Sound Advice / Experience on Interior Composit Flooring

[asphaltgambler]

We have a 1-level 2000 SqFt ranch style home that is @20 years old. Approx 2/3 of the flooring is carpet. The remaining flooring in the kitchen / laundry room / 3rd bath (all connected) is covered with hideous off-white 12"X12" thick tile plates that I'm sure are glued to the sub-floor.

Our joint is somewhat of a 'fixer-upper' and we're looking at removing the carpet and tile, replace with modern composite wood 'look' planking. At this point we're looking at it as solid investment as well.

We plan to hire someone to install and likely the removal of the carpet and tiles as well.

Questions:

1) Is it wise to buy the material direct to save money? - will installers install the customers flooring?

2) There seems to be endless selections / types of flooring. We want something for the long haul = 12-15 years

3) We have a large dog so it needs to be almost scratch proof

4) What should I expect for the cost per SqFt for removal of the carpet and tile?

5 What should I expect the cost per SqFt for the material?

6) What should I expect for cost of labor per Sqft

Any and all experienced advice welcome!

[KFC911]

Are you sure the tile is glued to the subfloor? Gawd help anyone that wants to remove my tile.... Hardieboard with thinset mortar and LOTS of screws...every 6" over all of it into the subfloor, then the tile mortared on top of it. I don't know how it could be removed... $hudder .

[onewhippedpuppy]

I can’t speak for the contractor stuff because I DIY. But I have installed engineered hardwood in my entire main floor, which is basically an 1/8 or so of hardwood that is glued to a plywood substrate and then finished. The planks are typically tongue and groove, you don’t nail them like a full hardwood floor, glue is optional if you want better moisture protection (I always glue). The floor floats over a pad type product that damps vibration and also acts as a vapor barrier if you install on a slab floor or basement. Most of it has been in place for 6 years and has held up great to kid abuse, a few minor nicks that can be touched up with a stain pen. Typically it’s also less money than a full hardwood but it looks just as good because the visible surface is actual hardwood. Very happy with the end result and would do it again.

[1990C4S]

Look at vinyl plank. Super-durable, long life, and it feels warm.

I did my rental house and it looked great.

[mepstein]

The apartment where we live at school is done in vinyl plank. So it the health center on the first floor of the building. It's very durable (we have a big dog) and while it doesn't look just like hardwood, it looks pretty nice.

[look 171]

Do the vinyl floor. Its durable and scratch resistant. Holds up well. They are basically click together flooring. Once the tongue is damaged, use another. I have seem some installer that are too lazy to get up for a new piece and slam that very piece in there. I guarantee that gap will open up with the first three months of the install. We installed the vinyl flooring in our den. kids drag tables across the floor and I have a heart attack over it but they know it doesnt scratch.

Buy the thicker water proof floor. I dislike the 1/8" floor. goof floor general brun around 4-5 bucks per sq.

[look 171]

I use them in my rentals with great success, but i make sure i pay a bit more and get water proof flooring They are pretty much all are highly water resistance due to it being vinyl

[aigel]

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

1) Is it wise to buy the material direct to save money? - will installers install the customers flooring?

No, I would not do that. It is like going to your mechanic for a repair with the parts you bought at autozone. The mechanic will miss out on his markup and on his say what works best for him to install and guarantee.

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

2) There seems to be endless selections / types of flooring. We want something for the long haul = 12-15 years

My high quality laminate from Wilsonart (now out of business) which I installed 15 years ago looks brand new. 2 dogs, rented several years to family with children etc. Modern laminate is a contender IMHO, it looks very real because it is a printed picture of real wood. It sure sounds like the vinyl materials are similar in durability. Do they look as "real"?

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

3) We have a large dog so it needs to be almost scratch proof

Our dogs accelerate and slow themselves down sliding like crazy with claws scratching. Kids scoot around on "plasma cars" etc. All no problem on a good laminate. You can take a sample and try to mess it up. Laminate is ceramic coated - mine dulled the sawblade fast and there were sparks visible when I cut at night.

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

4) What should I expect for the cost per SqFt for removal of the carpet and tile?
5) What should I expect the cost per SqFt for the material?
6) What should I expect for cost of labor per Sqft

No clue. Depends on your location too. I am a DIYer. Try to get the demo as a fixed price, that may be a lot harder than you think. I remember putting in my bathroom tile floors, I was super careful not to mess up, getting all that stuff back out must be a nightmare ...

G

[onewhippedpuppy]

I had laminate in my last house, in a hardwood style. It didn’t look 100% real but was pretty convincing, and the stuff wears like iron.

One tip for any of these floating floors, make sure you leave the prescribed gap around the edges for expansion/contraction. I saw a basement install (fortunately not mine!) where it was installed tight to the wall and the entire floor bowed up.

[asphaltgambler]

Interesting- please keep 'em coming. I have thought of doing this a us being the 'contractor' where I would interview and hire the flooring/ demo guys. We'd likely rent a small dumpster for the waste materials. Move the furniture to a 'Pod' storage unit delivered to our home