Engineered hardwood typically is a thin veneer of finished wood on plywood. This product is very susceptible to warping when water is spilled on it so I don't think I would place this in a kitchen. I don't even like hardwoods in kitchens anymore and typically go with tile or a VCT/Marmoleum product for increased durabilty peace of mind.

I would go with the engineered hardwood. Vinyl looks pretty realistic but, most people can tell it's not. Vinyl can also sometimes come off as cheap. The engineered hardwood always looks really nice and can be re-stained for whatever reason.

Thanks everyone, this is all very helpful!!! Aglester - I am looking at the Mannington Adura - interesting!

The nice thing with the Adura by Mannington is it varies in the way it can be installed. You may use a flexible grout for glue down install or use the floating method.

Which way would you recommend installing it?

We just had water damage in our basement and we're going to put down the Trafficmaster Allure Ultra (similar to Adura) interlocking planks. We're going to do it as a floating floor so that if we ever have this problem again we can just take up the floor, dry everything out and put it back down.

Well if you go the route of including grout you may do so with either visual and it will appear to look more like a finished porcelain tile installation (even if you go the look of a wood plank). The wood visual within porcelain is very popular right now. I would definitely glue it down vs. floating. Most floating installs are done in a basement. The grout portion is clearly aesthetics and what look you are going for. It doesn't add anything to the rigidity of the installation.

Again, thanks so much for all of the advice! I really need to use this site more often! Once I discuss all of this with my husband, I'm sure we will have more questions. The sample I have now is the Mannington Adura - Ashford Walnut - Foxwood. I like the rustic look and feel of it. This seems like a silly question, forgive me, but if something happened to one of the planks and it's glued down, what can be done to fix? I see that Mannington has a limited residential warranty?

It would take a lot of effort to damage a piece. The chances are slim to non. If a piece were damaged you would treat it similarly to a hardwood repair, where the piece of wood in question would be cut out and glued in to be replaced. Most of these vinyl products have a commercial warranty. The limited warranty is actually limited to a time frame of lifetime per Mannington's website.

Hi Dana, where are you located? And what is flooring are you using in the rest of the first floor? I have used the brand Freefit in a number of projects I call "underground" i.e. basement projects, commercial spaces and kid spaces that have a combination of vinyl and carpet. I love the way the carpet and vinyl compliment each other. I have been very happy with the project in so many different spaces, I would just caution using it with actual wood or engineered wood. Having said all that I LOVE the porcelain wood planks, talk about durability, with a very tight grout line, it looks amazing. Good luck with your project!

We are located in Iowa. We are thinking of the wood flooring look in the entry, dining and kitchen. Carpet in the living and bedrooms. In the bathrooms/mudroom/laundry room I'm thinking of ceramic tile look/feel. We will have an unfinished basement for a little while until we figure out what we want to do. Thanks so much for your input!!

I love Iowa, Have family in Illinois and have spent summers in Iowa! How available are porcelain/ceramic showrooms? You definitely want to see, feel and ask questions about product, install etc. As far as the vinyl, the best you can go would work. What is the overall style of the house?

Thanks Michael! Iowa is very cold at the moment - yikes! :) There are some places I have in mind (Iowa City) where I could go look at the porcelain/ceramic planks. I hope to get somewhere this weekend to look. Our new home will be a ranch/vaulted ceilings, 4 seasons room and a walk-out basement. I'm trying to figure out what kind of interior style I want to go with. I have a lot of ideas running through my head - overwhelming at times!

The Allure is a floating floor so it is not glued down. It also has a lifetime residential warranty. Of course it's only available at Home Depot so having one close by is handy.

I am looking at putting luxury vinyl throughout my house. I found a style I really like but have a couple concerns. The vinyl itself is a think sheet that I understand is adhered right to the concrete foundation. Would this be uncomfortable to walk on (I thought perhaps engineered wood would have more "give.") Also, this would lower the height of the laminate flooring that had been there. Does that cause any problems? Or am I wrong that vinyl is adhered directly to the concrete foundation?

Thanks.

coretec would be my first coice in lvp. I like the look and performance it brings. having the map type finish makes it look a little better.

Ours floats on dri-core where we have it in the basement I love it is so easy to care for we have 2 huge dogs and in 8 yrs they have never hurt it.

We're going with adhesive. Anyone have experience with Karndean?

Karndean is "the" name in Vinyl...so long as you have a trained professional install (trained by Karndean and by well trained individual mentors) you should get one of the best vinyls in the business.

