Ceramic Floor Alternatives Bath and Kitchen (hardwood floor, vinyl, laminate, drain)

[grannynancy]

We are very seriously hoping to purchase a home that has an issue. In evaluation, renegotiation phase.

Issue is ceramic floor problems, probably due to lack of install of appropriate backer board and not taking into consideration flex of a truss floor system.

Concerning kitchen - how does hardwood work for folks? aesthetically it is my preference because adjacent areas are hardwood [not laminate] and I love the look. If not, other alternatives - I know ceramic tile always has grout to manage and everything dropped on it breaks but I know wood is more susceptible to water - but I know how dirty kitchen floors get and worry about maintaininng anything not impervious.

Conerning baths and laundry - other good options for non slip surface?
May look at finding flooring to remove shower pan and slope floor to drain with a flexible water dam [wheelchair]

Want a nice surface [nicer than typical laminate]

[ShaneSA]

I put a real hardwood floor in the kitchen and laundry room. I stained it and sealed it with a satin finsh polyurethane. It has been there 6 years and no problems. Water or food spills have not damaged it and it does not stain. It easy to clean and always looks good, even dirty. No problems with droppings dishes either, they don't break as easy.
I took the tub out of the bathroom and ran the floor sloped to the drain, that I moved to center, and did it with ceramic tile. The room has a single floor, no breaks, and runs right to the drain. I put 2 shower heads in, oppisite each other. (It makes for a fun time with the other half. added benefit). I also made sure to run the rubber damn up the walls 12 inches and ran it across the floor about 2 feet away from the shower. The slope is sharper at the edge of the shower, no leaking or drainage problems. I should also say, my house is on pier and beam and I have access to under the house to check and make sure I did it right. So far, it's dry, and we use the shower all the time.
I haven't found anything better than ceramic for the high water locations.

[skbs]

I had ceramic in my other home and had issues with grout... so when we built this house we put DURASTONE in our Kitchen and bathroom. I am so glad I did. I looks like tile without the grout and i get a ton of compliments on it. The tiles are limestone composite and hold up really well. They are warm, not slippery, and with my clumsy nature I would have cracked a tile floor by now.... Here is a site to look at the tiles...

Congoleum Corporation

[texdav]

I am not a fan of tile on a wood floor eben with backerboard;too much movemant in underlaying wood. That is why vinyl was so popular in the old days besides the fact that it was cheap.Wood over slab is fine in damp areas as long as you realise and can afford to replace if you have a leak problem or flooding .

[grannynancy]

We were concerned about that underlying floor movement - and the longevity of a tile floor because of it, - the inspector said truss floors flex more than joist floors.

Clearly they have built tile bathrooms in homes for YEARS but that was samller tile the the big ones they use now.

[DLK55]

I used a vinyl system in our bathrooms called Trafficmaster Allure resilient flooring and we're very happy with it. The only drawback for some people might be that there isn't a huge array of colors available. Most are a wood style with a few tile, at least at our local HD. They run about $1.67/square foot.

On one side and the top there's a one inch strip that overhangs the main plank and has the pattern on it. This has adhesive on the underside. On the other side and at the bottom there's an unfinished strip that faces up with adhesive on it. These overlap and the adhesive from each side bonds together. Not as strong as contact cement but they didn't just peel apart when I made a boo-boo. The seal created makes the floor waterproof.

Pros:

They look nice.
Pretty easy to install, no thinset, grouting, glue, nails.
Waterproof.
25 year warranty.
A little thicker than typical stick on vinyl tiles or vinyl sheet flooring.
Creates a floating floor that would be fairly simple to remove when/if the time comes.
Easy to cut to length.(Scored with a utility knife)

Cons:

Not a ton of pattern choices.
Not as easy to scribe lines on as laminate or wood.
A couple of days worth of vinyl smell.
Not quite as easy to cut lengthwise or for around obstacles. I scored them multiple times to cut them to length and used tin snips for cutting curves, etc.

There are a couple of other manufacturers that make a similiar product that I don't have experience with, Congoleum and Konecto. They have a wider array of colors and patterns but may be a little pricier.

I had already installed laminate flooring in our kitchen and almost wish I had found this flooring first. Laminates are pretty simple but for myself, this was a little less work and fussing.

[MrOlsen]

Have you considered cork for your kitchen? I have it in mine and I LOVE it. I do a ton of cooking and I used to have tile. By the end of the day my feet and back would be so sore. With cork, I don't have this problem anymore. You have to make sure you get a quality cork though - not the cheap stuff. I went to [url=http://www.findanyfloor.com]Example[/url] and found a retailer and installer in my city. You can look through their informational sections for each type of flooring if you want to compare. I hope that helps!

[grannynancy]

I have thought of cork I have heard that it can stain badly - going to meet with the flooring guy on Friday to go over options - like all the ideas to ask about though - thanks everyone

[linicx]

Bamboo. It comes in a zillion colors, it can be pre-finished or not, locking strips or not. ifloor.com . The good news is Bamboo loves water, but don' flood it to believe me. If you are not over a basement or deep crawl space you will need an underelayment becuase it is cold in the winter without that extra layer.

Originally Posted by grannynancy

We are very seriously hoping to purchase a home that has an issue. In evaluation, renegotiation phase.

Issue is ceramic floor problems, probably due to lack of install of appropriate backer board and not taking into consideration flex of a truss floor system.

Concerning kitchen - how does hardwood work for folks? aesthetically it is my preference because adjacent areas are hardwood [not laminate] and I love the look. If not, other alternatives - I know ceramic tile always has grout to manage and everything dropped on it breaks but I know wood is more susceptible to water - but I know how dirty kitchen floors get and worry about maintaininng anything not impervious.

Conerning baths and laundry - other good options for non slip surface?
May look at finding flooring to remove shower pan and slope floor to drain with a flexible water dam [wheelchair]

Want a nice surface [nicer than typical laminate]

[Sunnydee]

I was at the flooring store last week and the salesman showed me a new product designed for kitchens and baths. It looks like ceramic tile, but it's rubbery. I thought it was a great idea for areas that get wet.