Any Tips on Flooring??

Question

Hi Everyone,

Flooring is one of our biggest expenses, and it sure adds up with over 650 units.  Does anyone have any tips on saving money with flooring while maintaining a modern look that is durable.  I would really appreciate any advice.  We are currently using a wood look vinyl.

Thanks!

Gino

John Hickey · Answer

@Gino Barbaro 650 units? Awesome!  What kind of vinyl are you using the ones that have you lay the adhesive down and wait for it to dry clear then lay down the very thin 4' lengths(think they call it luxury vinyl........or the click and lock no glue?

John Vosika · Answer

ArcusStone makes a product that's light weight Portland base mix that's Versatel  for flooring application . What's nice is you are able to make your own design or sized tile look 20"x36" or 3' sq . The craftsmen places the mix and at the cure time you polish it with a flex wheel. When dry seals.

Darwin Crawford · Answer

@Gino Barbaro - first, that's a LOT of doors!  Nicely done.

Flooring, from a construction standpoint, is usually an inverse sliding scale of price vs durability.  In my multi-family and rentals, I prefer to spend a little more on the front end, and not have to deal with service calls on the back end.  They annoy me.

That being said, polished concrete is great, but it is porous, and the protective coatings (clear) aren't awesome in the long run.  Providing you have concrete flooring, a properly installed epoxy floor is basically what's done in prisons, hospitals, etc.  It's very very tough stuff.  Material costs about $0.90/SF for the good stuff (not Home Depot garbage) and labor is, on larger jobs, roughly $1.25/SF where I live in Arizona.

On a wooden subfloor, options are slightly more limited, but I prefer hard surfaces when possible, as well as things that are easy to service and change out.

Sheet vinyl and laminate last for awhile, but have the great advantage of low labor costs to swap out. It's helpful to have the flooring priced in-line with the deposits of tenants...if you know what I mean.  Easier to deal with them when they are buying your floors and you aren't collecting in court.

Nicer places - tile, thin (very!) grout lines, and well sealed.

Tina Reid · Answer

Dont forget to give a protective coating to the concrete floor

Jacob Anderson · Answer

@Gino Barbaro I have also done the polished concrete like @Cassie Sherie. You can make it look like tile also, it is Awesome!, just remember the weight.

Have a nice day!

Walter Key · Answer

Great point @Suzanne Griffiths!

Walter Key · Answer

@Gino Barbaro Any advice on how to acquire 650 units!?! I wish I had your problems. :D

It's already been said but, the quality laminate wood seems to be the go-to these days. I love the idea of concrete that was mentioned earlier but that may be a long-term conversion project that you have to slowly do as the units turn over tenants.

Mike Dymski · Answer

I am using wood look sheet vinyl as well...in the kitchen, baths and living room and carpet on the stairs and in bedrooms.  The vendor is quick, large and affordable.

Carpet - 18 oz Shaw nylon, $10.20/yard installed, $50 for stairs

Vinyl - 10 year Shaw, $11.79/yard installed, $1.25/foot shoe mold, $25 reset a toilet

It's my understanding that the vinyl is easy to repair.  It looks great...the tenants love it.  I priced out the glue down LVT but that was too pricey for this C class project.  My friend owns a flooring company in NC and some of his developer clients are putting the sheet vinyl in new construction A class properties.

Jake Armstrong · Answer

@Gino Barbaro

Look into vinyl, plank flooring.  Sell them at the big box stores, no underlayment required and easy/cheap to install.