Should I Install Vinyl Plank Flooring Myself?

[Robert Engel]

I don't know where you're at or what you've decided on but my input is this: based on our experience, I steer people clear of LVP. It is not hard, and it requires maintenance. Anything - and I mean anything that has any weight is going to create a dent. You can see where the refrigerator was rolled in. A swiffer mop was left sitting overnight and completely ate the finish off.

I also feel it expands and contracts more but I don't know, I do know you can see every single seam and they look like they are prominent. Maybe it was the product, maybe it was the installer, but we made a $15,000 mistake and will be replacing it with some type of engineered wood.

That said, for a basement, it might be a good choice if you get the waterproof. The faux marble LVP we had put in the bathrooms is pretty nice stuff. The Karistan may be good stuff, but I would do some more research.

[Tom M King]

We’ve the CoretecPlus in a lake rental house for two seasons now, with over 40 families in it, some with dogs, and it still looks like I just put it down.

I put that particular LVP in because our bank main branch has had it down with some thousands if people walk king on it for over a year and I can find no damage to it.

We couldn’t be more pleased. The house is cleaned and turned around in four hours between guests and the floor is the easiest part of the cleaning, as I’m told.

That’s my only experience with it, but I can’t think of anything better in a lake house.

[Tom M King]

Sorry for typos. Not the best typing on phone

[Pat Germain]

I don't know where you're at or what you've decided on but my input is this: based on our experience, I steer people clear of LVP. It is not hard, and it requires maintenance. Anything - and I mean anything that has any weight is going to create a dent. You can see where the refrigerator was rolled in. A swiffer mop was left sitting overnight and completely ate the finish off.

I also feel it expands and contracts more but I don't know, I do know you can see every single seam and they look like they are prominent. Maybe it was the product, maybe it was the installer, but we made a $15,000 mistake and will be replacing it with some type of engineered wood.

That said, for a basement, it might be a good choice if you get the waterproof. The faux marble LVP we had put in the bathrooms is pretty nice stuff. The Karistan may be good stuff, but I would do some more research.

Not all LVP is created equal. The cheap stuff is what you describe above. The more durable, and more expensive, stuff doesn't have those issues. Yeah, I have researched until my eyes were bleeding.

[Patty Hann]

I don't know where you're at or what you've decided on but my input is this: based on our experience, I steer people clear of LVP. It is not hard, and it requires maintenance. Anything - and I mean anything that has any weight is going to create a dent. You can see where the refrigerator was rolled in. A swiffer mop was left sitting overnight and completely ate the finish off.

I also feel it expands and contracts more but I don't know, I do know you can see every single seam and they look like they are prominent. Maybe it was the product, maybe it was the installer, but we made a $15,000 mistake and will be replacing it with some type of engineered wood.

That said, for a basement, it might be a good choice if you get the waterproof. The faux marble LVP we had put in the bathrooms is pretty nice stuff. The Karistan may be good stuff, but I would do some more research.

Not all LVP is created equal. The cheap stuff is what you describe above. The more durable, and more expensive, stuff doesn't have those issues. Yeah, I have researched until my eyes were bleeding.

@Robert ....Ditto on what Pat says.
Like any manufactured floor product quality is allover the map.
Look at the product's "wear layer" thickness; the higher makers LVP generally have a thicker wear layer.
And FWIW I've read a lot about LVP, ---looking to eventually having it installed ("eventually" = ever-receding horizon )-- and KARASTAN is very, very good, but it is priced accordingly.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I got just enough Coretec to do my little house for $2 a square foot, and I was really lucky. I have less than a box left over. The people who were selling it on Craigslist had bought too much and were selling 750 sf for $1500. I had to move it all three times, twice by car, about a ton total, but it was worth the trouble. I would not recommend engineered hardwood from what I have heard. It sounds like the same kinds of problems as the cheap LVP from what I hear.

[Pat Germain]

In case anyone is interested, I ended up paying Carpet Exchange to install the Karistan vinyl plank flooring. Mrs. Pat correctly pointed out that I really don't have the time to do a complete flooring install. I removed the baseboards, carpet and tack strips. Sheesh, just doing that was quite the chore. I had a dumpster delivered to my driveway. That was extra expense, but it would have required multiple trips to the local dump in my pickup and my local dump charges a LOT for construction materials. (They charge even more for mattresses and couches which is why there are abandoned mattresses and couches along the road near the dump.)

I was very pleased with the installers. The install was perfect, it looks amazing and they even helped me move some furniture which I really appreciated. Now I have to reinstall the baseboards. Not looking forward to that, but it beats installing the whole floor. A few of the smaller baseboard pieces broke when I removed them. I couldn't find the same profile of baseboard at Home Despot, so I'll keep searching. My house is five years old, so I'm hoping the same profile of baseboard is still available somewhere.

[Jim Becker]

Pat, check any local full service lumber yards that cater to contractors. Their millwork operations often have access to a broader selection of profiles than you'll find at the home centers. 'Glad the install went well!!!

[Pat Germain]

Pat, check any local full service lumber yards that cater to contractors. Their millwork operations often have access to a broader selection of profiles than you'll find at the home centers. 'Glad the install went well!!!

I will do that. Thank you, Jim.

[Tom M King]

Why was the baseboard taken up?

[Pat Germain]

Why was the baseboard taken up?

It wasn't at the correct height for the flooring. The installers also said it's very difficult to install if the baseboard is in place.

[Tom M King]

Neither of that makes any sense to me??? I just used shoe molding in the rental house I put it in.

[Jim Becker]

Neither of that makes any sense to me??? I just used shoe molding in the rental house I put it in.

Kinda depends upon the look your want, Tom. I personally prefer the "no shoe" look, but unfortunately can't do that here in this house because whomever installed the oak hardwood strip floor throughout the house didn't pull the baseboards and used 3/4" oak shoe. So when I do the foyer area with the engineered flooring I have waiting for the job, I'll need to do shoe to maintain consistency, but I'll be installing shoe that is the same dimension as the rest, unlike what is in that tiled area now. "Someone" used a different kind of molding for the shoe over the tile...which isn't surprising given how poorly the tile was laid, too.

[Tom M King]

Yes, when I built new houses I didn't use shoe molding either, but didn't go to that trouble in the rental house since it was not that important in that situation. In my new houses I did everything so order of go was my choice.

Easier to put down without base makes no sense though, and certainly not less trouble to take the base off than to put down LVP with it in place, and not correct height for the flooring doesn't compute either. I was just curious what the reason was for taking it up.

If it's that narrow/short base, I'd just toss it all anyway if it's already off.

[Pat Germain]

Yes, when I built new houses I didn't use shoe molding either, but didn't go to that trouble in the rental house since it was not that important in that situation. In my new houses I did everything so order of go was my choice.

Easier to put down without base makes no sense though, and certainly not less trouble to take the base off than to put down LVP with it in place, and not correct height for the flooring doesn't compute either. I was just curious what the reason was for taking it up.

If it's that narrow/short base, I'd just toss it all anyway if it's already off.

- With the the vinyl plank, the baseboards now sit 1/4" higher than previous

- Although butting the vinyl plank against the baseboards where they were and installing shoe molding over the edges would have worked, but it would have looked like dog doo in my opinion

- The baseboards are 4" and solid wood. That's a lot of expense to simply toss

- In case you're not aware, basements in Colorado are living spaces. My basement is no different than the second level of a two story house. It has two large bedrooms and a full bath. In the open area is a home theater and a gaming table where Mrs. Pat likes to play board games with her sister. This is not a utility area with cinder block walls, a water heater, washer, dryer and a ping-pong table as I've seen in basements in other parts of the country.