Companies quickly realized the potential of laminate wood flooring and were quick to capitalize on the benefits it offered to the consumer. When the demand for greater options in flooring styles and colors began to exceed their product line, companies rushed to fill the void. Now you can select from every species imaginable; from cherry and mahogany to the more common oak and maple. Laminate flooring manufacturers even offered hand stained versions often making them indistinguishable from regular hardwood floors.

Determining which hardwood floor best suits your needs depends largely on the location in which you plan to install it. Certain brands are better suited for basements and kitchens, due to their resistance to moisture and humidity. Other brands are better suited for common rooms such as dens, family rooms and bedrooms. It’s important to factor in the amount of foot traffic for your potential floor when making your selection. High traffic areas should look to select thicker laminate flooring with a durable finish.

For homeowners looking for the right floor to install in a basement or kitchen area than a vinyl laminate floor is probably the best way to go. Vinyl laminate flooring is much more resistant to moisture than laminate flooring manufactured from composite materials. This flooring is available in hardwood styles and designs and is also available in porcelain or ceramic tile designs. Whether you chose a wood or ceramic tile design, both are installed essentially the same way. Each panel of flooring uses inter-locking seams along their edges to join each panel together. The result is a seamless look between panels giving the finished product the look of a continuous wood floor. This project doesn’t require a high skill level so it can even be undertaken by a “do-it-yourself” homeowner, eliminating the need to hire a costly contractor.

Laminate floors produced from composite materials are better suited for family rooms and bedrooms given they provide the look and feel of natural hardwood floors. There are a wide range of wood laminate flooring that differs in thickness and finish. The thicker the flooring and the more durable the finish, the more expensive the flooring will be. However, the most expensive laminate floors rarely exceed $6 a square foot making them an extremely economical choice. Further enhancing their appeal is the fact they are installed much in the same way vinyl laminate floors are installed. They require no messy glues or fasteners and require the same skill level as vinyl laminate flooring.
After installing your new flooring, maintaining your home investment is easier than that of other flooring products. There are several products designed specifically for maintaining laminate flooring such as micro-fiber mops and floor cleaning solutions. Each of these products does a fine job but these floors can be cleaned by just using a damp mop and an all-purpose cleaner. Each flooring manufacturer differs in the warranty they offer and some range from 5 years to up to 15 years. The makers of better and more expensive laminate floors tend to stand behind their products by providing longer and more comprehensive warranties.

Designers working for cost conscious clients can use the look and natural beauty of laminate floors at a fraction of the cost of hardwood flooring. Laminate flooring has advanced to the point that most types now have the realistic look and feel of natural wood. This flooring is a fantastic way for a homeowner to bring a sense of warmth and character to any room. These floors are being used in an ever increasing number for basement, kitchen and just about any other flooring renovation. Now when considering your next home renovation, you have the added option of selecting a durable, affordable, and most important, beautiful floor.

Flooring companies quickly realized that people really liked the look of vinyl wood plank floors when coupled with their relatively low cost. As home renovations increased and sales of this product continued to rise, companies began to offer more and more variations to choose from. Now vinyl wood plank floors are available in several different species with different color variations and designs.
Oak remains one of the most popular species replicated in the production of different types of vinyl wood plank floors. These types of wood floors are available in numerous stain variations that range from the light and natural finish to the dark amber colors. Vinyl oak flooring is available in different size planks, allowing for the individual wood pieces that comprise the plank to be arranged in different patterns.
After oak, maple is the second most popular species of vinyl flooring chosen by consumers. Like oak, maple is available in a natural finish as well as light and dark stain variations to complement any interior design imaginable. In terms of pricing, oak and maple vinyl flooring is comparable, with both types costing about $1 to $2 a square foot.

As the popularity of exotic solid wood floors like mahogany and bamboo increased these species began to appear in vinyl floors as well. Now vinyl wood plank floors can give the homeowner the style of exotic hardwoods and finishes at a fraction of the cost of the real thing. Also, installing a mahogany or other exotic hardwood floor is quite labor intensive and can be rather expensive for a professional installation. But with the ease of installation associated with vinyl flooring, homeowners can realize considerable savings even when using a professional flooring contractor.

