Yakima, WA on Sep 12, 2011

My question is about hardwood flooring.

We have a '76 dbl wide mhome, we bought in 96 and totally painted the whole thing and installed new carpeting and vinyl. Now it is finally happening , time for new carpeting. But I am wanting hard flooring down the hall, the entry way and the kitchen. Carpeting gets matted and dirty over time in these areas. There are so many products out there.

I know I dont like the look of most laminate headwood floors.They look fake to me. I am considering cork, but not sure.

The other consideration is we are not pit set, so cold floors in the winter are a concern.

As i said there are so many products, I am confused. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

23 Comments

Hudson Designs Loganville, GA

Hardwood is a great choice, It will be colder than carpet, To add heated flooring is quite expensive. I use runner's in the winter time on my floors.

on Sep 12, 2011 · Like 1
Steve G Fort Collins, CO

Cork can sometimes get dirty, too. Go to a good flooring showroom and check out some of the newer, higher-end laminates. They look nice and are very durable. And I agree wit Hudson. Rugs and runners go a long way toward warming the floor.

on Sep 12, 2011 · Like 1
Yamini LEED AP at Urbanmo... Duluth, GA

Bernice go for 6" (wide plank) real hardwood floors and solve the cold floors problem by adding area rugs at various places. They are amazing, durable and will look great in your space. I have hardwoods - wide planks on the first floor and absolutely love it. Go for a light stain so you don't have issues with foot prints and other stains that will easily show on a dark stained floor.

on Sep 13, 2011 · Like 1
KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

6" wide plank is going to cost a bit more...5" is about the widest of the basic prefinished. Bellawood is a great product, and comes in many types. I have found Lumber Liquidators to be a great economical source for it. Cork would be a step above carpet but is not very durable...especially for a hallway.
To fight cold floors electric radiant mats under tile is a great retrofit. Tile will be the most robust.

on Sep 13, 2011 · Like 1
Bernice H Yakima, WA

I was thinking about color, I can see dark wood showing dust down the sides of the hallway, but i love the darker, seems more ...what...classy? elegant? ha! Like this is an elegant place. We live in a court, mixed families, not senior,so while i would love heated floors, trying to get my bang for my buck on resale is not gonna happen.
I had already figured on area rugs, I can just see my husbands face when i bring home rugs, ...»
after tearing carpeting out! ha! Oh well, he is easy and will adjust!
I'll have to start doing some serious looking pretty soon , before weather changes. Yet it is still hot here and my heart doesnt do well in heat.
So If I look around here, then go to Lumber Liq..will I find the same products there? We dont have a store here, it is about 1 1/2 hours away.
Keep the input coming in, I can't waste my energy, so eliminating stuff before looking will really help. Thanks everyone.

on Sep 13, 2011 · Like 0
Bernice H Yakima, WA

Oh...PS....I noticed comments about scratching..My husband drops knives in the kitchen, bless his little heart. We currently have industrial vinyl which was supposed to not show the nicks, but it does, I know he wont be drop free from here on, so this is a consideration.

on Sep 13, 2011 · Like 0
Courtier Construction Mount Dora, FL

Try Lumber Liquidaters for a large and reasonably priced selection of hard wood flooring. Remember that a mobile home flexes more that a site built structure, so a free floating system works best. Also, it is not too difficult to install a R-13 bat insulation on the underside of a mobile home.

on Sep 13, 2011 · Like 1
KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

The bellawood has a pretty decent finish and they "claim" a 50 year residential warranty..

on Sep 14, 2011 · Like 1
Bernice H Yakima, WA

Thanks for the answers, but I'm still hoping for more ideas.
Actually I am curious about those tiles that look like wood, would that be an option? I have never seen them tho except on tv.

on Sep 18, 2011 · Like 0
KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

Bernice, there is a product I have used from Home Depot that is very DIY friendly. Its plank vinyl flooring called "Traffic Master Allure" It is available in "wood" looks as well as "tile"
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s... ...»

