My old house came with vinyl floors in the kitchen and baths. I had to tile them because of doggie damage, but I am sure that 99% of my neighbors still have the original vinyl from 10 years ago. As long as it is to be expected for your neighborhood and price range, I think vinyl is fine. Nobody will know there was tile before...

I would rather the vinyl. The light tile with the dark grout is dated, and if it does not match the rest, then I'd do the vinyl. That is a totally non professional opinion, since I'm asking for help here with my own re-do!

The art of home staging is very big these day and home staging has very little to do with substance and everything to do with style. I don't think prospective buyers are fooled by look-a-like finishes but I tend to think a cohesive appearance will have more of an impact on them than the presence of specific materials.

I like vinyl, it is one of the easiest floors to take care of (in my opinion) and it can look very nice. I do think that it is important to use a good quality product as they look nicer and hold up better than the cheaper varieties. If other houses in your neighborhood have it then I would not hesitate to change out the tile.

I would rather walk into a house and see a floor that goes well with the rest of the house than walk in and see a floor that I immediately think about replacing--and I probably would think about it with the tile, even though I'm cheap and wouldn't get around to it for a while :)

I love my vinyl floor and I could have put in what ever I wanted - it wasn't really a money issue - I wanted easy to clean - a year later, it is easy to clean and I still love it.

You like the vinyl best, so do it for you. And spend some time coming up with reasons why the vinyl is a "feature" rather than "only" vinyl. Do you live in a cold climate? Then it's warm in Winter. Will it be the cushioned kind? Then it's easy on the knees.

If I understand right, the current floor is tile. This is also a plus because it means that the cabinet height is right for tile, correct? That's something else your agent can point out--that it would be easy to put tile back in if the new owners prefer it. You could even build a tile allowance into your negotiation stance.

My Mom put in a Tarkett FibreFloor in her new kitchen and loves it for all the reasons already mentioned.

I'm going through a similar dilemna. I will be replacing old vinyl and am debating tile vs. vinyl too. I would hate for prospective buyers to come in to the kitchen and see the great new quartz countertop and ORB faucet etc, etc. and say "ew, they did viiiiinyllll with such other nice elements????

I think the compromise decision for me is going to be DuraCeramic. THey are vinyl/limestone tiles installed with epoxy grout. You get the look of real tile and the comfort of vinyl. I think the price will be very close to tile (installed), so no $$$ advantage, but most all the others. They aren't going to be as tough as ceramic/porcelain tiles, but tough enough I think.

I don't like tile in my kitchen. I find it way too cold and I'm way too clutzy. Drop a dish, *smash*, drop a plate, *smash*. Walk on it, BRRR. If it was a nice vinyl, I'd take it over an old tile any day. Especially white tile with dark grout.

If it was a really gorgeous tile I'd take that over vinyl, but I'd need lots of floor mats :)

quality vinyl in a nice color and style is great flooring for a kitchen. Warm, easy on the knees, rugged, and easy to clean. Trust those instincts.

I was really impressed with a vinyl product called NatureCor that has fiberglass in it. Real cushy. very realistic looking. No glossy vinyl look. I forget who made it. Many manufacturers making similar. I suspect the Tarkett mentioned above is like what I saw. No Tarkett dealers near me :-(

Will you be ripping out the tile first? Are you planning on laying a vinyl sheet or the individual tiles? I too would rather have vinyl than unattractive ceramic. Prospective buyers might look at the ceramic and think, too much work. But if it is all ready done for them....

I personally love ceramic - have chosen matte finishes (non slippery). And I'm a barefoot person, in a cold climate. I think that my feet are tough, as I don't feel the cold (then again, I am barefoot in my winter boots too).

I've put down vinyl tiles in two houses - loved the look of the tiles (and even used a brick pattern for one floor - looked classy!), but in both cases, the tiles gaped slightly over time, in areas where the floor was presumably unlevel?? A sheet of vinyl would correct this.

If laying vinyl over existing tile, will you need to pour some sort of leveller to hide the grout lines from showing thru the vinyl?

Yay! I'm so glad you guys have reaffirmed my decision to go with the vinyl. (Not that I don't appreciate hearing opposing opinions!) I was just concerned that I was making a "step back" when so many people upgrade *to* tile *from* vinyl...but, you know, whatev. It works better for me all around at this point. :) Oh, and I forgot about vinyl being easier on the body! Another yay!

