Hi, I’m new to the forum. Just bought my first home, planning to rent it shortly after completing the remodel. I’ve been looking into different types of flooring, and have settled on a laminate, or possibly bamboo. I’ve heard that bamboo is great if you get the really hard stuff, but the cheaper stuff can be too green & therefore soft. Laminate seems like the better bet for a rental, but I’m not sure which type to get. Anyone have any suggestions for a good laminate that works on a tight budget?
Thanks!
Replies
You are right to be carefull about bamboo. It is a grass not a wood, and there are about 3000 varieties.
I don't do much laminate, but for a rental I would have two pre-requisites. One is that it be water tight, like the Formica. Renters are notorius about poor care of property, and some lams will not tolerate water on them.
The second concern would be that it is a floating snap type rather than a glue down. That way, you can repair a few pieces when the renters damage them, or easily replace the whole floor again when they leave, if need be.
There are a few landlords in here. I am curious to hear their thoughts on lam floors and renters
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
You definitely make some good points. I've never installed one of these types of floors, so I'm really not sure how easy it is to replace a few pieces at a time. Do you think it's possible to pop up the damaged pieces and click in new ones in their place?
It is possible but the replacement is just as you would think, no special trick. The damaged piece has to be removed from the center and t&g removed without damaging the adjacent t&g. The new piece is installed by removing the bottom part of the t&g and the new piece is glued in. Extra pieces of the same flooring must be at hand.
Just got rid of a tenant that moved in last fall, right after we did a laminate floor in the living room. There were 5 people in the house and they weren't gentle on it. Evicted for shooting a relative at the house with a shotgun.
But the floor looks as good as the day it went in.
Lowe's special. Not the cheapest, but one of the lower priced floors -2nd cheapest? IIRC, like pontl said, there was a closeout. I have had them fail before too, so, I'm not a convert yet.
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
so that blood mops right up, eh?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I don't know how they will advertise that quality, but I'm sure somebody in some marketing department would try...
Actually, this thread got me thinking about floors. I have another house that needs one in a small bedroom and laminate might work out.
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
Is the floor bulletproof, too?
" Evicted for shooting a relative at the house with a shotgun."Boy you have a tight lease. Anyother unusal terms that you have in your leases?.
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Remember, I practiced law in NY for 20 years.
When I write a lease, it's all inclusive!! :-)
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
there is a snap together floating floor that has a phenolic-impregnated waterproof substrate. Works so good in the laundry room that DW is considering it for the kitchen :-(
Do you have any more information on that floor? Where could I find it?
Awshoot, I was afraid you'd ask that. I don't remember what the brand was, it was on sale at "Floor Trader" in Mobile, AL. Their website is http://myfloortrader.com You may be able to find one nearby, hopefully, it isn't just a Gulf Coast outfit. Instead of the paper or MDF backing, the back is red or green (depending on brand) and looks like plastic. Any flooring distributor should be able to find it. I left a couple pieces of scrap on the deck for 3 weeks and they survived 4 or 5 thunderstorms. Not a bit of warp, or delaminating in the pieces.
Thanks, I'll take a look and keep that in mind. I've been doing some research and it looks like Armstrong is a good brand (rated 1st in Consumer Reports & good customer reviews). I'm just wary of spending a few thousand dollars to install a floor and then having to worry about replacing it in a few years...
8 X 12 room was a little over $300 for the floor & underlayment. Shop around. We just bought what was on sale & water resistant.
Edited 9/28/2008 7:27 pm ET by Ray
if you go laminate you can get it for around $1 sf... i've never seen any that wouldn't stand up to some water... there is usually a ton of the stuff on close out due to change'n colors ect... i have always used 15 or 30lb felt for underlayment and never had a problem... and it's 20% of the cost of what they want to sell you...
good luck.... oh yeah around here we use VCT for rentals or just paint the concrete :)
p
VCT? We did stain the concrete in the master bed & bath, and it looks great. Wish the rest of the house had concrete floors...
Im one of the rental guys here .
Pony gave the first clue .
Renters need a concrete floor . VCT tile is the stuff they lay in super markets. More commonly known as commercial floor tile . Indestructable .
Flooring has broke may a landlord. It remains my number one problem. Ive researched every floor thats made.
Theres three top choices out there .
1. Concrete.
3. VCT tile if its on concrete and installed with non water base glue. You actually need the tar becuase it doesnt mix with water.
4. A high grade of commerical carpet . Not the cheap stuff . No pad underneath. Its the most incredible flooring over a wood floor used for renters. The good stuff will service several years and has a stain release type material. It will hold up to boiling point steam cleans while the cheaper stuff will not . Every time I empty the water from a steam cleaner that came off residential carpet it has carpet fibers and the color of the carpet in it.
Thats really about it . I have a laminate floor in my house . It will hold some water but will not tolerate acid from #### or acid found in some juices. None of the laminate I have seen will handle a flood from the plumbing . I have 15 rental houses right now . I have at least one flood per year. There are several ways this can happen that a lanlord doesnt have control over . If you flood a house with carpet and pad its gotta come up and the pad has to go out . More depends on the main floor and will it hold it . I had a house flood last year that had harwood floors . It cost 10 grand and my time with loss of rents.
Even if I used laminate at a 1.00 perfoot and laid it its not cheap. Thats 9 dollars per yard with out labor. I can still lay carpet for 11 dollars a yard including labor ad pad. I can buy carpet for 4 dollars per yard and laying cost is 2.50 per yard. Thats a cheap residential carpet bought at a factory sell out place with thousands of rolls of carpet selling seconds. That has been the option for some houses . It will last about three years in a rental on average.
One thing not mentioned is ceramic tile floors . I have a friend that built two four plexes . He did all of them using the same tile . He stocks replacement tiles and the grout in milk jugs in the central unit return in very unit. If they break a tile he simply removes that tile and replaces it . It will handle a flood or a fire. You have to have concrete floors though or its not adviseabe .
Tim
Tim how any of those floods are due to water supply problems?IO wonder if a water cop would pay for you.http://www.watercop.com/I think that there are some brands of this.
.
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Sometimes they are due to water supply . Somtimes drain . Sometimes people cause them by their own means like letting an ice cooler drain out on a wood floor or vct tile over a wood floor and stand . Fridges can cause it slowly. I dont really have the time right now but I could write an article on it . Im not saying I wont detail an answer . Ive just got to go to work right now .
Tim
I've used the Konecto brand vinyl plank stuff a few times, and am about to spec it out on another basement fit out. Not cheap (avg about 4-5.00 sq/ft) but very nice looking, seems to wear like iron, easy install and the clients so far have loved it.PaulB
I purchased a pallet of commercial Witex laminate flooring at an auction that is supposed to be for moisture areas. I think the link below is what it is. We have had it in a couple of rentals for about a year. This product uses a glue on the toungue instead of snapping in. HD locally had some Witex at one time.
http://www.witexusa.com/ceraclic_original_high-gloss_surfaces_en.html