Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Aug 29, 2014 12:33 am Previously, I was struggling to think of a solution for my timber laminate flooring for the need to have ugly expansion joints as I stated here: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=73066&p=1226237#p1226237 But after searching around and I happened upon vinyl plank - which seems like a better solution than timber laminate flooring as it is hardier and completely waterproof. Also you don't need to buy expensive tools such as jigsaw,(for door corners - $45 from Bunnings) or compound mitre saws (these cost $110+ at the cheapest from Bunnings) or nailgun ($150+ from Bunnings) - all I need is a craft knife! So my question is, does anyone have any experience with vinyl plank? What's your experience with it? And how much does it cost? Are their any drawbacks? Do you need to leave a gap at the wall? What's the difference betwen loosely lay and click? "Occam's Razor. The simplest explanation is almost always somebody screwed up." Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 3Aug 29, 2014 3:52 pm viewtopic.php?f=7&t=64130 http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fl ... 14714.html Scratch easily even with good brand like Karndean http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/forums/ ... -laminate/ viewtopic.php?f=7&t=58206 http://www.buzzillions.com/reviews/traf ... sq-reviews http://www.thefloorpro.com/community/vi ... loors.html http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Does-any ... .136998167 http://www.houzz.com/discussions/453799 ... -would-you http://www.city-data.com/forum/house/19 ... views.html Vinyl planks problem - Vinyl mounted on Fibreboard will have delamination in few years under sunlight, also fade and warp, plus temperature problem - must be kept at 18~29c or it "peak", need moisture barrier on concrete http://www.houzz.com/discussions/785535 ... -laminate- http://www.thefloorpro.com/community/vi ... g-q-and-a/ Floorng Pro forum - discussion about Vinyl Planks and its problems Okay, after some exhaustive day of searching, now I am not so sure about Vinyl Planks. I am now very confused and uncertain - 1. It seems vinyl planks will react chemically to rubber thus no rubber sole shoes, or toys or anything rubber in house. 2. It will also "outgassing" in the first few weeks of installation which could be toxic and harmful. It also smells horrible. 3. It can scratch easily even with top big name brand such as Karndean - especially when you choose a light color timber look plank, and view under sunlight. 4. This one has not yet happened to most people over here, but my extensive search seems to indictate that even in America (who have started to use vinyl planks 5 years before us) have not yet experience this, but in Europe where the vinyl plank originated from almost 10 years ago - they found that under direct sunlight, the vinyl planks will fade. This indicate that the vinyl are not UV stablized as it react to sunlight's UV. 5. One of the problem is that it seems is that most vinyl planks are not waterproof as what the manufacturers say they are. They are "water resistant" only. Only "100% vinyl" vinyl plank are waterproof, the rest which use some kind of "backing" will be sensitive to water or moisture. The Americans are now saying you need to lay a sheet of damp proof course (DPC) below it if you are laying over bare concrete floor as to stop the moisture or water coming up from the concrete. 6. Lastly, the biggest problem seems to be vinyl plank can warp! It can deform and shrink and be very temperamental due to direct sunlight or even temperature changes. Some people indicate that manufacturers only give warranty to their vinyl plank product as long as the buyers keep their house under 18~29 celsius (64~84F)!! That's a ridiculous assertion since in Australia our temperature can vary between 0~35c+ which is well outside these manufacturer's specification. 7. Also, it seems you can put heavy stuff on top of it or it can warp, rip or tear leaving ugly gaps. Things like fridge, heavy dining table, bookshelves, cabinets, or bed. Its a reason why the manufacturer's website never show vinyl plank in bedroom situation. So, if anyone with real direct experience with vinyl plank, please please speak up! I also want to hear manufacturers, or reseller's side of the story, how do you address the above concerns? "Occam's Razor. The simplest explanation is almost always somebody screwed up." Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 4Aug 29, 2014 4:12 pm I have installed the loose lay vinyl planks for a customer. The customer was in a wheelchair and wanted to pull up the carpet and replace with the vinyl planks to make it easier to get around her bedroom and WIR. I was a bit dubious to begin with, but was actually quite impressed after I put them in. 6 months on and they still look good and haven't moved. They were very easy to lay. You just need to make sure of the floor prep. I personally don't like laminate flooring. I think it's cheap, and doesn't look any more real than vinyl. If you can't afford engineered or real timber I think I'd go with the vinyl. Accessible Carpentry & Cabinets accessiblecarpentry@gmail.com accessiblecarpentry.com.au https://www.facebook.com/pages/Accessible-Carpentry-Cabinets/583314911709039 Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 5Aug 29, 2014 5:04 pm I put the glue down ones in one kitchen. A pain to put in but they still look good years later. I also put the cheapo self adhesive ones (from Bunnings) in a kitchen and they have been great also. SO easy to lay. I'd use them again. I also have the Bunnings click ones in a granny flat kitchen. Hubby installed. A little mucking around (and underlay) but it looks great too. Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 6Aug 29, 2014 5:18 pm Have you done a search on here? There are a few threads that specifically discuss vinyl planks which we used in our own research as well as some individual build threads of people who've used them. We have had ours installed just this week so can't comment on how they hold up. Supply and installation was about $100 sqm including the floor screed to make sure the surface was perfectly level and it took about three days for a professional to do the floor prep and lay the planks over about 77 sqm. I wouldn't lay the stick-down ones myself though I have seen photos of someone who did the loose lay ones themselves and they came up pretty well. You don't need scotia, ours go right up to the skirting boards so your cuts need to be accurate so you don't end up with gaps. We got samples from Karndean (not sure where you are located, we went to their showroom in Melbourne to see the planks in person and were able to take whole planks as samples, otherwise they will send out small sections about 10 cm x 10 cm) and were happy with their scratch resistance. We put one under a dining chair for a few weeks, scratched them with keys, let the boys play with toy cars on them, etc. Some things will scratch them but they're not bulletproof, eg, we had a chair with metal legs and the rubber protector had come off so the rough edges scratched the plank - but it also scratched our laminate. This is our entry - we have Karndean Van Gogh in Lancewood. Every flooring has its pros and cons - cold/warm, harder/softer to walk or drop things on, easier/harder to damage - and you have to weigh up what fits best with your budget and lifestyle and the look you're going for (though with vinyl planks you can still choose timber, stone or tile). ~ Anne I used to be indecisive but now I'm not quite sure. Eeek - We're embarking on a knockdown rebuild! Click here for our build thread Our blog: kdrhome.wordpress.com Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 7Aug 30, 2014 1:54 am Thanks for reply guys (and gals!), much appreciated. But have you guys put vinyl plank in DIRECT SUNLIGHT? Most of the complaints I have seen here and over in various other forums indicate vinyl plank will fade out if it is put in direct contact of the sun over a period of time. It will also expand and contract (I found this claim bizzare because this is plastic) depending on the temperature. BTW, Anne, check my previous post, there are a lot of discussion over in american forum where they have used the vinyl plank longer than us and they seem to say you need a gap just like the laminated timber flooring or else you are going to have problem down the track. Some people specifically single out Karndean for their problems. There is also another girl here who had problem with Vinyl, who was happy with it for the first 7 months singing praises for it, but then it got ugly as vinyl start to scratch to hell. viewtopic.php?f=7&t=64130 I am at this stage starting to look at timber laminate again . It seems at least timber laminate is a bit more "natural" - but I felt like I am caught in a catch-22 situation because every solution out there all seem bad to me. Tiles are just too expansive, and easily cracked, while I am allegic to carpet, and timber laminate can easily warped and peak when in prolong contact with water....same goes with engineered wood / real wood (which are problematic when in contact with moisture or water on top of high cost...... and vinyl plank can be toxic and harmful when it starts "outgassing" for various reasons on top of the problem with sunlight. I am really really torn now as to what to do or which one to go for. "Occam's Razor. The simplest explanation is almost always somebody screwed up." Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 8Aug 30, 2014 8:24 am Have a good look at cork floors. You might be surprised at how similar some are to timber look. A different look but there is also polished concrete. http://camdenbuild.blogspot.com.au/ by invite only please pm me Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 9Aug 30, 2014 9:54 am Yes, the vinyl ones are just a better folrm of lino. But as others have said it depends what you personally want. I wouldn't put the vinyl ones in my home but for a cheap IP I think it's great. Actually I think some of the click ones look to plasticky for me. Again depends on the price and quality of the home. Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 10Aug 30, 2014 10:07 am What about tiles? Water proof Nd hard to scratch. Just cold and hard to walk on and not as "warm" feeling as a timber, laminate or timber look vinyl Sent from my iPhone using ones and zeros and 4G Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 11Aug 30, 2014 10:18 am All valid points above. This thread is very similar to one going on at the moment in the kitchen section regarding different materials for benchtops. Like flooring they all have their pros and cons. Only you can work out what the best choice is for you regarding available colours, initial cost of labour and material, ongoing maintenance, resistance to moisture, how much it fades over time etc etc Just do your sums and research. Stewie Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 12Sep 01, 2014 2:46 pm Sorry guys, I think I am going back to timber laminate. The more I look at it, the more I felt Vinyl is no better and may be worse than timber laminate. Thanks everyone for the suggestions! "Occam's Razor. The simplest explanation is almost always somebody screwed up." Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 13Sep 04, 2014 12:13 am Don't go timber laminate - it's far easier to scratch than vinyl and you also need to worry about water damage etc. and no matter how careful you are, you'll end up with some water damage over time. We got laminate in the current house and it is the one thing i'd change - never again. We got an expensive beaufloors laminate, not a cheap bunnings one either. Initially I was over the moon with how great it looked - but three years on, it's crap. Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 14Sep 04, 2014 2:26 pm We have had vinyl planks for 3 years now. Still very happy with them. We laid them ourselves, very easy to do. We have 4 rough kids and it has held up pretty well. Hubby is impressed as he wasn't so sure about it when we laid it. I did alot of research and no way was I going laminate, I would have rathered kept the dirty carpet. Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 15Sep 07, 2014 1:16 am deeps Don't go timber laminate - it's far easier to scratch than vinyl and you also need to worry about water damage etc. and no matter how careful you are, you'll end up with some water damage over time. We got laminate in the current house and it is the one thing i'd change - never again. We got an expensive beaufloors laminate, not a cheap bunnings one either. Initially I was over the moon with how great it looked - but three years on, it's crap. lena We have had vinyl planks for 3 years now. Still very happy with them. We laid them ourselves, very easy to do. We have 4 rough kids and it has held up pretty well. Hubby is impressed as he wasn't so sure about it when we laid it. I did alot of research and no way was I going laminate, I would have rathered kept the dirty carpet. Thanks for the reply, but did you guys see any of the problem I listed on one of the previous post? eg. bad/toxic smell/fume coming from the vinyl; warping/distortion due to thermal expansion or heavy furniture, or the problem against UV which would cause it to fade. "Occam's Razor. The simplest explanation is almost always somebody screwed up." Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 16Sep 11, 2014 5:46 pm Dr House, I read all your 'problems' in your thread above and have to say its BS. All of it. We laid Karndean 'marble' look tiles (exactly the same as 'planks' in our kitchen in 2000. They still look fantastic. We have a dog. Had two up until two years ago. And we LIVE in our kitchen. We spill crap on them every day including water. They have never gassed us ever. Theyare easy to clean. And if they are scratched (they are) I don't care because it's not noticeable. They have been a fantastic investment. I thoroughly recommend them to anyone who wants a very durable, easy to maintain, good looking surface that matches the look you want. There are endless choices. Our new home will have porcelain tiles as its a modern house with a huge open plan and we have that look in mind. But for our current house with separate kitchen, we loved the vinyl and couldn't have done anything better. Hope that helps. Good luck with your choice. If you choose Karndean planks you won't regret it. Oh and my husband laid them himself on a Masonite sub floor. They have decorative vinyl 'grout' and a lovely mosaic 'border tile'. He had no trouble. They look great Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 17Sep 11, 2014 6:32 pm Have you tried the Karndean scratch remover? Is it effective? Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 18Sep 11, 2014 7:23 pm I was really surprised at your post. My Mum has had vinyl plank for 6 years, no problem, two dogs running around on it all day, no smell except for the glue initially (it was not loose laid or click.) the beauty of it is that if anything DOES warp or get scratched noticeably you just replace that particular strip. Not that I have heard of this happening but no floor is totally resistant to that. Oh and the grandkids spill water/juice etc on it many times and it doesn't affect it, you just need to mop it up straight away and not let it lie there for too long. Take a browse through the flooring thread and you'll see vinyl plank is one of the more durable floorcoverings out there. Of course if you want durable you can go polished concrete but your slab has to be perfectly level, it's cold, (unless your house is properly geared for solar gain) so hard, and very, very expensive. Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 19Sep 11, 2014 10:59 pm Hi deeps I haven't tried the scratch removerhead the scratches are not an issue at all. They aren't noticeable unless you get down on hands and knees and eyeball. Also no warping whatsoever 14 years on in a high use room. And most things fade in strong direct sunlight (inc carpet and drapes). Re: Does anyone have any experience with Vinyl Plank? 20Sep 15, 2014 1:13 am TomCat Dr House, I read all your 'problems' in your thread above and have to say its BS. All of it. We laid Karndean 'marble' look tiles (exactly the same as 'planks' in our kitchen in 2000. They still look fantastic. We have a dog. Had two up until two years ago. And we LIVE in our kitchen. We spill crap on them every day including water. They have never gassed us ever. Theyare easy to clean. And if they are scratched (they are) I don't care because it's not noticeable. They have been a fantastic investment. I thoroughly recommend them to anyone who wants a very durable, easy to maintain, good looking surface that matches the look you want. There are endless choices. Our new home will have porcelain tiles as its a modern house with a huge open plan and we have that look in mind. But for our current house with separate kitchen, we loved the vinyl and couldn't have done anything better. Hope that helps. Good luck with your choice. If you choose Karndean planks you won't regret it. Oh and my husband laid them himself on a Masonite sub floor. They have decorative vinyl 'grout' and a lovely mosaic 'border tile'. He had no trouble. They look great TomCat Hi deeps I haven't tried the scratch removerhead the scratches are not an issue at all. They aren't noticeable unless you get down on hands and knees and eyeball. Also no warping whatsoever 14 years on in a high use room. And most things fade in strong direct sunlight (inc carpet and drapes). Hi TomCat, I am now hugely curious, do you mind sharing some photos? I just want to know what 'faded' Vinyl Plank looks like. "Occam's Razor. The simplest explanation is almost always somebody screwed up." Hi All, I have been dealing with icare for insurance in completing our house after our original builder went bust. We have gotten to tender stage and one of the companies… 0 15934 i had the my concreters concrete right up to the fence. I have pits all along my path, so the water tends to drain away from the house and into the pits. There's only one… 7 9687 I had an old shower unit that broke on me and when I took it off, there were only 2 water pipes, instead of the normal 2 water pipes and a shower head pipe. S o I… 0 34212 |