Hello Dana,
I am an interior designer here in Bettendorf, Iowa. I just had the Elevations Loft luxury vinyl planks installed throughout my home.
I chose this product because we have three dogs and a cat and really I am so happy I did! It not only looks great but I am not watching for any scratches or spills like a crazy person with new hardwood floors.
Here are a couple of things to consider... I would certainly glue down, I do have some lifting but it's an easy fix the installer will address in a week. Also, make sure your floor is completely prepped and level for vinyl, if there are any high spots, it will show.
Engineered wood flooring is layers so it is more stable than a hardwood.
There is nothing like the look and warmth of hardwood/engineered flooring.
There is also nothing like the piece of mind I have knowing my floors are virtually indestructible and if one pic gets damaged...you just simply lift and replace

I install luxury vinyl planks in residential as well as commercial. It is soft under foot, there is no echoing like laminate planks and absolutely no maintenance. In residential jobs I mainly use it in basements and play areas. Good luck!

Luxury vinyl planks are excellent for kitchens and we often recommend it over wood for residential kitchens. The prices for LVT ranges greatly - you've got the cheap stuff from big box stores and you have thick planks or tiles that are meant to last for 10-30 years.

On that note, we disagree with thewhovian2000's comments about vinyl tile's cheapness (this isn't the vinyl / linoleum flooring used from 30-40 years ago). It's thick, high quality and has a great look and feel. We even used it for the front room of our showroom:

[https://www.houzz.com/products/new-showroom-floor-vinyl-planks-in-herringbone-pattern-prvw-vr~39773000[(https://www.houzz.com/products/new-showroom-floor-vinyl-planks-in-herringbone-pattern-prvw-vr~39773000)

Those are custom cut planks we cut into a herringbone pattern.

@jheimlich - LVT is very comfortable to walk on. It's very durable. It can be applied to any level surface, including glued to concrete, but we typically lay a foundation of plywood for comfort and insulation.

You may also want to consider Marmoleum. It's more expensive but is even stronger and one of the most eco-friendly materials available. This is what it's made of:

• Linseed / tall oil
• Limestone
• Tree Rosin
• Wood Flour
• Natural Mineral Pigments
• Jute

It's also not for the DIYer. A master installer is required to install it. It'll last a lifetime, rated for 40+ years.

Here's a custom kitchen we did in a retro-look with Marmoleum:

[Retro-look Marmoleum[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/retro-look-marmoleum-rustic-san-francisco-phvw-vp~22637889)

You can check out more at our website:

Slaughterbeck Floors

Two people in my family have environmental allergies. Is there any problem with the allure products? Is there a site I should look at?

Allure planks are ok have a little bit of rubber type smell . the best in my opinion are from us floors the coretec lines are green guard gold for air quality and look most like wood when laid

I've seen different thicknesses of the lvt we're going with planks and are wanting to put in throughout our house in Texas in which we are building right now it's about 2400 sq ft. We will have a pool table and just normal furniture. My question is what is recommended and what are the differences in the thicknesses of the luxury vinyl tile.

Dana, funny! We are in Iowa City and are considering the exact same question. Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful replies.

Go to Consumer Reports....they tested vinyl and said that it is not toxic and is light years better than laminate since laminate releases formaldehyde. If you plan on having kids this should be a real consideration!

I wonder why no one ever mentions Flooret's Modin LVP? It has DOUBLE the wear layer of any other LVP on the market (40 mil vs. 20 mil) and the planks are 9 in by 5 feet which is 50% wider and 25% longer than most LVP. It also has low VOCs and a 20 yr warranty. How can they not be better than Karndean? I got samples from Karndean and they seem so thin compared to Modin. Anyone have experience with Modin? I've read the other thread here on Houzz about it, but I'd like to hear other experiences. Thanks!

Good morning, April! As you make your selection and consider durability, keep in mind that 'thicker isn't always better'. A thinner layer of an aluminum oxide coating (like Mannington's ScratchResist(TM)) is more durable than a thick layer of standard urethane. Best of luck with your remodeling project!

April Hoffmann, I just saw where someone mentioned Flooret Modin, yesterday. It was the first time I had heard of it. None of the sellers here have it, and if I can't see it in person, I'd not consider it for purchase. So maybe it's a marketing/distribution issue.

I just came across this thread. We retired & bought a condo to be near grandkids. The prices don’t seem to appreciate much here. We’d like to do some updates & are considering engineered wood (which we’ve had before) or Tarkett Transcend LVT in Skyline Hickory. I’m not finding much info about the Tarkett, according to the flooring store, it has previously only been made for commercial use. Any thoughts or info is appreciated.

We are currently building a home and will again install LVP....this time we are using the new Mannington Maxapex---we had CLVP in our old home and loved it's look and durability (2 teens, 2 dogs-1 cat LOL). No one realized I didn't do wood like everyone else in the neighborhood. Highly recommend--also note that after such a long haul of wood flooring, even the tv designers have realized it's benefits and are using it commonly now.

Yes LVT is just getting better and better. Glue-down is preferable to floating (by most installers) as there are fewer complaints with it. DIYers prefer floating of course as it is an easier install.

I would never reccomend engineered wood. When the top layer that looks like wood ets damaged, what does the manufacturer suggest?

"When the top layer that looks like wood "

The top layer IS wood. You would treat it the same.