Best new flooring for this rental - Chicago area

Engineer · Schaumburg, IL · Member since 2015 · 22 posts · 4 votes

My rental SFH is going to need the carpet replaced after the current tenants leave April 1st. This is a 1250 sqft. SFH in the Schaumburg area near Chicago with a slab. What's the best looking, durable, affordable, and available flooring?

I've seen in other posts that people use laminate from Home Depot - is this recommended?

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Aaron Mazzrillo

Investor · Riverside, CA · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes

10y

I used to use that fake wood flooring crap. Waste of money. It warps, chips, and doesn't last very long. Only way to fix it is to rip up big sections to get to the chipped parts. I switched to a neutral ceramic tile. After the first tenant moved in, the grout looked disgusting. I now do that fake wood ceramic tile with dark grout. Above is a recent one I did. I don't think it is very expensive and it just looks excellent. Tenants love it. They can put down their own throw rugs that they'll never wash and get all disgusting. If one of them cracks, we can just bust out that piece of tile and replace it.

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Josh NixBusiness Member
Lender · Lincoln, NE · Member since 2014 · 304 posts · 101 votes
10y
I would think laminate would be your best option, last longer than carpet and less maintenance.
1) Depending on the laminate you use you will need a moisture barrier, the people at home depot should be able to help you.
2) Yes any decent contractor/handyman should be able to knock it out in a week if thats all they have to do there.
3) Not familiar with your area but you could expect to pay anywhere from $1.50-$3.00 per sg/ft. I wouldn't go with the cheapest guy because if he/she doesn't know what they are doing they could cost you the entire floor plus labor to remove it and start over.
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Brian Karlow
Rental Property Investor · Algonquin, IL (Chicago suburbs) · Member since 2014 · 155 posts · 76 votes
10y
Ryan
Great question.... Home Depot offers a really good quality carpet/option for approx. $1.85/sq ft which I go with for my properties containing a second level....however: A first floor/main floor application I always try and install an in stock laminate...lately I have been having my contractor install the 12mil Colfax Hickory floor....feed back is off the charts!
Hope this helps!
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Jen R.
Investor · Tallmadge, OH · Member since 2015 · 258 posts · 275 votes
10y
My favorite flooring to lay on a slab is wood-look tiles. We've used the Schluter underlayment in the past and never had a problem with grout or tiles cracking, and if you were concerned about the cold, you could always run radiant heat. Obviously this would be more expensive up front than a laminate, but would be more durable in the long run. Might be worth doing a cost analysis depending on how long you plan on owning the property!
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Robert Leach
Contractor · Romeoville, IL · Member since 2015 · 198 posts · 137 votes
10y
If your slab is on a 2nd floor or higher, you may need to put a cork underpayment, depends on the association rules but couldn't hurt to check it. I just dealt with an issue like this in the city.
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Aaron Mazzrillo
Investor · Riverside, CA · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
10y
I used to use that fake wood flooring crap. Waste of money. It warps, chips, and doesn't last very long. Only way to fix it is to rip up big sections to get to the chipped parts. I switched to a neutral ceramic tile. After the first tenant moved in, the grout looked disgusting. I now do that fake wood ceramic tile with dark grout. Above is a recent one I did. I don't think it is very expensive and it just looks excellent. Tenants love it. They can put down their own throw rugs that they'll never wash and get all disgusting. If one of them cracks, we can just bust out that piece of tile and replace it.
3 Reply
Luis Melendez
Investor · New Britain, CT · Member since 2014 · 40 posts · 12 votes
10y
look into allure flooring. It's inexpensive, easy to install (even if you wAnted to do it yourself), durable and it's flexible. I've personally never used it but my mentor swears by it and I will give it a try for my next investment
0 Reply
Dale Stevens
Investor · Downers Grove, IL · Member since 2015 · 353 posts · 213 votes
10y
When installing any sort of flooring you may need some leveling of the slab first. Carpet and pad can cover some of the cracking and sloping that may be underneath.
Yes a moisture barrier is for sure needed as concrete tends to sweat with change of temperatures. I also suggest "sealing" the slab before putting that barrier down, just my $.02 worth on that.
I agree that the cheap PERGO crap is just that, CRAP! Engineered flooring or the newer Vinyl tile is where I would go.
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Eddie Memphis
Investor · Englewood, CO · Member since 2015 · 158 posts · 140 votes
10y
Originally posted by @Aaron Mazzrillo:

