manufacturers and refinishers can make the wear surface as resistant as possible but can't do much for impact damage (and a Janka test is just for that, good advice). And you're going to need humidity control if you live where it's dry - sometimes lots of moisture added just to get to 50% relative.
Amateur installation of engineered wood and laminate is a huge issue, it even sounds bad walking on it! Pay a professional for installation! Also, no matter what, do not change flooring from room to room, unless it’s carpet in a bedroom of tile by the tub. When I was in real estate , I saw homes with tile in one room, laminate in another, a different tile in another, what a mess!
If the floor is uneven underneath the lvp or laminate you are going to have issues with the floor moving up and down as you step on it. A professional is only going to fix that if you pay them extra, and it's going to cost quite a bit extra perhaps even more than the installation
I replaced my carpet and tile mix with LVT from California Bamboo. I purchased the xtra wide plank. It looks real, it’s waterproof and the stuff I got is much stronger than engineered hardwood. It does not scratch. I spilled nail polish on it and removed it with nail polish remover can’t tell. I have I all over my home. I love this stuff! Oh, it wasn’t cheap. It was around 15k for 2000 sq feet. I shopped around and got the best looking and most durable I could find. But definitely pay for an installer.
I have Cali bamboo flooring in our main living area. I was considering their vinyl for our bedrooms since they no longer make our color of bamboo. Was it easy to install?
I generally agree with everything you recommend with the following caveats. First, wood flooring in a kitchen is not always a great choice because a kitchen floor often has much more traffic than the rest of the house. Our last house had wood flooring in our kitchen that needed refinishing prior to being placed on the market while our other floors were in very good condition. Fortunately, we were able to hire a flooring refinisher that did a very good job at the openings to adjacent rooms. I would always suggest tile in kitchens. Second, I would usually recommend ceramic tile in finished basements. Third, if at all practical, I would avoid prefinished wood flooring, it looks like prefinished wood flooring.
As a retired architect I wish real estate agents would use correct terminology. Two examples of incorrect terminology heard on this video include two favorites of real estate agents: "home" and "hardwood" when referring to floors. an unlived in house is not a home, it is not a home if no one lives in it. Not all wood floors are hardwood, douglas fir, and other species of softwoods are often used for flooring. Unless one is specifically speaking of hardwoods such floors should be referred to as wood floors.
I was looking at homes for sale online and I could pick out LVP every time. It just has a sheen that gives it away. Not a fan.
You absolutely cannot tell what flooring they have on line. Stop the lies.
Hardwood has gone through as many trends in finish as anything else. 2000s purpleheart can make your home unsellable. And hardwood is frequently destroyed in kitchens from ice maker failures.
Absolutely. We had a freezer die and leak all over the hardwood, it warped a bit.
I live in Southern California and tile floors are very common, we have a expensive neutral beige/white tile that looks very good and is easy to keep clean, just have to have the grout professionally cleaned every few years. We do have an upgraded low pile carpet in the bedrooms but that is just our preference.
Neutral color ceramic, marble, and slate tile, are among my top flooring choices (after solid hardwood). Tile is durable, easy to clean, and a great choice when indoor air quality is a top concern.
Indoor air quality and VOCs are a top concern of mine, along with allergies. Nothing beats tile for that and ease of cleaning. @@altitudeiseverything3163
My house was built in the 60s. Previous owners put asbestos tile over original hardwood flooring and then later put expensive wool berber carpet on top of the asbestos tile. When we bought the house we didn't know what was under the carpet but it looked nice enough that we planned on keeping it. During the final walk through we found out there was water damage on the carpet in multiple spots that had been hidden under large heavy furniture pieces. We still closed on the house but wanted to replace the carpet right away. That's when we realized there was asbestos tile underneath. We ended up paying a lot of money to an asbestos abatement company and then thousands more to install hardwood... and the asbestos abatement company told us the original flooring was hardwood but it wasn't salvageable.
That sounds like an incredibly painful experience. Sorry that happened to you. 🩷
Yikes.
That's rough
No one can make decisions for themselves!!?? Luxury Plastic Plank🤮🤮
Made of PVC. 🤮🤮
I am not about to sell or buy and I just love to hear her advice. lol
A good idea for sellers is to go to new home displays, they will see the up to date choices in flooring, countertops, fixtures, lighting etc. i was in real estate for years partly working selling existing and also worked for builders. If a seller has decorating, that is too specific it can hurt thecsale, that is why new home displays are so good because the choices appeal to the masses.
Taking out tile floors that are functional is wild to me.
We made the choice to do hardwood in our kitchen and no regrets like 7 mos in.
One thing I know is that, if you live where sand gets tracked in, you better have some kind of durable tile or even concrete at the entry doors. That sand will eat through wood and vinyl real quick.
no only sand, but salt or other road chemicals, if you live in a snowy state, it's going to end up in your home regardless of having rugs in your entry way.
@@virginiamoss7045 that’s why I don’t wear my outside shoes in the house. I take them off and put on house slippers.
@@cherylanon5791 , or you could just do what millions of people around the world do: don’t wear your outside shoes in the house. Put on house shoes inside.
@@wallihaley5194 Yes, so simple and widespread. Americans are still at the were-you-raised-in-a-barn level it seems. It's hard to train children and men to not wear outside shoes in the house. Japanese people have it down practically to a science, having separate toilet shoes in some households.
