Anybody got a favorite hard flooring??? (probably not real wood but tile-like or eng-wood or ???)

[redgtxdi]

So.....basic tract-home tan carpet is done. This is our 2nd go 'round in 20 years and I'm ready to put down something nice.(r) I really am a fan of carpet as it's a fantastic insulator and cozy in winter, etc. BUT.....wife would much prefer hard flooring. So my thoughts.........

Wood-like tile (we did one of those full-on tile bathroom makeovers with the one-piece glass showers w/ seat, niches, etc. so I dig tile)
or
Engineered wood (I hear there are good ones out there but don't even want to start to look if somebody can steer me straight)
or
Something else? (hybrid something or another?? Bamboo? etc.?)

It's a So Cal home w/ slab-on-grade and yes, being in earthquake country is a consideration but our bathroom's done well over 5 years so nothing to not commit over.

ANY advice much appreciated. TIA

 

[herm0016]

Eh. Slab on grade? I would be looking hard at lvt.

Can't nail solid wood down, probably have moisture problems at some point. Engineered wood is terrible with moisture issues. We put some lvt in our office and love it. Its not too cold like tile, we have office chairs on it and it has nearly 0 scratches in it fro the wheels. Looks like travertine.

 

[Greenman]

I'm a bamboo fan. Used it in several projects, including my own house. Moderately priced, easy to install, holds up very well, and works just fine on a slab as long as you put a vapor barrier under it.

 

[redgtxdi]

Eh. Slab on grade? I would be looking hard at lvt.

Can't nail solid wood down, probably have moisture problems at some point. Engineered wood is terrible with moisture issues. We put some lvt in our office and love it. Its not too cold like tile, we have office chairs on it and it has nearly 0 scratches in it fro the wheels. Looks like travertine.

Funny you mention vinyl. Our kitchen is still vinyl (when our kids were born I figured if they took a spill a quality thick, seamless vinyl was smarter than a hard, skull-cracking tile) and I mentioned to the wife how it's sad vinyl isn't "in" as it's truly a magnificent flooring surface. Folks just want different. (Always a cycle as hardwoods were considered bad 50 years ago and now are "it")

I'm a bamboo fan. Used it in several projects, including my own house. Moderately priced, easy to install, holds up very well, and works just fine on a slab as long as you put a vapor barrier under it.

Ya, I've heard some good things about bamboo. (why I mentioned it). I'm not a tree hugger, I'd appreciate it more for its durability but I've gotta see what's out there & how much. The shower we did was a closeout Arizona tile that looked like travertine....in fact...so much so the seat in our shower is a slab of real travertine and you can't tell the difference!

 

[bbhaag]

Funny you mention vinyl. Our kitchen is still vinyl (when our kids were born I figured if they took a spill a quality thick, seamless vinyl was smarter than a hard, skull-cracking tile) and I mentioned to the wife how it's sad vinyl isn't "in" as it's truly a magnificent flooring surface. Folks just want different. (Always a cycle as hardwoods were considered bad 50 years ago and now are "it")

LVP or luxury vinyl plank might be worth taking a look at if you don't mind vinyl. Super easy to install for a DIYer, it holds up really well, and is pretty cheap for flooring. I've used it in a couple of projects and have been really happy with it.

 

[herm0016]

sheet vinyl you installed 10+ years ago is not the same as todays vinyl plank / luxury vinyl tile / LV plank. the new stuff looks better, wears better and installs easier.

bamboo would be on my list as well, but i would be concerned about moisture issues.

 

[redgtxdi]

Ha ha.....Web doesn’t hesitate to respond. Every artery of feed I see now is nothing but flooring. 😂😂😂

 

[Greenman]

sheet vinyl you installed 10+ years ago is not the same as todays vinyl plank / luxury vinyl tile / LV plank. the new stuff looks better, wears better and installs easier.

bamboo would be on my list as well, but i would be concerned about moisture issues.

Moisture isn't a problem unless there is a great deal of it. If that's the case, there are much deeper issues that need to be addressed. Most floating floors work quite well over a slab as long as there is a proper vapor barrier under it.

 

[redgtxdi]

Ya, I really don’t think moisture would be a problem, especially here in So Cal. (Where we pray for rain) 😉😜

And I actually had a situation when we moved in the house where I hollered til the builder came and epoxied every single “kicked soup cement” crack their lousy concrete co poured when it was new so I’ve got a small fortune worth of epoxy and concrete under me....it toight like a tiger. Yes, very toight! 😎😉😂

Would that tend to push toward bamboo? Or something else??

 

[Greenman]

Ya, I really don’t think moisture would be a problem, especially here in So Cal. (Where we pray for rain) 😉😜

And I actually had a situation when we moved in the house where I hollered til the builder came and epoxied every single “kicked soup cement” crack their lousy concrete co poured when it was new so I’ve got a small fortune worth of epoxy and concrete under me....it toight like a tiger. Yes, very toight! 😎😉😂

Would that tend to push toward bamboo? Or something else??

Use whatever you like. The vinyl plank is cheap as dirt, laminate will cost a bit more, real wood will cost real money. It all depends on your budget and lifestyle. That said, if you have a gaggle of kids running around, I'd recommend using something cheap so you can replace it when they move out.

 

[redgtxdi]

Use whatever you like. The vinyl plank is cheap as dirt, laminate will cost a bit more, real wood will cost real money. It all depends on your budget and lifestyle. That said, if you have a gaggle of kids running around, I'd recommend using something cheap so you can replace it when they move out.

When they move out......ahhhh....if only. 😜. Adult kids so no worries there but failure to launch for my oldest for sure. 🤦‍♂️

Anyway....will probably seek some local flooring folks advice too as I’d rather not DIY this and maybe local knowledge will help too. I see vinyl or bamboo in my future! 👍