Might be the picture, but that looks horrible.
1 Reply
Alan K Auman
Investor · Terre Haute, IN · Member since 2015 · 55 posts · 8 votes
10y
I use vinyl plank flooring in my rental and it has multiple benefits. Unlike laminate wood or real wood it's not affected by water, unlike ceramic you don't have to worry about cracking or chips or grout getting nasty. The tenants don't have to worry about damaging the flooring either which is added peace of mind for them and most of all it's easy to install, looks great, and feels and sounds good unlike laminate. It's like the stuff was made for rental units. Granted it may not be appropriate in very high end rentals but make no mistake....the stuff is not cheap. It's quality flooring and it's durable as can be but you'll pay for it for sure. Worth it though for the peace of mind it offers me for years to come.
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Aaron Mazzrillo
Investor · Riverside, CA · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
10y
Originally posted by @Eddie Memphis:

Originally posted by @Aaron Mazzrillo:
Might be the picture, but that looks horrible.
It's the picture, but it might also be your eyesight.
0 Reply
Monique Rene Coates
Consultant · Providence, RI · Member since 2015 · 117 posts · 37 votes
10y
Originally posted by @Aaron Mazzrillo:

Originally posted by @Eddie Memphis:
Originally posted by @Aaron Mazzrillo:

Might be the picture, but that looks horrible.
It's the picture, but it might also be your eyesight.
I think it's his eyesight. It looks nice for a rental unit flooring. He might also be seeing the sunlight streaks, which COULD be mistaken for cracks or stains across the floor.
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Dale Stevens
Investor · Downers Grove, IL · Member since 2015 · 353 posts · 213 votes
10y
As to the tile, when I lay that "Porcelain fake wood" I don't lay it as a tile, as I see they have done in your photo, @Aaron Mazzrillo. I have it laid like hardwoods. Meaning, the edge lines are random. I can see the "Tile" pattern in your floor (which looks perfectly fine to me by the way), and I suggest doing it more random to truly mirror hardwood installations which are completely random.
2 Reply
Johann Jells
Rental Property Investor · Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 876 votes
10y
Tile in living areas is a warm climate thing, unless you install radiant. It would suck in Chicago. I've got units with Costco laminate over 10 years old that looks fine. Just don't go thinner than 8mm. My last install a few months ago I used one from Lumber Liquidators that was 10mm and had beveled edges so you don't get the characteristic peak at the joint from the planks flexing. It was $1.35/ft IIRC.
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John CasmonPro Member
Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
10y
I like the Allure product from Home Depot. Only used it in the kitchen, but it's pretty easy to put down and has held up to traffic well.
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Joshua Springer
Residential Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2013 · 281 posts · 110 votes
10y
@Aaron Mazzrillo What is that product you have in that picture called? I'm looking to replace flooring on first floor of my house since I will be renting it out after I move and I currently have 2 little kids and a cat that doesn't like when i'm not at home.
That looks like a great solution for me minus the kid jumping around like a lunatic and breaking himself.

Thanks.
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Aaron Mazzrillo
Investor · Riverside, CA · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
10y
Originally posted by @Joshua Springer:
@Aaron Mazzrillo What is that product you have in that picture called? I'm looking to replace flooring on first floor of my house since I will be renting it out after I move and I currently have 2 little kids and a cat that doesn't like when i'm not at home.
That looks like a great solution for me minus the kid jumping around like a lunatic and breaking himself.
I don't know the exact product because I don't get involved in any of that stuff. I came up with the idea out of necessity and texted my contractor what I wanted to do. He took care of it. I did a quick search at Floor & Decor (they have a place in Columbus). They have dozens of options from $1-$2 sq/ft. Search under tile for either ceramic or porcelain. Then select "wood" look on the left navigation bar.
FYI, ceramic and porcelain are essentially the same thing in the tile world. They'll try to tell you porcelain is more expensive because it's Italian and it has these special qualities, but it is just all BS marketing. There might be a difference in high end products, but at sub $2 sq/ft, you're getting ceramic. There is a poster above who obviously drank from the Kool-Aid when he quoted me, but changed ceramic in my post to "porcelain" in his post. He probably pays $3-5 sq/ft.
Reminds me of a story; a guy walks into a butcher shop and sees two pans of hamburger. One is labeled $5/lb and the other $10/lb. The guy looks back and forth, but can't tell the difference between the two. He finally asks the butcher, "Why is that one $5 and the other $10, but they look exactly the same?"
The butcher looks around, leans over the counter and whispers, "Some people like to pay more."

