Porcelain Tile or Luxury Vinyl Plank

[houseshopper]

I'm buying a house and intend to install a new floor throughout (I like one unified floor). I like porcelain tile. A friend told me to install vinyl plank because it is warmer on bare feet. I would like to hear other people's opinions, especially about which floor is best for resale (I'm not a house flipper, but I want to make a good financial decision). Thank you in advance for any comments.

[Carla B]

I'm also interested in the opinions of those who have lived several years with a particular type of flooring, not just LVP or tile. We opted for ceramic tile in kitchen, baths, and LR/DR. After 16 years, I am beyond tired of the grout and the problems with its upkeep. It is square-shaped, 18 inch;, the grout in the plank-style tile might be thinner.

We got rid of the carpet in the bedrooms a couple years ago. Not wanting to spend a lot on flooring, we put laminate there, cheaper than LVP. We have friends who moved to Sarasota and bought a house with wood floors. She's says, although it's the most expensive, it's also the easiest floor to maintain she's ever had (and it is truly beautiful). She too was sick of grout.

[villagetinker]

We have both, removed the carper after several years. We installed Mohawk Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring; this is 100% vinyl and completely waterproof. Yes, there is a definite temperature difference to bare feet. This product is installed DIRECTLY over the concrete, NO glue, NO cushion, result a very low-cost installation. Repair is very easy, and if you happen to get a leak THERE WILL BE NO DAMAGE to the flooring. We have had this down for over 3 years with no sign of wear, Also, the material is quiet, tile and many of the engineered wood floors tend to be noisy and you hear a lot of echos, this floor is almost as quiet as carpet. This was purchased at Lowe's and installed by myself.

[vintageogauge]

TV has changed the type of flooring they use many times over the years. Square tile in 12, 16, 18, 20, and 24 inch, rectangular tile, engineered hardwood, LVP, and now Vinyl roll flooring, all along with carpet in various rooms. The engineered hardwood didn't last long, LVP is now fading away, the wood look rectangular tile is also fading away. Over the years we have had hardwood, tile, and also LVP. I prefer the hardwood but they just don't use it here, second I would choose the large 24" square tile put down diagonally, the LVP blisters, it is easily cut if you drop something sharp on it, and leaves marks from heavy furniture. This is just my opinion, it's pretty hard to hurt porcelain tile and it's easy to clean if you have sealed grout.

[bmcgowan13]

We had mostly tile (carpet in the bedrooms, hallways and family room) completely removed in 2019 and had Shaw's LVP installed in all the carpeted areas to include the stairs.

Love it. No more carpet matting or wear patterns through the common areas. Easier to clean up and dirt, grass, pine needles, or burrs that happen to hitchhike in on the dogs.

Also--as somebody else mentioned the size of the tiles 8" through 24" do not seem to "age" well. They seem to date the home back to when those sized tiles were the vogue. (Like avocado appliances)

One big advantage to the LVP is that when you decide to replace the flooring a decade from now it is MUCH easier to remove LVP than ceramic tile. The machines, buffers, chippers, dust vacuums, etc., required to remove the ceramic tile is a huge inconvenience and mess--not to mention the cost to remove it.

The downside to LVP is that our dogs tend to slip a bit on the vinyl (but no nail marks at all) and we are required to wear house slippers or crocs everywhere now to head off foot pain and planters fasciitis. Walking on hard surfaces for a few days definitely made our feet sore.

[JMintzer]

We had mostly tile (carpet in the bedrooms, hallways and family room) completely removed in 2019 and had Shaw's LVP installed in all the carpeted areas to include the stairs.

Love it. No more carpet matting or wear patterns through the common areas. Easier to clean up and dirt, grass, pine needles, or burrs that happen to hitchhike in on the dogs.

Also--as somebody else mentioned the size of the tiles 8" through 24" do not seem to "age" well. They seem to date the home back to when those sized tiles were the vogue. (Like avocado appliances)

One big advantage to the LVP is that when you decide to replace the flooring a decade from now it is MUCH easier to remove LVP than ceramic tile. The machines, buffers, chippers, dust vacuums, etc., required to remove the ceramic tile is a huge inconvenience and mess--not to mention the cost to remove it.

The downside to LVP is that our dogs tend to slip a bit on the vinyl (but no nail marks at all) and we are required to wear house slippers or crocs everywhere now to head off foot pain and planters fasciitis. Walking on hard surfaces for a few days definitely made our feet sore.