Vinyl wood plank floors are a great alternative to tile or solid wood floors in Kitchen areas since they can take a beating with very little visible results. Vinyl wood flooring provides much better protection against moisture than solid wood floors that often warp and bow under intense moisture. Vinyl floors are also much more resistant to impact damage than ceramic tile floors or solid wood floors, which can chip or scratch quite easily. Maintaining vinyl wood floors is a breeze considering all they require is a damp mop, some soapy water and a little elbow grease.

Whereas solid wood flooring and ceramic tile require expensive power tools in order to complete the installation, vinyl wood plank flooring requires nothing more than a tape measure and utility knife. Installing a solid wood floor will require a miter saw, a jig saw, and a flooring nail gun along with experience in finish carpentry. Installing ceramic tile floors is both labor intensive and messy due to the fact that ceramic tile is set in a bed of thinset mortar. Further complicating the installation process is the need for a wet saw and grinder to accurately complete the difficult cuts.

When considering remodeling the flooring in one or multiple rooms in your home it is definitely beneficial to consider the advantages of vinyl wood plank flooring. Compared to solid wood flooring and ceramic tile, vinyl flooring can offer a cost effective design option that can brighten up any room. When choosing the right type of flooring for your home, one must weigh all the factors in order to select the right product that works well with your existing finishes. Vinyl wood plank flooring offers the warmth and beauty of wood flooring with the ease of installation and maintenance that are inherent in vinyl flooring.

Hardwood flooring is an ideal choice for family rooms, bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and even kitchens. Their natural beauty and ability to be stained in any shade imaginable compliments any room there installed in. There are two main categories that hardwood flooring can be broken down into: unfinished and prefinished.

The most common species of wood used for hardwood flooring would have to be oak followed by maple. Other species commonly used for both unfinished and prefinished wood floors are walnut, cherry, mahogany, and bamboo. Unfinished wood flooring arrives from the factory in its natural state, ready for installation. The most common widths for hardwood flooring are 2 ½” but manufacturers make flooring in 3 ½”, 4” and 6” widths as well.

The emergence of pre-finished hardwood flooring has quickly become a popular choice since it eliminates the time consuming steps required to finish the floor. Pre-finished wood flooring is offered in oak, maple, mahogany, cherry, bamboo and walnut in the widths mentioned above. Pre-finished wood floors also come in countless stain variations to please even the most demanding of homeowners. After to the stain process, wood flooring also receives several coats of polyurethane at the factory to complete the pre-finishing process. The polyurethane helps to protect the floor from everyday wear and tear enabling the manufacturer to provide warranties of up to 15 years. Since the pre-finished floors are solid wood they can also be re-finished once their luster begins to fade.

There are several steps in the installation process for unfinished hardwood floors that are not required for pre-finished floors. Before the flooring is installed a layer of rosin paper must be installed over the plywood subfloor. The rosin paper acts like a vapor barrier between the subfloor and hardwood floor. When installing the rosin paper its recommended to overlap the seams by at least 6” to ensure proper coverage.
After the rosin paper is installed, the installation of the wood flooring can begin. Whether you decide to go with a pre-finished or natural wood, the installation of the actual flooring is the same. All hardwood flooring is tongue-and-groove meaning that the tongue section of one piece fits perfectly into the groove of another piece. The floor is then nailed to the sub floor with a special nail gun that uses either flooring nails or staples. When laying out the floor, it’s important to remember to stagger the butt end seams of each row so that they are at least 8” away from each other.

If a natural unfinished wood floor has been installed then there are several steps required to finish the floor. Once all the flooring has been installed then the finish process can begin. First the floor must be sanded to remove any imperfections. If a certain color is desired then a mix of stains can be concocted to achieve any color imaginable. After the stain is applied the floor must dry for at least 24 hours. Then at least two more coats of clear polyurethane will be applied to give the floor a great glow and help protect it against fading. If the homeowner prefers the natural look of the wood selected, than the polyurethane can be applied directly after the flooring has been installed. The whole process takes about 4 days to complete during which there can’t be any type of foot traffic on the floors.

