Have some rentals I am going thru and …I am sick and tired of replacing carpet and pad. The costs of material and labor has gotten huge and I am going to try a laminate type flooring. Anyone tried this in rentals? Cost? These four rentals are over 7K feet so I know it won’t be cheap.
Pergo here runs about $3 per square foot and this is way too high. If I could find it for 1/2 this I would go ahead…
I have a toter and could run and pick this up in GA or SC or anywhere in FL. Anyone have a hook-up??
Gregg, I have used this pergo stuff extensively. It is the only stuff that I put in living rooms or hallways anymore. I then get remnants of carpet for the bedrooms. I usually pay $.89 to $1.19 a foot. then there is about $.20 per ft for pad that goes under it.
I used to put this in kitchens but I dont anymore because of the water. In your house or mine this would work in kitchens but you know how tenants are…
Go to a discount floor store and get the pergo type flooring. that is where I find it the cheapest. I have not found any difference in quality in relation to the price…
I did make the mistake of just buying the cheapest stuff a few times, go with a GOOD COLOR even if it costs 10-20 cents more a foot.
Laminate is great for rentals, I’ve yet to have a tenant be able to destroy it and it makes cleanouts A LOT easier… a quick sweep and mop and you’re ready to roll vs at best steam cleaning and hoping that the stains come up.
Only thing I highly recommend is to go with the greenback types, I tried the cheaper white board and it just doesn’t hold up to water at all. A couple pieces of green back have survived over four months in my scrap pile. We are paying about .85-.89 a sq. buying by the pallet and my understanding is that they will ship, no sure how much would cost to get it to ya, however. Might tried Dalton. Padding can be bought from u-line in bulk as packing material for about .05 a sq ft for 3/32".
To try to keep cost down we are still using carpet in the bedrooms and lino in the baths, looks sharp and holds up to tenant damage… and from my experiences so far it pays for it’s self after 1-2 tenants.
Have to agree with the other posters. I got so sick and tired of dealing with carpet in my SFR rentals that I started replacing the carpet with laminate flooring. I took a somewhat different approach and installed a commercial grade. Not cheap but I did the work myself and saved money that way. Have used the stuff for several years and it is virtually indestructable. Potential residents really like the look of it. Just like other posters, I use carpet remnants in the bedrooms and sheet vinyl in the baths and kitchens. If you decide to do your own installations, be aware the aluminum oxide finish is murder on your saw blades. I must have my blades resharpened after each installation.
I have been using it and agree w/ all other responses - it holds up great. I just bought back the first home I had installed it in and it still looks brand new after 2 years.
This seems to be the time of year when Home Depot does all their inventory clearance and I always seem to end up buying a pallet or two to use in the coming year.
Contrary to one of the previous posters, I HAVE noticed a difference in the cheapest stuff and the slightly more expsensive. I’ve been spending 79 - 99 cents/sq foot. Pergo brand is good, of course. I also like Traffic Master. I can’t remember the name of the cheapy brand I bought, but it didn’t go together nearly as well. The flooring comes in different thicknesses and I would recommend using a thicker product as opposed to thinner. I goes together easier and seems to lay nicer.
am taking tomorrow off and pricing this stuff out. I am not sure what greenback laminate flooring is but i am sure my vendors will. will need molding to match and this sounds like the real deal. Cheap carpet (6.59 per yard) is lasting one maybe 2 rentals…this is killing me.
There are 2 types of locking mechanisms to lock them together. One is a simple toung and groove and the other is a type that goes in on an angle and then slides down to lock in. I like the latter one, BUT it comes with a disadvantage in that the sides of each piece dont go together as easily.
BE SURE to buy the tools to make the job eaiser. you will NEED a puller bar and a tapping block. dont be a tight wad and save $20 by not buying them. Spend the money and do the job in half the time… (speaking from experience)
and whoever mentioned the greenback stuff is right… i got lucky and that is all I have bought (because that is what they had cheapest in the colors I wanted) but I have heard of problems with the other stuff.
Get some silicone and put it around ANY posible places for water entry. Ex the doorway, under windows, and ALL sides around the kitchen if you choose to do the kitchen.
Remember to leave 1/8 inch gaps on ALL sides (against the walls) there is a reason they tell you to.
I was at IKEA recently and I was checking out their stuff and I was very impressed. It seemed to be the best of anything I have seen under $2 a foot. when I was there you could get it for about 99 cents a foot…
I personally skip the matching trim, you can get the flooring and padding at decent prices but the trim is something like $15+ per 8’ section at the best prices I’ve seen. (Haven’t looked hard) Call me cheap but I use the white baseboard molding from lowes sold in contractors packs or white 3/4" quarter round and it looks great at a fraction of the cost. (I think credit is due Michael)
For the floor joints between sections I normally just use flat carpet bars to cover the gaps in the cheaper SW’s, I might spot for the matching gap things for a nice newer DW but not sure. In addition to the puller bar and tapping block I’d recommend a chop saw with a new blade to speed the installation.
I’ve been using laminate for 10 years. Steve (WA) swears by Flexitec, so am trying it in one bedroom this week. Tip for molding: by plain pine & put a little bronze or tan color acrylic (99
My wife and I are considering using laminate in some of our mobile home rentals. Our only concern is that cat urine might get under or between the planks and we won’t be able to get rid of the smell. Any thoughts or ideas from experience?
I do not allow pets in my rental or L/O homes, but if you do, consider cushioned vinyl flooring or the more expensive laminates made for bathrooms & kitchens. You could also coat your subflooring w/polyurethane. You could seal the edges of the laminate pieces, which is what we do under windows or anyplace where moisture could occur.
Consider not refundable pet fees if you do allow critters & an extra rent charge per animal to cover repairs. I adore cats, but from nursing ageing cats w/kidney disease I know that eventually even the best cats become a human health & mess issue. That’s exactly why I went to mostly laminate in my own home. It was only in my studio & the halls in the beginning, but now it is even in the master bedroom.