The previous owners removed all of the flooring ( I Know there was carpet in the BRs, but no idea what was in the rest of the house), and replaced it all with matching LVP. We're very happy with it.

We have ceramic in several rooms on our house in MD (kitchen and sunroom and marble in the foyer, and yes ceramic/marble is harder on the feet.

Our dog has the same problem with slipping, especially when she's trying to jump on the couch or the bed. So we bought a little foot stool as a first step to the bench at the foot of our bed. Once there she has no problems (and no scratching of the floor, as well...)

And as a Podiatrist, you should NOT be walking around the house barefoot! The Crocs are a great choice! I also have a pair of Oofos sandals which are super comfortable...

[guacamolita@hotmail.com]

Porcelain looks nice but is very hard on aging joints and bones. You don’t want to slip and fall on a hard floor, or drop anything valuable. The vinyl flooring is more senior “friendly”!!!!

[MandoMan]

I'm buying a house and intend to install a new floor throughout (I like one unified floor). I like porcelain tile. A friend told me to install vinyl plank because it is warmer on bare feet. I would like to hear other people's opinions, especially about which floor is best for resale (I'm not a house flipper, but I want to make a good financial decision). Thank you in advance for any comments.

I like the porcelain tile that looks like pickled wood planks. However, installing a houseful of porcelain tile takes a lot of time. Yes, it feels cold to the feet. (Or cool on a hot day.) You’ll feel it more if you fall. It echos like a train station. The solution to that is area rugs, but they are more of a tripping hazard than wall-to-wall carpet. Carpet soaks up the noise. I have LUXURY vinyl planking—anything less than the top of the line of the best brands will disappoint you. It’s cooler under foot than carpet but warmer than tile. It echos, but less than tile. If I were to fall, it would hurt a bit less. It looks good and feels good. But I still needed cheap (Wayfair) area rugs to soak up the echo and to look nicer. My house is 1200 sq ft. I used Roberto’s, in Colony Shopping Center. $14,000 for the entire house, including replacing all the molding at the edge. Not cheap, but I like it a lot, and installation took two days.

[Rwirish]

Have had most of them, porcelain tile hands down.

[bowlingal]

LVP in every room except the bedrooms! Bathrooms are tile.

[La lamy]

I replaced my sunroom's tile with LVP. The grout was cracking and some tiles breaking also. LVP is the best flooring I have ever put down. I will never put down any type of tile with grout again. Insane pain in the butt to take out and to put down. Like you, I can't stand the grout getting dirty or failing. Get a really good quality thick one and there should be no issues with heavy furniture. I got the tile size type and it was easy to install and looks like tile. Much nicer on feet and easy to clean. My only issue is that mine is more matte than I would have liked. Maybe they make shinier ones. I'd look for that if I have another install in the future.

[Cobullymom]

LVP is much easier to care for, looks good and less stress on feet and back than tile.

[skippy05]

LVP will be so much more easy to replace once you get tired of the style as long as you do click together floating installation. Demolition on real tile is an absolute mess. Also keeping your grout clean and looking new is near impossible with real tile.

[phousel]

Decent LVP can be hit with a hammer and show no damage. Try that with tile.

[Sandy and Ed]

Decent LVP can be hit with a hammer and show no damage. Try that with tile.
True but……as pointed out by another responder, LVT does “blister”. We had Mohawk LVT installed throughout the house. There is only very small but annoying blister in the dining room. Small and barely noticeable but I know it’s there and will need to have repaired…….someday

[Mazjaz]

I retired from 30 years in EMS. Why would seniors want ceramic tile floors???Slips and falls with older people are very common. You will definitely have more serious injuries falling on ceramic floors.



Porcelain looks nice but is very hard on aging joints and bones. You don’t want to slip and fall on a hard floor, or drop anything valuable. The vinyl flooring is more senior “friendly”!!!!

[Harvin]

Tile or hardwood floors are my preference . Vinyl is likely less expensive but its plastic and could outgas plasticizers or other nasty chemicals over the years.

[TeresaA]

I'm buying a house and intend to install a new floor throughout (I like one unified floor). I like porcelain tile. A friend told me to install vinyl plank because it is warmer on bare feet. I would like to hear other people's opinions, especially about which floor is best for resale (I'm not a house flipper, but I want to make a good financial decision). Thank you in advance for any comments.


