Inexpensive flooring solution to hide dirt

Question

Looking to replace current laminate light wood looking flooring in the family room.  It shows everything! Dusty footprints, drips, hair, especially when the sun shines in the side windows.  I was told to look for 'non-shiny' rougher looking laminate to hide it all better.  I currently have to clean/mop every day or it looks horrible.  I was looking into TrafficMaster Allure due to price and it is supposed to be waterproof (puppies still potty training). Any suggestions?

Robin Lueddeke · Answer

What I can suggest to you is that you get a 'swiffer'. Not the kind that squirts liquid, but the kind that has the dust pads and they also sell the wet pads to wash the floors. The swiffer is the BEST thing for cleaning wood floors... far
better and faster than a vacuum. When I'm half way through, I take off the duster, go outside and shake it out and then continue to swiff! I use it in my bathrooms too! Best thing ever!

Robin Lueddeke · Answer

..Also, I replaced my floor last year and I got a 'no shine' flat finish laminate flooring that kind of resembles barn wood. It's rustic and everyone loves it and it so hides the dirt..lol. I only saw this particular design at one place...it's called LiquidWOODation. They are located in Union, NJ. I love, love, love the flat finish.

Robin Lueddeke · Answer

Here is a pic of the flooring

Jaclyn · Answer

Vinyl composite tile in 'wood' planks  are amazing. They are non shiny, easy to install and relatively inexpensive.

MN Mom · Answer

A different method of cleaning and some rugs would work. If you're mopping that often you're not getting it all clean. Chances are you're redepositing the things you're trying to clean.

Linda · Answer

I put trafficMaster in my large bathroom.  iT IS the best thing I've ever done!

Shari · Answer

I have had Trafficmaster Allure in one bathroom for about 5 1/2 years and love it. I highly recommend it and, in fact, I would really like to replace the laminate flooring in other rooms of my house with the Allure...if my *ship* ever comes in. ;) My Allure (Mahogany) has a matte finish and grooves to mimic hand-scraped wood. The medium chocolately brown shade hides pretty much everything except light colored things like white lint, talcum powder dust etc. We are currently pet-free (except for our furry *grandchildren* who visit daily) but I would have no qualms about using it in a home with human or furry kids. 
 One note about Allure though... the regular Allure is water RESISTANT, not waterproof. Each piece adheres to the next with sticky strips along the sides so an extreme amount of moisture could potentially damage the adhesive and cause the planks to become loose. Small amounts of moisture should not be a problem (damp feet, small occasional puddles of pet urine that were wiped up promptly etc.). 
 The waterPROOF version of Allure is called 'Ultra' and it is a bit more expensive than the Allure. The Ultra planks snap together (like laminate), which creates a waterproof barrier.

Rae · Answer

Never having laminate in my house we recently rented a condo for a month and it had dark laminate floors which drove me insane with the dust and footprints and lint. I had to clean daily! Maybe the rough cut would eliminate that but be careful how dark you go because it showed everything!

Lakylberg · Answer

We just replaced our laminate with vinyl planks, amazing results! Shows only dust if the sun is shining on it.

Janet Pizaro · Answer

I have Laminate flooring in my house . I love the look ,the down side is Three Dogs. I just recently switched from using the swifter mop to the new Bona mop system for the Laminate flooring. It comes with the microfiber pads with velcro and works terrific. No streaks just clean floors.

Liz · Answer

I talked with the owner of a local flooring installation company and he told me that any type of flooring that is applied in 'sections', from wood flooring to laminate, will allow pet urine and water to seep between the sections. His suggestion was to purchase 'high end' sheet vinyl in a wood pattern. We were amazed at how much this looks like hardwood flooring, but it's waterproof, scuff proof and durable. We checked Lowes and Home Depot and they both carry this type of sheet vinyl. They have samples on display so that you can choose the color and price range. We took several samples home to see which we liked best. They will send someone out to measure your room and then order the amount you need and install it. A color in the mid-range shows dust and lint less than one that is too light or too dark.

Dianna · Answer

We replaced and put allure vinyl flooring in our kitchen. Not soo keen on it. My table gets moved back an forth to allow people aaround the table. It leaves scratches and looks dirty and dull always. We dragged something across it the wrong way and it left quite a scratch. Ive tried everything on it. The best soo far is using vinegar on it to clean it

Linda Johnson · Answer

We bought floating vinyl flooring (looks like stone - one piece vinyl) for our mud room. Works like a champ!

Darla · Answer

The allure vinyl plank flooring (get the snap-together kind) is great and very easy to install. No floor prep needed unless your floor is very uneven. We have had a few scratches on ours, but I think if you get a medium color they won't show much.

Debbie Stokes Cotter · Answer

Vinyl plank flooring is THE BEST! Scratch resistant, waterproof and care free. I ordered mine from Build Direct online. 
 To prevent scratching any kind of flooring, I go to my local big box or hardware store and get either magic sliders that stick on the chair legs or nail on chair leg caps that come in either nylon(plastic) or metal. Never have a scratched floor ever again.

Jemma Dee · Answer

We put laminate flooring in our kitchen and family room. It bubbled and looked terrible in the areas under the table where people sat with wet shoes. Also bubbled where the dishwasher leaked. I talked to someone in a flooring store and they showed me their laminate floor entrance that was wet mopped daily - it did not bubble. Also, before we installed I soaked a sample in water for a week and it did not bubble. Not sure what happened once installed, maybe the soap from the dishwasher. Can't figure out about the wet shoes.

Darla · Answer

Laminate is pressed wood, like particle board, with a paper and plastic film coating. If water gets past the plastic film, it can cause problems. That's why I'd rather use vinyl or ceramic in wet areas.

Robin Lueddeke · Answer

Yes, I agree that vinyl plank flooring is a great choice too! I actually had that in my kitchen until I replaced all my flooring. I would have kept it, but i wanted my flooring to 'flow' and so, but yes, the vinyl floating plank flooring is great!

Elisabeth · Answer

The answer is....there is NO answer other than to avoid the WITCHING HOUR!! Each hour is different for every homeowner since it is based on the time of day/ position of the sun related to your windows. Your floors could look perfectly clean and spotless but when that witching hour sun pours through windows it shows the dust suspended in the air so of course It’s going to show every imperfection on my gorgeous wood floors. And the witching hour changes throughout the seasons but as soon as it’s about 30 minutes from starting, ALL The shades I purchased from blinds.com come down for about one hour until the witching hour has passed. My best friend has learned the same exact thing. There is no way to avoid this, there is no floor that can stand up against the witching hour!!! You’re fighting against mother nature so stop fighting and if you can afford it find blinds with a remote control on a timer that automatically closes before the witching hour enters your home and ruins your floors...& your mood 😂

Inexpensive flooring solution to hide dirt

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