Which flooring to use?!

Question

Hello, I am just buying my first rental property and it needs new flooring in the bedrooms and kitchen. The rest of the home has brand new oak hardwood and the kitchen has oak cabinets. Both are a lighter oak color. I am trying to decide which type of flooring to use that will hold up to abuse from tenants. This will also be a dog friendly rental.

I have been considering a tongue and groove laminate that is the same color as the current oak flooring as I can't think of anything else that would match the rest of the house. Can you think of any other options that might work for me? I am really hoping to keep costs down and do the install myself.

David O · Answer

A darker floor, maybe a walnut would work in the kitchen but I wouldn't replace that floor. I would pop the broken tile, replace, clean grout, reseal. So much easier than laying vinyl. Tile is king in kitchens/bathrooms to me. Such a durable floor.

Why don't you want to keep the tile?

Patsy Waldron · Answer

OK, I see. If your floor is not level then LVT is a better choice than tile, as leveling a floor is definitely more work than laying vinyl plank.

If you have several rooms to do, the most cost-effective solution is definitely to use the same flooring in all the rooms, so you are not left with a few pieces in each different kind. I definitely think a darker shade will work well. Check out Allure at Home Depot. It is very popular as it is well-priced, sturdy and well-made. They should have Black Friday sales, too, so stock up!

Samuel Watts · Answer

@David O   I'm about 99% set on vinyl plank. I just don't know what color to use that wouldn't clash with the oak cabinets and floor in the rest of the home. Any suggestions?

Gail K. · Answer

Many landlords/investors are currently waiting to see what color Allure will be on sale at Home Depot during the Black Friday sale.

Like David O we purchased the dark cherry; ordered a couple thousand feet of it online at 99 cents a square foot; had it delivered and have placed it in several rental houses where it is still holding up well.

Gail

David O · Answer

Ahh yeah I agree with Patsy, I would go with allure vinyl as its very forgiving for uneven floors. I bought some last year during a Black Friday at Home Depot for a great price! It is a dark cherry and I put it in the kitchen, bathroom and all bedrooms. My kitchen floor was so unlevel it was crazy, but the vinyl worked great. I saw it a month or so ago when I was repairing something for a tenant and it seems to be holding up really well.

Samuel Watts · Answer

@Patsy Waldron My only reason for not redoing the tile is that the floor isn't level which has caused the tiles to break. I would have to take all the tile out and re-level before replacing the tile which seems like a lot more work than putting in the click lock laminate.  I'm also needing to do the bedrooms too as there was a smoker in the house and I need to pull the carpets to get the smell out. I was thinking about using the same flooring in the bedrooms as I plan to use in the kitchen. Do you think this would be a bad idea?

Patsy Waldron · Answer

If you want to keep costs down, I second @David O's suggestion to just replace the one broken tile. Seems like a pretty common tile design that shouldn't be hard to match. I, too, am a fan of tile in kitchen and bathroom because it is durable and very forgiving.

If you are dead set on replacing this floor..... then vinyl plank flooring is a good choice as it is VERY tenant resistant. Choose a darker color that will contrast against the light color of the cabinets and will mask some stains/mud. The click lock type is super easy to install once you get the hang of it.

Samuel Watts · Answer

@David O I the tile broke because it was laid on an uneven floor. To fix it I would have to rip all the tile up and re-level the floor and put tile back down. Seems like the laminate would be a much easier and less time consuming fix for me.

Matt Turbitt · Answer

Just float a laminate or luxury vinyl in those rooms, click plank vinyl will offer you the best protection against pets since it's not permeable like wood and laminate. take some pictures of the oak to a flooring store and tell them you need something that will compliment it. You'll be fine installing a few rooms of floating floor. read some family handyman articles and you'll have a good understanding.

David O · Answer

If that picture above is the house in question, I would just replace that busted tile and clean / reseal the grout. Tile is way more durable than laminate in a kitchen. Most laminate does not mix well with water.

Which flooring to use?!

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