Installing a hardwood floor is no easy task, especially if it’s going to require a natural or stained finish. The initial sanding of an unfinished floor requires a delicate touch so as not to leave any visible marks on the flooring. Not to mention the sanding equipment required to perform this work is quite expensive.
Homeowners who spend the time to research the best hardwood floor for their home coupled with a reputable contractor to install it will enjoy all the benefits a beautiful hardwood floor can bring to a home.

There are several advantages associated with installing vinyl wood flooring in your home over other types of flooring. Vinyl flooring is a very durable product which is a direct result of its manufacturing process. Companies have developed advanced production techniques that allow them to build attractive yet durable flooring. Layers of wood laminate are glued together using a specially formulated adhesives and compounds. The layers of material laminated together are what give the floor its strength, while the wood composites give the vinyl floor the look of real wood.

When it comes to design styles and options homeowners want to have their cake and eat it too. Ask any homeowner what they’re looking for in a floor product and you’re most likely to get the same answer; a beautiful floor at a reasonable cost. Vinyl wood flooring is available in just about any style and color you could think of. Using new embossing techniques, manufacturers are able to produce strikingly realistic oak, maple, walnut, cherry, bamboo, and mahogany vinyl wood floors. Each of these different classifications of wood can be stained during the production process to suit the preference of any consumer. Or if the homeowner prefers, the natural look of the wood can be preserved by applying protective coating over the laminated wood.

Further enhancing their appeal is the ease of which these floors can be installed. Vinyl wood flooring is constructed in planks whose average size is 6” x 48”. The larger planks require less time to install than traditional wood flooring, whose widths usually average 2 ½” or 3 ½” per piece. Less labor time means a reduced cost to install vinyl wood flooring over ceramic tile or traditional hardwood flooring. To cut down on the installation time, this flooring incorporates interlocking seams along the leading edges of each panel. This allows the flooring to be installed without any glue or fasteners.

Of course with any product there are always going to be disadvantages associated with it. This flooring, although durable, does not hold up well to excessive moisture. Once a vinyl wood floor has been subjected to water damage it will eventually begin to warp as well as de-laminate. The term de-laminate refers to the failure of the glue adhering the layers of composites together, causing the wood plank to peel. Once this product begins to fail, it will need to be replaced as repairing the floor is not really an option.

As far as maintenance is concerned, this flooring is perhaps one of the easiest of all to clean and maintain. When cleaning a vinyl wood floor all that is required is a damp mop, a decent cleaning solution, and a little effort. Their protective coatings not only give the floor a high gloss shine, they help protect the floor against dirt. One of the great things about the lack of glue and fasteners when installing vinyl floors is that it gives the homeowner the ability to replace damaged sections with relative ease. Since the panels snap together, new panels can interlock with existing panels allowing for a seamless repair.

The benefits of vinyl wood flooring when compared to other floor products far outweigh the disadvantages. Not only will the installation of one of these floors enhance the look of any room, they also provide a durable floor that will last years after they’ve been installed. These floors truly combine both form and function to deliver a superior product for homeowners. Today, the homeowner no longer has to sacrifice quality to get an affordable product for their home.

Comparing the cost of the two products reveals that wood look vinyl flooring is considerably less expensive than hardwood flooring. There are different grades of both hardwood and vinyl wood flooring so comparing the cost of the two products isn’t always apples to apples. But generally speaking, vinyl wood floors can save a homeowner between $2 and $4 a square foot on average over hardwood floors. If you decide to hire a contractor then the labor costs for installing a vinyl wood floor are also less than that for installing hardwood flooring. Since installing a vinyl floor requires very little experience, a confident homeowner can eliminate the cost of a contractor and install the floor themselves.

Wood look vinyl flooring is offered in walnut, bamboo, oak, maple, and cherry among other wood species. Advanced embossing methods have led to the development of extremely realistic looking and feeling vinyl wood flooring. These new methods capture both the unique grain and knot patterns of these exotic woods. Not only do these floors have the look of real wood, they also feel like wood to the touch. Now homeowners don’t have to sacrifice design options when selecting a wood floor manufactured with vinyl materials.