.
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...
This stuff is a "floating floor" so in the future if you chose to replace it or install something else the tear up is easy. Its also at a decent price...less than $2 a sq ft.

on Sep 19, 2011 · Like 1
Bernice H Yakima, WA

Thank you, I watched the video. Have you used this product very often, and for how long?
I dont understand how it or any flooring can be watertight? and what about scratching? maintenance?

on Sep 19, 2011 · Like 0
Bernice H Yakima, WA

Yikes ! I went to see some flooring options yesterday, then checked online..HD, LUmber Liq, , I didnt find a product I recognized SIMILAR to the Allure at LL...online.And HD site was confusing for me. So I need more time and smarts I guess.
Then is matching carpeting to the flooring. Ihavent done this kind of looking in 15 years!

on Sep 20, 2011 · Like 0
KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

I agree the HD web site is not so user friendly. The Traffic master is an exclusive product to Home Depot...so you will not find it at Lumber Liq. To avoid some confusion...a road trip to your local HD may be in order...I prefer to see products face to face before buying. At HD you will be able to do a side by side comparison

on Sep 20, 2011 · Like 0
Bernice H Yakima, WA

@KMS...We just had an installer here to measure. He is familiar with a product similar to traffic master.yet his customer got it at Home depot..Are you aware of any other product the same as this in another brand? At Lumber Liq or Mannington ,Armstrong...?

on Sep 20, 2011 · Like 0
KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

Bernice I'm sure there are other products out there that are very much like the Traffic master...I only recommended it because I have Direct experience with it....The other products may be equally as good but without direct experience I can't say for sure.
If you read through the reviews at the HD site this product gets consistent high marks...mostly 5 of 5. The overall rating in a touich lower due to a few 2 reveiws tossed in by someones poor ...»
example of an install or they did not like the initial smell etc.

on Sep 21, 2011 · Like 1
Bernice H Yakima, WA

yikes, I went to a site last night that has bunches of vinyl planking from many different companies. Just to give me an idea. After this, i will need to choose carpeting to coordinate... I dont have the energy to do this I had 15 years ago! groan! And surgery coming up!
Thanks KMS for heading me in the right direction tho, for what I want and need...and everyone else too! I thin this is what I want todo. Now if I can find a knowledgable sales person to help me! ...»

Today I am starting on my desk...my husband snickered when he saw the file cabinets and door! Oh, well! so when am I going to get my REAL hardwood mahogany desk, I asked? Hmmm

on Sep 21, 2011 · Like 0
KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

we got your back...so keep us in the loop

on Sep 22, 2011 · Like 1
Bob H - Casselberry, FL

I also like to use vinyl planks in a situation like yours.

on Sep 22, 2011 · Like 1
Bob H - Casselberry, FL

Take a look at Armstrong Luxe Plank.

on Sep 22, 2011 · Like 1
Bernice H Yakima, WA

Thanks for the answers, but I'm still hoping for more ideas.
Aha! Here is the thread! My question is...click or stick? we stopped at a flooring place in Kennewick after Dr appt, they had click in or stick on - vinyl planking, and i cant remember what was said here about the differences of one over another, when dealing with older mobile home. I need a refresher course! (sigh)

on Oct 28, 2011 · Like 0
KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

the traffic master Allure I talked about is a completely free floating product. Each plank has self adhesive strips so they stick to each other not the subfloor.

on Oct 29, 2011 · Like 1
Bob H - Casselberry, FL

My experiences over the past year or so lead me to believe that the click products are the wave of the future. We have had some problems with some of the 'glue strip' varities of vinyl planking....especially the Konecto product from Metro. They dont always want to stay stuck, even after following manufacturers guidelines of hand rolling and 100lb roller aplications. Many new products out there today that have a click system carved into the product and seem to stay down better.

on Nov 02, 2011 · Like 1
Woodbridge Environmental ... Colonia, NJ

Cork may be a good solution for your floor. Although for some applications it gets a bad rap, but for a hallway I think you will be happy with it.
as far as Cold floors, which are very common with the type of home you own, you may want to consider having a insulation company come in and spray foam the underside of the home. It will make all the floors warmer, keeps out dampness, keep out drafts, make it quieter, and lower your utility ...»
costs all at the same time. After doing this then laminate floors will be warmer and less likely to give you issues with dampness coming up from under the home.

on Nov 02, 2011 · Like 2