@@virginiamoss7045 , yes, and I read recently that not wearing your outside shoes in the house keeps the floors 80% cleaner. I do know that this is a more common practice in some parts of the country especially where the winters are cold and snowy. But I do it as a standard practice. I keep a basket of washable slippers by the front door for guests, and that helps.
The real estate market is about ready to burst. Like in 2008, Hardwood is really nice, however put on slabs in Florida as well as humidity just makes it risky..we love our tile flooring that looks likes wood. It also works out well with having our dogs. Our beautiful tile is porcelain tile. Great quality. We kept every bedroom, 4 bedrooms with same floring.
Good to hear some people still love hardwood floors. We have a regional place that manufactures hardwood flooring and they say they have really seen a down trend in sales due to the use of the LVP. Glad to hear people in the know still appreciate the real thing.
For rentals hardwood probably not best choice. Preferably laminate to support wear and tear/ rougher use by tenants.
My decision for any change in my home to sell is based on ROI. If a home decorator runs $1000 and the tile swap out is $4000 then will I received more than $5000 in sales price? I am not a realtor but I can add just fine. Valuation used to be based on comps and square feet. Small adjustments can be made from new upgrades but they are just that, small. My thoughts are different than yours, I would rather see the potential ROI as a gain and not a loss. There is no doubt that making the home the best in city will increase sales price, but spending $5000 for new floors to get the same sales price makes no sense to me. I would rather given a cash incentive to the buyer for $2000 if new floors were indeed bad. Not to just change white to beige.
I think there are two potential issues. One is, keep in mind that realtors benefit if your house sells for more money because their percentage commission is applied to a higher price, correct? So, if you do the math and the only person coming out on the transaction is the realtor, think hard about whether you want to go down that path. On the other hand, I remember being a new home buyer, looking at houses, and thinking, "I'm going into home buying expecting that I need to repaint everything, which I can do. I also need to buy appliances (which don't come with the house). But I can't also replace all of the flooring." If you give me a $2k credit and I need $5k+ to do the flooring, well, that's an issue. If the flooring just isn't my ideal, depending on how far off it is and how long I'll need to tolerate it, I may be able to handle it. If it's not in good repair, that's different.
@@whiteserpent6753 No disagreement from me. My home is in excellent shape not because I might want it sold but because I have no interest in living in trash. I comprehend the realtor is the one who really benefits from any upgrade. And I never found any realtor who cared more about my listing than her own new car outside. Once I sign the paperwork with the realtor, I doubt very much if they will do more than list and then expect that big commission. Very high reward for not much effort. My approach is to do my homework and give the realtor a finite time frame to sell. Only if that realtor works by showing the home, having open houses, and keeps in weekly contact will that realtor get any time extension at all.
@2023Red I always interviewed multiple realtors before deciding which one would represent us in selling our home. It was sometimes hard giving the news to a candidate that we selected someone else, but we typically got good results.
@@charmc4152 I have not met a realtor who had our interests in mind.? Their only objective was getting us to sign them as the listing agent. At age 76, we are cautious.
Very impractical advice. I'm 73 years old. When I was a boy all new homes had hardwood floors, anything else was an upcharge. My home was built in 1921 and had beautiful white oak floors. Over the years I've had them refinished 4 times. It's a real pain to do and the floor doesn't look good for long. I put luxury vinyl plank over the wood. If people don't like it, they can pick up the vinyl and the floors will be there ready to refinish. You don't glue or nail vinyl plank down so the wood floor is intact. Engineered hardwood is not as durable as she is hoping it is. Additionally, she could have used a sheet underlayment over her tile and used whatever flooring she wanted. Simply have the doors cut down and install thresholds. Remember them? They had a purpose. Builders don't use them to save money
i would only add that it isn't very practical for her to advise we talk to our designer to make our choices. how many of us are going to hire a designer when we change our flooring? average people don't hire designers or decorators!
My grandmother is gone now, but her entire house was built of maple. 🍁
@@michelle-vl3me agree. And designers are often expensive and not all that helpful. Ask me how I know... 😏
@michelle-vl3me Yes I've seen enough horrific style choices by decorators (not designers, but sometimes them too) to stay far away from them
I bought a house in 2010 that had wall to wall carpet. I removed the carpet. As a hardwood flooring contractor, I put in hardwood flooring everywhere, except for two of the 3 bathrooms. I also put in white oak treads and risers and new white oak posts and handrails. For the floors, I put in 13/16 inch thick rosewood parquet that I had bought 30 years ago in Thailand, and bordered it in each room with 2 rows of select white oak flooring. I did the same in the master bedroom and in the basement. For the 2 smaller bedrooms, I put select white oak flooring in. I plan on selling house in 2-3 years and refinishing floors before selling. I’d love to put solid white oak 6 paneled doors in house but I’d never get my money out of it.
We bought our home with a $.79 per sqft laminate flooring. We assume the previous floor was pretty bad. It’s not fooling anyone but it’s easy to keep clean. We’ve lived with it for 7 years and it’s held up okay. We have plans to replace it when the kids get a little older. For now it’s nice to have a floor I don’t care if it gets damaged.
Anything replaced before the kids move out will be replaced again after. I still have vinyl in my one upstairs bedroom. Very outdated. It is a guest/ craftroom. But it was well laid and still going strong. Guessing it is 34 years old.
Homes in the southwest are almost always, slab on grade, with very little soil moisture. So, tile makes much more sense, as it can be installed directly over the concrete slab.
we recently used luxury vinyl plank in our living room. It's excellent!
I got a StainMaster 25-year warranty waterproof and scratch proof VPF.
