dchoward89 that is sheet vinyl but looks like tile?

Yep...looks like slate...numerous people have thought it was real tile.

We have had glue down cork tiles (avoid floating cork) for about 15 years and I adore them. It is soft and warm and super easy to maintain. We wash ours with a bit of dish soap in water. In that 15 years we refinished the top coating once and we were about to do it again but had a house fire so it is being replaced. A pipe burst after the fire and an inch of water sat on the cork for a few days (freezing and thawing). Insurance said it was toast and is paying to replace it, but when they pulled it up, the guys said it was fine and actually could have stayed.

Cork can be left natural or stained a variety of colours. We like a white stain that makes it look a bit like a stone floor. It is natural and a renewable resource and looks great with hardwood floors. Our house is 100 years old and we think it fits very well, but we've also seen it in modern homes where it looks amazing.

We have Tarkett fiberglass and love it. Ours is dark aged Barnwood but they also make stone or tile look. So easy to care for and warmer than tile, less expensive than wood. And cushioned! Numerous people have commented on our "wood" floors - that happen to be a great match to the dark wood floors throughout the house.

I have Marmoleum in our master bathroom and like it a lot. What are the negatives people are giving you? And have those people actually had Marmoleum?

I'm going with floating cork, despite others saying that you should not do floating in the kitchen... will let y'all know how they hold up.

carrie, when we were considering the floating, we found that it was recommended to do an over layer of sealer even tho they come already sealed especially if you are doing it in a wet area like a kitchen. We checked and the floating floor company we were looking at did have a sealer that would work with their product and we almost went with that, but the glue down became available at the last minute. It is my understanding that floating floors have come a long way in the last few years, so I don't mean to discourage you at all. We had glue down in the past and I just feel more comfortable with that because we know it works for us.

We have glue down cork in our kitchen and matching floating plank in the dining and living room. We've had it less than two months, but really like it so far.

Carrie, we put in floating cork in both of the previous kitchens we remodeled. The first we lived with for about three years and the second for about 18 months. Both looked like new when we sold those houses.

All the floors in my house are wood -- including the kitchen. House is 14 years old -- all with resident Westie.

I don't understand the negatives against Marmoleum. We have linoleum floors in our home (same thing as Marmoleum which is simply the brand name). Our home was built in 1949 and the floors are original. They were exposed and used until 1971 at which time my parents laid down carpet and put sheet vinyl over the linoleum. We have pulled out the carpet over the linoleum in a bedroom, laundry room, bathroom, and hallway and the linoleum looks brand new. The pressboard subfloor which was glued over the linoleum and vinyl the kitchen has also been removed (a lot of careful work to remove without damaging the linoleum beneath it). And the kitchen floor looks 95% brand new. So those floors were used from 1949-1971 and for the last year so 22 years of exposed use. And look fantastic! Very easy to clean and care for. I predict several decades of wear are left in these floors with just routine maintenance. I wouldn't hesitate to lay new linoleum down in a home.

I also love cork floors which are a tad warmer than linoleum to stand on. I am planning on glue-down cork floors in my entry/living/dining rooms. Those floors originally were carpeted so just have plywood floors with the carpet pulled out. But I would also consider linoleum for there if I didn't like cork so much and would like the contrast of having both cork and linoleum instead of another style of linoleum.

I'm wondering if those who have negative comments about marmoleum have actually lived with marmoleum. I kind of doubt it. It was our #1 choice, but it was out of budget at the time. We opted for Mannington wood-look luxury sheet vinyl. We've lived with it for about 7 months and are quite happy with it. It's very warm and soft on your feet and it looks good. We don't have any pets, but have two small children who like to get muddy and run in and out of the house :-)

What's in the living room? Best to minimize flooring transitions whenever possible.

We have had Marmoleum installed in a high-traffic common area in our housing complex for 14 years. It's a wonderful surface to stand on and it has a very appealing texture. We do get it professionally waxed and buffed once a year to protect the surface. We omitted doing that in the laundry room and the floor is showing some wear there.

Thank you for the responses. The negatives have come from the flooring retailers....the living room has a wood floor so we think the Marmoleum would allow for smooth transition.... Anything else would require a slope or saddle between the rooms.

I have sheet Marmoleum (installed in June) and so far it's great. Easy to clean, the marble pattern hides dirt (ok, maybe that could be seen as a downside), it's not very slippery when wet and it feels nice on bare feet. And it looks really cool. The new residential stuff has a coating on it so you don't have to wax and buff.

You do need to make sure you get a well trained installer because installing it is apparently a bit different from vinyl. Those companies that are trying to steer you away from it are less likely to have an installer who is competent with the stuff and you should look for another flooring retailer who does or find an independent installer who has training from Forbo (the manufacturer).

Edit: I have a 65lb dog who scuffs his nails on the floor when he walks (he's 14 and a little unsteady on his feet sometimes) and the floor is holding up fine.

Why not continue the living room floor through the kitchen? Flooring transitions really suck aesthetically, even smooth ones, because they disrupt the continuity and flow of the space. Sometime you have no choice - transitions between bedrooms and bathrooms are often unavoidable, for example. But you seem to have a better choice in this case.

Why not wood?

Thanks fishcow. I just learned that my contractor has installed marmoleum before so we should be fine. Thanks for your response!

Real linoleum is a great floor surface, those who are trying to talk you out if it probably either don't sell the product or aren't familiar with it. Wood (site finished birdseye maple in our case) that runs throughout the house is better, for us at least. No transitions to worry about and a very robust floor.

I wanted Marmoleum in my renovated kitchen but went with cork instead since the color choices with Marmoleum were a bit limited.I think both are great for warmth and comfort.

