Which flooring for condo which I'll eventually rent?


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Old 12-15-14, 01:38 PM
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Which flooring for condo which I'll eventually rent?

I'm currently remodeling a 715 sq ft 2 bedroom condo, which I plan to live in for a few years before renting it. I want a wood or wood-look plank flooring, and I'm looking to spend around $5/ft total (flooring, underlayment, installation, etc.). I could go up to $6/ft if need be, but only if it's really worth it.

Considering it'll be installed everywhere but the bathroom, it'll need to be water resistant and on the lower end of the maintenance schedule (renters). I think I've considered just about every type of flooring, and I just can't seem to decide.

Right now LVT is at the top of my list, but there are so many price, product, and installation options that it's difficult to decide. I'm thinking I should go with a glue down installation, since I'm concerned about gaps developing, and both the stove and refrigerator will be sitting on it. Right now the unit has a plywood subfloor with particleboard on top (had carpet). The HOA has no restrictions, with proper soundproofing.

What would you guys recommend?
 
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Old 12-15-14, 02:09 PM
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Laminate is out, period. Click lock engineered flooring is a possibility. I would not glue down a floor to any substrate. 3/4" staple/cleat flooring is next on the rock hard list, but still not impervious to water. Basically you are left with products like Allure, which float, too, but are more forgiving with moisture and traffic. I would not lay wood in a kitchen, although it is artsy fartsy to do so. Tile would be a better choice, especially with renters coming in.

BUT, first things first. The particle board has to go. it is not a good substrate for any flooring. I don't know what your plans are for sound deadening, but sound will increase with the hard floor. If the HOA insists on sound barrier, all the subfloor has to come up, provisions made between you and your neighbor regarding a good barrier. Roxul is good, but nothing is perfect.

Relay your subflooring, preferably 3/4" Advantech, glued and screwed to the joists. At least another 1/2" layer on top of that screwed between the joists and not glued.
 
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Old 12-17-14, 07:43 AM
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Our units were built with vinyl in the entryways, kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms. We found we could replace it with ceramic for less money than new vinyl. While I would not want tile in my living room, I think it's a choice which should be considered for a kitchen or bathroom, especially over wood.
 
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Old 12-17-14, 08:19 AM
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Laminate is out, period. Click lock engineered flooring is a possibility. I would not glue down a floor to any substrate. 3/4" staple/cleat flooring is next on the rock hard list, but still not impervious to water. Basically you are left with products like Allure, which float, too, but are more forgiving with moisture and traffic. I would not lay wood in a kitchen, although it is artsy fartsy to do so. Tile would be a better choice, especially with renters coming in.

BUT, first things first. The particle board has to go. it is not a good substrate for any flooring. I don't know what your plans are for sound deadening, but sound will increase with the hard floor. If the HOA insists on sound barrier, all the subfloor has to come up, provisions made between you and your neighbor regarding a good barrier. Roxul is good, but nothing is perfect.

Relay your subflooring, preferably 3/4" Advantech, glued and screwed to the joists. At least another 1/2" layer on top of that screwed between the joists and not glued.
That was my determination as well. I just can't expect someone, including friends when entertaining, to quickly wipe up any moisture on the flooring. This concern isn't limited to the kitchen, either. Allure is an LVT, which is at the top of my list at this point, but I'm considering a glue down installation. I've heard that when floating LVT you're not supposed to put anything heavy on it, such as a refrigerator, dishwasher, etc. and I'm concerned about the edges curling up. I've also heard negative things about the Allure brand LVT. I'd love to do tile, but wood look tile is around $8-$10/sq ft, and I don't want to deal with the possibility it might crack if the building settles a bit.

I've heard the same thing, that the particleboard isn't a good foundation for anything. I'm going to take your advice and pull it up. There's currently 3/4" plywood underneath, screwed to the joists which are spaced 16" apart. Will this be sufficient?

Our units were built with vinyl in the entryways, kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms. We found we could replace it with ceramic for less money than new vinyl. While I would not want tile in my living room, I think it's a choice which should be considered for a kitchen or bathroom, especially over wood.
Unfortunately, tile is cost prohibitive to me. The size of the unit is also quite small, so I want to do the same flooring everywhere but the bathroom.
 
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Old 12-17-14, 08:24 AM
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Tile cost prohibitive? I have a hard time believing that unless you're limiting yourself to certain brands or styles, which you certainly can. It's not exactly an apples to apples comparison since we're not overly concerned with style but we pick up tile on clearance by the pallet for around a buck a square foot and then install it ourselves.
 
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Old 12-17-14, 08:47 AM
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I'm talking about the wood-look tile planks, since that's the look I want. It seems it starts around $4-$5/ft, with another $3-$5/ft for install.
 
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Old 12-17-14, 03:34 PM
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but wood look tile is around $8-$10/sq ft
Not here: Daltile Parkwood Brown 7 in. x 20 in. Ceramic Floor and Wall Tile (10.89 sq. ft. / case)-PD13720HD1P2 - The Home Depot

Easy to install and grout. Cracking will be at a minimum if you use a good backer underlayment.
 
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Old 12-17-14, 07:44 PM
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For ceramic, the particleboard must be removed and then it would be best to put another layer of at least 3/8" plywood over the 3/4" subfloor. You also need to figure floor deflection. Then thinset, CBU, thinset, Tile.
 
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Old 12-18-14, 06:07 AM
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Wow, that's much cheaper than I thought.

The HOA does require a professional install. I wonder now if I could come in around $5/ft for that sort of tile.
 
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Old 12-18-14, 02:06 PM
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I just laid a hallway in our house in the woodgrain tile, mainly because it was carpet (puke), and I didn't want wood there since the cats use it as their killing zone at night. They will bring in birds, etc. and you will find them on the way to the bathroom. Easy to clean and tough as nails.
 
 

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