We too are house hunting and I can tell you that one type of flooring throughout the house is the way to go. All the homes have 3-4 different types of flooring and it’s strange looking. What’s best for resale is one style throughout. LVP is the new trend and very nice but go with what you like. When you sell, Home offers, a lot of times, reflect the plans to upgrade to one flooring style, so I would never add wood flooring in one room when the rest is tile.

[Kelevision]

As someone who just fell and broke my kneecap!! Vinyl would be my pick without a doubt.

[nob77@comcast.net]

I'm buying a house and intend to install a new floor throughout (I like one unified floor). I like porcelain tile. A friend told me to install vinyl plank because it is warmer on bare feet. I would like to hear other people's opinions, especially about which floor is best for resale (I'm not a house flipper, but I want to make a good financial decision). Thank you in advance for any comments.

I replaced my tile and carpet with lvp throughout every inch of my home. It is a seamless look and am thrilled with it! Don’t think you will regret it.

[Travilinggal]

Ceramic tile all the way! Mine looks like wood, absolutely gorgeous and easy to keep clean. I have area rugs and you don’t need a warm floor in Florida

[paulajr]

We just had LVP put down over the tile in every room of our house including bathrooms. We couldn’t be happier! The grout was always disgusting, and it was hard on our feet and joints. Best decision ever!

[Switter]

I'm buying a house and intend to install a new floor throughout (I like one unified floor). I like porcelain tile. A friend told me to install vinyl plank because it is warmer on bare feet. I would like to hear other people's opinions, especially about which floor is best for resale (I'm not a house flipper, but I want to make a good financial decision). Thank you in advance for any comments.

Since we're in Florida, I'm not sure "warmer on the feet" is as much a problem as it is up north. Most people just want something warm/soft when they step out of bed and that is what rugs are for. The other thing about tile and LVP is people should really be wearing some type of footwear. Walking around barefoot on either type of flooring every day/all day is not good for your feet, especially as we age. Both are hypoallergenic and much better than carpet, especially for people who have pets (which practically every everyone in The villages does). Both are basically waterproof.

As for resale value, flooring is a tricky thing. Tile is going to probably have a slightly higher resale value but flooring is one of the more common things people immediately swap out when they buy a house. Trends change. Like paint colors, one minute one color/style is popular and the next minute something else is. I wouldn't let resale value dictate what flooring you put in but I would definitely try to keep it somewhat neutral.

They both have their pros/cons.

LVP is easier and cheaper to install. I'm doing it myself right now. It is slightly more forgiving on the feet. It's very easy to clean and maintain. I have a tineco wet vac from Costco and it's a breeze to use. LVP can scratch and dent though, if you're not careful. If you do dent or scratch it, you can't just replace individual pieces without pulling up the Flooring because they interlock. All your furniture should have slide pads. if you do go with LVP, go with a high-quality one like Shaw flooring. I would stay away from homes and decor, they have a F rating on BBB with a ton of complaints, many of them on their nucore LVP. You also want to make sure you hire a good installer. A crappy LVP installation could make you regret installing it.

Tile is super durable but is more expensive. You also might have to deal with cleaning grout but I don't know if anyone actually does that. It is slightly harder on the feet, but again people should be wearing some type of footwear. It can crack if you drop something really heavy on it. A neighbor has tile and he's got a few crack pieces. You can replace individual tiles (unlike LVP) but I don't know how easy it is to match the grout.

Real hardwood flooring is probably the most expensive and has the highest resale value but it can dent and scratch too. I've never had real hardwood floors so I can't tell you about caring for them.

In the end, I would just do what you want. You really can't go wrong with tile, LVP, or real hardwood. It just depends on your budget and preferences. Again, probably the most important thing is to keep it neutral so people can swap out paint colors on the walls.

[Joe C.]

I prefer tile in wet areas .......tiles placed closer together to minimize grout. For the rest of the house I like engineered hardwood. For me, the wood gives the rooms a comfortable warm look that goes well with upholstered furniture.

[DonnaNi4os]

I'm buying a house and intend to install a new floor throughout (I like one unified floor). I like porcelain tile. A friend told me to install vinyl plank because it is warmer on bare feet. I would like to hear other people's opinions, especially about which floor is best for resale (I'm not a house flipper, but I want to make a good financial decision). Thank you in advance for any comments.

I have luxury vinyl planking. The reason I did not opt for tile is because tile has no cushioning and is very tough on your joints. We are all at that age when knees, hips and backs aren’t what they used to be. For that reason alone I decided to say no to tile. In addition I didn’t want to deal with cleaning grout that never really looks clean. The Bible planking is also great if you have a dog.