Where any type of vinyl flooring exceeds expectations is in its ability to be installed with very little tools or a high degree of skill. This flooring is designed to be very user-friendly for homeowners who decide to install it themselves. Each individual piece has an interlocking seam along the leading edges. The seams lock the panel into place with the previously installed panel and the process is repeated. There are specialized flooring kits that provide customized tools designed specifically for installing vinyl flooring. The kits can be found at your local flooring supply store.

As with any product there are always disadvantages as well as advantages to consider before making your selection. Although companies have come a long way in making realistic wood look vinyl floors, for some people, there is just no substitute for the real thing. Vinyl wood flooring is not very water resistant and will damage easily in heavy flooding which happens to be another one of its drawbacks. It’s this reason alone that when these floors are installed in basements, they are done so with a degree of risk. A vinyl wood floor in a flooded basement cannot be repaired and will have to be replaced.

Once you’ve installed a vinyl wood floor maintaining it couldn’t be any easier. These floors can be cleaned with regular mopping and very little else. Another great thing about these floors is that they’re also highly stain resistant. Before leaving the factory the flooring receives an application of a polyurethane-like material that helps protect the floor against damage. The coating also helps keep the floor clean by preventing dirt from making its way into the grain, where it’s hard to remove.

When strolling the aisles of the home improvement retailers its clearly evident that these floors offer numerous styles. Wood look vinyl flooring certainly has come a long way since its introduction into the residential and commercial building markets. But one thing is for certain. With manufacturers striving to produce wood looking vinyl floors that look and feel like the real thing; wood look vinyl flooring will be here for many years to come.

When homeowners plan and budget any type of renovation every cost factor associated with that project has to be taken into account.  Not only do you have to factor in the cost of material, but every labor hour must be accounted for as well.  Certain flooring types require more effort to install than others and also require more ancillary materials to complete the flooring system.

Installing a hardwood floor can often take several days depending on the room size and layout of the floor.  Since the average homeowner lacks the experience to properly install a hardwood floor you will probably require the services of a contractor.  Homeowners now have to factor in the cost of hiring a contractor in addition to the cost of the material.  Vinyl floor planks, on the other hand, are very easy to install.  Most contractors can complete the installation of the floor in a day.

Ceramic tile is another flooring system that takes a great deal of time to install correctly.  The combination of mixing thinset mortar, installing the tile, and grouting makes this flooring system the most labor intensive.  Since the material is also very expensive, hiring a contractor to lay the floor will not only save you aggravation but will help protect your investment as well.  The application of a grout and tile sealer will also add time onto the overall installation.  But skipping this step is not recommended since the sealer helps to preserve the look and color of both the tile and grout.  As with hardwood flooring the installation of a vinyl floor planks will save a tremendous amount of labor time.

Like hardwood flooring, vinyl floor planks can be installed in just about every room in the house, with the exception of the bathroom.  Since vinyl floor planks are constructed of composite materials, they can be produced in a variety of tile and wood configurations.  Some examples of the different types of wood vinyl floor planks are bamboo, cherry, oak, maple, and walnut.  Other types of vinyl floor planks have the look of porcelain and slate tile.  Advancements in production techniques have enabled manufacturers to produce floors that even feel like wood and tile.

What makes these floors an ideal choice for high traffic areas is their ability to be installed in very little time.  No one likes the inconvenience associated with ripping up an old floor and replacing it with a new one.  Especially in high traffic areas such as kitchens and hallways.  The interlocking seam along the edges of each plank allows them to snap together without the use of glue or nails.  In most instances these floors can be installed in one working day if you hire a contractor to perform this work.  But if you’re feeling up to it, these floors can also be installed by the average homeowner with very little tools and experience.

