Luxury Vinyl Tile

[Por_sha911]

Need to do the kitchen floor. I really don't want ceramic or stone (cold and hard) and have looked at LVT. This is a middle class average home so I don't need high priced exotic. I want groutable and will have someone install.

Anyone have input on what to look for / look out for, what brands are better...?

[island911]

The quality of vinyl has gotten so good... so many choices... Even the cheap stuff is impressive.

And, the self-adhesive backed stuff... install is a breeze.

[porsche4life]

We have been looking at the lock together luxury vinyl plank. We have family hat had it and it looks great. Super easy to install, waterproof, and has a long warranty.

[t-tom]

We did our kitchen about 4 years ago. I'm pretty disappointed with how it's held up. The grout has come out in a few places and the tiles have lost some of there color around the sliding glass door.

[Por_sha911]

Tom: what brand of tile and did you do the grout yourself?

[t-tom]

I did the install, I will have to look in the morning for the brands. It came from lowes and if I recall was around 3.75 sq foot

[t-tom]

It looked great for about 2 years

[john70t]

Order an extra case or two especially if it's a rental.
Cheap insurance.

[David]

We had this Armstrong tile installed in the upstairs bathroom:
Whispered Essence - Hint of Gray | D7176 | Luxury Vinyl

I think it looks nice and seems to be holding up. My installer put it pretty close together and still grouted it but it looks good. The adhesive Armstrong recommends is pretty high dollar so price it when you price the tile.

[cnielsen]

I just installed 1200 sq/ft of commercial grade Cortec planks and I am very happy with the product and the ease of installation. Mine looks like polished concrete.

[1990C4S]

I would use a sheet product, not tiles. I have seen them last 25 years and still look good.

You get tired of it before it wears out.

[Robert Adams]

Recommend skipping tile of any sort in a kitchen because stuff always gets in the cracks, the edges lift or in the case of ceramic tile the grout just plain looks awful after a couple years. Suggest you look at old fashion linoleum. Not for everyone from a design aesthetic, but from a functional perspective its an awesome choice and it’s green. It’s darn near indestructible; soft to walk on, dropped dishes, etc. don't break as frequently if at all and easy to maintain, hides lots of dirt. It’s also quite cost effective. The edges can be sealed chemically – no special tools other than something to roll the edges as they dry. I wall paper roller works fine. Armstrong Marmorette comes in about 30-40 colors with a jute backing; it’s the old fashion stuff, not vinyl. Requires a reseal about every 3 years but takes all of about 30 minutes to do a ‘normal size’ kitchen; quite simple!
Another material we used on the last kitchen was locking cork tile. This stuff is beautiful and wears exceedingly well and is also green if allergies are a concern. Cork is quite durable as well but a bit more expensive than the linoleum. It needs to be sealed at installation with about 3 coats which can be done in a single day. Thereafter it needs resealing about every 3 years. Real high-end look offering many patterns and colors; just gorgeous.
All the sealers for either of these products are water based, hence they need to be reapplied every 3 years

[t-tom]

We used Nova Flooring and there grout as well. For me I wouldn't do it again. We did a slate look and it looked great when it was finished. But 4 years later it doesn't look so hot. Some of the edge's have lifted as well, I'm sure the grout popping and edge lifting out is due to the installer (me). We bought 2 extra cases and this fall I'm going to try and resurrect the floor again.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Don't use the stick down tiles, they always eventually pull up on the edges. The sheet products are very robust when laid correctly, and the laminate snap/glue together products are robust and attractive as well. I would avoid any product that grouts but doesn't also mortar down, you are just asking for cracked grout due to different rates of expansion and flex.

Just note that all are typically considered to be entry level flooring, they won't enhance your home value the way ceramic or other high quality tile would. Maybe irrelevant, but worthy of consideration.

[cabmandone]

I have Mannington Adura vinyl tile in my kitchen and dining area. Nice stuff and very durable. I have had my floor down for over 5 years now and would absolutely do it again. But it's not cheap. The grout is actually some sort of acrylic and goes in pretty easy. The installers left a tub of it that I recently opened and used and was amazed it hadn't dried out.

[944 S2]

Thought about cork? It has some give to it so it's comfortable and durable.

[RKDinOKC]

Got the interlocking vinyl plank a few years ago. We like it.

The installer said a lot of high traffic businesses were putting it in because it lasts longest
.

[GWN7]

My MIL had vinyl sheet goods that looked like 12" X 12" stone tiles installed in her kitchen. I was impressed with the look of it and being vinyl the ease of cleaning.

[Bugsinrugs]

Definitely check out the Coretec brand. Ease of installation and very durable.