I am definitely going to get a low/no gloss floor, probably with the tile look...not trying to "fool" anyone into thinking it is actually tile but it's just what I like. :)

I assume that the tile will have to be ripped out first but if the vinyl sheet (which is what I will use) could go directly over the tile, that would be sweet.

Anybody know the answer to that??

I personally think Vinyl would look wrong in the newly updated space. I would use a cork or marmoleum (linoleum) floor. You can do some really beautiful stuff with it. I was a tile lover and would put them in every bathroom in my home. After working in my kitchen lately, for 6-8 hours daily, which has tile over concrete slab, I am installing Marmoleum. The hard part is picking colors to fit my kitchen. I brought home some marmoleum samples and they are in front of the sink. It is like standing on air. It is wonderful stuff. I personally don't like the look of cork but the Linoleum (which is an environmentally friendly product too like cork) is just lovely. Marmoleum has a cork underlayment that is attached to the bottom of the planks. I am going to use the plank style in my kitchen.

Good luck!

I can't say I agree with the Marmoleum/linoleum - it looks very retro and somewhat industrial to me. I think that the "average" home buyer might consider it to be dated (but just my opinion.) I appreciate that others like it though.

I looked into Marmoleum and when I read the instructions about cleaning, I was turned off. I can't remember the details now but it can be found online.

I'd do what we did: solid vinyl tile. We used Metroflor in a slate-look, as we needed some contrast between the kitchen flooring and the wide-plank oak that is in the adjoining rooms (open floorplan). Vinyl ease of maintenance and cushiness without the resale drawback of sheet vinyl.

Sheet vinyl is poorly regarded here, even in starter homes.

You mention that you are planning on selling in the next couple of years. If I was in your position I would be leaving the light coloured tile floor as it is perceived to be a more "valuable" surface than a vinyl floor. I would stain the cabinetry dark so that there was a strong degree of contrast between the floor and the cabinetry and then I would get a light-coloured countertop that was close to the tone of the floor.

The reason for doing this is that a light-coloured tiled floor will be perceived as a "neutral" by most buyers. The dark cabinets are ubiquitous in design right now and will be for a few more years. When you opan a design magazine you are likely to see at least one kitchen or bathroom with a light floor and counter and dark cabinets. People subconsciously absorb this and put their mind's stamp on it as "current". When they encounter it in a home search it looks "current" to them and, while maybe not to their taste, at least something they can live with for a while.

Good Luck !

Is Metroflor installed with grout lines like ceramic? Does it have a shine? Sounds like it might be like DuraCeramic.

I've been hesitating to post, but I decided you need the opposite view.

I hated my vinyl floor in my old kitchen. While it looked very nice for a short time after moving in, it quickly accumulated the gouges that come with dropping sharp things (knives, scissors, screwdrivers, etc.), as well as rips from moving a heavy item w/o some sort of platform under it. It also became visibly scratched over time...especially after we got our dogs (but there were plenty of scratches before then).

I couldn't wait to get my tile! Yes, things do break when you drop them...but not always. I can't believe that I dropped a glass jar TWICE on our tile floor and it didn't break! But, that's definitely the exception. But, I would rather have a few things break... Our dogs don't scratch the floor either.

Yes, tile is cold in the winter to walk on, but for us, we have more warm weather than cold and it was so nice to walk on in the spring/summer/fall. Even vinyl & wood are cold in the winter! (We have tile, wood, vinyl, and carpeting in our house...the only one that could be considered "warm" is the carpet!) I generally wear slippers in the winter anyway b/c I'm always cold, so it doesn't really matter.

If you really hate the tile, I would look into an engineered wood floor instead of vinyl. Yes, it can get gouges, but they don't look as bad in wood and if you really want to, you can repair them...not so w/vinyl (at least not very successfully in my experience).

Wood will look much nicer and be an asset when it comes time to sell...vinyl will not. If I were house hunting, I would look at any vinyl kitchen floor as a floor I would have to replace...thereby decreasing what I would be willing to pay for the house.

If you do go the vinyl route, then make sure it's a good vinyl. There are several people here w/vinyl floors that don't look like typical vinyl...unfortunately, I cannot remember their user names right now!

As a buyer, I would rather see the vinyl. That's because vinyl is a lot easier & less expensive to rip out (than tile is) in the event that I didn't like the floor. (For sure, I would want to remove the light ceramic that you currently have.)

Anyway, I think what matters most is the total effect--that the surfaces coordinate nicely.

