wood flooring questions

oldfella1962 · May 18, 2018

okay my wife wants to put down wood flooring (or fake wood flooring) in our hallway. What are the pros & cons of each? Also I don't have a lot of tools - so what style would be easy to self-install with a minimum of tools over a concrete slab floor (where we used to have carpet?)

transfixer · May 18, 2018

The faux wood/composite stuff is normally the only thing used when dealing with a concrete slab, most of it snaps together in some form or fashion, usually put down a moisture barrier/sound mat first and then the flooring on top, lots of different types out there now, I installed Pergo in a great room years ago, it was slab also, the stuff they have now looks much more natural than what was available then.

Real wood can be put down, but prep is more, and its a lot more expensive, and requires some experience with it to install correctly I believe.

1gr8bldr · May 18, 2018

I suggest running the boards perpendicular to the longest side.

Goddard · May 19, 2018

Luxury Vinyl Plank is a good option. If you choose the floating floor it would be fairly easy. It is very resilient and waterproof. If you get a quality brand and thickness, it "sounds" better when walking on it versus some of the other options of fake wood floor options.

lagrangedave · May 19, 2018

I like the ceramic that looks like wood. Buy a trowel and rent a wet saw.

Miguel Cervantes · May 19, 2018

lagrangedave said:
I like the ceramic that looks like wood. Buy a trowel and rent a wet saw.

^^^This^^^

blood on the ground · May 19, 2018

lagrangedave said:
I like the ceramic that looks like wood. Buy a trowel and rent a wet saw.

This all day! Say no to the snap together, thin, cheap flooring!

NE GA Pappy · May 19, 2018

lagrangedave said:
I like the ceramic that looks like wood. Buy a trowel and rent a wet saw.

Pros: no moisture problems, lasts a lifetime, low maintenance, easy to clean, won't show wear, may raise value of your home

Cons: slower to install, takes some skills to install, more expensive, can't be used while thinset and grout drys.

having said this, there is no way I would put down snap together or LVP in my home. I just did 2 offices at work. I hired the tiles installed. 800 sq ft cost 1600 labor. It was well worth it.

1gr8bldr · May 19, 2018

Question.... I don't know??? How well does the thinset bond to the concrete? Does it need special prep, like etching. I assume it has to be super clean, no slick finish......If it does not require much prep, the tiles will lay fast. I suggest small grout lines. Smaller the better so they don't show when they get dirty

lagrangedave · May 19, 2018

My slab was slick and you would need a jack hammer to take it up...

NE GA Pappy · May 19, 2018

1gr8bldr said:
Question.... I don't know??? How well does the thinset bond to the concrete? Does it need special prep, like etching. I assume it has to be super clean, no slick finish......If it does not require much prep, the tiles will lay fast. I suggest small grout lines. Smaller the better so they don't show when they get dirty

You don't have to have a rough surface for the thinset to hold. The offices we did even had been painted with a 2 part epoxy years ago. The paint was really bonded to the floor. They laid the thinset and tile right over it.

Go with a darker grout line than the tile. My tile is gray and light brown looking planks, 8 in x 36in. We used a darker gray grout and it looks really good.

oldfella1962 · May 19, 2018

NE GA Pappy said:
Pros: no moisture problems, lasts a lifetime, low maintenance, easy to clean, won't show wear, may raise value of your home

Cons: slower to install, takes some skills to install, more expensive, can't be used while thinset and grout drys.

having said this, there is no way I would put down snap together or LVP in my home. I just did 2 offices at work. I hired the tiles installed. 800 sq ft cost 1600 labor. It was well worth it.

loving this last sentence! I'm doing about 100 square feet so I'm thinking that is well worth it hiring someone!
Because here are my main concerns about doing it myself (see picture). One end of my hall has a lot of angles & corners. Also how do I deal with where the carpeted & linoleum adjacent rooms will meet the wood floor? If all I had was one square/rectangular area it would be simple. But the details not addressed on the internet "how to" videos are what concern me. I get the basic theory - but as you see in my pictures there is more to it to get a great looking job. Lots of angles on flooring & the trim on the walls when I am done laying the flooring. Also transitions from carpet/linoleum needing strips and how to anchor them to the concrete slab. So yep - now I shop around for a REPUTABLE EXPERIENCED LICENSED flooring installer to give me an estimate. Please send recommendations if you know anyone in the Augusta area. Total square footage is 100 square feet.

Anyway yes I will get "padded" fake wood tiles with built-in moisture barriers (if necessary?) on a monolithic concrete slab.

lagrangedave · May 19, 2018

Run them the short way to simplify cuts....lowes will do your cuts for you for cheap...for that matter they will install it with a guarantee and a warranty...

1gr8bldr · May 19, 2018

You may.... or may not have a gap with the door casing reaching the floor. According to how it was done originally. New construction is easy to jamb saw it to the tile height..... but since you have carpet, it may or may not be the right height.

oldfella1962 · May 19, 2018

I went down to Lowes and found some great looking flooring at a good price. They will call me in two business days to come over and take measurements & iron out the details (type of floor trim, etc.) and do an estimate. Then I'll pick up the flooring & take it home for a week or so to acclimatize to my home, and then the installers will come back & do their thing. Lifetime warranty so this sounds like a good deal.

1gr8bldr · May 20, 2018

oldfella1962 said:
I went down to Lowes and found some great looking flooring at a good price. They will call me in two business days to come over and take measurements & iron out the details (type of floor trim, etc.) and do an estimate. Then I'll pick up the flooring & take it home for a week or so to acclimatize to my home, and then the installers will come back & do their thing. Lifetime warranty so this sounds like a good deal..

Tile does not need to acclimatize.... but wood style has to otherwise big problems

wood flooring questions

oldfella1962

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transfixer

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Miguel Cervantes

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blood on the ground

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