Posted by Gary on September 13, 2004 at 23:44:20:
How about ebay? I bought some there recently for $.85 a square foot. Of course you’ll need the pad and trim which I bought from the same seller. Quality is good.
Laminate or Tile? - Posted by Gregory (VA)
Posted by Gregory (VA) on September 13, 2004 at 15:03:16:
A poster mentioned using Laminate flooring instead of traditional carpet when rehabbing MHs. The reasoning being that it was slightly less expensive, and a lot harder for the tenant/buyer to destroy. I like this idea because by being able to use laminate flooring I can minimize my risks of a customer trashing the carpet and leaving before I can recoup my investment cost.
But, it seems that Laminate is pretty darn expensive. I just went online to Home Depot to price it out and it’s $51.30 per piece which covers ~20 SQ Ft. For a 14*66 home it would cost $2,370 for the materials alone. I don’t like the sound of that. Now, Home Depot may just be really expensive, and I may be able to find it cheaper someplace else. But where?
Now, when buying my house I remember seeing a tile that looked like hardwood floors. At home depot, I found a sample of it here:
You can get a box that covers 45 sq-ft for $21.49. For a 14*66 home I would need a max of 21 boxes; or about $441 worth. I could probably get a handyman to lay it for about $200-300.
So, how do you think I would fare using hardwood looking tile instead of using laminate or carpeting? I really just want an inexpensive option to rehab these MH’s so I don’t have too much into them when I sell. I want the houses clean and good looking, but not overdone.
I figure if a buyer really wanted carpet, I could give them a discount off the price of the house so they can buy their own carpet.
Not laminate. - Posted by Gavin Wilkinson
Posted by Gavin Wilkinson on September 14, 2004 at 12:44:55:
Laminate is not very good.
I just finished repairing a laminate floor I put down a year ago. My tenant clogged the sink. Then they attempted to plunge the sink, and they plunged it so hard they broke the pipes under the sink. The greasy water poured out on the laminate floor. Then the tenant left and left the mess. Two days later they told me about it.
The floor was totally ruined where the water had sat. I had to buy replacement flooring and rip out most of the kitchen. The replacement floor did not exactly match the original, because the original had changed in size slightly over a year. So I finished the repair, but it is not as nice as it was, because of the line between the original floor and the repair job.
I got most of the cost out of the tenants security deposit, but it was still a waste of time. I would not use laminate anywhere there is water, such as a laundry room, kitchen, or bathroom.
Re: Laminate or Tile? - Posted by Gregory (VA)
Posted by Gregory (VA) on September 14, 2004 at 08:07:35:
Thanks for the input Lyal. I’m gonna have to look around my area (check out some local hardware/flooring stores) to see if I can get it cheaper. I figured Home Depot would be more expensive.
Re: Laminate or Tile? - Posted by Lyal
Posted by Lyal on September 13, 2004 at 17:05:26:
Greg,
I like the laminate stuff myself but Home Depot isn’t the place to buy it. I get it for about a buck a square ft and pay a handyman to lay it. Easy to lay as the pieces just lock together.
I prefer it to tile because if the mobile home shifts or settles, tile will crack as it’s glued down. The laminate just “floats” on a thin layer of foam so it’s unaffected by movement.
All the best, Lyal
Re: Not laminate. - Posted by Tampajim
Posted by Tampajim on September 14, 2004 at 21:25:26:
Sorry to hear about your unsatisfactory experience and thanks for sharing. Haven’t had anything like that so will keep it in mind for the future. I am getting the idea from what you are sharing though that some are using ceramic tile. Is this true? If so do you experience any cracking in the grout? Have always been afraid to use tile in MH because of the flex.
Re: Not laminate. - Posted by Gregory (VA)
Posted by Gregory (VA) on September 14, 2004 at 14:32:35:
Thanks for sharing your experience. I was already leaning towards keeping traditional tile in the kitchen/bathrooms and using laminate (or hard wood floor tile lookalike) in places where the carpet usually goes. After hearing your story, think I am definitely going to avoid laminate in kitchen/bathrooms.
Re: Laminate or Tile? - Posted by Michael(KCMO)
Posted by Michael(KCMO) on September 13, 2004 at 19:27:46:
Lyal,
I’m liking this idea, but where do you find it for $1/square foot?
Thanks,
Michael(KCMO)
Re: Laminate or Tile? - Posted by Tampajim
Posted by Tampajim on September 14, 2004 at 09:37:49:
We have found that using tarpaper as the vapor barrier rather than the pad, works well and is much cheaper.
Re: Laminate or Tile? - Posted by Lyal
Posted by Lyal on September 14, 2004 at 07:50:55:
Michael,
I buy it at the local Menard’s store. When it’s on sale I stock up. I always buy the same color (light oak I think) and just tuck it away until I need it. Sale price is usually $.99 a sq ft in pkgs of 29 sq ft but sometimes it sells as low as $.79. I just buy the foam etc as I need it.
I don’t use it throughout the home. I put it in the entry, kitchen dining area, bathroom if necessary (got to be careful of wet locations though, it needs to be glued if it’s going to stay wet), and inside the back door. Not a lot of prep work necessary. As long as the floor is sound under it, you can go right over beat up vinyl with no sub-floor required. Saves a LOT of time.
All the best, Lyal