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Aaron Mazzrillo
Investor · Riverside, CA · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
10y
Originally posted by @Dale Stevens:

As to the tile, when I lay that "Porcelain fake wood" I don't lay it as a tile, as I see they have done in your photo, @Aaron Mazzrillo. I have it laid like hardwoods. Meaning, the edge lines are random. I can see the "Tile" pattern in your floor (which looks perfectly fine to me by the way), and I suggest doing it more random to truly mirror hardwood installations which are completely random.
I don't like to alienate the ADD/OCD demographic. I can use my flooring as a selling point and show them how it is all lined up so nicely.
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Todd Plambeck
Agent/Investor · Murphy, TX · Member since 2013 · 542 posts · 304 votes
10y
I'll pile onto the wood like tile band wagon. I personally like to lay it in a herringbone pattern. Looks high end and all but indestructable
0 Reply
Jerry Sexton
Investor · Columbus, OH · Member since 2015 · 29 posts · 5 votes
10y
Originally posted by @Alan K Auman:

I use vinyl plank flooring in my rental and it has multiple benefits. Unlike laminate wood or real wood it's not affected by water, unlike ceramic you don't have to worry about cracking or chips or grout getting nasty. The tenants don't have to worry about damaging the flooring either which is added peace of mind for them and most of all it's easy to install, looks great, and feels and sounds good unlike laminate. It's like the stuff was made for rental units. Granted it may not be appropriate in very high end rentals but make no mistake....the stuff is not cheap. It's quality flooring and it's durable as can be but you'll pay for it for sure. Worth it though for the peace of mind it offers me for years to come.

I agree on the vinyl plank floor. I differ with Alan on the costs as I feel it is a great item and cost is cheap when you consider that just about ANYONE can install this so you don't need to hire any contractors to do the work for you. http://www.homedepot.com/p/TrafficMASTER-Allure-6-...
I provided a link above to the product I use and it is super nice material and easy to install. At $1.50 SF I think it is a bargain!!! Now, I never use carpet in my rentals instead (make sure you are sitting down) I paint my floors with a nice dark (like a chocolate) brown paint. I use a nice deep color on the walls, bright white on the trim including the baseboards and when I am done the look just knock your eyes out! When the tenants move out I go in clean everything and then I get a gallon of high quality paint and pour some on the floor and roll it out evenly. I then put on the heat at 72 degrees and leave for about 3 days, once back it is ready to go! Now keep in mind this is a old house with beat up old wood floors that are beyond refinishing. You wouldn't paint over plywood and get the same effect and be sure to clean multiple times before you paint once a tenant moves out. This also good at eliminating odors.
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Alan K Auman
Investor · Terre Haute, IN · Member since 2015 · 55 posts · 8 votes
10y
@Jerry Sexton
I totally agree with you. I should have clarified...you can certainly find very affordable vinyl plank, no question. I chose to go with the higher quality stuff for longevity and peace of mind. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to quality/cost balance. I'm more of a set it and forget type of guy myself so I usually spring for the longer lasting product.
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Joshua Springer
Residential Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2013 · 281 posts · 110 votes
10y
thank you aaron I appreciate your help!
0 Reply
Kimberly H.
Residential Real Estate Broker · Chicago Suburbs, IL · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 594 votes
10y
Hi @Ryan Rubel I am in the nw Chicago burbs as well. Vinyl plank allure traffic Master $1.79/sqft from HD is what we started using.
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Dumitru Anton
Cumming, GA · Member since 2014 · 218 posts · 71 votes
10y
in your area you may have: Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, Floor and Decor, Lumber Liquidators.
calling @Linda Liberatore (she is in your area). also @Kimberly H. and couple other Chicagoland people posted in your thread. I would contact them for contractors recommendation.
also, tile in this area, unless you have heated floor, BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
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