Commercial Vinyl

I picked up a nice house with a large kitchen. It currently has linoleum that is ruined and needs to be replaced. I want to put a commercial vinyl in as an experiement. Does anyone have any suggestions in regards to manufacturer? How hard is it to install?

Thanks, Rich

Rich Schroeder

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Sep 13 '10, 11:15 PM

...and I just realized that I can't spell this morning. LOL Sorry about the typos.

Marc Freislinger

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Sep 14 '10, 12:44 AM

If you're talking about VCT, it's pretty easy. It goes in much like ceramic tile or glue down wood floors. I work with apartments that have 15 year old VCT and it still looks great. The color runs all the way through, so if tenants ever do screw it up, you can strip and wax it. Individual tiles can be replaced easily.

I would highly recomend using it for low to middle class rentals. Unfortunetly, I'm not familure with the various manufacturers.

Rich Schroeder

Real Estate Investor · Wisconsin

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Nov 24 '10, 12:21 AM

So I did some research on this product, VCT. Says it's water resistant...so I submurged a piece of it in water for 2 days. Pulled it out, and it looked and felt like new still! I would say waterproof, instead. Costs about $2/square foot. A little pricey for my rentals, but I don't have to worry about a new subflor (I have wood floors in all my rentals), screws, glue, etc. The guy at home depot said that they put some of it in their doorway during the entire summer. After 3 months of traffic, it showed no signs of wear. I'm fairly confident that this product will hold up well. I'm installing it in the kitchen/bathrooms on my latest rental. I'll keep everyone updated!

Jon K.

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Nov 24 '10, 12:42 AM

You can get it for a lot less than $2 a foot and it really does wear well. It does have a commercial feel to it, which won't be popular in mid to higher end units.

http://www.homedepot.com/Blacks/Flooring-Vinyl-Resilient-Flooring-Vinyl-Tile/Armstrong/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xg1Zaq27Z1z11d2lZ6rZ1z1409i/R-100096154/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

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Rich Schroeder

Real Estate Investor · Wisconsin

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Nov 24 '10, 12:50 AM

Thanks Jon, you are correct. I should have clarified...in order to refrain from putting in a new subfloor and deal with glue and such...I used the floating CVT. It comes in 1x3 foot sections and overlap each other with pre-glued "lips". I did the cost comparison, and because I do my own install I saved a days worth of time going this route.

Ana Hyler

Real Estate Investor · Lincoln, Nebraska

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Nov 24 '10, 03:10 AM

Rich, these floating CVT's... where do they sell them? I know the regular ones are sold in HD , Lowes, menards etc, but I have not seen the floating ones. It sounds like a great alternative to regular linolium for my next project.

Rich Schroeder

Real Estate Investor · Wisconsin

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Nov 24 '10, 03:34 AM

Originally posted by abhyler

Rich, these floating CVT's... where do they sell them? I know the regular ones are sold in HD , Lowes, menards etc, but I have not seen the floating ones. It sounds like a great alternative to regular linolium for my next project.

Hello, they are sold at my local home depot. Not sure if it's carried nationally. They call it VCT (vinyl composite tile). I've been to quite a few home depot stores...these tile are usually in the commercial vinyl sections, separate from the rest of the tiles. I have not found it at Lowes. I'll see if I can find a link.

Marc Freislinger

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Nov 28 '10, 10:48 PM

Just a heads up,

The tile itself may be extremely water resistant/proof, but the glue may not be. I also haven't used the floating product, but I've seen a leaky dishwasher cause almost an entire kitchen come unglued from the slab before.

Bryan A.

Real Estate Investor · Charlotte, North Carolina

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Nov 29 '10, 12:12 PM

VCT's are awesome...i use them in my lower income rentals...if they get dirty, you can buff them and they look like new...they're industrial strength...the biggest is when you lay them down to have the surface properly ready for the glue...as long as you get a good adhesive going, they're easy to install and last