If you can use wood, why wouldn’t you be able to use LVP? I would be more concerned with wood in a wet environment. Look at the installation and warranty info on the floor you picked out. It should say where it can and can’t be installed as well as how to install it and what installations are not covered by the warranty. What does your contractor say?

Who advised your friend and what reasons were they given by that person to not use that 'tyoe' flooring?

Properly constructed, a home built on pilings would not constrain the choices of flooring materials.

I have a house on pilings with LVP. There is no issue. I also have tile in a large area - I would think tile would be the most concern if you were concerned about house movement. That was never brought up. And really, there isn't movement of the floor of any concern - more a swaying during tropical storms/hurricanes.

This is definitely one of the more illogical concerns I have heard of.

If it is built with the correct L720 support from the joists, you can put down any flooring you want. “Correctly” is the gotcha.

If the concern is about movement of the house on pilings I would think LVP would be superior to wood flooring. LVP isn't exactly a "stretchy" material but it should be more pliable than most any type of wood flooring.

How will the floor be insulated? LVP will act as a vapor barrier and condensation could occur beneath it. Of course, that would be the same with traditional vinyl flooring.

That makes no sense to me, maybe some hardwood sales person making a sale.

Engineered hardwood should give you a higher resale value. That's the strongest point in its favor over vinyl plank.

So NOT use LV floors ok a house on pilings in warmer climates. it will rot thr subfloor. just this year, 60 plus homes on Dauphin Island had to remove and change floors. many within 5 years old!!

Whoops… no edited. missed some typos. 🤷‍♀️

Minimizing the potential for decay of subfloor under vinyl floor finishes depends on the specific type and installation details of the underfloor insulation. Seabornman raised this point upthread.

I am still trying to figure out what is so "Luxury" about any type of Vinyl Planking?

Luxury in that it is nicer than it used to be. Vinyl sheets have had a cheap reputation for many years. The planks are nicer. They aren't high end but they are pretty reasonable. But, it was obviously a marketing word. There is nothing luxurious about them.

Beware advice from anyone with poor typing skills and no name....

Lots of construction on islands in the SE is pretty sketchy - lots of rotten everything. I doubt it is the fault of the flooring type but I am sure that someone claimed that it was that.

Research indicates elevated seasonal subfloor moisture levels under floors like LVP which have low vapor permeability in homes built on open-pier foundations, at least in hot, humid climates. Best practices to manage moisture are published by a variety of different sources including this one:

https://www.lsuagcenter.com/nr/rdonlyres/d33f711d-dc4b-4e4c-9ed6-a97dce9db026/79805/pub3187insulatingraisedfloorslowres.pdf

If you're a building science nerd or aspiring to become one, this paper documents the findings of a study in LA:https://web.ornl.gov/sci/buildings/conf-archive/2010%20B11%20papers/46_Glass.pdf

The problem with closed cell insulation is then you cannot get your house termite bonded… 🤷‍♀️

The subfloor material does not make a difference (my meaning, when quality subfloor user, the waterproof vinyl still trapped enough moisture to cause rot) is not a factor in whether it’s causing replacement… these are million dollar homes built 5 years ago having to have floors replaced.

David Cary-I am not “sketchy”. I just joined and have not had time to change the profile of my account… but way to assume. And I posted too quickly and had typos… it’s an issue on our island. A huge issue. And since we are about to change our floors, I want to figure out what I can do that is still affordable. 🤷‍♀️

Charles Ross, you are incorrect. “Properly constructed” 😳 Seriously dude. Million dollar homes are having to change the floors. It’s the issue of a waterproof floor, bough temps outside and a/c inside-think can of pop in the heat. If you have something helpful to add, cool. Otherwise, try not to hurt yourself giving yourself that back-pat? 😂

Charles Ross, is correct.

" Million dollar homes are having to change the floors. "

Million dollar homes or tract homes, built incorrect is built incorrect. Not every house will have the exact same floors yet the problem is with them all, in my mind that right there says it is the construction method rather than the material used.

Lawd… They are not “tract homes”. There are 60+ homes this year on the island that have had LV put in, in the last 5 years… homes that had other flooring previously. 50-5 year old homes… It is not a “build” issues… but flex away. 😳🙄

It’s the waterproof floors applied to houses on pilings. And the only thing able to stop this has been spray insulation, yes, which many will not do due to the termite bonding issue.

Millworkman… homes of all types and ages and the one thing they have in common is newer LV floors… yeah, this ain’t rocket science…

"It is not a “build” issues… but flex away. 😳🙄It’s the waterproof floors applied to houses on pilings."

I don't consider LVP to be an invention of the devil. But, if it is, well, everybody's got to make a living.

Problems associated with LVP installation are not limited to homes built on pilings. A similar issue is associated with open-pier foundations or even installations over poorly ventilated crawl spaces. The problem can be categorized as any combination of a design issue, a construction issue or a combination of the two. Deciding which label is best is great fodder for the lawyers.

Where LVP or floor finishes with low vapor permeability (e.g., vinyl sheet goods) are installed over subflooring with air permeable-insulation beneath, moisture-related decay can occur. That potential has been known and documented for some time--certainly by 2010 if not earlier. The issue of moisture-related decay of subfloors is preventable by employing appropriate construction techniques such as applying closed cell spray foam insulation or rigid foam (especially the foil-faced version) that is air sealed using spray foam. You might categorize those as "build" issues or not.

Wow! i came back to review a few answers and saw that I kind of opened up a hornets nest! 🙃 Thank you to all who respnded, and and/or provided some insight. Not to complicate things, but just curious what flooring you would put in this piling house if you were building it - LVP, engineered wood, real/reclaimed wood, tile? And why? Thank you.

Floor finishes with higher vapor permeability will result in a more forgiving assembly. Those include hardwood and carpet (check to ensure the particular backing and pad are permeable.)

Charles Ross Homes— thank you for your input im hoping to avoid carpet, with the exception of the master bedroom, on the main living area

If you insulate the house with foam board in a way to avoid moisture coming up from underneath you can choose any flooring, you want.

Agreed, but the foam insulation will need to be carefully installed to prevent air infiltration. A more fault-tolerant approach is to install a vapor permeable floor finish to permit drying to the interior.

I don't know - we have no foam barrier below. We had carpet and tile on the first floor with no issues (that I know of). We changed out the carpet to laminate about 10 years ago and no issues. The carpet was replaced because of renter's dog's accidents - not anything to do with humidity etc. (I realize this isn't LVP)

Our neighbors have even worse construction than ours (I watched the build - it was a spec) and had hardwood floors. They did all get replaced because of an unoccupied house and a/c problem about 10 years after build. And that was mostly on the second floor.

We built the house 12 years ago.

Now - is there mold below our subfloor? I don't know. Is there any issue with subfloor warping - no. We have not regrouted the tile floor but there is some minor cracking. I think it is very little given the age/abuse. Vacation rental/oceanfront/heavy occupancy.

Certainly foam is ideal - and spray easier to get right than foam. But not sure there is any big problem with conventional (ie cheap) construction.

LVP is the most common new house flooring at our beach and I don't see spray foam very often. Spec houses for the most part - built cheap. Why build for longevity, they aren't going to last forever anyway.