I also was reluctant to post a pro tile view but here goes. Vinyl is seen as a step down from tile. Our current home had a vinyl kitchen floor when we moved in and it was very worn. We immediately replaced it with another vinyl floor that quickly wore out with kids and dogs. I went with tile and have just loved it. As far as durability, tile is the way to go. Granted it is not forgiving if you drop something. I also went with a darker grout and have been very happy I did that since lighter grout is more work with sealing and cleaning. I also use the Hoover floor cleaner and it makes cleaning a breeze. No knee work. I know you need to use what you deem best for you. Hope this little input helps. Good luck.

You will need to rip out the tile to put down any resilient sheet flooring. I really agree with ci lantro, it sounds like you are trying to create a kitchen that won't be a barrier to selling your home not one that will sell it.

caryscott, that's a good way to look at the issue. Its all about goals

1. remove obstacles, unsightlies
2. neutral - move-in ready
3. wow factor - pull 'em in

Going from 1 to 2 is good. 3 is tough to achieve anyhow because everyone has a different definition of "wow".

Ah, the dissenters emerge, lol! This has been my dilemma, though, the impression that it's a step down from tile to vinyl. I think you hit it on the head, caryscott: I don't want the tile to be a barrier to selling the home. In truth, I don't think it would be, even if I didn't change out the tile. We have re-sided the house, new windows, new roof, good landscaping, and the kitchen itself would still have newer appliances in SS. (It is definitely the nicest house on the surrounding blocks - good for buyers, not necessarily good for me, the future seller, though ...meaning, I know I need to be careful to not overspend on this house.)

@jkom51 - I have "kinda sorta" considered this type, but I'm wondering: does it have the kind of "hollow" sound that Pergo does? I like the looks of my Pergo, the sound just bugs me. I read some info on Metroflor - it *seems* like I could put this down without ripping up the ceramic tile? Does anyone know about that? If that's the case, I would very seriously consider it. The thought of getting that ripped out doesn't thrill me, you know? Wait, this isn't a "floating floor" is it? Metro is glue down, I think? Ahh, the internet is my friend. I think someone makes a floating floor in tile...Pergo-ish.

@sailormann - that was actually my first plan. I decided that it seemed like too much work (DIY) to sand them down and restain. I've read that others did a gel stain after just scuffing the cabinets but, ultimately, I don't want to mess these things up. I also considered painting them white, but that would still leave me with the floor issue.

Yay! I love more comments and opinions!

Just another point to reinforce the sheet vinyl idea. Previous owners put in a very high quality vinyl in my kitchen. I didn't like the style, but it was SO durable that I kept it for a long long time. No gouges, no rips, lots of dragging stoves and fridge across without a scratch or rip.

I also had a very rich aunt who built a gorgeous, extremely upscale home in a ritzy neighborhood. All her finishes were top of the line with beautiful detail. She CHOSE a high quality vinyl for comfort AND beauty. A seasoned home inspector was pretty shocked to see that beautiful floor was vinyl...had to stoop down to touch it.

I don't know what she used, but there is a big difference in quality of vinyls. And the newest styles and patterns are far superior to what they used to be. Pick a good one and you will be happy. It will not hurt your future sale.

Ahhh...now I'm thinking again. Armstong stone-look in a floating floor??? As I've mentioned, I *hate* the sound of my Pergo floor - kind of a hollow sound. However, if I could get the look I want, *and* I would not have to pay to have the tile ripped out and possibly a new subfloor put in and we could save on the install (DIY) this would definitely be the way to go.

Thoughts on this direction??? (I think I smell a new thread.) :)

have you considered flooring height issues if you do not rip out the tile?

I was just at a flooring place discussing DuraCeramic and even the new fiberglass cushy sheet vinyls. They claim I am supposed to put plywood and luan OVER my existing vinyl (which is over plywood and luan) or they do not honor the warranty for old floor bleeding thru to new floor. Bunch 'o crap I think, but my first thought was the height. I brought up that embossing leveler skim coat thing and she said that is an alternative, but warranty will not be honored. [Get rid of these LAWYERS righting these anti-consumer useless warranties!!! end-flame]

When one rips out tile, what about the backerboard underneath it??? Does that come out too?

There was something that we were discussing (I'm confused right now as to what... so much discussion!), where they said it can be installed floating or glued down.

I think putting the laminate on top of the tile will be ok for me, height-wise. From what I remember about the Pergo it's not terribly thick so I am *assuming* that these won't be much different. Warranty-wise, IDK, but from everything I've read online (on manufacturer websites) they say that this kind of flooring can go directly over the tile - so I don't imagine they would say that and have it void the warranty. I will definitely ask about this, though, when I get to the stores.