Once you’ve installed your floor you can rest assure that vinyl floor planks will last for a substantial amount of time.   Their ability to resist scratching and impact damage also makes them an ideal choice for basement flooring.  Since they are produced from composite materials these floors are more resistant to moisture than hardwood flooring.  Cleaning these floors is very simple as well with all that’s required being a good mop and cleaning solution.  Some manufacturers produce cleaning kits that include specialized mops and cleaners that are designed specifically for vinyl floor planks.

Now when you consider replacing the floor in a room or if you’re looking to install a no-hassle floor in your basement then you should consider vinyl floor planks.  Their ability to provide a great looking floor at an affordable price will make your decision seem like a no-brainer.

The kitchen and bathroom remains two of the most active areas in a home so it makes sense to choose a durable floor.  Tile flooring whether it’s  marble, porcelain, slate or ceramic is a very durable material while also providing a superior level of protection against water damage.  Since the kitchen and bathroom floors are subject to the most water exposure, choosing a material the gives you the most protection against moisture will save you a lot of headaches down the road.  Although laminate flooring can provide the look of tile flooring it’s nowhere close to the level of moisture protection that tile flooring guarantees.

The one drawback of tile flooring compared to other products like vinyl flooring is the cost associated with these floors.  Tile floors unlike laminate floors require an experienced craftsman to install properly.  Given the skill level in setting tile as well as making the difficult cuts around plumbing fixtures and door jambs; installing this floor is not recommended for a beginner.  In addition to working with the tile, installers must be capable of mixing and working with thinset mortar.  This material is spread over the subfloor with a ¼” trowel creating a bed of mortar in which the tiles are set.  Inexperience in mixing this material will result in too much or too little water in the mortar, causing the tiles to set-up improperly.  A good tile flooring contractor can make the difference between a nice looking floor and a spectacular looking floor.

In addition to the increased costs in labor for installing a tile floor, the costs of the materials themselves are greater than that of laminate or vinyl floors.  Marble and limestone are the most expensive materials used in tile flooring with porcelain and ceramic tiles being the cheapest of the four.  Every tile floor requires the selection of a grout type and color to complete the installation.  Depending on your selections, grout and tile can run anywhere from $4 a square foot up to $10 a square foot.

Where  tile floors really separate themselves from vinyl or laminate floors is with their ability to conform to any design and color scheme fathomable.  Floor tile is available in a wide range of sizes from smaller sizes of 8”x8” to larger sizes such as 24”x24”.  Another popular size and design for tile floors is called mosaic tile flooring.  These tile floors are made up of small individual tiles that are arranged in a pattern on an adhesive backed mesh sheet.  The size of the sheet can vary from 12”x12” to 18”x18”

Most distributors offer numerous accent tiles and inserts to complement your design.  Tile floors can also be installed on a 45° angle to the room, giving the floor a diamond pattern.  Adding a custom tile insert at the center of 4 converging tiles is a popular design feature that can achieve breathtaking results.  Mosaic and larger tiles are all capable of being installed in the diamond patter as well, giving homeowners and designer’s infinite possibilities.

Maintaining a tile floor is made easier if a tile and grout sealer was applied after the floor installation was completed.  The sealer actually penetrates the grout and tile forming a protective barrier against stains and discoloring.  The seal actually makes the floor easier to clean by preventing the dirt from working its way into the porous parts of the tile.  If a high quality sealer was applied than all that is required to keep your floor looking new for long time is some soap, water and a mop.

When properly installed, tile flooring is unsurpassed in its ability to provide a moisture resistant floor for your bathroom or kitchen while also enhancing the overall look of your home.

Ceramic tile is most often installed in potentially wet locations such as basement, kitchens, and bathrooms due to the exceptional ability to resist moisture damage.  However, most people would not want to install vinyl wood plank floors in their bathroom for obvious reasons.  Although somewhat moisture resistant, it offers far less protection against water damage than a ceramic tile floor.  However, that does not mean that homeowners can’t consider vinyl wood plank floors for their basements or kitchens.

