Hi

Was just in Waco a week or two ago!

There are good and bad with each of the selections you are talking about.

With LVP, they are prone to scuffing from kids with nikes etc and you cannot easily remove them (if at all). That said, it is a little softer under foot.

Porcelain will transfer the slab temperature into the rooms of the house so it will always be cooler in the house. If you drop something on it either the tile or the item will break.

Personally, I always use a hard wood with a high janka (hardness) rating, an oil based polyurethane finish (harder to apply, and can yellow over the years but otherwise nearly bullet proof) and have loved both the ease of maintenance, the insulation properties and look.

Cheers

@Two's Company Renovations, we aren't too worried about the "coolness" of the flooring in Texas, but do worry about the shatter factor, especially for me! We've been looking at Brazilian Walnut specifically for its high Jana rating, but were concerned how it would do with the temperature/humidity fluctuations.

Every time we think we have decided on a material we see a nightmare story on Houzz about that exact material. It's a little intimidating!

Hi Jennifer

we have installed many homes in timber flooring and do what we call here in Australia 'plank on ply'....ie we install the hardwood over a plywood base that is then screwed and glued to the subfloor. It allows for movement differential.

the biggest issue we see in flooring is improper acclimatisation before installation of the wood, regardless of climate.

i would ensure whatever product you use you find the best installer you can....

they are worth the extra money....

@Two's Company Renovations, thanks! We are going with a custom builder that we've heard lots of good things about, he's well reviewed by both his clients and his subs, hoping that translates into "the best installer"!

@jn3344 - would you mind telling me how long you have had your LVP and what brand it is? It seems like every one I read about has an equal number of folks saying how much they love it and how much they hate it, it's making my head spin!

I'm wondering if a cork floating floor would do the job. In your situation I would seal the entire thing (wall to wall to wall to wall) with two coats of Loba 2K Supra AT and that will make it spill PROOF.

Cork is an excellent floor for physical comfort, noise reduction and prevents things from "shattering" when dropped. Cork is often used in "age in place" homes because it takes the place of carpet. It has all the benefits of carpet without the drawbacks. And it is awesome when it comes to keeping heating/cooling costs down.

If comfort is a concern, cork can do everything you want. After that I would look at linoleum. Vinyl is farther down my list because it is hard and can be more temperamental unless you go to HIGH end stuff (the Korean brands Drop N Done and EZ Lay are both very stable homes with temp/humidity swings and even allows as much as 4mm of cork underlay underneath).

@Cancork Floor Inc. - can you give me some links I can show my husband? Most of the cork floors we have seen have been very homogeneous looking, almost like a carpet, and neither of us likes that. I hadn't realized that cork would be good in a wet environment.

2 years now. It's Shaw. 12x24 glue down. Can't think of the exact line right now. Clean it with water and a rag. Easy.

The builders wife was here when the house was finished. He pointed it out to her. They used it in a 2mm spec home they were building.

Links to cork: www.icorkfloor.com

Unless you work with a specialty store like iCork Floor LLC, you won't find anything but 3-4 patterns/colours in cork. To get away from the "cork board" look, you have to work with specialists in the industry. iCork carries 70 different floors, more than 1/2 are in a floating floor presentation. Many of which duplicate in the glue down format to offer a continuous looking floor - even into the bathrooms (glue down tiles are used in bathrooms).

@Cancork Floor Inc. - thank you for your reply, I apologize for not getting back sooner. My husband and I went and looked through the website you linked, the only ones that we like the look of were the "Cork Vinyl" all the others have the continuous look that we dislike. My question is are these considered cork floors or LVP floors? They look in all ways the same as the LVP floors that we have been considering.

The Fusion Cork Vinyl is a hybrid floor. It is NOT as comfortable as the traditional cork. If you dislike the look of the other 40 patterns/colours, then you aren't a cork fan. That's no big deal....it just means you won't work with the comfort that traditional cork offers.

The Fusion cork has a TOUGH finish called polypropylene. This is an INERT plastic (NOT VINYL) that is used to make children's toys. This is VASTLY different from LVP planks. Vastly.

The finish is about 0.5mm thick and it sits on 2mm of cork. That sits on a 6mm HDF fibre board which sits on another 2mm of cork. This is a cork PLANK that has a SUPER TOUGH finish.

It will not fade in sunlight. It does NOT have the same "heat sensitivity" as vinyl (vinyl warps in direct sunlight). It does NOT have the limitation of vinyl plank with underlayment.

The Fusion cork products allow as much as 12mm (1/2") cork underlay for more cushion and acoustic insulation. This is VASTLY different from vinyl....most vinyl does NOT allow cork underneath - and if they do they allow 3mm MAXIMUM.

If you want comfort underfoot then the traditional cork finish is what you will want to work with. Silver Birch is a great option for people who don't like the look of cork. If you don't like the look of cork (5% of my clients do NOT like the look of cork...but DESPERATELY NEED the benefits) then a printed cork floor or the Fusion cork would be a great option.

In essence, the Fusion vinyl cork is very different from vinyl. It is a hybrid floor system that is super tough, a little harder but still offers plenty of other cork benefits. It just won't be "soft" under foot. A printed cork floor would be more like traditional cork but without the TOUGHNESS of the Fusion.

@Cancork Floor Inc. - thanks so much for the further information/clarification. For me the LOOK of cork has been my main issue, I really just don't like it at all. I went back and double checked the Silver Birth and I don't like that any better than any of the others. : ( I will definitely look more into the Fusion Cork Vinyl.

If you are still trying to decide on flooring, part of the reason there are such good and bad reviews for LVP is what you pay for the floor seems to make a big difference in quality. You need to look for ones with a 20 ml wear layer or more. There are now Loose Lay ones on the market that have a fiberglass core so that they are dimensionally stable. These do not require the 1/4 inch expansion space and are not click lock. They fit very tightly together and usually just the perimeter is glued. In large rooms, a strip of adhesive every 13 ft. is used just to secure it even more. I am using EZ Lay Loose lay LVP. I am gluing the perimeter and around toilet, tub and bathroom sink. I will also do one strip of glue in doorways and there will be no transitions anywhere. It is water resistant but should you have a flood or something, water could eventually get to the sub floor. The floor itself is totally waterproof and could soak in water endlessly. The nice thing with loose lay is if a piece is damaged, you can just lift it and replace it. Or if you had a flood, you could lift the floor, repair sub floor damage and put it down again. Mine has a lifetime warranty for residential and a 15 year commercial warranty. It did not scuff or scratch in tests that I did.

Many of the cheap, big box store click locks are too thin and flimsy and one sample I had from HD scratched easily with my fingernail! So you need to shop around. Another loose lay that sounds very similar in construction is Karndean.

Hope that gives you some things to look at if you are still looking.

if you are still looking for cork, you really should contact Globus Cork in New York, www.corkfloor.com. US office of an international supplier, very wide variety, and can custom cut any size or color you need.