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Home flooring receives more than its fair contribution of abuse . Over meter , wear and tear — along with germinate style preferences — bring about alteration . When the time comes to replace drawn or out-of-date floor cover , two of the most popular , durable , and attractive case admit lavishness vinyl plank ( LVP ) and engineered hardwood flooring . Both of these DIY - well-disposed flooring options pop the question outstanding durability and interminable design choices .
I recently install both LVP and direct hardwood floor in my home , replace 15 - year - old laminate that had seen honest mean solar day . I go with Flooret ’s “ Modin ” LVP and “ Silvan ” engineered hardwood line . Flooretis a direct - to - consumer flooring company establish in San Diego , California , offering an alternative to maker showrooms and big - box seat retailers . I had an fantabulous experience from the time I locate my ordering through project completion . My new floors went in easily ( for the most part ) , and they look better than the laminate ever did . In this Flooret floor review , I will share my observations from install , conserve , and living with these new floor .
Photo: Mark Wolfe for Bob Vila
Flooret Flooring: At a Glance
Rating:4.7/5
SPECS
PROS
CONS
Get the Modin LVP and Silvan Hardwood at Flooret , start up at $ 2.95 per square foot .
What is Flooret?
Founded in 2015 , Flooret is a San Diego – based direct - to - consumer flooring caller . alternatively of driving across townspeople and sorting through a modified provision of samples at a salesroom , customers can surf Flooret ’s complete catalog online . It further pick out itself from traditional coldcock companies by selling high - timber products at competitive prices .
Flooret ’s current card includes an extensive excerpt of its 100 percentage waterproof LVP ancestry ( trademark as Modin Rigid ) and its locally waterproof engineered hardwood blood ( branded as Silvan Resilient ) . Using Flooret’sroom studio tool , shoppers can see how their choices will count in their homes before buying . sample distribution are also uncommitted .
TheModin LVP linefeatures a 1 - mm - thick ( 40 milliliter ) commercial - grade wear layer made of clear virgin PVC and a prick - resistant Al - oxide coating . For a natural look and feel , the board feature boss - in - register grain , four - sided beveling , and a low sheen . The rigid effect is constructed of stone charge plate composite ( SPC ) material . The Modin LVP line is fully waterproof , make it an great choice for kitchen , bathrooms , and other high - moisture areas . Modin is severally FloorScore certified for scummy emission .
Photo: Mark Wolfe for Bob Vila
TheSilvan engineered hardwood lineis go past with a 0.6 - mm - boneheaded wear stratum made of literal hardwood . This flooring includes raw color and grain variations that make each board singular . The woodwind instrument is sustainably glean from European forests and is Forest Stewardship Council endorse . An ultraviolet - cured acrylic coating makes the surface three time intemperate than normal hardwood , advance impact immunity and making it topically waterproof . The natural hardwood grain , micro - beveled edge , and pernicious sheen expect smashing , and the easy drop - mouse click chemical mechanism interlock the floor tightly to prevent water from seep between board . Silvan take aback is Greenguard Gold certified and California Air Resources Board compliant .
Preparing for Installation
I installed 150 square groundwork of Soho LVP from the Modin assemblage in my kitchen , pantry , and foyer . I also installed 600 satisfying infantry ofBalboa engineered hardwoodfrom the Silvan collection in my animation room , dining room , and hallway . In the process , I maneuvered around my kitchen ’s cabinetry , three exterior doors , and a total of 11 interior doors and way - to - room transitions . Preparing the story and installing the Modin and Silvan planks were alike to the process I ’ve used for laminate floor in the past , but the essence materials , lock up mechanisms , and dimensions of the Flooret products help the work move along promptly .
I started by removing the old baseboard and flooring . It is possible that some projects may not require the removal of the baseboard , but mine was 50 eld onetime , so it looked pretty unsmooth . Also , I did n’t require to shut the bound gaps on the new flooring with a quarter around . After remove the flooring , I inspected the subfloor to verify it was healthy and level , both within the rooms and in the transition between rooms . ( Loose subfloors and tallness variant greater than 1/16 inch will do problem during installing and may head to squeaking floors . ) After removing the old floor , I undercut the door jamb and case to accommodate the thickness of the Modern floor , both of which were a few millimeters thicker than the flooring that I transfer .
My project was instal on a wood subfloor over a climate - control basement , so I did n’t require to install a vaporization barrier directly beneath the floor . Both Modin and Silvan require a vaporisation barrier when installed on a slab , or if the space below is not already protected with a vapor roadblock . Otherwise , the hardwood could warp , or the waterproof LVP could cause wet buildup that will damage the habitation . Underlayment is recommend for Silvan in floating base applications , but it is n’t necessary for Modin , which include built - in rug pad .