The only reason for that was because they had a 70% per box sale at tech 4th of July and ended up redoing my whole home, including labor for 4.4k
Had there not been a sale, I'd probably had have to had gone with the peel and stick vinyl like these new construction crap holes.
I do recommend the flooring I got. It's thick, my dog nor furniture have scratched it and it's holding up really well.
You better not have a big dog if you want wood floors. I put luxury vinyl floors in my whole house. They don’t get scratched by my Rottweilers so I love them.
But Kati says her big dog don't scratch her wood floors!?
@@KimSmith-b9v All floors can get damaged. Even tile will crack if you drop a hammer on it.
@@KimSmith-b9v
You can Google hardwood, they do get scratched and dented but that also depends on the type of sealant and your lifestyle.
We have 3 160 lb plus livestock dogs and we live on a farm… so lots of heavy things, lots of animals, lots of kids… our hardwood floors got beautifully dented and dinged.
@@KimSmith-b9vShe used engineered wood floors. It's different.
I have engineered hardwood and crazy lab whose nails can barely be trimmed. I have scratches, but they aren’t tragic. The first thing I did was put down the biggest best rugs I could. Hollywood looks like a pretty mellow dog to me, I do wish my Hank would mellow out a bit.
I'm househunting and every time I see LVP in a house over 600k, I gag and think I'm not paying for this. What are people thinking?
I'm looking at hardwood, or was thinking of laminate, which also seems almost as pricey as LVP---until watching your video. Apartments I've lived in had herringbone parquet floors which were beautiful (pre-war) and the other choice I like are the thin strips. I was thinking of asking a local agent, because I'm not thinking of selling right now. Just have worn out carpeting and need to change now anyway. Looking at comps in the area (central NJ) seems most folks have been putting in that grey LVP which actually looks cheap and horrible and fake IMO. I'm more a traditionalist in this regard---oak flooring should look like oak flooring. Thanks.
Agree, the gray looks cheesy. Also too trendy. I think flooring should be a classic base.
We remodeled an older home and added engineered hardwood throughout, including the kitchen. It is warm and beautiful. On the day we moved in though, our movers gouged the floor by scooting our heavy sofa. Luckily I was there and put a stop to everything until I got felt pads installed under every single surface that was touching the floor. I can now easily move heavy pieces of furniture to clean. After 11 years, our floors look great! We also bought extra flooring, luckily, since we have had 2 water leaks. Our flooring company removed and replaced the damaged, warped pieces and you would never know it.
My husband always buys an extra case or two of tile, wood, and LVP for that reason. Thank goodness! At least 3 times it saved us from having to replace an entire floor. Also, for tile and lvp, they go in and out of style and chances are, 5 or 10 years later, you won't be able to find a replacement.
I do not like Tile ceramic porcelain at all. ugh
That luxury vinyl plank top layer looks like the Armstrong cushion-step vinyl flooring I had installed throughout most of my custom house. It's incredibly durable, easy to clean, very non-slip, warm and soft under foot, and spilled liquids don't drool down between planks of wood or engineered wood or vinyl wood planks. People look down on sheet vinyl, but I could not be more pleased with this flooring. It was top of the line, but you generally get what you pay for. It's less expensive than planks and installation should be professional to avoid seams (it's amazing to watch them work).
I completely agree with you! There is unwarranted snobbery regarding sheet vinyl. Stay away from builder's grade. I went with commercial grade Armstrong sheet vinyl flooring in my kitchen and bathrooms in 2002 -- it looks fantastic today AND does not suffer from seeping of liquid and dirt between seams. Only thing is if you dropped a seering hot saucepan onto vinyl -- it will scorch!
@@lanialost1320 Oh, that's one thing I never thought about and have yet to experience. I'll be extra careful from now on. With my pattern, I can cut out the section damaged and inlay a matching cut out piece from scrap I saved and you won't even see the repair; So it can be repaired as well. One more: you won't hear your dog's click-click-clicking with it's claws when it walks or trots about at all.
I have sheet vinyl in my kitchen and bathrooms and I absolutely love it. I would still have sheet vinyl in my house if I became rich. It looks great, is none slip, comfortable under foot and has no cracks for liquids or worse to get into.
@@rosieposie9564 "... or worse ..." Made me laugh; my neighbor has a cat that is frequently vomiting a mess to clean up and she complains about the joints in her flooring. Then there are all the puppies in house training leaving puddles all over the floor. Vinyl has it's place; definitely better than carpet.
@@virginiamoss7045 Her home is going to smell really bad if that continues.
Great video. My only reservation about engineered hardwood is it may warp, swell, or disintegrate if you have a leak, pipe burst, or even a spilled drink that forms a tiny puddle and doesn’t get cleaned up quick enough.
There are drawbacks to every one of these options, but since I live in the southeast where it’s humid it seems that LVP is the lesser of all the evils. Its main drawback is that if you have a leak, pipe burst, or spilled drink that doesn’t get cleaned up quick enough it won’t warp or swell, but mold and mildew can form underneath it. LVP also cannot be resurfaced so if you scratch it moving around furniture or something you’ll have to replace that piece of the flooring. So none of these options are perfect. It’s just what you deem to be the lesser of the evils.
One type of flooring she didn’t mention is bamboo. I would like to get peoples opinions of bamboo flooring.
My daughter loves her bamboo floors. She has had them in her main living area for years and is now adding them to her bedroom. And she has had large dogs in the family the entire time. Not cheap though.
