Winters coming and need some new flooring

Wannabehousebuyer

I’d really appreciate your thoughts and advice.

I currently have no flooring in my house, just bare concrete, after having to rip up all the carpets due to the previous owner's cat having urinated throughout. I always assumed I’d get it sorted quickly, but life threw a few curveballs my way: I needed a new boiler just two days after moving in, I sadly lost my mum, and my debt has been steadily rising. So, the flooring got pushed down the list.

I have dogs, so carpet isn’t an option, I need something durable and easy to clean.

I recently got quotes just for my bedroom:

• Vinyl (on the roll): £900 (including fitting, glue, etc.)
• LVT tiles: £1,200

Considering the whole house needs flooring, these prices are overwhelming, both mentally and financially. I can’t get credit, so I’m relying on cash, and I’m wondering if anyone knows of cheaper alternatives that are still pet-friendly and practical?

Thanks so much in advance!

grumpy_codger

'Bare concrete' has to be really good for LVT, let alone vinil. Otherwise plywood is needet that will increase the cost.
Laminate can be cheaper, but I wouldn't say that cheap one is 'practical' and it needs a good base too.

Cherryfudge

There's a lady on the forum (Watty1) who has been putting down rugs on her hard flooring to help her dog mobilise, as hard floors can apparently be a problem for dogs if slippery. (I'm no dog expert but that may be worth considering).

It's going to take a while to save for whichever floor covering you go for, so could you use rugs in the meantime to create a more cosy area? And to keep your feet warm in the meantime, could you cover some areas with cardboard? It's neither durable nor easy to clean but is very easy to replace. Not pretty either, but better than cold feet , and it's only till you can sort out a permanent solution.

And with the floors being concrete, will you need to include an insulating layer? 

EssexExile

Cherryfudge said:

There's a lady on the forum (Watty1) who has been putting down rugs on her hard flooring to help her dog mobilise, as hard floors can apparently be a problem for dogs if slippery. (I'm no dog expert but that may be worth considering).

It's going to take a while to save for whichever floor covering you go for, so could you use rugs in the meantime to create a more cosy area? And to keep your feet warm in the meantime, could you cover some areas with cardboard? It's neither durable nor easy to clean but is very easy to replace. Not pretty either, but better than cold feet , and it's only till you can sort out a permanent solution.

And with the floors being concrete, will you need to include an insulating layer? 

When people say hard flooring is dog friendly they mean it is dog owner friendly, the dogs hate it.

Albermarle

Wannabehousebuyer said:

I’d really appreciate your thoughts and advice.

I currently have no flooring in my house, just bare concrete, after having to rip up all the carpets due to the previous owner's cat having urinated throughout. I always assumed I’d get it sorted quickly, but life threw a few curveballs my way: I needed a new boiler just two days after moving in, I sadly lost my mum, and my debt has been steadily rising. So, the flooring got pushed down the list.

I have dogs, so carpet isn’t an option, I need something durable and easy to clean.

I recently got quotes just for my bedroom:

• Vinyl (on the roll): £900 (including fitting, glue, etc.)
• LVT tiles: £1,200

Considering the whole house needs flooring, these prices are overwhelming, both mentally and financially. I can’t get credit, so I’m relying on cash, and I’m wondering if anyone knows of cheaper alternatives that are still pet-friendly and practical?

Thanks so much in advance!

With LVT and sheet vinyl, there are a large range of qualities and prices.

As LVT means Luxury Vinyl Tile, it will never be cheap. It will either be expensive, or very expensive.
You can just get Vinyl Tile, usually has a stone appearance ( as it has more cheap mineral filler in than LVT) 

With sheet vinyl, you can get it pretty cheap, but it will feel thin and will look worn quite quickly in high traffic areas.
At the other end you buy it with a 15 year guarantee, but more expensive of course.

So there might be some scope for reducing cost.

Wannabehousebuyer

Albermarle said:

Wannabehousebuyer said:

I’d really appreciate your thoughts and advice.