Photo: Mark Wolfe for Bob Vila
Installing the Floors
As noted above , installing Flooret ’s Modin and Silvan flooring was a very similar process to instal laminate flooring . start up in a left corner and orient the first board with the tongue facing off from the bulwark . Next , connect planks terminate - to - end in one row that runs the full length of the elbow room before set out the 2nd row . The planks tally together with a locking clapper - and - groove system to form a floating floor . Silvan Hardwood is also compatible with mucilage - down installation or as a wall covering , but I only put in it as a float flooring . Once installed , the planks formed nice tight joints that hold securely but were also easy to uninstall without damage when necessary .
The LVP differed from the hardwood in a few way of life that affected installation . Modin ’s Signature plank were blanket , shorter , and more flexible than the Silvan 7 - column inch hardwood planks . This made piddling difference at the end connections , but the long edges of the Modin planks were sometimes a trivial tough to array . To be fairish , this could also be due to the tighter spaces and legion cutouts where I installed the Modin plank compare to the panoptic - open way where I installed the Silvan planks .
The only newspaper clipping tool I used on this project were ajigsaw , board saw , and ¼-inch chisel . The jigsaw work utterly for end cuts and detailed cutouts around cabinets and corner . I used the table saw for long rip cut , but I could have used the reciprocating saw for that as well . When it arrive down to installing the final plank , I used the chisel to withdraw the locking ridges , put a thin bead of glue along the tongues , and slip the pieces together . I only require to resharpen the chisel once . When the project was complete , the brand in my jigsaw was ready to be supersede .
Photo: Mark Wolfe for Bob Vila
Maintaining Flooret Flooring
After installing the floors , my only other consideration was clean . Both floors have lasting finishes that are very easy to clean and keep , starting with unconstipated sweeping . But there are difference between the Modin and Silvan lines .
Because Modin LVP floors are 100 percent waterproofed and the joints are watertight , they can be wet mopped as frequently as necessary . Any wax - freevinyl floor cleaneris acceptable . Steam cleaning is not advocate because repeated vulnerability to in high spirits heat can damage the vinyl over time . If the floor gets scratched , the thick wear layer admit buff or bushel with scrape concealer . For deeper gouges , you may have to replace the board .
Silvan floors should be maintained primarily with dry method : microfiber mopping , dust mopping , or vacuuming . Any level cleaner that is safe for use on ultraviolet acrylic fatigue layer hardwood floor may be used . While cleaning with a liquidness solution , the solution should be absorbed / dried within 1 minute of arc .
Is Flooret flooring worth the money?
compare Flooret ’s specification , samples , and services to other floor manufacturer , the price appear to be very competitive . TheModin Soho SignatureLVP floors cost $ 101.07 per box seat , which covers 22.46 square foot ( $ 4.50 per straightforward foot ) . The Silvan Balboa 7 - inch engineered hardwood floors cost $ 149.22 per box , cover 27.13 square substructure ( $ 5.50 per square animal foot ) .
On average , LVP knock down ranges in cost from about$2 to $ 10 per square foot , while engineered hardwood floor typically go for$6 to $ 20 per satisfying pes . So , on price alone , Flooret lies somewhere between midrange and bargain price . But the quality of materials and construction of the board make them strong note value alternative .
In addition to checking out the spec before installation , I wanted to physically test the durability of these floor plank . To try for wallop and puncture resistance , I drop various shaft onto scrap slice from a height of 4 feet . I also see out the topically waterproof hardwood surface by allowing puddles of water to slowly evaporate off of a test second power . I was pleased to note the floor held up dead in both case . I also appreciated that it came with documentation to back up the sword ’s eco - friendly claims . To me , Flooret seems like an excellent value for the price .
Should you buy Flooret flooring?
Flooret offers a extensive choice of in high spirits - quality LVP and engineered hardwood knock down at competitive prices . If you ’re shopping for flooring , I advocate head over to the web site , checking out the selection , and using the room studio tool to find the look you are going for . If you choose to hold a sample distribution in your hand before trust , full - plank sample and cut sample are available for a modest price . scrutinize the material , adjudicate out the lockup mechanism , and test the durability of the surfaces for yourself .
Be aware , however , that Flooret does not proffer instalment services . It caters to DIYers who value quality flooring at attractive price . If you want it professionally install , retrieve a flooring contractor first , then shop on the site .
Meet the Tester
Mark Wolfe is a writer , product tester , and avid DIYer who subsist in a 50 - year - old home . When he is n’t evaluating the latest and greatest shaft and gadgets , he spends his clip upgrading , repairing , and supersede anything and everything in his home , one thousand , and garden . He tests and write reviews about hand tool , lawn tutelage , rest home repair and remodeling products , and outdoor livelihood goods .
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