Anyone undertaking a kitchen or basement renovation is going to be concerned, first and foremost, with the overall cost of the project.  Installing ceramic tile floors are very labor intensive and require a high degree of skill to not only lay the tile floor but to grout it as well.  The labor costs, in addition to the cost of the material, can make installing ceramic tile floors a costly proposition.  Depending on your selection, some tiles can cost upwards of $10 per square foot.  Homeowners who choose to incorporate accent tiles or borders in your tile pattern will find that this drives the cost up even higher.  Custom accent and border tiles can cost up to $12 per linear foot.

Vinyl wood plank floors not only cost less than ceramic tiles per square foot, they also take considerably less time to install.   These floors require no mortar bed like ceramic tile nor do they require expensive equipment to complete cutting the tiles.  All that’s required to install these floors are a minimal number of tools and very little experience.   Vinyl wood plank floors do require an underlayment that will have to be installed between the sub floor and vinyl wood floor.  This underlayment acts as both a vapor barrier and a sound barrier beneath the vinyl floor.  After the underlayment is installed, the vinyl floor planks fit together using interlocking seams.  No glue or nailing is required to install these floors.   The material itself can cost $2 to $5 a square foot which offers some big savings over ceramic tile floors.

Today, companies are capable of producing vinyl wood plank floors in a variety of designs and colors.  Species such as maple, oak, walnut, cherry, mahogany and bamboo are commonly produced using a variety of stain options to give the homeowner even more selections.  The techniques used today not only produce realistic looking and feeling wood floors, they also produce a durable floor.  Most companies stand behind their product by offering 15 and sometime 25 year warranties.

Maintaining vinyl wood plank floors is much easier than maintaining a ceramic tile floor.  Cleaning a vinyl floor only requires a good cleaning solution and a damp mop.  Also, vinyl floors are much more resistant to impact damage than ceramic tiles, which chip and crack quite easily.  Replacing damaged ceramic tile is also much more labor intensive than replacing a damage section of vinyl wood flooring.

Despite all the apparent advantages of installing vinyl wood plank floors over ceramic tiles, there are still a few disadvantages as well.  The major disadvantage of installing these floors is their inability to withstand water damage.  Excessive moisture will lead to these floors warping and delaminating over time.  In most cases, due to the ability of water to work its way into the smallest openings, these floors will have to be replaced rather than repaired.

Renovating your basement or kitchen or any floor for that matter can be a stressful task.  Not only are homeowners concerned about the overall look of the final project but equally important is the final cost of the project as well.  By carefully reviewing their options, homeowners and consumers can find both a cost effective and beautiful floor.

Then main species used in the production of wood flooring is Moso due to its abundance in China and other Asian countries.  The type of bamboo flooring used in most North American homes differs greatly from the bamboo flooring traditionally installed in Asian homes.  But each type of flooring offers the same advantages over other types of wood flooring.  In particular, bamboo wood flooring is highly resistant to moisture and insects, making this the ideal wood flooring to install in kitchen areas.  Another great feature, especially in today’s environmentally sensitive market, is bamboos classification as a renewable resource by the United States Green Building Council’s LEED program.  Since bamboo is scientifically classified as a grass, it grows to mature height in about half the time of other trees.

As with any product there are always disadvantages as well as advantages to installing it in your home.  Unfortunately, even though bamboo wood flooring is a material that’s classified as environmentally friendly there are still some issues concerning its production.  The two major sticking points concern deforestation and chemicals used in the laminating process.  Many environmentalists are concerned about the rate of deforestation in order to create tree farms for the sole purpose of manufacturing trees to harvest.  The rate of natural forests that are being cleared to make way for tree farms continues to increase every year at an alarming rate.  Still, yet another concern are the types of adhesives used in the manufacturing process.  These adhesives are used when laminating the layers of bamboo into a single flooring plank.  Many companies use an adhesive which contains formaldehyde, a highly toxic chemical.  However, this practice is slowly being phased out in favor of more environmentally conscious methods.

In terms of pricing between other wood floors, bamboo is on the more expensive side.  This flooring is available in natural colors or it can be stained during production.  As one would expect, the extra steps in manufacturing a stained bamboo wood floor means it is slightly more expensive than a natural or carbonized bamboo wood floor.  Generally speaking, oak and maple laminate wood flooring, the two most common, average about $1to $3 a square foot.  On the other hand, bamboo wood flooring averages between $2.50 and $4.50 a square foot depending on the finish.