Oh, should add that my ancient linoleum floors look great even though we have an 85# dog and a 5 year old constantly running through the house playing "catch me if you can".

Glad to hear you have someone who knows how to install it. I think you'll really like it.

Thanks again for all of the responses. And thanks funkycamoer!

My kitchen floor is sheet Marmoleum; it's three years old. We have a 40# dog with a drippy beard, a cat, and teens. I like my floor but it isn't bullet-proof. Our installation looked perfect initially but the now the seam which runs down the middle of the floor shows if you look for it. It's like a dark thread running across the floor--we did not go for the heat-welded seam, just the butt one. There are some little nicks and cuts, but again they aren't really visible unless you are down on the floor examining it. The bigger issue is the floor in the area of the pets' water bowl is showing wear, like funny little blue spots, around where my dog drips. I do wipe up often, but don't lead the kind of life where I'm always waiting in the kitchen at the ready with a towel every time he wants some water.

Like I said, I like my floor. It has a low-key neutral look, comfy to walk on. Just don't go into it thinking it won't show any wear, because it might. :) It is low maintenance--we vacuum, I use a floor steamer on it (I checked with the Marmoleum company on this first, and they said it was fine) now and then when it gets grimy, and a few months ago, I applied the floor polish or finish for the first time.

bookmom41, I have a tray under my dog's food and water bowls that contains her splashes and spills. I have heard of other folks using those microfiber pads that can be used for draining dishes. Either should help with that.

Thanks, funkycamper! I've tried trays, "pet mats," paper towels, you name it. Now I keep a stack of hand towels in a basket and keep those under the water dish and change them out a few times a day (let them dry and reuse.) I think my dog's beard must hold a half cup of water--and he's an ADHD drinker, meaning he takes a few slurps to soak his beard, walks around the kitchen, and repeats.

Weird. My dog drips, too, and I usually never even bother to wipe it up. I wonder if it's due to certain minerals in your water. I just remembered something that clued me in: you said the spots are blue. At our old house, we would have to wash the dog's water bowl almost daily due to a thin ring of bright blue that would start forming around the bowl. We never have those rings in this house. Same bowl. Same town and water as well. The other house was about a mile away from the reservoir. And we are currently on the same hill the reservoir is on, about 500 feet downhill. Slightly different mineral content or higher content at the other house are the only differences I can think of. I'm guessing that the minerals come from the waterlines and that the water hasn't traveled enough to pick up enough minerals in this house.

So I'm betting that's what those spots are. Do you know of anybody else with similar issues? Maybe the minerals are reacting somehow with your floor's topcoat? Maybe even a different brand of topcoat would react differently?

What an odd problem to have!

Most sheet style products come in 12 foot widths if you can install such a product such that it has no seams I would definitely encourage that. The trend in recent years has all been to some kind of ceramic floor tile. Many people are finding out that those tiles are very hard, break when not properly installed and slippery when wet. Because there has been so much interest in tile floors, there are fewer and fewer sheet choices.

Way back when, when vinyl flooring was new on the market, everyone wanted it to replace their linoleum. I would guess it was because the linoleum needed to be stripped/waxed regularly (I remember my mother doing that) and the vinyl was heavily touted as "no-wax".

Does the modern version (marmoleum) not need the same maintenance as the old linoleum?

No, it doesn't, it comes with some kind of sealant coating on it that doesn't require as much maintenance.

Also, there are new products available now that weren't available in our mother's and grandmother's eras. My linoleum is from 1949 so I don't have that sealant. Even so, the floor isn't any more work than any vinyl or laminate flooring I've had. The wax I use does not need to be stripped. Most maintenance is just the same as any other hard-surface floor. A damp mop with any kind of normal cleanser. Simple. Today's waxes can just be mopped on and left to dry without needing any buffing. I've only done it once since the flooring was revealed. It only takes a few minutes longer than a regular mop job to do.

While lots of sheet products do come in 12 foot widths, sheet Marmoleum only comes in 6 foot widths (at least three years ago), hence the seam down the center. The idea that the spots could be from minerals in the water could have merit--we are on well water and we treat it to avoid the blue staining that comes from the (ph level?) pulling copper from our pipes. This staining is like a rash, though--concentrated little spots. It's weird. Now I am wondering if it is reacting to the top layer of sealant or coating or whatever--though we got this spotting both before I put the Marmoleum floor finish product as well as after.

Funkycamper, I'm going to try some scrubbing in an inconspicuous and see if I can get the spots to change. I did see one earlier GW post where someone had water staining in a bathroom, but they weren't descriptive so no way to know if it was the same thing.

If it also happened with your previous floor, I'm pretty sure it's a mineral in your water. I have no idea how to advise you on how to avoid that. Sorry. Good luck and if you find the cure, please let us know.

No, it did not happen on my previous floor, which was bottom of the line builder grade sheet vinyl. :) It was happening on this marmoleum floor, both before and after I used the Forbo floor finish product. So, I am guessing it isn't the Forbo product.

I believe the marmoleum I have is 7' wide. My kitchen is an 8'6" wide galley and the seam is mostly under cabinets. Unfortunately the exposed part is right in front of the back door. In hindsight it would have been better to reverse things so the seam was on the other side of the room. I'm not worried about the seam looking dirty because the linoleum is dark gray, but I am a little concerned about water damage with an El Niño coming.

OH, OK, bookmom. Then I dunno. It's a mystery. Could you contact your water department to have them do a test for minerals? Or at least ask what their testing indicates. Have you googled around to see if anyone else has this problem?