I currently have no flooring in my house, just bare concrete, after having to rip up all the carpets due to the previous owner's cat having urinated throughout. I always assumed I’d get it sorted quickly, but life threw a few curveballs my way: I needed a new boiler just two days after moving in, I sadly lost my mum, and my debt has been steadily rising. So, the flooring got pushed down the list.

I have dogs, so carpet isn’t an option, I need something durable and easy to clean.

I recently got quotes just for my bedroom:

• Vinyl (on the roll): £900 (including fitting, glue, etc.)
• LVT tiles: £1,200

Considering the whole house needs flooring, these prices are overwhelming, both mentally and financially. I can’t get credit, so I’m relying on cash, and I’m wondering if anyone knows of cheaper alternatives that are still pet-friendly and practical?

Thanks so much in advance!

With LVT and sheet vinyl, there are a large range of qualities and prices.

As LVT means Luxury Vinyl Tile, it will never be cheap. It will either be expensive, or very expensive.
You can just get Vinyl Tile, usually has a stone appearance ( as it has more cheap mineral filler in than LVT) 

With sheet vinyl, you can get it pretty cheap, but it will feel thin and will look worn quite quickly in high traffic areas.
At the other end you buy it with a 15 year guarantee, but more expensive of course.

So there might be some scope for reducing cost.

this was for the cheapest in both ranges including fitting, latex to cover the concrete and 'make right'. 

i think £500-600 of it is for fit, i looked on task rabbit and they charge 140 p/h plus the latex etc which would work out more spenny 

jennifernil

Any chance you could do any of this yourself?    That hourly charge is very high. 

You could also get additional quotes for the fitting to see if you can get the price down a bit.

bjorn_toby_wilde

jennifernil said:

Any chance you could do any of this yourself?    That hourly charge is very high. 

You could also get additional quotes for the fitting to see if you can get the price down a bit.

I wouldn’t try DIY with LVT personally. The floor needs to be very flat. They use a levelling compound then machine sand it to take out any high spots before gluing the tiles down. There’s an opportunity for something to go wrong in every step.  I’ll DIY most things but wouldn’t try that.

Fitting vinyl yourself is easier, again provided the floor is nice and flat, but it’s still not easy to do well because one slip of the knife can ruin it.

Laminate is much easier for a DIY option.

GDB2222

If you’re desperate for something cheap then sticky back vinyl tiles are one option. A bedroom can be done for £100 or so, and it’s an easy job to DIY, requiring practically no tools.  

https://www.diy.com/departments/flooring-tiling/flooring-underlay/vinyl-flooring/self-adhesive-vinyl-tiles/DIY566441.cat


Of course, LVT is better. Much better. But vinyl tiles last a few years, and hopefully your finances will improve.

I can’t say whether your concrete floor is good enough, so I suggest buying one box, and trying it out. 

GDB2222

bjorn_toby_wilde said:

jennifernil said:

Any chance you could do any of this yourself?    That hourly charge is very high. 

You could also get additional quotes for the fitting to see if you can get the price down a bit.

I wouldn’t try DIY with LVT personally. The floor needs to be very flat. They use a levelling compound then machine sand it to take out any high spots before gluing the tiles down. There’s an opportunity for something to go wrong in every step.  I’ll DIY most things but wouldn’t try that.

Fitting vinyl yourself is easier, again provided the floor is nice and flat, but it’s still not easy to do well because one slip of the knife can ruin it.

Laminate is much easier for a DIY option.

I’m an enthusiastic DIYer, but not very skilled, and I did a good job with click together laminate flooring. I reckon that, if I can do it, then most people can. 

Eldi_Dos

@Wannabehousebuyer
    I would not dismiss carpet outright,there must be millions of households where dogs and carpets co-exist happily. One of the cheapest ways to carpet a room, depending on size of course, is visiting local carpet shops and seeing if they have any end of rolls that would fit your room. If the room is not too complicated you may be able to fit yourself and make quite a saving on those quotes you have had.