We’ve decided to replace our kitchen floor. However, due to the age of the house, there is some possibility that the vinyl tiles on the floor could have asbestos, so we want to install over the top of it. I want a little more forgiving floor than the wood, tile and stone we have in the rest of the house so was thinking either sheet vinyl or linoleum. I don’t want to have to worry when the floor gets wet (so no cork), and cleaning grout lines is a pain.
So my questions: Am I so totally passe on materials choice? Every place I’ve called says “Oh, we don’t do that anymore.” My only hit has been with Home Depot, or an outfit in the next county over. Does everybody else know something I don’t know?
Is linoleum enough better to justify the added cost? I’ve had past reactions to OSB, so I’m a little concerned about the off-gassing from vinyl. Am I being silly?
Replies
Sheet vinyl or true linoleum would both be fine. It's your house, put in what pleases you. What is the fad today won't in ten years anyway.
The high end sheet vinyl floors have considerable cushioning and last a long time.
True linoleum should not have synthetic chemicals in it. The binder is linseed oil. But it doesn't maintain a shine and is limited in color and pattern. I believe sheet vinyl uses different chemicals than OSB so problems with one won't imply you'll have problems with the other. If you want to be extra careful you can have the work done in the summer and leave your windows open night and day for a week or so to remove the majority of the fumes.
Thanks Wayne. I'm not looking for the fad today, I just want a floor that will work for our family. It's good to know that the binders in vinyl are different from OSB, that opens up our choices. Good suggestion on opening the windows - I was thinking that the floor would probably offgas for years, but it's probably only bad in the first few weeks.
Unless the dishwasher floods the floor, cork would work well. Normal water spills don't hurt it.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
I'm with Eddie.....I like my cork kitchen floor bunches!
We put in sheet Marmoleum last spring and really like it. It comes in lots of colors and patterns and we purchased it from a wholesaler in WI (http://www.greenbuildingsupply.com) and shipping was included. Couldn't beat the price. It's held up well. I highly reccommend it.
I agree that cork would be a good choice for comfort.
True linoleum is a good bet, but there's a little more maintenance than a sheet vinyl. You can do a lot of fun things with lino patterns and custom layouts if that's your thing. I like the fact that lino looks organic and is visually "quiet" underfoot. Also, lino also gets tougher with age, as the natural resins harden over time.
If you find a vinyl you like, then do it. If you decide to sell and potential buyers don't like it, they can change it. Right now it's your house!
Thanks for all the information. I thought about cork, but I have children and spills do not get wiped up immediately. The kitchen is not only our place for food, it is also where water color and finger paint masterpieces get created, science experiments are performed, and the occasional moon (sand) exploration occurs. From what I've read, cork needs to be treated like wood. It sounds like either linoleum or vinyl will do for us.
Now all I have to do is find somebody who actually carries it. The floor guy that came in to measure was going to "call back in an hour" on Friday - still haven't heard from him. The other flooring places I've called don't carry vinyl or linoleum anymore. Unless I use a big box. Sigh.
Gosh, as trendy as linoleum is getting, I thought people would be carrying it everywhere. I see you are in Utah, so maybe your resources are as limited as mine were when I lived in a small town before moving here.
Big boxes are not my favorite, but in a pinch, I'd give 'em a look.
Good luck!
Just an update. The original guy never called back with an estimate, so we figured he must have decided we were too small of a job. We had another small, local company come in to measure today, and got a good feeling from the guy. He doesn't like putting a new floor in on top of the old one, but understood that we don't know whether the existing tile/mastic has asbestos in it. If we get it tested and find out it is in there, then we must hire pros to take it out. There goes the budget for the new floor, and probably a whole lot of other projects around the house.
So, even though it isn't ideal, we are going to emboss and then install over the old floor. My idea is to drive a roofing nail into each tile to make sure they stay down - then it won't matter whether the adhesive gives up the ghost.
It's amazing what a difference it makes to see the sample in the room it will go into. The one that was our hands-down favorite at the store in the bright sunlight was the least favorite in the kitchen. Makes me wonder about the other rejects.
Our old Kelvinator stove had an element explode - there was literally a hole all the way through. That was actually the good one. So we've just bought a new GE Profile to replace it. I know, we could just replace the element, but how long do you limp along with a 40 year old stove that was cheap when it was new, when you really, really would like a self-cleaning oven? Now the whole kitchen looks even shabbier. My 6 year old is already lobbying for a new dishwasher to match the stove, and if she was tall enough to see the counters....
You've learned the "domino" theory of minor kitchen remodeling....once you replace one thing that breaks or has worn out, everything else is suddenly shabbier than you remember!
We had the same thing with our old stove. The element would actually just fall off at times and finally started the "zzztt, zzztt" thing when turned on. One of my clients came to the rescue when she gave us the nearly new range from her kitchen when they remodeled. All we paid was what it cost to have it moved.
However, one of the elements in the smooth top is beginning to heat erratically now. My husband knows better than to ask about repairing any electric cooktop for me (I hate them!), so we're putting change in the jar for a new duel-fuel, which is going to lead to a new countertop, and an actual range hood, so might as well get the cabinets for that area, plus the backsplash will need to be redone......
Generally going over an existing floor can be done with many materials. Beware of putting nails in the existing floor as they have a tendency to back out as the floor flexes, and you could shatter old tiles as they get brittle with age. A new layer of underlayment material is best if your floor can stand the extra thickness.
What did you finally end up choosing??
Ah, the joys of owning a moneypit. Dual fuel was out of the question for us - it would require changing the service into the house because we are maxed out on btu's already. As a kitchen designer, it must be hard to resist on your own.
We will be much more restrained in the kitchen than we were in the bathrooms. There we had to replumb because of a problem with the house. "As long as we have to pay to replumb, we should rearrange the fixtures to a more usable configuration. And we need a low-flow toilet to replace this 4 gallons per flush one that still doesn't work. And we'd like a deeper tub that we can soak in. And since we have to rip it all out to get to the plumbing, don't you like this limestone tile? " The kitchen will not be that way. It will not. It will not. It will not. It will...
We've gone with a vinyl that has a light brown swirly pattern on it - it's not trying to look like anything other than what it is. I forgot to take a picture of the "before" with the old stove, but from now on will take a few.
Yes, I'm a fellow money pit owner - know all the "pitfalls" first hand.
When you're a designer people are always saying "Oh, I'm sure you're kitchen/house is just wonderful!"
Well, I've been married for over 30 years, have lived in 4 houses and I'm still waiting to have a kitchen with drawers that work! Maybe this year...
Post some pics when you're done!
Sheet vinyl isn't a hot item right now, but for bang-for-buck it is hard to beat. A good quality vinyl will last for years and years, it is low maint, not as hard to walk on as tile, quick to install, etc.
A few of the more expensive vinyls have textures and patterns that can even simulate tile so that the casual viewer might not realize it is vinyl.
As far as off gassing, I'd be more concerned about the adhesive than the vinyl. But most of that smell should be gone within a few days.
jt8
"Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way." -- Abraham Lincoln