[Robnlaura]

I plan on setting vinyl over the tiles. If I have to put thin wood down I will. Everything breaks on tile and the grout is a nightmare..

[jimschlaefer]

I'm also interested in the opinions of those who have lived several years with a particular type of flooring, not just LVP or tile. We opted for ceramic tile in kitchen, baths, and LR/DR. After 16 years, I am beyond tired of the grout and the problems with its upkeep. It is square-shaped, 18 inch;, the grout in the plank-style tile might be thinner.

We got rid of the carpet in the bedrooms a couple years ago. Not wanting to spend a lot on flooring, we put laminate there, cheaper than LVP. We have friends who moved to Sarasota and bought a house with wood floors. She's says, although it's the most expensive, it's also the easiest floor to maintain she's ever had (and it is truly beautiful). She too was sick of grout.

We have both in our PCB condo for the last 5 years, which we rent out. Love the vinyl and it still looks new even with, basically, commercial traffic. Our home here in TV is all ceramic. Yes, it is noisier, but haven't noticed a lot of temp differences. If I was doing the whole house 'again', I would do tile in the kitchen and bath areas with vinyl plank in the rest of the house. If you go for plank, get the best you can afford, you'll appreciate the results in the long haul.

[Ponygirl]

Have wood grain plank porcelain tile throughout in a herringbone pattern Really love it

No problem with grout and it is in a darker color similar to the floor color Cost approx 7000. Including new wider baseboard

Concern abt off gassing from LVP

[Susan1717]

When I. South florida we had installed large 36 x 36 porcelain tiles. Looked amazing and so easy to keep clean. Our home sold immediately because it gave it some real wow factor. We just remodeled again and decided to go differently. This time we used porcelain again but the type that looks like a wood floor. We picked times that are 12” by 6’. Hardly any grout and again do easy to keep clean. These are easier on the feet than the shiny 36x36 tiles but I love them both. Area rugs make it cozy getting out of bed and under the couch area as well. We have the LVP on our summer condo out of state. We had to go that route to cover up the existing flooring. I’m actually quite happy with both but my pick would still be the porcelain wood look.

[airstreamingypsy]

I detest tile floors, think they only belong in bathrooms. I had never seen tile living rooms and bedrooms until I moved to Florida.

I have wood floors, but between tile and LVP, no question......LVP.

[JRcorvette]

I'm buying a house and intend to install a new floor throughout (I like one unified floor). I like porcelain tile. A friend told me to install vinyl plank because it is warmer on bare feet. I would like to hear other people's opinions, especially about which floor is best for resale (I'm not a house flipper, but I want to make a good financial decision). Thank you in advance for any comments.

Keeping tile grout looking nice is a real pain. Go with hardwood it’s easy to maintain and looks classy! In the winter months it is not so Cold on your feet.

[Cupcake57]

I bought my new home in 2020 and before I moved in I had Flooring Masters on 301 install LVP through the entire house-I couldn't stand the look of the cheap, dull rolled vinyl the Villages had installed. There are different levels of quality to LVP and the one I liked was an upgrade- I have had no damage, and I scoot around on the kitchen chairs, slide the heavy furniture around, etc and no damage. No blistering. There is texture to it, and I don't find it slick and have had no trouble for visiting doggies. As far as resale, who cares, and I think esthetically having one type of flooring throughout looks better. Warmer, safer, and happy to say that I never wear shoes/socks/slippers in the house.

[jacqueline larsen]

LVP is less expensive, gentle on your feet and more attractive.
Tile will last till after you’re deceased

[HJBeck]

My opinion is Vinyl Plant. Easy on the feet, easy to clean for Romba, water spills wont bother it, nor will moisture coming through the concrete floor.

[SusanStCatherine]

I personally know several people having LVP installed right over two to three year old existing tile floors. I have LVP and love it. I also know people with tile and they struggle to keep the grout looking clean.

[SusanStCatherine]

If you go with LVP, get high quality with a thick wear layer and you should have no problems with scratches, dents, bubbling, etc. If you go with tile, ask about high quality grout (we had epoxy grout in last house and was great).

