Flooring Choices

[Jason Merchey]

I have a rental in the not-so-great part of North Charleston, SC. It has had VCT on the floor for about 8 years, and it's fairly light colored. It hasn't been sealed and polished well. I think it's toast.  A tenant is moving out and I think I'm to the point where the process of cleaning and sealing the floors would be difficult or impossible. 

I have a person who would install vinyl tile that looks and feels like wood. It would be fairly attractive and I think fairly low-maintenance, but it would cost $4/foot to buy and install. That is going to cost me $4,000, making the entire minor rehab cost $5,000-$6,000. On a rental that grosses $750 a month and because of the water bill situation nets $500 a month, it's not an attractive option. 

If I were to sell or re-lease it, I would need a floor that makes a family of three who is going to get Section 8 reimbursement per month say "Oh that is nice and new." I was thinking of actually using the garage floor coating they sell at Home Depot. That would be hard, and impenatrable, and fairly repairable. And maybe $.75/foot applied. 

Am I missing any options?  Have any suggestions?

[Wilson Churchill]

If it is a slab floor, I would install the least expensive ceramic I could find. If not a slab floor, I would look at either laminate flooring or vinyl tiles.

[Mindy Jensen]

@Jason Merchey garage floor coating will look like it belongs in a garage.

Inexpensive ceramic tile is a good suggestion. Allure Flooring gets a great review, too. Not sure how much it would cost, or if that is what you were referring to in your original post.

[John Semanchuk]

Hi Jason,

I'm assuming this is a concrete floor?   Depending on the quality of the finish work on the slab, it is feasible to keep the concrete as your finished floor and I've seen it done with a faux marble finish that looked great.   There's a few other considerations regarding how the baseboard, door jambs and cabinets relate to the existing floor but if the surface of the concrete is not acceptable, you might want to consider tile.   Tile can be found pretty cheaply if you're a good scrounger and while it costs more to install, it will last a long time and be considered a big upgrade by most.

[Mike F.]

I wouldn't install inexpensive ceramic tile, I'd pay a little more for materials and install a good quality porcelain which won't be as susceptible to chipping as ceramic is, I'd combine that with spending a bit more on one of the commercial grade grouts like Tec Power grout or similar so that the grout never needs to be sealed and the color won't change with wear over time.  That's going to be the most durable finished floor surface you can install and should be the least expensive when it's amortized over the life of the floor.

[Keith Lewis]

First off don't install over the VCT floor unless you are using a floating floor. REASON? If the tile comes loose them the floor that's glued to it is shot. If you're willing to roll the dice and go over the VCT rough up the finish so the glue will bond

There are plenty of click lock laminates that are inexpensive. They don't hold up like LVT. You should be able to find a 2mm vinyl plank with a 6 mil wearlayer for around a $1.25. Mohawk makes an entry level one. Not sure what install goes for down there but most handymen in Detroit would do it for about $1 a foot.

[Jason Merchey]

Thanks you guys. I didn't think about tile. Nor did I think about pulling up the tile and polishing the concrete. John we live in the same city so especially if you list it for sale for me, I would benefit from your advice.

[Jason Merchey]

This stuff looks decent. Probably done for less than $4,000, including new quarter round. 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/TrafficMASTER-Allure-6-in-x-36-in-Edge-Maple-Resilient-Vinyl-Plank-Flooring-24-sq-ft-case-35911-0/202885476

[JD Martin]

I think it depends how far up you are in N Charleston. If you're on the gentrification line, you might want to swing a little harder and see if you can improve your tenant pool, but if you are buried between the airport and demarcation line I would probably go as inexpensive as possible. Some of the garage floor coatings off-gas pretty hard, for quite a while, so beware if you go that route. I would probably opt for a floating vinyl, either lock together or overlap stick, and buy an extra box or two for later repair use. 

[Chris Carollo]

I agree that ceramic, 12x12 or smaller would work best. Smaller as it's less likely to crack when something is dropped on it.  I would also make sure that the floor is prepped right if there is an existing finished floor. 

[John Semanchuk]

If you are selling the property, the equation changes dramatically.   In that case I'd consider floating vinyl or even laminate.    

[Joy Y.]

Originally posted by @Jason Merchey:

This stuff looks decent. Probably done for less than $4,000, including new quarter round. 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/TrafficMASTER-Allure-6-...

 I've used a different brand, but vinyl plank floating flooring in my own home now turned rental. This stuff is DURABLE, easy to lay down, warm and looks just beautiful.  My sister and a friend of mine have the Home Depot brand and it's lovely too. From what I understand, it's made from the same types of products as exterior vinyl siding--it can take a beating. The ONLY hesitation I'd have for using it in a rental is WATER.  I had a leak in my bathroom, and didn't notice for quite a while because the water went UNDER the vinyl and wasn't noticeable for a period of time. If you use it, be very specific about notifying you of water leaks, no matter how minor they think they may be....AND give them specific cleaning instruction. Wet mopping this stuff is a no-no. Swiffering or residential grade steam mopping (like the inexpensive Shark model) is fine, and really all that is needed. 

I put this down, originally, because of pets in the house. I put it in every single room. Easy to clean, and doesn't have problems when there is an accident (thats discovered in a reasonable amount of time) or toenail scratches, etc. It's also pretty easy to take a section up and replace it. Nice if you can just go to Home Depot and pick up a box. 

[James DeRoest]

We use a glue edge vinyl plank from Surplus Warehouse. Not found it anywhere else strangely. $1.59sqft. It's a breeze to lay, in the past, if someone breaks open a box and hands me the piece I can lay about 200sqft per hour.

It's practically indestructible for tenants, but it has one achilles heel which is cat piss. Somehow that stuff neutralizes the glue so you end up cutting a square out along the existing lines and re- laying a new section. Which I've only had to do once.

I would not put down anything expensive for a rental unless it's a high end rental. Unknown tenants abuse floors.

[Russ Scheider]

@Jason Merchey painted concrete is the way to go in a typical N. Chas. rental in my opinion.  It is an inexpensive option and You can easily clean/disinfect/repair between tenants.  A few cheap throw rugs make it comfortable for the tenant in our few weeks of winter, and the concrete is nice and cool during our 11 1/2 warm months. :-)

When you are ready to sell the property, consider all the other options.  Nice porcelain tile or a floating "wood" floor.  You $4000 flooring expense will be destroyed by the average tenant in any neighborhood, but especially in the "not-so-nice" rental pool you describe.

[Anthony Conway]

what is everyones outlook on real 3/4 hardwood. i am in the same situation on a rental property we are rehabbing now in summerville. i find it hard to believe that tenants could do any real damage to 3/4 hardwood flooring. i mean yes scrape the surface but nothing a quick sanding and re-polying couldn't fix right? i know the price is higher but is it worth it in the long run?

[Robert Nason]

I would stick with the vinyl and do it yourself. It's incredibly easy and you can get very respectable vinyl for around $2.20 a foot at Home Depot. It looks great and it's very durable. You can turn that $5000 job into $1500-$2000 if you shop correctly.

[Colleen F.]

@Anthony Conway  wood is nice but it really depends on your rental pool.  I took carpet out of a house and put in wood.  It was a student rental but furnished with area rugs.  They can do some digs to it and also water damage.  However we went this way as it is also a summer rental and the wood holds up well to the beach.  I am 7 years out and it is doing okay but we had to replace the indoor/outdoor area rugs a few times so I am glad the carpet is gone

For a higher end tenant pool I would do it but expect to get some scratches on every move. For lower end tenant pools I would go with vinyl or tile. Your area you could do tile, being in the northeast tile is too cold for us.