Bamboo is a great floor! Go with the expensive ones though. Cheap ones are made cheaply and you will have issues. Cali and Teragren make great products.
We have a 1930's home. We remodeled our kitchen years ago, removed the vinyl laminate flooring, water stained pine underneath, we had hardwood floors installed to match the rest of the home. Love it, yes, hardwood floors are lovely in the kitchen, they clean well, look warm and inviting. I always encourage people that hardwood in the kitchen is a great choice! Thank you for the video!
I grew up in a house built in 1720, with an addition built in 1830. The floors were pine. The back stairs were uneven in height, and were dished out from centuries of people going up those stairs. Loved that house. (The pine was a harder pine than you get today, and old, slow-growth pine that was harder than pine from managed forests.)
And if you use a boat varnish on the hardwood in the kitchen and bathrooms it makes for a water proof seal.
I agree!
We have hardwood in our kitchen and I love it. So easy to clean, and it’s beautiful too!
I live in a log cabin, so my late husband had rustic wood flooring installed. It looks beautiful, but is impossible to clean. Swiffer products can’t be used because the floor shreds the dry cloths and the wet ones don’t get in the crevices. The floor destroyed a Floormate machine, so I had to buy a very expensive commercial floor machine. Even then I have to do touchups by hand because of all the dips and “rusticness”. Don’t put in “rustic” hardwood flooring unless you can get on your hands and knees to clean it. I have 5000 ft of hard flooring to clean.
If I see carpet all over a house, I’m not even going to bother viewing it.
Depending on where you live, you could be passing up a really great home. Carpet in Florida? Not good. Carpet in Minneapolis? That’s ok.
@@susanpera2131 I actually do live in Florida and have dogs.
We put white oak hardwood in our homes, kitchens included. We put large white porcelain tiles 0.4 inches thick in the bathrooms and laundry rooms. We matched floor height so hardwood and tile are level. Small tile is out. Large format tile is in. Use 1/16 or 1/8 inch grout lines. Wider grout lines are out.
I disagree on the engineered hardwood. It is difficult to match years later, if you have to do a repair or an addition. Sunlight eventually changes the color of both engineered and regular hardwood flooring. Engineered hardwood is more difficult to sand. Whereas hardwood flooring can be easily sanded and color matched by professional hardwood installers. Engineered hardwood is indeed a lot tougher, more stable, and lasts a long time. The only issue I have is trying to match engineered hardwood flooring years later.
You are correct about carpet. I abandoned carpet in 2017. No one wants carpet anymore.
Not all decorators are equal. Beware of decorators who want to experiment on your dime. Trying things they have never done before. One decorator talked one woman into staining a new hardwood floor black. The homeowner hated it. The floor never looked clean. I experimented with laminate flooring, but abandoned it. I did try vinyl tile flooring in a well pump room. It was a good option in the pump room where the well pressure tank and water treatment equipment is located. That room has a drain, in the event of a tank leak. That room has two tanks holding 156 gallons of water, a water softener, and a 49 gallon water heater. The floor is recessed one inch so water will drain before reaching the hardwood in the adjacent utility room. The tanks do not burst, when they fail, because well systems operate between 40 and 60 psi. The tanks typically develop a small leak. We have a moisture detector at the lowest point that alarms when water reaches the detector. That detector has saved us twice so far.
The way I do tile is to use 1/4 inch Hardiebacker board that is nailed to the wood subfloor. Never had any tile crack, in over twenty years, and it can be removed years later if you want to change the flooring.
In older homes, the bathroom countertops are usually too low. I raise the bathroom countertops 3.5 inches. I use 3/4 inch quartz or solid white cultured marble countertops in bathrooms. I use thick ( 1.5 inch ) quartz countertops in kitchens. Quartz never has to be resealed like granite does.
Here is a tip for all homeowners. Fill out and send in the warranty cards for all new appliances. If you don’t do that, you will have to prove you purchased the appliance to get warranty work done. We had a $2700 smooth electric cooktop that was recalled due to a fire hazard. The company paid us the purchase price including tax, plus $300 for an install, plus sent a technician to remove it. It was so dangerous, we were told to turn the breaker off and stop using it. The company cannot contact you, if they don’t where it is. They know what store sold it, and when it was purchased, but have no way of knowing who is using it, if you don’t send in the warranty card or fill one out online at time of installation or purchase.
thank you, great tips!
Had a leak on my hardwood floor while the house was in escrow. Replacing with tile. Too many things to leak in a kitchen. Unfortunately the MAJOR manufacturer quit producing their top seller so I could not get more to replace.! I was stuck with doing the whole downstairs of a perfectly good floor save 100sf of a wet damaged floor.
That really stinks and I'm sorry you had to go through that. I love the look of hardwood in kitchens but I always stick with tile for the reason you mentioned. I have tile and the first week living here I dropped and shattered a Costco size jar of pickles. I was glad to have tile when that happened, lol. The tile is very high quality with a good installation. I have seen homes with cracked tiles, so I know it isn't always ideal.
If you'd had a wood floor, there is a slim chance that the jar wouldn't have broken when it hit the floor. That's one thing I can say in favor of wood vs tile from personal experience. A tile floor virtually guarantees that anything glass, or fragile, that falls on it is likely to break. Wood can be a little more forgiving.
@charmc4152 That's true. I personally would love hardwood throughout the whole house other than bathrooms, but my husband can't be convinced so we have tile in the kitchen and front entryway because of harsh winter weather bringing in snow, salt and ice.
