All Forum Posts by: Keith Lewis

Since it's Lima. OH where it snows A LOT, realize that your flooring over the crawlspace is extremely affected by the moisture and cold than will occur. Use a floating floor system of either click lock or sheet vinyl that is loose lay or perimeter glued to avoid issues during the winter months. Insulating helps but won't cure this issue.

ABSOLUTELY POSTIVELY NOT. As a rep for LVT products  for over 30 years I'm telling you that one it voids the warranty to use carpet padding under it; two any pad put under a click lock floor MUST have an ULTRA high denisity and be very then, nothing of which you are going to find in the realm of carpet padding. You want to pay for a pad under the product? Then realize that it only makes sense and is probably required by ordinance to be done under product installed on second story and higher living areas for sound proofing NOT to make it soft to walk on. It may be required if the living area on the main level is over basement apartments as well. Omnichoice by Healthier Choice would be my only choice because it has a 70+ sound rating and is a closed cell urethane which is moisture resistant. 

It sounds like this installer has installed Laminate flooring which is not the same as LVT. A very dense and thin carpet pad MIGHT work with that but I would check the installation instructions and warranty before doing so.

Protect your warranty if you're going to buy from this vendor. I don't know what your choices in your area. Personally any LVT that requires both pad and visqueen I wouldn't buy. True LVT is 100% waterproof. IT'S VINYL like a raincoat. I have recommended visqueen in basements only as a moisture barrier but moisture doesn't affect pvc. It was just to block the floor from sweating and the possiblity of developing mold on the back of the product. Hydrostatic pressure ( or moisture in concrete) affects glue which you are not using. If you haven't seen any wet spots then it's probably not an issue. First and foremost follow the installation guide to protect your warranty.

 LVT is the industry term that covers plank and tile looks. LVP is just something a marketer came up with. There are plank shapes that look like stone now. FnD does do a brisk business. 6 mil of plastic? Do you have a moisture issue? Is this a below grade or on grade install? The 6mil plastic (also know as visqueen from any box store  or Hardware store for cheaper) is only necessary if there is a moisture issue with the concrete. A moisture meter can check that. BTW if you are using a pad with a moisture barrier layer on it you don't need the visqueen. The underlays come both ways.

Many ordinances require carpet on second floors due to the exact reasons you're experiencing. If you put a vinyl floor in then a sound proofing barrier should have been part of the installation whether it was a glue down or floater. Best pad type I've seen on the market is Omnichoice from Healthier Choice. Has a 71+ rating for all hard surface except ceramic when it drops to the 50's

You only need the underlay on the upper floors to keep the noise to a minimum. ( some local ordinances may even require it.) Not necessary on the main floor if there is no living space underneath that would be affected by noise. So like an unfinished basement pass on the main floor. There are better ones that would be in that price range. Omnichoice from the Healthier Choice people is an option. Most Carpet Ones have a special price on it.

Considering the fact that the floor is buckling, this could cascade to effect the rest of the wood floor in that area. If you have a break like a doorway you should remove the old wood floor up to that point if you want to salvage the wood floor and cut your cost on rip out. This will require you to build the floor in the ripped out are back up to the wood floor height. I'd recommend LVT in a rental strictly from the maintenance aspect. Wood floors are soft and scratch easily and would require refinishing with every new tenant where a better quality LVT with at least 12 mil wearlayer AND  A SCRATCH RESISTANT  FINISH like Aluminum Oxide or one of the newer Ceramic Finishes will last longer. Click Lock Floaters are a possibility but don't be fooled  that you can EASILY take it apart to replace a damaged piece. You will damage more that you want to replace. Most experienced installers know the method to replace a single plank in the middle of the floor which will make that one plank a glued in tile while the others still float.

If you're going to sell it then go for the wood floor then. Wood Floors aren't as big as deal to a renter as putting some love in the kitchen or bath.

Since LL was one of the biggest sinners when it came to Ortho Pthalate contamination in their LVT I'd make sure that the box states it's ortho pthalate free otherwise return it. OP is a plasticizer  used in LVT in the past or for cheaper production and was banned in 2009 in all vinyl children's toys due to its link to autism. A 2015 consumer study posted 68 different flooring products that were tested and LL's products at that time were 100%.

Regarding the installation, the pad that you can use under click lock LVT should be no thicker than 1.5mm and 1.0 would be better depending on the locking system(some are stronger than others). Consumers see the pad and "feel" a comfort level but there really isn't any difference. The pad's main advantage is sound proofing when installed over another liviing space like a main floor and it's going on the second floor. Also even the best one on the market only has a .5 R factor so it's really not a great insulator for the cold either.

True LVT or Rigidcore products by the way they are manufactured  are less noisy compared to Click Lock floors that are WPC backed (most of them are white backers and if you look at the edge they look like a peel n stick tile was glued to the backer) because of the air pockets in the backers, just like the older laminates. Doesn't make them a bad floor as it will  hide some imperfections in an unlevel subfloor, just need to a pad to quiet them down compared to Rigidcore or LVT.

BTW I've been in the flooring industry 30 years so just want to pass on what I've learned.  

Not sure about Pennsylvania, but in Michigan if you have unlicensed work done by other than yourself your chances of having it red tagged and the need to have it done over by a licensed contractor is pretty good. Suggest your "friend" associate himself with a licensed contractor and do the work under his company. That way you have two eyes looking over the work and the proper permits pulled.

Since the new tenant is a "dentist" , the water and other contaminants to the floor  might make it wise ti go with a commercially rated hard surface for the operating rooms and labs with carpet in the hallway, waiting areas and staff areas; reception, private office. The maintenance would be less and the cost to replace/repair because of water leaks and other things much less. Go with a glue down, not a click together/floating floor. The weight of their equipment is the main reason. 3mm thickness(4 would be better if affordable), a minimum of a 20 mil wearlayer and ESPECIALLY a scratch resistant FINISH like Aluminum Oxide or Ceramic Bead. Also use a glue that is not pressure sensitive  that cures to a hard set; more resistant to water and the rolling back and forth of stools.