[Karmanng]

TV has changed the type of flooring they use many times over the years. Square tile in 12, 16, 18, 20, and 24 inch, rectangular tile, engineered hardwood, LVP, and now Vinyl roll flooring, all along with carpet in various rooms. The engineered hardwood didn't last long, LVP is now fading away, the wood look rectangular tile is also fading away. Over the years we have had hardwood, tile, and also LVP. I prefer the hardwood but they just don't use it here, second I would choose the large 24" square tile put down diagonally, the LVP blisters, it is easily cut if you drop something sharp on it, and leaves marks from heavy furniture. This is just my opinion, it's pretty hard to hurt porcelain tile and it's easy to clean if you have sealed grout.

Even thou you have interlocking LVP you still need to have grout to blend the seams together.............there are lots of ceramic tiles out there that look like real wood and feel great.........

[Karmanng]

We had mostly tile (carpet in the bedrooms, hallways and family room) completely removed in 2019 and had Shaw's LVP installed in all the carpeted areas to include the stairs.

Love it. No more carpet matting or wear patterns through the common areas. Easier to clean up and dirt, grass, pine needles, or burrs that happen to hitchhike in on the dogs.

Also--as somebody else mentioned the size of the tiles 8" through 24" do not seem to "age" well. They seem to date the home back to when those sized tiles were the vogue. (Like avocado appliances)

One big advantage to the LVP is that when you decide to replace the flooring a decade from now it is MUCH easier to remove LVP than ceramic tile. The machines, buffers, chippers, dust vacuums, etc., required to remove the ceramic tile is a huge inconvenience and mess--not to mention the cost to remove it.

The downside to LVP is that our dogs tend to slip a bit on the vinyl (but no nail marks at all) and we are required to wear house slippers or crocs everywhere now to head off foot pain and planters fasciitis. Walking on hard surfaces for a few days definitely made our feet sore.

theres dustless removal and have heard it works wonders and barely any dust too!

[GoneFishing]

When we bought our house over 3 years ago the first thing we did was replace the tile and carpet with LVP throughout the house. We absolutely love it! It is very easy to keep clean.

[Boilerman]

We have ceramic tile and hate it. We had the grout cleaned then painted but it’s a battle to keep it looking good. If I was looking today, I’d avoid houses with tile.

[GWilliams]

I'm buying a house and intend to install a new floor throughout (I like one unified floor). I like porcelain tile. A friend told me to install vinyl plank because it is warmer on bare feet. I would like to hear other people's opinions, especially about which floor is best for resale (I'm not a house flipper, but I want to make a good financial decision). Thank you in advance for any comments.

Anything that is mold resistant

[Wilkyswordanddagger]

We went with cork back Armstrong vinyl flooring that is UV guaranteed and waterproof. It’s about 10 percent relief of pressure under foot than tile. We had 3 water leaks since, and it held up great. Sunlight affects everything here and I wanted the UV protection for bleaching out of the color. I wasn’t aware of my feet being so sensitive to the hard surfaces here and had to remove the tile due to plantar fasciitis. I’m sure most people are not affected, but it made a difference in our decisions for flooring. We can’t have carpet due to allergies. Lots to think about, hope this helps.

[coffeebean]

We too are house hunting and I can tell you that one type of flooring throughout the house is the way to go. All the homes have 3-4 different types of flooring and it’s strange looking. What’s best for resale is one style throughout. LVP is the new trend and very nice but go with what you like. When you sell, Home offers, a lot of times, reflect the plans to upgrade to one flooring style, so I would never add wood flooring in one room when the rest is tile.

Our older home, from 2007, has two types of flooring. We have wide plank laminate in the common areas. All other areas (wet) have ceramic tile. At least I think it is ceramic. Not sure if it is porcelain. I would prefer one type of flooring throughout but this isn't offensive in any way. The wet areas (baths, kitchen, laundry room, entry foyer) are deliniated from the dry areas so it seems to flow OK.

[ckcapaul]

I'm buying a house and intend to install a new floor throughout (I like one unified floor). I like porcelain tile. A friend told me to install vinyl plank because it is warmer on bare feet. I would like to hear other people's opinions, especially about which floor is best for resale (I'm not a house flipper, but I want to make a good financial decision). Thank you in advance for any comments.

We installed LVP 3 years ago and have had no issues, have some tile but prefer the LVP
used good quality commercial grade with extra wear layer.

[La lamy]

Have wood grain plank porcelain tile throughout in a herringbone pattern Really love it

No problem with grout and it is in a darker color similar to the floor color Cost approx 7000. Including new wider baseboard

Concern abt off gassing from LVP

I have sensitivity to off gassing and found there was little to none when I was installing. It helps that the LVP is stored in cardboard boxes that 'breathe' versus plastic bags. No smell at all once installed in my experience.

