Vinyl Plank Flooring

I’m almost finished with the flooring in the foyer and I’m so impressed with the look and how easy it was to install that I just had to share the details with you all. When I was trying to decide what flooring to go with there were a couple of factors I considered:
1) Price – I got an estimate from a home improvement retailer to install wood plank flooring and the cost was going to be similar to sending our future children to private school in Switzerland. Ok, maybe not that much and the estimate was for the whole house but still, more than we wanted to spend right now. However, I’m an instant gratification type of gal so I needed to figure out another option that could happen in the coming weeks.

2) Waterproof – I wanted the flooring in our entryway, powder room and possibly kitchen and master bath but everyone knows (at least my mother’s horror stories tell me) that you don’t put wood floor in rooms where water leaks are a possibility.

I started looking at other options and came across this vinyl plank flooring at Lowe’s (Shaw Matrix Floating Vinyl Plank in Franklin Hickory).  Yes, I cringed a bit at the word vinyl because it conjured up images of the faux tile flooring in my childhood home. A cream “tile” with pink flowers with large green leaves all through the kitchen and hallway. (Sorry mom, totally throwing you under the bus in this post. Love you!) That floor has long since been discarded but I still couldn’t help but think of outdated material when I see the word vinyl in reference to flooring.

I really liked the look of this particular color of “faux wood” flooring and it was relatively cheap in comparison to the other floor options, waterproof and you install it with nothing more than a tape measure and a box cutter! So, I brought a box home and gave it a shot. You install this product right over existing tile or over subfloor, no underlayment necessary. Before I knew it, I was back at Lowe’s buying enough to finish the whole foyer.

As with the crown moulding, I didn’t take pictures as I went because I wanted to get a little experience first. I’m feeling quite confident with it now and will post a Part 2 when I tackle the next room. However, I will say that the flooring comes with instructions in the box and it is SO EASY that you probably don’t need the photos.

Until then, check out the photos, check out the flooring and seriously consider it if you are looking to update your home. Below is the original flooring and then a few more shots of the new floor. Now to tackle the baseboard and stairs!