West Palm Beach, FL · Member since 2017 · 91 posts · 19 votes
hello everyone,
So I got my first rental property and one of the many things that I’ve thought to replace was the flooring. The place came with very old fashioned laminate square which are not very appealing.
I was wonder from your experience what do y’all think would be the best option such as tiles, laminate, or vinyl flooring? Considering low cost/durability/tenant proof
Cost Segregation Specialist · Naperville, IL · Member since 2016 · 204 posts · 168 votes
8y
After selling flooring for 3 years I'd highly recommend vinyl plank as many others have stated. All in all it'll hold up the best to whatever the tenants throw at it. it's basically waterproof, isn't going to fade from sunlight like hardwood, and the good ones look great almost like real wood. Some laminates look better, but the durability isn't comparable. It takes a lot of abuse to mess it up, and if you have a good installer they'll be able to replace individual planks if they get damaged (you'll need some extra planks for that so find one you like and use it everywhere.) It'll last longer than laminate and you don't have to worry about it expanding/contracting which could make gaps over time in laminate or wood.
Carpet is for sure the cheapest, but it'll get destroyed by tenants pretty quickly. Replacing carpet after tenants moved out was something I dealt with in sales almost weekly. I'd rather pay a little more for something that'll last for many years than have to replace the carpet every time a tenant leaves.
Vinyl tile (the hardy stuff that looks like real stone/ceramic tile and gets grouted in, not the multicolor squares you'd find at the gym) are great for areas where you don't want a wood look. Basically the same strength and durability as the planks and they won't crack like ceramic tile can under stress, be it the subfloor shifting or dropping something heavy.
Some vinyl planks and other kinds of flooring have a "lifetime warranty" or a "20-50 year warranty" but that's just a marketing gimmick. Warranty only applies to an owner occupied personal residence, you need to have it professionally installed and professionally maintained, and just about anything that you do will void the warranty.
Now that I work with accelerated depreciation on commercial and rental property I know another good thing about the vinyl planks is you can depreciate it over 5 years as long as it's a floating installation and not glued down. Flooring that's considered permanent and structural like solid hardwood and ceramic tile have to use the 27.5 year schedule, so if it's a big project thats a pretty significant tax benefit. Another thing on that is if you install it yourself you can only write off the material costs while if you pay someone to install it you can write off the material and labor costs.
Shop around a bit and get a good deal, but remember you get what you pay for. Find a good independent installer with fair pricing, purchase the materials yourself unless the installer can get a better discount and will pass those savings onto you. You'll likely pay half the installation charge that way rather than getting a "package deal" from a bigger company or a "free installation" Note: I worked for a bigger company and the install charge and product markup were ridiculous.
One of the things I loved about the allure is the grip strip. They sell spare strips so that you can reverse course when you want to work from a hallway to room, or back into a closet.
Here is the flooring running right in front of the closet (grip strip facing the opposite direction)
Measure out a length of the grip strip.
peel of the backing and place half lengthwise under the plank- and now you simply reverse right into the closet.
Easy peasy. Also lets you change direction if you transition into a room that is wider going in the opposite direction... (there is a video on HD website that sells the grip strips). I did that in one of the bedrooms and it gives the appearance of a larger space.
Property Manager · Columbus, OH · Member since 2017 · 123 posts · 76 votes
8y
all depends on what tenant base you're dealing with. high end hardwood/engineered. if this is in low-mid income and you plan to hold it for a while (5+ years) then vinyl plank all day. if you're in a really rough tenant base (aka a lot of kids really) then there is some heavy construction grade flooring that looks like hardwood you can get that's expensive but durable than anything else.
Real Estate Agent · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2017 · 184 posts · 87 votes
8y
@Gilbert Lugo I’ve used metallic epoxy in the basement of my personal residence. If you had slab on grade, which Florida has a ton, I think it would be a great choice. The floor is indestructible to all sorts of wear & tear.
I use to be a big fan of ceramic tile. Now I only use it in small rooms like bathrooms. Its just to unforgiving if the slab heaves or cracks. Tired of having to hire people and rip out tile and all the mess that goes along with that. Experimenting with vinyl plank now.
Investor · London, Ontario · Member since 2016 · 39 posts · 11 votes
8y
Must be a Texas thing. The concrete floor in my rental heaved this winter and I have to repair and install a new floor. Can anyone recommend a concrete repair company in Fort Worth?
New member here... +1 on vinyl plank. We just installed SmartCore (Woodford Oak) in every room of our new rental - including kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms. Looks as good as the pictures above, waterproof, easy install.
Rental Property Investor · Concord, NC · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 3k+ votes
8y
@Derrick E. I appreciate your post. I've used the .68 stuff from Lowes on maybe 15 or so houses and had good results except for the pieces occasionally sliding apart at the end joints and leaving gaps. Have you had this problem? What do you use for underlayment? I've used the $25/100sqft a roll plastic stuff from Lowes and also used 30lbs felt paper.
@Derrick E. I appreciate your post. I've used the .68 stuff from Lowes on maybe 15 or so houses and had good results except for the pieces occasionally sliding apart at the end joints and leaving gaps. Have you had this problem? What do you use for underlayment? I've used the $25/100sqft a roll plastic stuff from Lowes and also used 30lbs felt paper.
Yeah I had that problem in a few of my houses where humidity is an issue. I use the $45 stuff from Lowes for underlayment. Way better than the cheap plastic roll I used the first time. Pay the extra money on the underlayment, trust me, its worth it.