You know that leaks can result in tile floor needing to come up too right?
I have to disagree with your statement that LVP will scratch but engineered hardwood wont. Ive had both in the past 10 years. With a dog scratching maple engineered planks so badly, that after 3 years it had to be replaced. We used LVP and after two years with the same dog there arent any scratches. My neighbor had the same experience... although their engineered flooring was oak. They ended up sanding the floor and refinishing it...Then got rid of the dog.
We just had Provenza Moda LVP, (color is Buttercup) installed in our entire home. Absolutely beautiful and highly recommend! We also protected all our furniture legs just to be extra cautious.
We had a bedroom with severly damaged hardwood floors. We put sheet vinyl over it, looks great and is wearing well. Sorry!
Good to know!
The snobbery against sheet vinyl is just ridiculous and undeserved. Vinyl sheet has many advantages and it can also look great too if you get the better quality ones and get it installed professionally.
@@rosieposie9564 It looks almost exactly like my wood floors and has been down for several years with cats and dogs and still looks great.
@@rosieposie9564 I agree! There are also different price points, so you pay a little more and buy better quality. I have 20 year old sheet vinyl in my laundry room and it looks great.
I have tile in the house I bought last year. I'm not sure if they're porcelain or ceramic, but I love the flooring. The kitchen and dining room floor are made to look like wood, and the living room has a mottled warm neutral look. But the tile is amazing in the dog days of summer in Texas, and I wouldn't want to change it unless I needed to. And then I might try to find a similar tile. If I lived in a cooler climate, a different flooring would be better.
Yes we got hardwood all over the first floor and the half bathroom. However for the den which has concrete underneath, we got the engineered hardwood with 4 mm top which matches the solid hardwood on the first floor.
I hope you sealed the concrete . . .
My home was built in 1970 - so no hardwood unfortunately. I just replaced my badly worn carpet with a low pile neutral luxury carpet ( looks great!) because I plan on moving in 1-2 years. I didn’t want to put a lot of money into hardwood or engineered hardwood that I wouldn’t get my money back when selling. I saw one comment that the person wouldn’t even look at a house if it was carpeted. I think that a mistake. You can find a great house with carpet - just change it. Sometimes the inventory is low and you aren’t going to find a perfect house. There will always be changes you have to make. My home had dirty green carpet and ‘70’s wallpaper everywhere. We made changes and the house is beautiful because the bones were great.
Great advice. I made 2 lists, the list of what I really want (important), and what is nice in a house, but not essential, or changeable - like paint color. After 2 years of looking, I didn’t find the perfect house, but a house & property I love. Yes, it’s older, but well maintained and with the original hardwood floors. Painting I can do.
Absolutely. You can change anything decorative, but the bones are the most important feature.
My house has a natural stone floor, you don't mention this type of floor covering, why?
Exactly. I hate ceramic tile. Love natural stone tile!
What brand, color is that engineered hardwood floor in your home?
We live in south Louisiana and have solid oak flooring. It does cup seasonally but that is now very minimal after 15 years. I probably would have gotten engineered hardwood if I’d known about this problem. My parent’s house had 2” solid strip oak and cupping wasn’t a problem. I have 4” and 5” planks.
I put carpet in bedrooms and ripped all carpet out of the main living and traffic areas and had a LVP FROM LUMBER LIQUIDATORS it looks like real hardwood floor,has ridges and is a Rustic Acacia.
What about the "wood look" ceramic tiles? Seems like LVP but significantly more durable
I like those too.
I have a quality berber in the large family room and am loathe to rip it up when we sell in a couple years. It's beige and, has warmed up a room where we primarly live in long winters. I hope it might come across as more of a neutral vs a negative. But maybe not? Matching up woods becomes an issue then, as all we had to start with was carpet and lousy subfloor so did go engineered hardwood for the rest of the 1st floor minus kitchen tile. No hidden gems under the carpet. :)
I'd just clean the carpet when you sell if it still looks presentable.
I don't think replacing the carpet in just the one area is going to change your sales price enough to make it worth it, as long as the rest of your floors are desirable.
Absolutely on hardwood! Bought a 1941 home and discovered Cherry hardwood under carpet. Cherry trim in formal rooms had been painted over.
I do think carpet is a good choice in upstairs rooms over principal downstairs rooms where foot traffic above would be distracting.
I live in a lovely old 1930s building, and our newest landlord is running amok. Went into a new neighbor's unit and was horrified! For years, every apartment had nice old hardwood floors, and between tenants they'd be refinished. Oh no no . . . this landlord ripped out the gorgeous old wood and replaced it with cheapo fake "wood." Heartbreak!
I’m so glad you said LVP next because I am in the process of finishing the upstairs of my house in it with the wide plank vinyl look and we love it and we don’t hear the dogs nails on the flooring either 😅
I have 4 kids and 2 dogs, hardwood floors are not going to work.
As always a video full of valuable info….Several years ago I ripped out my three different styles of ceramic/porceline tile (previous owner installed) that was mismatched and installed a super premium (thicker protective layer) LVP floor throughout the house….it looks great! My home has same flooring thru the home which makes the rooms appear bigger - without those different flooring transition's from room to room…I use area rugs and I get many compliments on my floors. Also, it’s super easy to care for. Speaking of ceramic tile, it was a horror show removing 1500 sq feet of it and was a mess to do it….yes, it was also very expensive removal - but am so glad it’s gone! No more dirty looking grout due to constant mopping.
