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Some floor materials are durable, easy to install, and look great for years.
But other flooring comes with a host of problems that devalue your expensive purchase.
Meet the Expert
Small Tiles
Tile is an excellent flooring material.
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It’s hard, durable, easy to clean, and available in various styles.
But seams are tile’s weak point.
For this reason, Amanda Kuhlman is cautious about small-format tiles.
The smaller the tile, the more seams the floor will have.
“The kitchen can be a really dirty place with food droppings and grease splatters,” Kuhlman says.
Install 12-inch by 12-inch or larger tiles to reduce the number and length of grouted seams.
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Bamboo Flooring
Bamboo flooringis a popular alternative to solid wood flooring.
She adds that bamboo flooring also bleaches in direct sunlight.
But recycling bamboo flooring is difficult.
It is often laminated over core materials like medium-density fiberboard (MDF), which isn’t recyclable.
Peck recommendsFrench white oakor ash as alternatives to bamboo flooring.
Both types of natural wood are highly durable.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is a DIY favorite because it’s easy to install.
But it doesn’t get high ratings from some professionals.
Mitch Coluzzi, a contractor at SoldFast, strongly dislikes laminate flooring.
But it’s not durable over the long term.
“The click mechanism is not always protected,” Coluzzi says.
Luxury vinyl plank flooringis the waterproof alternative to laminate flooring.
The difference is in the materials.
Laminate flooring has a wood fiberboard core, which swells upon contact with water.
Vinyl plank floor is entirely synthetic, making it waterproof.
Gray Vinyl Plank
Gray luxury vinyl plank flooring is ubiquitous.
Stores sell so much of it because it fits in with a broad range of home styles.
But the problem with gray flooring is its overwhelming blandness.
“I generally advise against specifying gray wood-look flooring/luxury vinyl plank,” Kuhlman says.
Instead of limp, lifeless gray vinyl plank, Kuhlman recommends a medium wood tone with minimal color variation.
It still offers the neutral foundation of a gray floor, but it brings warmth into the space.
Parquet Wood Flooring
Parquet flooring is made of small slats of wood arranged in a repeating pattern.
It’s a busy, showy look that evokes a Renaissance style and works well in smaller quantities.
But the problem, Peck says, is in the way the flooring is constructed.
The smaller pieces of wood easily lift off the ground and often break or creak underfoot, she says.
It’s also difficult to sand parquet flooring since the wood grain runs in at least two different directions.
Avoid scratching the parquet since it’s so difficult to refinish.
Glue-Down Flooring
Glue-down flooring is frequently used in commercial spaces.
But it’s less than desirable in residential applications, Coluzzi says.
“It’s also highly labor-intensive to remove if you ever want to replace it.”
Coluzzi’s aversion to residential glue-down flooring includes carpeting.
He points out that glue-down carpeting has no padding, which is important for comfort in the home.
Floating flooringis an alternative to glue-down vinyl, wood, or engineered flooring.
Floating flooring planks or tiles connect from side to side but are not attached to the subfloor.
Self-Adhesive Vinyl Tiles
Peck concedes that self-adhesivepeel-and-stick vinyl tileis an affordable option for entry-level budgets.
But that’s the only good thing about this bang out of flooring.
Most floating floors are plank-style with a wood appearance.
Both shapes are simple for DIYers to install.
Sheet vinyl flooringis a superior alternative to self-adhesive vinyl tiles.
The 12-foot-wide sheets can span smaller rooms, requiring no seams.
A DIYer caninstall sheet vinyl flooringin a room with few cut-outs.
The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB).
