Luxury Glue Down Vinyl is just today's Linoleum. Change my mind.
Real Estate Investor · Tempe, AZ · Member since 2012 · 874 posts · 648 votes
We are doing some light reno to a house we bought as a short sale years ago. In looking at vinyl flooring, the warehouse suggested the glue-down type, which I hadn't encountered before. How is this stuff not just linoleum without the cheesy (by today's standards) 60s/70s/80s floral patterns on it? Does it look good? I know what tile looks like, I know what hardwood looks like, I know what laminate looks like, and I know what linoleum looks like. I'm having trouble imaging this product looking (and feeling) like anything more than linoleum. Change my mind?
Hasn't "change my mind" long run its course by now? I use it occasionally when the situation arises and like the product. Much thicker than the old vinyl so the yellow of the glue doesn't eventually show through, more durable and if damage ever happens one has the opportunity to replace the damaged plank
Hi Dan,
To my knowledge, all vinyl products have layers. The top layer is a clear, protective layer, followed by a pattern layer, then a vinyl based core. Vinyl generally looks better than linoleum and it is easier to work with (less rigid than linoleum).
The most popular type of vinyl flooring is LVP - luxury vinyl plank (also referred to as LVT - luxury vinyl tile). There are also a couple of variants of the plank style of vinyl flooring. The pattern layer in planks is made to mimic the higher end look of wood or stone.
This product your 'warehouse' suggested may be a sheet rather than planks. Vinyl sheets generally have a repeating pattern that is more like the 'old fashioned' linoleum partners. There are products available in sheets that are made to look like wood or stone as well, but in my opinion they generally don't look as nice. Laying down a vinyl floor in planks makes it appear more like the wood or stone product it is intended to mimic.
I personally prefer the tiles/planks over the sheets - especially in rental properties. On top of looking better, they are easier to repair. While vinyl is rather durable, renters tend to damage the flooring. It's just a reality. Repairing a vinyl plank floor is much easier than repairing a vinyl sheet in my opinion. It's about as simple as pulling up the damaged plank and laying down a new one, in most cases. With sheets, you usually end up having to remove a much larger portion of the floor to repair it in order to avoid making it obvious an area was cut out and replaced.
That said, sheets do have a potential advantage over planks. They can be easier (cheaper) to install. Additionally, planks can move around in high traffic areas if they are not properly set. So can sheets, but they are less likely to move than planks.
@Jason Richards great feedback. I went in looking for the planks, as I considered those to be the more-durable replacement for laminate flooring, which we've had ruined in too many kitchens to ever use again.
The case made for the sheets was that it would be easier to repair. That the glue is more like a gecko's hand than a permanent adhesive, and all one would need to do to repair a sheet (which, to be clear had the same dimension as a plank...about 6" x 48") is cut the section out with a knife, pull it up, and lay a new one down. No more unlocking half the floor to change out one plank. The sheets were also half the price of the planks, but since we were budgeting for planks, we won't be driven solely by the cost of each.
Thanks so much for the detailed feedback. It helps me understand the differences more. I do like the place I visited....small family-owned company with tight turnaround times....but was just completely thrown for a loop by this particular (new-to-me) product.
@Greg H. thanks to you too. I've never handled unlaid linoleum, but having seen bits where it's been partially torn up where others have put in new flooring, it seemed thinner than the sheets I handled today. And the linoleum installations I've lived with always seemed to have a stray corner pop up here or there. So while "change my mind" might be played out, it's good to know that the sheets are indeed thicker and less prone to the issues I didn't like with linoleum.
Side note: the first house I bought was a new build that someone had backed out of after having chosen all the options. I wasn't familiar with the term "laminate" at the time, so I freaked out when I thought they had chosen to use 1000 sq ft of linoleum in an otherwise very-nicely spec'd out home! I guess I'm exposing a deep-seated hatred (or fear?) of linoleum.......