Ugh. Tile removal. We have to replace our whole subfloor because of the cement used under the tile. I feel your pain.
@@alyross2850 I am sorry to hear that! The moron who installed my tile did the same thing - they used PORTLAND CEMENT rather than thin set. It destroyed my concrete slab in some places. I hope your removal goes smoothly. Word of advice…make sure they have machines in place BEFORE they start grinding to minimize the dust..which is very dangerous to breathe…there’s special equipment for that and its well worth the expense to have them use it…
Kept waiting for cork.
I have new carpet in two of my bedrooms. I am going to leave it in. I’ve done a lot of other things that NEEDED To be done. The house is looking clean, up to date, and, will be move in ready. At some point I have to quit spending money on something that isn’t needed. I have carpet in the bedrooms of the house I’m living in now, and, I love it. Personal preference? I’ve talked to people in this part of Michigan, they prefer carpet in bedrooms
Carpet is simply a no-go for many with allergies. It not only traps pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and dust, but it sheds micro-particles of fiber (adding to the dust) and can outgas a variety of toxic chemicals (VOCs, fire retardants, stain repellents, etc.) to which some people are very sensitive). For us, not a “personal preference,” but a health necessity.
Carpet is warm in winter...and also quiet to walk on. I have oak floors in my living room, sunroom and four of my bedrooms, but all have carpets on top...not wall to wall, though.
I prefer carpet in the bedroom.
SW here, going more for a concrete tile look, not grey, but warm and light and neutral.
Concrete greige tile is amazing!!!👌
@@adriaba790 ty. Going for a modern adobe look. Instead of tile around the fireplace, planning on Venetian plaster
Csn you do a video for design ideas in S. California and other markets? It seems that colors and styles okay in Orange County, California are not okay elsewhere, but what's best for OC vs east coast or midwest?
I haven’t looked at the tile you replaced with but I’m betting it’s a darker shade than when you bought. My advise is to buy the house you want and keep or replace the tile, colors, kitchen, baths whatever. Oh…you just said hardwood. You’re wrong. Works for you not us. We had a 5000 sq ft home with real hardwood. Didn’t like it. I agree with you on carpet.
What would you recommend instead of the hardwood?
we have zero hardwood floors, spec house built in 1960's, so there's carpet in bedrooms, LR & formal DR, and vinyl in the kitchen. There was slate in the entry area and half bath but it was ugly black slate in strange shapes---we had it jackhammered away and did put in porcelain tile which has been awesome. Wood in our snowy climate would be awful in an entry area due to sand/salt, I've seen it in other homes in our area and it always fails the snow-sand-salt test.
When it comes to water, hardwoods are different than soft woods. Soft woods will absorb water and rot easily.
You will not have that problem with hardwood. It can sit in water and last for a year. Redwood and cedar would last probably 10 years.
Any wood that I install, I coat it with Thompson's water seal, anyway.
Vinyl and laminate are toxic....I don't know of any that are truly low VOC. Stone and hardwood are best. Even though they can have toxins you can get types that are less likely to....even concrete can be better than most vinyl. Carpets are also pretty terrible because its expensive to use a decent kind. Engineered hardwood has come a long way! ❤ They have low VOC options, not the best but the most discounted option I'd take.
I don't think people should settle for toxins like that in their homes....vinyl and laminate. I think it's crazy how little research people seem to do and that they will legit brag about terrible flooring. 😂 To me as a buyer it shows poor judgement and that they wasted a bunch of money making a place worse off.
It's important to be aware of the materials we use in our homes for our health and the environment. Thanks for sharing your insights!
@@KatiSpaniak massively agree with this. Have had to leave houses while house shopping that had new carpeting installed bc the fumes were so overwhelming. Same with some laminate flooring. People with allergies or chemical sensitivities know to stay away from houses like that - or know that flooring will need to be in the immediate budget.
As a flooring professional - retail and flooring inspector - some of this information is not correct. While a designer is good - I have worked with MANY - they are just looking for pretty, they do not know all the ins and outs of the correct flooring product for a project. I encourage anyone to go to a QUALITY flooring store - not a box store, not a call and install place, a store with a knowledgeable salesperson who can talk you though all the different types of flooring. I'd love to talk to you about some of the misinformation in this video. There are some really good-looking laminate floors out there.
Everything NOT recommended is exactly what I have in my house 😳.
This is a great video. Thank you. I have hardwood throughout. Except my open concept kitchen - we have slate floors.
They are beautiful but, I realized I’m a bull in a China cabinet. Between my granite countertops and slate floors- my dishes and glassware don’t stand a chance. lol
Just something to think about when buying your first home. 😉
I get that some would get a decorator, but not me. Never.
They, just like the rest of the population, are a mixed bag.
I know how to do research on my own.
I'm not paying someone, who doesn't have my taste, to advise me.
I will NEVER EVER buy vinyl plank crap flooring. I hate it. I have it currently in a house and I hate it. I will replace it with carpet or lino. Not damn god awful vinyl plank luxury or cheap. I hate the stuff.
