Vinyl flooring. Which/where?

Soldato
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Hi, I'm finally getting rid of the horrendous lounge carpet that came with our house. I've been having a read around and was initially wanting real wood floor. I was then persuaded to laminate due to the cost and maintenance of real wood. However, after further research it seems decent vinyl is the sweet spot!

I've only briefly looked at the stuff on display in wickes. Can anyone recommend a decent brand for wood effect vinyl? I want a quality finish, I don't want to skimp.

Thanks!
 
Soldato
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In your living room? Get a nice cosy carpet surely? I love wooden flooring but would never have it in a living or bedroom and vinyl wouldn't get a look in outside the kitchen or bathroom it just doesn't feel right!
 
Soldato
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Karndean. You can't go wrong with that.
I put this stuff down recently https://www.carpetright.co.uk/vinyl/perfection-596-burned-wood-vinyl-flooring as vinyl goes looks pretty good.
Thanks, I'll get samples of all of these.

In your living room? Get a nice cosy carpet surely? I love wooden flooring but would never have it in a living or bedroom and vinyl wouldn't get a look in outside the kitchen or bathroom it just doesn't feel right!
We have nice carpets throughout but with cats and the lounge being the main thoroughfare from the main entrance, I don't want an expensive carpet that will ruin in no time. I've had this out with the gf several times (she wants carpet). I'm going to have a really nice big rug instead :)
 
Soldato
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Thanks, I'll get samples of all of these.


We have nice carpets throughout but with cats and the lounge being the main thoroughfare from the main entrance, I don't want an expensive carpet that will ruin in no time. I've had this out with the gf several times (she wants carpet). I'm going to have a really nice big rug instead :)
Front door in the living room is a tricky one one of my pet hates in life. I'd still have a carpet with a rug
/Mat inside the front door for people to take there shoes off on. Cats shouldn't be trashing your carpets I'm always amazed what people put up with from them!
 
Caporegime
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Amtico, Karndean and Moduleo are the three brands I'm aware of. I have Moduleo in my kitchen and bathrooms and it looks pretty good I think, tile effect though not wood. That carpetright vinyl is cheap, I think I paid something like £60 per square metre fitted.
 
Soldato
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Front door in the living room is a tricky one one of my pet hates in life. I'd still have a carpet with a rug
/Mat inside the front door for people to take there shoes off on. Cats shouldn't be trashing your carpets I'm always amazed what people put up with from them!
They don't trash the carpet, it's more the hair and cleaning it up :p

We have a small porch off the living room, not front door straight in. I'd still be more content that we didn't have a nice plush carpet as that's what we would have (upstairs has one of the most expensive carpets I could afford) - because what's the point in carpet if it isn't really nice? :)

With a rug over vinyl where our feet rest when sat on the sofa, at least if it does ruin I can roll up and throw it away and just throw another down. This won't cost thousands every time to do it.
 
Soldato
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Alright guys I've finally gotten around to pulling up my carpet and underneath I've found these tiles. I'll be honest I'm not sure what they're made of but they're pretty thin, glued down and quite brittle. Where I've pulled the carpet grippers out, some of these tiles have broken resulting in an uneven surface around the room.

The question is, should I try and lift/scrape all these tiles up before laying my vinyl? Or should leave them down and use something like floor levelling compound around the edges to reduce and chance of depressions? Or should I put an underlay down?

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https://imgur.com/a/ntlFl
 
Associate
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Personally I'd take up the tiles and do a proper job. The vinyl will after all only be stuck to the tiles and if there is any defect with the tiles it could well affect the vinyl in the future giving you bumps or soft patches.
Get yourself one of these: http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p94...=94458&gclid=CjwKEAjw85DIBRCy2aT0hPmS1jkSJAC1

Whip the old ones off and give it a good prep. If they're coming up easily they shouldn't leave much behind so any holes can be files with a filler.
 
Man of Honour
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Be careful - they look like they could be thermoplastic floor tiles which contain/are held down with asbestos bitumen adhesive. Get it checked out and don't disturb it.

Good spot - looking at google images that darkened staining from the adhesive does look a lot like that kind of bitumen adhesive.
 
Soldato
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Reading further into this, I might be better in the long term to carefully pull the tiles up, and screed over the Bitumen. All the while wearing suitable PPE.

To be fair, probably the safest to wear PPE all the time on old homes.

I wear my respirator even taking off wallpaper / taking down plasterboard - I probably look like a tool but hey my lungs will be happier.
 
Man of Honour
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Anyone who thinks you look like a tool for wearing a respirator when doing stuff like that is the tool :p no reason not to take precautions like that at all - can find all kinds of nasties hidden away that would be outright banned today.

Recently having done some work on a 1930s era house (first time taking on a bigger DIY job) I quickly learnt the value of a respirator heh.
 
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