[La lamy]

Even thou you have interlocking LVP you still need to have grout to blend the seams together.............there are lots of ceramic tiles out there that look like real wood and feel great.........

Are you saying LVP needs grout at the interlocking seam? This would be very silly in my opinion. Zero need. The tiles or planks are built to look like they have a 'grout line', and if installed properly, they are perfectly sealed.

[allsport]

I'm buying a house and intend to install a new floor throughout (I like one unified floor). I like porcelain tile. A friend told me to install vinyl plank because it is warmer on bare feet. I would like to hear other people's opinions, especially about which floor is best for resale (I'm not a house flipper, but I want to make a good financial decision). Thank you in advance for any comments.

I have tile throughout my living areas and would get rid of it for luxury vinyl. The upgraded vinyl that is thick is beautiful and indestructible. Go LVT any time, it looks just like wood without all the issues.

[TeresaE]

I'm buying a house and intend to install a new floor throughout (I like one unified floor). I like porcelain tile. A friend told me to install vinyl plank because it is warmer on bare feet. I would like to hear other people's opinions, especially about which floor is best for resale (I'm not a house flipper, but I want to make a good financial decision). Thank you in advance for any comments.

LVP is great until a pet pees on it because the urine can seep through to the subfloor and stink up the whole place. You can’t get it out.

[phousel]

True but……as pointed out by another responder, LVT does “blister”. We had Mohawk LVT installed throughout the house. There is only very small but annoying blister in the dining room. Small and barely noticeable but I know it’s there and will need to have repaired…….someday

I installed LVT in my previous home. Current TV house had it already (big plus IMO). No "blisters". Only complaint is there is "quarter round" molding on base board. Most homes I have seen have it (even new construction). Would not have any other flooring.

[Switter]

LVP is great until a pet pees on it because the urine can seep through to the subfloor and stink up the whole place. You can’t get it out.

I'm not so sure about this. The whole point of LVP is it is waterproof and the interlocking pieces are extremely tight. Maybe you're thinking of laminate flooring, which isn't waterproof?

[airstreamingypsy]

Ceramic tile all the way! Mine looks like wood, absolutely gorgeous and easy to keep clean. I have area rugs and you don’t need a warm floor in Florida

You don't want ceramic tile on a floor..... if you tile it should be porcelain.

[andercat]

We have both, removed the carper after several years. We installed Mohawk Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring; this is 100% vinyl and completely waterproof. Yes, there is a definite temperature difference to bare feet. This product is installed DIRECTLY over the concrete, NO glue, NO cushion, result a very low-cost installation. Repair is very easy, and if you happen to get a leak THERE WILL BE NO DAMAGE to the flooring. We have had this down for over 3 years with no sign of wear, Also, the material is quiet, tile and many of the engineered wood floors tend to be noisy and you hear a lot of echos, this floor is almost as quiet as carpet. This was purchased at Lowe's and installed by myself.

I'm asking about installation of LVP. We went to Floor and Decor in Clermont and the sales people told us all LVP need an underlayment to keep moisture from coming up from the ground beneath the concrete. They said if you didn't have some type of barrier moisture could get underneath the LVP and there could be a problem with mold formation. Is this true?

[villagetinker]

I'm asking about installation of LVP. We went to Floor and Decor in Clermont and the sales people told us all LVP need an underlayment to keep moisture from coming up from the ground beneath the concrete. They said if you didn't have some type of barrier moisture could get underneath the LVP and there could be a problem with mold formation. Is this true?

I went with the manufacturer's recommended installation which I downloaded from the Mohawk site. I am GUESSING they are talking about a different product. IMHO with the product I used I cannot see how any underlayment would be different than the 100% vinyl waterproof product I used.

[coffeebean]

LVP is great until a pet pees on it because the urine can seep through to the subfloor and stink up the whole place. You can’t get it out.

Friends of ours in Houston had the first floor of their home flooded out during those terrible floods a few years ago. The filthy contaminated water level in their home was 5 feet. When the repairs were done, the drywall was removed six feet up the walls along with all the base boards, the cabinetry had to be replaced and the furniture was put out on the street. The ceramic tile floor remained and was unscathed. Ceramic tile is impenetrable and indestructible. So, there is that!

