How about an elegant floor that doesn’t make you sweat thinking of all the upkeep required? Tile and hardwood floors have long been the standard for classy floors. The trouble is, they’re not always the most practical. Introducing Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring!
The tile and hardwood dilemma
In climates with changing seasons, tile will expand or contract with changes in temperature and moisture. Often the tile substrates will not move with the tile itself. This tug of war can eventually lead to the cracking, bulging, or tenting of your tile floor. Obviously, proper tile installation will work toward counteracting this, but the fact remains, tile installation is complex and pricey.
Hardwood floors also need special care and attention. If you are willing to invest time cleaning and re-sealing your hardwood floors, go for it. But if that’s too much for the stage of life you’re in, don’t worry. There are other options. Elegant ones.
The luxury vinyl solution
At Eloquin, we are huge fans of luxury vinyl plank flooring, commonly known as LVP. It mimics wood and tile so thoroughly that it’s hard to tell the difference. But it’s more durable and much easier to maintain than wood or tile. Not to mention a price that’s easier to digest.
LVP’s scratch and stain resistance make it an ideal candidate for both commercial and residential spaces–even a space where pre-teen and teenage boys tramp in and out often. We talked to one of our customers, a representative of Ohio Wilderness Boys Camp, about a recent flooring project they completed with Mannington’s Adura Rigid Sausalito.
A Solid Choice for a Bustling Place
Ohio Wilderness Boys Camp is a private, non-profit, therapeutic Wilderness Camp for boys between the ages of 9-15. Their vision is to “help boys experiencing trouble work toward appropriate behavior through mentors in a setting that appeals to them: the out-of-doors.”
Durable and Waterproof
The boys’ camp needed new floors for two of the houses on campus: a staff house and a chief’s lodge. They had sourced the carpet and other floor coverings from other flooring companies. However, they needed a very durable floor that could handle moisture well for the main areas and bathrooms.
Luxury vinyl plank flooring was the ticket. A relatively new floor on the market, luxury vinyl plank is rapidly gaining popularity. In addition to its scratch and stain resistance, its durability (especially in moist environments), its ability to mimic wood and stone, and its design options make it a solid choice for homes and commercial spaces.
Because durability and water resistance in a flooring material were of utmost importance, Anthony chose a luxury vinyl plank option with an extra thick wear layer. The brown woodgrain matches the woodsy aesthetic of the camp.
Glue-down or Click-lock?
Luxury vinyl plank is available in both glue-down and click-lock versions. The click-lock is a floating floor that is installed over the existing floor by tightly interlocking individual planks. The boys’ camp chose the click flooring. One of Eloquin’s contractors installed the flooring in the house, and Anthony and his men installed the flooring in the chief’s lodge.
Working With Eloquin
The folks at Eloquin have a heart for the work of the boys’ camp. Anthony, a representative from the boys’ camp says, “Their care was something I appreciated about Eloquin. The first salesman I talked to cared about people, about my business, and in this case, especially children that need help.”
Anthony appreciated Eloquin’s willingness to help them with their project. “Eloquin offered to get the flooring for us at cost,” says Anthony, a representative from the boys’ camp. “[The exact flooring type we chose] was not something they normally sell, but they got it for us. They were willing to make it work.”
Anthony says, “I would recommend Eloquin. This is my first time working with them so I don’t have a lot of history with them, as far as the performance of their product. But they cared about quality and integrity.”
For sure, time will tell how the luxury vinyl floor performs. However, because of the construction of the Adura Rigid, we are confident this floor will last for many years.
A Few Tips On Installation
1. Do your research
The LVP options are myriad, but they aren’t created equal. Joe Letendre from the channel, “So That’s How You Do That!” recommends LVP options that above all, have sturdy, durable locking systems (if you go with click-and-lock). Also recommended are planks with a wear layer covered by a strong scratch-resistant coating. Don’t forget to ask the experts.
2. Look before you leap.
Yes, Click-Lock LVP is a very DIY-friendly floor. But make sure you’ve read articles and watched videos before you dig into your project. A floor is the last thing you’ll want to redo if something goes wrong with the installation.
3. Have your supplier be your installer.
Whether you are looking to replace a tired floor or whether you are building your home from the ground up, we recommend that you hire your supplier to also install your floor, or at the very least have them source your installer. As Stephan Kingma from Well-Built Home says, “It’s much better to have the materials supplier also do the install because the supplier will be way more diligent in finding an experienced installer.”
At Eloquin, you can choose top-tier luxury flooring products from premium manufacturers. We sell and install hardwood, engineered hardwood, tile, carpet, and our personal favorite, luxury vinyl. No matter the floor you choose and the design effects you’re dreaming of, we’ll guide you through a happy flooring story.
About this Article: Steve Leid, owner of Eloquin, has years of experience in high-end construction and premium flooring. Steve provided inspiration for this article and collaborated with a copywriter to produce it. Contact Steve at (419) 920-6210 with any questions about this article or your personal flooring needs.
