Click Vinyl Flooring For Kitchens – Remember how I installed click-and-lock, vinyl flooring over the existing ceramic tiles in my kitchen a few months ago?
Well…because this particular product is relatively new to the market and my application – over existing tiles – is quite bold and even radical, I’ll assume some of you are interested to see how well my flooring holds up.
Click Vinyl Flooring For Kitchens
If you want to know how I like my LVT flooring, this post is for you. Today, I’m spilling the beans and as an extra treat, I’m sharing with you my first ever video review..
Vinyl Flooring Pros And Cons Worth Considering
You see, there were so many design mistakes (and this was just one stinky house), that I basically had enough home improvement projects to last me a lifetime. With limited resources and a limited budget, I decided to first address the projects that I felt would give me the biggest bang for my buck: paint, new tile backsplash, and lighting.
While these new upgrades did wonders to brighten and modernize the space, I knew something was missing from this design scheme. That “something” was the new floor.
Think about it… take a good look at all the pictures pinned to your “dream kitchen” boards on Pinterest – I bet they don’t include builder-grade ceramic tile.
Not only was the tile lacking on an aesthetic level, it was high maintenance AF and destined to get dirty. Between pets, children and a busy lifestyle, there was no feasible way to maintain white tile with white grout.
Make Your Kitchen Feel Luxurious With Vinyl Flooring
After nearly three years of bothering my ugly a$$ tile floor, I became obsessed with finding an affordable flooring solution. Long story short: I decided the most feasible plan of attack was to install luxury vinyl tile over the existing tile floor. One of the biggest factors in my decision was that the original, ceramic tile floors were installed under all the cabinets, and I had no intention of ever ripping out our island or lower cabinets to demo the existing flooring. I didn’t want trouble and I certainly didn’t have the dough.
In terms of durability, vinyl is more ideal for kitchens and bathrooms versus laminate. The reason being: vinyl is designed to resist water contact and laminate is not. So… vinyl it has to be!
It is possible to install click and lock flooring over a tile sub-floor, but the success of this project is highly dependent on the quality and thickness of the vinyl product. Basically… the thicker the product, the more tolerant it is to subsurface irregularities and defects. If I had used a thinner product that you find at most big-box stores (which is usually about 2-4mm thick), the unevenness of my tile subfloor and the grout lines would have been visible through the vinyl surface (this term is called telegraphing). If I wanted to install vinyl over an existing floor, I knew I had to find the thickest product available.
After scouring the internet for a product that not only aesthetically suited my needs, but was at least 6.5mm thick, I settled on Mannington’s 12”x24” Click & Lock, luxury vinyl tiles. (You can view and buy here). Not only were they neutral and unobtrusive in terms of cosmetics, at 8mm thick, this LVT flooring appeared to be the best quality available on the market (and no… no one is paying me to endorse this product!). When ordering this product, I added an extra 15 square feet to my kitchen square footage and product waste (I think I could only go with 10 extra square feet, because I still have plenty left over).
Luxury Vinyl Tiles
To my delight, the entire installation (you can read the full tutorial here) only took a day and a half. Because of LVT’s high density, we didn’t even have to use leveling concrete at the grout line…we installed that shiznit right over the existing tile and grout! All in all, the click and lock installation is actually a relatively straight-forward process that I believe any DIY-er can tackle.
And while I did extensive research before attempting this project, once I saw how simple it was…I thought there must still be a catch. Nothing ever happens
In the back of my mind, I still fear that the whole telegraphing problem of uneven grout lines or tiles will eventually rear its ugly head. Well guys, we are now three months into the LVT installation and I have had no problems with this product….nada!
It has really proven, so far, to be scratch resistant (we accidentally scratched our refrigerator across newly installed tile and there was no sigh of damage), water resistant and most importantly… really comfortable to walk on.
Golden Select Modern Grey Rigid Core Spc Luxury Vinyl Flooring Planks With Foam Underlay
Not to mention, my kitchen looks a million times better. I never expected new flooring to make such a dramatic difference, but it really does make the space feel so fresh and so clean, clean (love me some Outcast). Horrible, the design of the eighties is over!
Even better, I don’t have to worry about any grout lines (I seriously think grout lines are the devil, yes!) In fact, the only materials I use to clean my floors now are a mop with some warm water and vinegar. Although the particular product line I chose was light in color, it hides dirt relatively well – a major plus for a slob like me.
If you want to see the product up close and “in person” watch this short video clip…
Although this video was very low budget, shot with my phone, hopefully you now have a better idea of what my click and lock luxury vinyl tile sounds and looks like. As I mentioned, I am very pleased with my choice!
Kitchen Vinyl Flooring
If you’re on the fence about LVT, I say go for it! Just be sure to choose a solid product with great reviews.
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Hi, we are considering using this product in our new home, so happy to run across your blog! Have you used porcelain color lvt? Thanks Julia
Hi Julia, we didn’t use the “porcelain” color (although I would probably use that color in my bathroom). We ordered the “stucco” color.
Luxury Vinyl Tile & Plank Installers
Dying to know how it transforms into a living room. Do you have a “lip” where the new vinyl floor meets the hardwood floors? If it goes over tile, how do you transition to another floor in your home? (ie, is there a height difference…)
It’s so cute and I want to do it in my laundry room where we have cracked tile.
Hey Maria! Actually, we haven’t done the transition piece yet. Mannington actually sells reducers that match this exact tile, but we’re not sure if we want to use their pieces or make one that matches the wood floor in the living room (we’re really bad about leaving projects unfinished because I have horrible ADD). . Fortunately, the height difference isn’t an issue going into the living room or dining room, but there is a height difference in our powder room and mudroom. However, we are planning to extend this floor in our mud room and powder room and that is another reason we haven’t done anything about the conversion yet. Of course, if we don’t want to extend the floor in this area, a reducer will suffice.
[…] Known as LVT, luxury vinyl tile is not your mother’s vinyl flooring. Not only is it waterproof (making it ideal for kitchen […]
Popular & Stylish Gray Luxury Vinyl Plank Options
Thank you for the follow up, I’ve always wondered how this holds up. The difference is so dramatic, I’m having the same problem in the whole main area and I haven’t decided if we’re going to bite the bullet and put down wood tile or something else.. My husband has this weird love of carpet but after a few moments of vacuuming with every dusty vacuum dump mine I feel like I’m pulling him in the other direction.
Like I said…in the back of my mind, I was afraid it couldn’t be that simple. But the farther the better. It has completely changed the way I feel about my kitchen. Now to find the time to do it in my motherroom and powder room 😉
It’s like having your own interior designer, life coach (and drinking buddy) for free. Live fabulously AF on a budget. LVT or luxury vinyl tile is an innovative design of vinyl flooring. It is becoming an increasingly popular and affordable alternative to wood or stone. The realistic look of wood, stone or ceramic tile is extremely hard wearing and resilient to everyday wear and tear. It has a scratch resistant surface and is waterproof making it ideal for any room in your home. LVT is formed
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