Investor · Miami Beach, FL · Member since 2014 · 123 posts · 19 votes
Can anyone recommend the best type of floating floor to put down in a rental? What thickness/durability rating do I need? What style is most desirable to renters these days (light, dark, modern, classic, ect?) Where is the best place to get deals? I'm hoping to spend around $1.2-1.7/sqft. Also any recommendation on bathroom/kitchen tiles would be appreciated.
I just installed a dark gray laminate from Lumber Liquidators. It was on sale for $1.19 sq ft. Looks great! Hopefully it's as durable as its 4 star rating.
You have to use cork mastic to glue down the cork and tile directly over it with multi-purpose thinset. You will not get any cracks in your grout lines and my preference is larger sized rectified tiles which can be installed with 1/16 inch grout lines. Do not use regular thinset which is cheaper but it doesn't compare to the multi-purpose. Have a great new year.
Charlie:
Thank-you, I'll look into that as I have a number of bathrooms in a older, stick-framed apartment building to redo.
I too prefer small grout lines. We do use a polymer enhanced multipurpose thin set (MAPEI) when working with an uncoupling membranes - I'll check to see if it would be suitable over cork. We do tend to ese a smaller sized (10 - 14") tile as we are typically covering smaller areas (usually only washrooms, laundry, entrances and maybe a kitchen). Large areas of tile are not always appreciated up here where we have prolonged winters.
In terms of spend now save later, stick with tile. Laminate flooring is poor mans hardwood. You spill a glass of water or anything on it and its ruined. Dont waste your time. Theres no patching laminate flooring, you'd have to replace the whole floor. Spend the money on hardi backer if theres a sub floor and lay tile down. Itll last you 10+ years. If youre in dry climate conditions, vinyl plank is a good idea since you can peel one piece at a time and its durable, but tile is always a safe bet. Good luck
I use vinyl plank in all my rentals for high traffic area's. The tenants love it as it looks very nice, and is wicked easy to clean. It can go over existing hardwoods, even when that hardwood is not worth refinishing- which is what I encounter. On sale installed it works out to about $2/sqft and is highly worth it for the timing on how long it will last. If you fixed the subfloor on it- it is pretty forgiving.
I was going to go with wood laminate in my living area but decided to pay a little more and go with the wood-look tile. Looks nice and very durable! Not worried about spills, stains or smells when tenants leave.
I would also think installing tile over cork would result in movement and quickly bring grout cracks. This post is now 3 months old, so would you please let us know how it held up and you would do again or have other ideas.
I was planning to get laminate flooring. How does vinyl plank flooring compare and what are the benefits over laminate? Is vinyl plank flooring more durable or easier to install than laminate? Does it have a (somewhat) realistic wood look/feel to it? Thanks!
Ray,
Good vinyl plank looks only a little less like wood than many laminates. The big advantage is it is non-absorbant and inorganic, making it great for basements or other environments prone to high humidity or water ingress (it won't bloat and grow mould).
To add to your list. One of my preferred floorings for bathrooms, laundry or kitchens where the subfloor is not stable enough for ceramic or porcelain tile is linoleum {not to be confused with sheet vinyl which is often mistakenly referred to as linoleum}. Linoleum is made of renewable ingredients, naturally resists bacteria and moulds, it durable and the colour usually permeates through the material. (it is frequently used in hospitals, retirement homes, daycares, etc for these reasons).
Sorry for a silly question, What do you mean if the subfloor is not stable enough? I am about to do my first rehab and the floors looks like my biggest job.
Sorry for a silly question, What do you mean if the subfloor is not stable enough? I am about to do my first rehab and the floors looks like my biggest job.
Joe:
In certain situations where there is too much movement in the floor assembly - i.e. long spans of 2x6 (which were once permitted in some locations) or even 2 x 8 floor joists with a thin subfloor (1/2" OSB or plywood) .... particularly if the subfloor was poorly laid and seams were not staggered sufficiently.
If the floor deflects when you walk across it or if the room shakes when you jump on the floor, then the floor is probably not stable enough for tile - despite the advances of modern decoupling membranes. If you lay tile over a subfloor with too much motion, you will experience cracked grout lines or, even, cracked tiles.
Sorry for the bad picture. I just put the 2nd coat of poly on and had to take this from outside the window. I love it and I will definitely do this again or use other motifs.
I had an old concrete floor (with asbestos tiles on top, that I scraped off) and wasn't quite sure what to do with it.
I bought this vintage world map wallpaper mural for $ 85 on Amazon. It's 157" x 110" . They have 3 smaller sizes for less money. This room is 16' x 13, so I needed a large one.
I painted the outside of the room brown, that fit with the coloring or the map. It comes with 'tapeten kleister', the german word for wallpaper glue ;-). The poster comes in 8 long pieces and I put it down myself. Would probably be easier with 2 people.
I'm putting several coats of poly on top. The incoming tenants absolutely love it - showed it to them through the window last night - and the total with paint and poly was about $ 150.00. That's under $ 1/sqf and really add a wow effect. And it should hold pretty well. Might need to get a light sanding or buffing and another coat of poly in between tenants.
I often try unordinary things like that (coin inset floor, using children's ABC foam tiles under a 3/8 sheet of lexan, etc) .... some work well, others are a learning experience.
@Roy N. , the good thing is that I'm doing an artist community now, so, creativity and character of each unit is very much appreciated and I can let my right side go a little wild ;-)