On the CBS Early Show this morning, they ran a special on do-it-yourself flooring options as inexpensive ways to improve a room's look.
According to Danny Lipford, host of Today's Homeowner, "One of the best ways to change the look of a room is to change the flooring."
Two of the flooring ideas were very easy to do, and relatively inexpensive, too!
As I see it, if you're on a budget, and you can't afford solid hardwood flooring or thick plush carpet at this time... these DIY options will have everyone fooled.
Some choose this type of flooring for their entire home, including great rooms and kitchens.
Others prefer to use it only in the in smaller rooms like the pantry, laundry room, or bathroom -- places where you may want to invest more in the appliances, cabinetry, and decorations than the flooring itself.
Just the same... these DIY flooring systems are quite popular in basements these days.
TrafficMaster's "Allure" Hardwood Floor
The best part: No more old-fashioned peel & stick floors!
Highlights:
- no glue necessary
- simulates a real hardwood floor
- you can do a 12x12 room for $250
- it looks very realistic
- you just need a very smooth floor beneath it
- sold exclusively at Home Depot
According to Danny Lipford:
It looks like a very high end hardwood floor and the vinyl planks stick to each other, so no messy adhesives are used. In fact, the manufacturer claims that only a razor knife is needed to install this floor. It comes in three finishes -- light oak, hickory and cherry -- and can be installed on top of any existing hard surface, such as vinyl or concrete. The best part is the price. It only costs $1.69 per square foot.
This vinyl hardwood floor comes highly recommended by people who've tried it! (pictures included)
Legato Carpet Tiles
It's called "fuse flooring" because it's tacky on back, yet requires no glue or tools.
Highlights:
- there are lots of colors to choose from
- you can mix & match colors & panels for an interesting layout
- create the effect of an area rug (with a different color as the border), or wall to wall carpet
- you can do a 12x12 room for $400
- get Legato carpet tiles at Home Depot
According to Danny Lipford:
These were designed specifically for the do-it-yourselfer. Each carpet panel is just under 2' x 2' and is straight on two sides and features unique wave edges on the other two sides that interlock. The material that holds each panel to the floor is the specialized padding manufactured into the back of the panels that grips the floor, keeping each panel right where you set it down.... Easy installation is only part of the story. Since the carpet panels are precisely engineered they can be moved at will. So, if your children are drawing with permanent markers and get ink on the carpet, you can simply lift out the stained panel and replace it with a new one, or you can switch it with a panel located under a sofa where the stain won't show. The material will run about $2.67 per square foot.
Watch the entire segment in this CBS video.
Check out these tips for installing carpet tiles.
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What is a dry walkout basement? We live in florida so I don't know what that is. We were thinking about usig it for a covered patio in the back but that has moisture from the rain and humidity and after you problem we aren't so sure. thanks for your input.
Hi
Considering this product for my sometimes-moist concrete basement floor. Would be interested in more of your story and your pictures. My email is artisan1@telus.net
Trafficemaster Allure Vinyl Flooring--BAD Experience!!
Just wanted to share our horrible experience with this product to spare others the heartache and frustration we have had this past year. First the seams lifted, which eventually led to Halstead (the manufacturer) refunding our total amount spent on this product. Then upon removal of the product, we found solid MOLD growing under the flooring!! We had installed it in a "dry" walkout basement which is actually a foot above grade/ground level. We had carpet and padding down for 7 years with no moisture/mold issues. Now our cement subfloor has been compromised, and even after cleaning with bleach and water 3 times, we are still told by professionals to seal it with a mold inhibitor paint to prevent any mold spores that are still in the cement from growing in the future. In my opinion, based on our experience, this product has a flaw in it's application for use. It seems to set up conditions for moisture to be trapped and breed mold. You don't have this issue with carpet as it breathes, and you don't have this issue with traditional vinyl because it is glued completely to the subfloor or sealed around the perimeter. This product doesn't require any floor prep in it's install and it doesn't seal out air with any type of gluing down of the floor. In my opinion this allows air and moisture to be trapped under the vinyl, and presto! you have a science project growing in your home! I feel we were lucky to have the seam lifting issue which led to us removing the flooring from our home after only 8 months....what if we had left it for 5 years...can you imagine the mold levels that might have existed then?! Contact me if you want pictures!!!
You know what also works...GOOF OFF! I swear that stuff will take off anything! I work at Home Depot and use that to clean the Contractor Desk I work at all the time. The only down-fall is the smell is really strong. But of course, test on small area first! :)
Another thing that works well is paint thinner. Just a quick once over and then wash off with tap water and the scuff is gone with out lasting damage to the floor
You are going to think I am crazy, but I use this technique for removing scuff marks all the time - on hardwood and vinyl floors - even on my leather shoes! If you are nervous about trying it, test in an unconspicuous corner or on a leftover scrap. Ready? Nail polish remover. I swear to you, it works like a charm. Get a regular bottle of acetone polish remover from your local drug store and some cotton balls or cotton pads and just give the scuff marks a little rub with a polish remover soaked piece of cotton, and voila!
Christy -
I would try 2 things:
1) Contact Danny Lipford's people who recommend this flooring and ask for their advice. They were very helpful and got right back to me when I sent them an email back in February.
2) Try magic erasers. Be sure to test in a small, hidden area first, because they don't work on EVERY surface. But in general, magic erasers work great at removing scuff marks!
Hope that helps some...