I am currently at this very moment having some very beautiful sheet vinyl put in the the dining room kitchen laundry room bathroom all in one long sheet without seams. And it is beautiful it will be easy to clean and it will last a very very long time while still looking fantastic. Sheet vinyl the higher quality is going to be making a bigger comeback because the lpv flooring is absolute crap. Do your research and then do more research. If you are sensitive to chemicals then you will probably want to stick with hardwood but that's a whole Rabbit Hole to go down. Stick with what works for your house I am on a working farm and Homesteader there is no way that vinyl plank flooring will hold up it won't last 2 months in my house ask me how I know. In 2 weeks I'm going to be having carpet installed in the big living areas. It's a heavy duty Ironclad specially designed commercial type carpet. Will be much easier to keep clean it will prevent trips and falls. So it truly depends on your house setting and what is in style. There was a time pretty much the only thing that was available what is hardwood. Those that could afford it had throw rugs everywhere to cover it up. And yes it will last a lifetime there's floors that are 150 years old that turn out beautiful once they're redone. Most people still to this day put large area rugs over their hardwood floors I don't need two things to clean. Not to mention all that flooring is very slick and I have dogs when they run I don't need a dog with a broken hip or a broken leg. But then we're not really talking about that are we were really only talking about what the money on the table and in your pocket now having said that. In my opinion the very best floor you can get would be marmoleum as in an Old Fashioned linoleum made from natural products that in my area at least is one of the most expensive floorings you can put in 4 * out of my price range it would cost even more than Hardwood
I don't like any form of carpet for allergy and hygiene reasons but I agree with the rest of your post. Not everything that is trendy is good. Good quality, well installed sheet vinyl is both durable and beautiful.
@@rosieposie9564 for sure carpet can be a source for allergies/ mold/ and unhygienic depending on where you live. The climate and how you care for it make a huge difference. I have a very good vacuum cleaner that I use daily or every other day. It's fast and simple. With hard surface most of the things used just puff the dust into the air only to settle back down. Since I got rid of my carpet my house is so very dusty. I would have to tend to things many times through the day. So yes the carpet can hold dust. But a good going over first thing in the morning takes so much of it up. Then once a month or so I have a very good extraction commercial grade carpet cleaner. With vinegar water mix keeps things clean & fresh. I can also use hydrogen peroxide & water on the carpet. For here in my area that works very well. I know because when I have pulled carpet out there was no dust in the air. Also there wasn't any grit under the carpet. Now in the past oh yeah it was so gross. Over time I have learned what works. At least for us. I can say I also got rid of the carpet because I was concerned about fleas. Which we did have a bad case once. Then I learned how to deal with that without chemicals or DE ( I would NEVER EVER use DE again it was a NIGHTMARE) We have lived in this house for 30 yrs now and only once did we ever have a flea issue. Learned a lot then too hahahaha.
I also learned than unless I have a hard offer on the table for selling I am not playing the game of this is what buyers want. Been there done that & several times I have been stuck with crap stuff & things I don't like. Things that don't work on a farm. This go round I have interviewed 10 different agents and 1 broker. Each one of them said something different about what the house needs. They ALL were going on their personal opinion. So I figured I would just start sticking with my gut. Sure I love to hear ideas and see number to help me make my decision. But in the end I have a very good track record for doing what works to get a place sold.
I have seen first hand what good staging can do (several times) *side note On agent said oh your stager should have done better. We can do much better than that. He didn't know I did it. hahaha Then the next agent said wow your house was staged perfect don't change a thing. Again she didn't know I did it. Then yet another said wow you changed your house You shouldn't have done that it was so spot on for top $$ the way it was. Only it was over 5 yrs old and the flooring that I had put in had been the best seller for 3 yrs prior to that So it was 8 yrs old. That means to me pretty much over done and on it's way out. It was LVP bad color and because we had that we didn't see a leak and lost the sub floor in several rooms because of it. During the repair process several contractors laughed and said yup that stuff keeps me in business just for that very reason. None of them would have it in their house. I do love this topic. hahaha incase you couldn't tell
@@danelleroundabouts2559 Wow, I am impressed with the massive amount of effort to keep the carpet clean and fresh. I am far too lazy for that so it is hard floors for me. Also, most stagers, interior designers etc are full of bull. Most homes will sell if the location is "right" and the home is clean, tidy and not cluttered.
@@rosieposie9564 Thank you for that. The bull I have been told over and over again, well can get me. I start to think maybe I'm off base & it's just me.
I disagree with covering some Hardwood floors. The Mid-century floors common in the West used the 2 1/4" x 3/8ths" planks and they were mostly face nailed. These old floors require so much work to refinish them to look better, you are far better off leaving them as subflooring with some other floor over them like luxury carpet in the bedrooms or tearing them out for my dollars.
I've only seen one floor redone that looks ok in a remodeled house like that but otherwise that floor always dates the look of the overall home and you can't win over the newer homes that are for sale.
"You can put hardwood in your kitchen because typically your floors aren't getting very wet unless you have a leak." LOL. And make a small problem MUCH worse.
I have a long kitchen 10x25, After removing the old linoleum I discovered in the eating area 10x10 that there was beautiful heart pine flooring under, The rest of the floor, which is the cabinet area with sink , frig and stove has plywood. I heard what you said about never covering hardwood and I feel the same way. The rest of the house also has all hardwood floors. How should I approach this area? Any ideas?
Sometimes it is okay to have the floor you want rather than what is going to attract others who someday will buy your home. I do have beautiful hard wood floors throughout almost all of my home, but I do have a cork floor in my kitchen. I am older and bake and cook all the time. It is so much better for my feet and legs. If we do sell we will just replace it. Oh, and our little guest bathroom has a floor made of pennies and that bathroom has a copper sink! and no we are not going to replace that. Everyone LOVES it.
I will NEVER have hardwood again. Omg it was so hard to take care of. I hated it for 20 years until we moved. Luxury vinyl tile is nice and way easier.