[PJfromCincy]

I'm buying a house and intend to install a new floor throughout (I like one unified floor). I like porcelain tile. A friend told me to install vinyl plank because it is warmer on bare feet. I would like to hear other people's opinions, especially about which floor is best for resale (I'm not a house flipper, but I want to make a good financial decision). Thank you in advance for any comments.

You say you like tile, your friend likes LVP. If you like tile, buy it. Let your friend get LVP. I have tile in whole house, I do not want to ever have to replace flooring again. It is dark wood plank look, I think it is timeless. I love it!!

[Glowing Horizon]

I prefer tile in wet areas .......tiles placed closer together to minimize grout. For the rest of the house I like engineered hardwood. For me, the wood gives the rooms a comfortable warm look that goes well with upholstered furniture.
Have had engineered hardwood for 40+years in two homes up North. Wood floors can splinter, scratch & are slippery especially for pets but wood floors are also beautiful & easy to clean.

A couple of big drawbacks to wood are sun bleaching & problems with moisture.Mine have bleached unevenly from the (weak!) Northern sunlight coming in thru windows leaving marks where an area rug or furniture has been. This would undoubtedly be a lot worse in sunny FL! Wood may be able to be sanded & re-stained & refinished but a would be a dusty, smelly messy & expensive project. While you may think you have no moisture risks, concrete can draw in (wick?) ground moisture under the wood flooring. That’s why Northerners are warned not to put wood flooring in basements.

Hope this helps someone. I love one LVP throughout the whole house. LVP is so easy to clean & the decision feels a lot less “permanent”

[Switter]

I'm asking about installation of LVP. We went to Floor and Decor in Clermont and the sales people told us all LVP need an underlayment to keep moisture from coming up from the ground beneath the concrete. They said if you didn't have some type of barrier moisture could get underneath the LVP and there could be a problem with mold formation. Is this true?

It's probably unlikely but better safe than sorry. You can use 6 mil poly. I picked up a 1000 square-foot roll from Lowes for $79. You don't need the expensive stuff.

Just an FYI, floors and decors has a F rating on BBB (if I didn't already say that before). Personally I had steer clear of them but that's me. Lowe's carries stainmaster and a couple others which I guess are made by Shaw flooring.

[Glowing Horizon]

I went with the manufacturer's recommended installation which I downloaded from the Mohawk site. I am GUESSING they are talking about a different product. IMHO with the product I used I cannot see how any underlayment would be different than the 100% vinyl waterproof product I used.

I wonder about the possibility of moisture intrusion from concrete “wicking” ground moisture. Do you know if the concrete under the plastic underlayment which is under plastic (vinyl) flooring could create a mold issue? Is the plastic treated with a mold inhibitor? Genuinely curious. LVP is my preference but this could be a game-changer if it’s an issue. Have you researched mold?

[beckylou152]

I have tile that came with my house and I think it looks very nice. It is easy to care for and the grout hasn’t been a problem ( we don’t have pets). We have LVP on our enclosed lanai that also looks nice. If I were choosing LVP, I would get an upscale brand because I’ve seen some LVP that looks terrible. My husband owns a flooring business up. North and he says for sure you get what you pay for in terms of quality. We have carpet in our bedrooms that will someday need replaced, and we will likely go with carpet again because we also like living on carpet in the bedrooms. So it is up to you, just don’t go cheap!

[pabotticelli]

We have both tile and lux vinyl and find the vinyl so much easier to clean.

[Blondesare]

I would advice doing your research and find experts to educate you on your options. I went to Floors of Distinction in Leesburg. It's a family owned business that has been around for a long time and they have a great showroom. They will educate and show you each style of flooring available with all the benefits and draw backs of each type. Engineered hardwood is the only flooring that increases your home's value, but it is more expensive than other options and not recommended for bathrooms. Waterproof laminate is a great option as it is more dent and scratch resistant than LVP and can be used in the entire home. They use a moisture barrier under LVP and laminate. I was able to take a variety of samples so I could see what looked best in my home. Floors of Distinction then came out and did a measure and quoted the flooring that I liked best. At the measure it was also discussed on the pluses and minuses of each type of flooring and pricing. I was very happy as I felt I made and educated decision based on looks, wearability and price. They really take care of their customers and have in house installers. I had a lot of wrong facts from big box stores as they tend to be not trained or not knowledgeable on the real facts. Flooring for your home is an investment and as a consumer we need to invest some time also to find out what works best for you.