Waterproof, Scratchproof, Sunproof, Kidproof, Dogproof Hardwood Looking Flooring, Does This exist??

It seems that most flooring consumers would love to have a beautiful hardwood floor that does not scratch,  is waterproof, will not be damaged by the sun and of course  is easy on the budget. Unfortunately this product does not exist.

There is no product on the market that the sun will not fade! However there are some alternatives to hardwood that will not scratch as easy and that might handle water and sun a bit better than your traditional hardwood. This blog post is being written to help consumers choose not only the floor fashion they want, but also the floor fashion they need. Below there is a list of flooring products, how they look and how they handle scratching, water, and sun.

Hardwood Flooring is stunning! every piece of a hardwood floor has its own distinct look and there are not two pieces the same. In my opinion hardwood is the most beautiful type of flooring available on the market today and is certainly the most prestigious. However hardwood scratches and dents when dogs run on it, kids play on it, people drop things on it and people drag things on it. It is recommended that you have pads on the bottoms of all your furniture to avoid scratching and denting. Hardwood flooring is not waterproof, in fact just a drop of water left on a hardwood floor and not wiped off can wreck the finish. If you have a flood, major fridge, dishwasher, laundry tub or sink leak, your entire hardwood floor will likely need to be replaced. The sun will damage a hardwood floor, If you have an area rug in the same place for a long period of time and the sun come in through a window, you will likely have a light or dark spot in that area. All that being said there is a certain prestige associated with hardwood, people know it is expensive to buy so although it may not be ideal for their circumstances (kids, dogs, etc) they still seem to want it for their home.

Laminate Flooring has come along way! There is still a picture that repeats itself several times throughout the floor, however they seem to have made the picture larger and managed to move the pattern around on the boards. This makes for less of a pattern repeat and a far nicer appearance than the early days of laminate. In fact many people can’t even tell the difference between a good laminate and hardwood these days Certain laminates with AC3 & AC4 ratings have heavy residential and light commercial warranties and ratings. These laminates are very difficult to scratch. In fact I installed an AC4 laminate in my own home, with two dogs, one being a lab, we do not have a scratch or ding on it. There are several different brands to choose from http://www.chathamkentflooring.com/#!about/c1ger and it seems like all the brands have good, better, and best lines. Most laminates also fade less in the sun, however they are still subject to some fading. Laminate is a great choice for the young family,  however although laminate is far better than hardwood for scratching and sun fading, it is still horrible for wet areas. If laminate takes on any kind of water leak, it will be destroyed.

LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank) is the newest product on the market and for me the jury is still out. Most of these products look similar to a laminate and they, resist scratching similar to a laminate. Most companies claim these floating products to be waterproof, however if a consumer puts it in their basement and the basement takes on water, the entire floor would need to be removed, dried out and reinstalled. So technically the product itself is waterproof because water will not damage it, however there will still be work to do if there is a water problem. The likeliness of a consumer being able to remove the floor and reinstall it without damaging the product is slim to none. So my biggest issue with Vinyl plank is not the product, it is the way it is being marketed. Vinyl also expands and contracts with any kind of direct sunlight so be very careful with these FreeFit or EasyLay floors because I have found they are not what they claim to be. If you do purchase one of these floors be certain you read the installation instructions thoroughly before you do-it-yourself. Also we find that the glue down installation method to work great, however it is still not %100 waterproof, yetCongoleum very water resistant. Therefor if you are going with a vinyl plank product, I strongly recommend a glue down installation.

Vinyl Flooring has also come a long way, this is not your grandmother's floor!!!! There are several products available that have an incredible visual and is great for scratching and wear. I generally suggest the Congoleum AirStep because it is protected with a built-in Scotchgard protector. It also has a silver antibacterial guard that protects against mold, mildew and common allergens. As far as I know Congoleum AirStep is the only sheet vinyl with these kind of protectors, therefor I believe it is the best, when it come to residential vinyl flooring. Sheet vinyl is a product that can withstand a good amount of water, however it is not %100 waterproof!

Porcelain or Ceramic Tile Can be a beautiful wood looking product, it is very scratch resistant, and in my eyes the closest thing to waterproof there is. One issue with this product is, like laminate and vinyl plank it is a picture that repeats itself several times, giving the same engineered look. Another potential problem is tile can be cold on the feet and hard on the joints. With tile you will also need a new subfloor which adds to the already high cost associated with the tile and the installation of the tile.