Look into micro cement
Personally, if I were building a new house for myself, and it was on a slab, I'd just have it dyed and power-troweled when it was installed. Why? Because I'm frugal, and I'd rather pay attention to a livable layout, minimizing energy use and maintenance, durability, and the like. I don't like being a debt-slave for the sake of frou-frou interior design.
I personally disagree with LVP being a good choice. It’s such a turn-off. And some types are quite toxic. Basically just looks like someone went the cheap/easy/mass builder route when they throw “LVP” in. And every time I see “luxury” in front of vinyl plank, my eyes roll.
So go with an over priced decorater to pick the latest trend, mostly ugly. Look at the years of prison grey they have pushed. Hidious.
There are full new subdivisions that look like prison compounds now.
First thing I painted over when we bought our home. Kitchen, diningroom and livingroom. Lovely golden wood ceilings, solid oak cabinets and the decorator told her to paint every wall and the wood stove stand, prison grey. I went with pale yellow. Six years later and still love it.
Except the small bathroom. Not grey. It was S h i t brown. Had been a deep red, which would have worked for me. Also painted over right away.
The other rooms were she had picked the colours were fine. Pale blues and greens. Slowly changed over the years. Still 3 rooms to go.
Laundry room was ugly, but practical. Main floor.
Thankfully I did not pick our retirement home based on decorating, but on practical things like wiring, plumbing, steel roof, drilled well, properly done framing, good windows, full bathroom on the main floor, etc.
Also waste money on a so called pro who will likely do a worse job than you. The only time you need to use a pro is with vinyl sheeting. And then you better makes sure it is a real pro. If done right it can look great for decades. If done wrong, you are replacing it in a few years. I knew I would be redoing the kitchen and dining room floor when we bought the house. Nice pattern. Had hills and valleys.
I might not be fast at tiling, but I am good. Always put the orange underlay.
I know too many people who have paid pros thinking they would do a better job than they would and have regretted it.
Downloaded your Seller’s Playbook because you mention in this video you have LVP recommendations. Couldn’t find any in there :(
I'm torn. My home was originally built in 1950 and has hardwood subfloor in the original part of the house, but an addition was added in 2011 in which laminate flooring was used. Over the years the kitchen has had so many layers of plywood and vinyl added to it so that it is now a full inch higher than my other floors. The original hardwood subfloor is not in great shape. It has some large (1/4") gaps throughout and physical damage in some areas. I would like to level the kitchen floor and lay LVP through out the house to give it a more cohesive look. What are your thoughts?
Yep. Do it. You’ll love it and you’ll get a great return on it!
LVP is tacky and I would NEVER use it….cork, rubber, wood, marmoleum only natural products long lasting repairable beautiful
BTW...a "decorator" and an interior designer are not the same thing. Do your research before hiring, and understand the difference in education, etc.
There is no such thing as “luxury vinyl”. I am looking for a new home and if it was flipped, has cheap white cabinets or vinyl plank I will not purchase it.
LVP and engineered wood is made of OIL.
No thank you.
Hardwood is durable and will last forever. They can be scratch proof and water proof if they are protected properly.
BOAT VARNISH/sealers will protect hardwood flooring in humid climates; like a boat on water.
Engineered wood only has an inch of hardwood, and after redoing it once, the wood is worn away. The floors will always look dull and worn out.
Oil products break down faster, (especially in high traffic areas) look dull, and cheap, because they are cheap. The off gassing is unhealthy and they tend to continue to off-gas without us noticing.
People don't know how to seal hardwood, corporations want you to buy oil based items, and people do what is easiest, and as they are told.
Don't rip out hardwood, because you think it's not good. Talk to a professional about using a boat sealer/varnish. Research how to care for hard wood.
We treated and sealed our real hardwood floors. They are scratch proof and water proof. They will last longer than any of us, and we have pets.
I just cannot stand that GREY vinyl plank flooring with fake wood grain that's so popular. I literally wouldn't buy a house that had that throughout because I couldn't live with it. It looks so cheap and ugly to me. Over half of the flips I see (cheap remodels) in Southern California use it. I also look at houses for sale in AZ and they do the same thing. It's just tragic! Hardwood is so nice. I even love polished concrete in the right style house. Cork flooring is pretty very comfortable to walk on and works well in rooms without a lot of water like kitchens and bathrooms.
Good quality lvp is more expensive than hardwood and is less easily scratched than hardwood. Cheap lvp is garbage.
Before replacing carpet with wood realize your doors may have been cut for the carpet and will have a very high clearance so there can be a large gap under your door. Also if you’re installing it at the top of the stairs, a lot of times stairs are hardwood but the flooring is manufactured hardwood and they are not the same thickness. So you might have a mismatch in height with a little lip.
Also manufactured hardwood will shift as your home settles so even with well installed wood it may have gaps after a couple years. It also needs to be cut to the post not to the wall. Even professional installers sometimes cut to the wall because inches add up, but it will cause it to shift, be a hazard and cause you to have to reinstall flooring after a very short time.
NO HARDWOOD IN KITCHENS & BATHS!!! Find a ceramic tile that looks like wood planks if you want the look!
If you live in the southwest hardwood and it’s friends scratch with all the sand and grit, lvp outgasses which can be a problem with anyone with respiratory issues, carpet is a no because it is a money sink. I put in wood look porcelain plank tiles and love them. Easy clean, look great, and if you safe a few, easy repairs if someone drops something very heavy from a height.