It’s a fact of life; floors need updating or replacing from time-to-time. Sometimes it’s a condition issue, and sometimes it’s a much needed update. We had both issues to contend with at one of our rental properties. The current vinyl tile are now showing signs of wear and tear from years of tenant’s use (and their pets); at the same time the floor was starting to look dated. So, when this happens you have to ask a number of questions. What color should the new floor be? Can Dogs Scratch Vinyl Plank Flooring? Do I want to carpet it? Or get tiles? Or keep it vinyl? How can I make sure it looks good? Which is the best company to go to?
Last year, my husband had installed new cabinets and countertops at this house, so it only made sense to upgrade the floor. Replacing the existing black and white vinyl tile with a new vinyl product was something my husband felt comfortable doing himself.
We started our search for new flooring by visiting the Armstrong website. We found quite a few useful tools there. I liked the project estimator. It works like this; once you’ve picked a floor in the color and type that you like, you answer four questions: type of room, room dimensions, type of subfloor, and method of old floor removal. The project estimator then gives you an estimate of what your project will cost. You can also see what your choice will look like in a room – instead of just looking at a little square. The Armstrong website can also direct you to a local retail outlet that carries their product.
Once we had an idea of what we wanted, we headed to a local flooring store called Perfect Floors. The place was packed with plenty of flooring options; carpeting, hardwood, wood laminate, ceramic and vinyl. The salesperson we spoke to was really knowledgeable. He walked us through our options and what was involved in installing the flooring ourselves. There were so many choices! The flooring prices seemed somewhat higher than what you would pay at one of the large home improvement stores but the options and choices were endless. We both REALLY liked the natural look of the Armstrong Luxury Vinyl Tile called Alterna. For the real test, the sales rep let us take a few samples to the house to see which ones looked the best with the cabinets. You can see photo’s of our trip here.
The BEFORE pictures show the old white and black vinyl tile that have been in place for at about twelve years. They are stained a yellowish color from years of wear and tear and sun light discoloration. In some spots, the flooring has chipped and cracked.
For the new floor, we were hoping to find a vinyl tile in natural looking stone that would warm up the space and give it a more modern look. We like the fact that if a vinyl tile gets damaged, you can replace just that one damaged tile (as opposed to replacing the entire vinyl sheeting). The sales representative told us that it would be about a one hour job with a heat gun to replace a damaged tile (at least with the Armstrong brand).
Steps for our kitchen floor make-over:
Step1 – Take measurements of the room, choose new flooring, shop for new flooring, gather or purchase all the tools and supplies necessary for the project.
Step 2 – Remove all appliances and furniture.
Step 3 – Remove old flooring – if we needed to. According to the sales representative, if our old floor is stable we may be able to install the new tile over the existing floor.
Step 4 – Install the new flooring. Grout the tile (if you are going for the look of a space between the tiles).
Step 5 – Re-install the appliances and furniture.
Sounds easy, RIGHT?! It should be a pretty easy project to complete and since this dining room/kitchen is on the small to medium side it shouldn’t take that long. If all goes according to plan, we should be done in a few days.
We have purchased the flooring and the supplies we need to get the job done (adhesive and grout), Now it’s time to get started on the nitty gritty. In a couple of days I’ll update you on how things went, plus we’ll go through what went into the decisions we made on our product choice. Of course we will also have plenty of AFTER photos. Stay tuned.
Disclosure: This shop was compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for #CBias. All opinions are honest and my own.