The installation process and skill level required varies depending on whether you’re installing laminate or solid wood flooring.  Solid wood flooring is considerably more difficult to install than laminate wood flooring and requires additional tools.  First and foremost, when installing either type of floor, centering the flooring so that there are even sized pieces along either side of the room is critical.  From there, the installation techniques are completely different.  In order to properly install solid wood flooring you would need a tape measure, miter saw, jig saw, and flooring nail gun.  The edges of wood flooring strips are tongue-in-groove allowing the individual pieces to lock together at which point they are fastened to the wooden subfloor using a flooring nail gun.

Laminate bamboo flooring is manufactured in planks, which contain several individual strips of bamboo in each plank.  These planks have interlocking seams that makes installing this type of floor much easier than solid wood flooring.  Because the pieces lock together, they require no glue or nailing to secure them in place.  You will need a miter saw or any type of power saw to cut the individual planks to size.

Depending on your confidence level, a laminate bamboo wood floor can be installed with relative ease.  Installing a solid wood floor however, given the skill level and equipment required, should probably be undertaken by a professional contractor to achieve the best results.  However, with a little know-how, a tape measure and some confidence, the average homeowner can install a laminate bamboo wood floor with professional results.

Installing a hardwood floor often takes a considerable amount of patience as well as a workshop full of tools and equipment.  For one thing, you will need either a pneumatic or manual floor nailing gun to secure the hardwood flooring to the subfloor.  You will also have to perform the cuts for hardwood flooring using a power saw, usually a miter box or table saw or some combination of the two will be required.

Ceramic tile is equally difficult and time consuming to install and will therefore cost more to install than vinyl floor planks.  Tile flooring is the most labor intensive out of all the flooring products available on the market today.  Not only does it take time to prep the sub floor prior to the installation but the cutting the tile to fit around doors and plumbing fixtures requires the greatest amount of time.  Installing a ceramic tile floor also requires the extra step of grouting the floor as well.  Grouting tile floors are also time consuming not to mention quite strenuous on the installer’s back as well.  As of this wasn’t enough, to ensure a long and useful life for your tile floor you will have to apply a grout and tile sealer.  This sealer prevents dirt and debris from infiltrating the porous grout lines which subsequently causes stains.  The use of a sealer becomes increasingly important if you’re installing a porous tile as well.

It doesn’t get much easier than installing vinyl floor planks for your home when compared to other flooring products.  These floors can even be installed over existing floors provided the conditions are conducive to this procedure.  The first step in the installation procedure is to install the underlayment before proceeding to the flooring.  Vinyl flooring underlayment serves two purposes; the first is to act as a vapor barrier between the subfloor and vinyl floor.  Excessive moisture will eventually cause the vinyl plank floor to warp and the seams to separate.  The second purpose that underlayment serves is to act a sound barrier between the vinyl floor and the sub floor.  This sound barrier helps to provide cushion between the vinyl floor and subfloor.

The second step of installing the vinyl plank flooring requires no glue or nails to fasten the individual floor planks together.  Each plank has an interlocking seam along the leading edges that allows each one to snap into each other.  The process requires no power tools or messy glues to complete the installation.  The interlocking seams give the sense of a seamless floor installation.

Vinyl flooring planks are not only easy to install, they provide the look of much more expensive hardwood floors at a fraction of the cost.  These flooring planks are also available in ceramic and porcelain tile styles, allowing for the look of a tile floor that can be installed in considerably less time.  No matter what style you choose, homeowners will love the fantastic look these floors can bring to any room.
If you’re looking for flooring that is both easy to install and offers an attractive alternative to higher priced alternatives than these floors are for you.  There are several different types of vinyl flooring are available at your local home improvement retailer for the homeowner to choose from.  Any homeowner that’s looking for an easy to install, do-it-yourself project need look no further than vinyl flooring planks.