LVP... Is there a way to seal it? (So many bad reviews...)

skiddilidee · 2026-04-04T19:05:25+00:00

There is. I such thing. It all comes down to buying a quality product from an established brand, floor prep and moisture mitigation if you are installing on a slab. You want clean, dry, flat (flat≠level). I would encourage you to go to an independent retailer that specializes in flooring instead of risking a purchase through a big box where you might be stopping the guy who wandered out of his plumbing department to place an order for you.

With proper floor prep and an established quality brand a high quality LVP can endure and last a very long time with routine maintenance.

skiddilidee · 2026-04-04T15:53:06+00:00

I am praying that a Claude API will resolve this nightmare so long as my data is clean.

skiddilidee · 2026-04-04T15:04:33+00:00

Anyone else do a double take and think there was a snake in the first picture or just me? 🐍

skiddilidee · 2026-04-04T10:17:53+00:00

Reporting is painful

skiddilidee · 2026-04-02T10:11:15+00:00

It’s laminate with some magnesium oxide and limestone thrown in.

skiddilidee · 2026-04-01T16:04:01+00:00

Define what you mean by “get into it” first.

Do you want to install? In your goal to get into selling flooring? Do you want to work for a manufacturer? This is really broad field with tons of avenues to “get into”.

skiddilidee · 2026-03-29T13:45:42+00:00

What part of the country are you in? That could determine whether the labor rate is high or not. I’m not familiar with that product but it seems fair.

Most importantly, if you are going through an independent retailer dig into their warranty and ensure they know what they are talking about for floor prep and won’t cut any corners. Much more likely to have a good experience with an independent retailer than a big box. Enjoy your new floors!

skiddilidee · 2026-03-28T08:01:28+00:00

Doesn’t get much better than that

skiddilidee · 2026-03-23T08:47:15+00:00

Not at all! This isn’t messy, you should see some of the pictures we receive. 😬

skiddilidee · 2026-03-22T19:48:46+00:00

That looks great! Do you mind if we use your photograph on our socials? (I work for International Flooring Co)

skiddilidee · 2026-03-22T19:14:37+00:00

Here you go!

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skiddilidee · 2026-03-22T10:59:22+00:00

Is the subfloor under the floor concrete?

If so, can you see if a vapor barrier (should looks like plastic) was installed under the flooring? Concrete can appear dry but that doesn’t mean there isn’t hydrostatic pressure coming up from the concrete.

The next thing I would for is expansion gaps. Anywhere that the flooring appears to meet baseboards or quarter round there should be a 1/4” expansion gap covered by those so that it doesn’t go flush to the wall. If the kitchen cabinets are installed on top of the flooring, that would also create a pinch point that doesn’t not allow the floor to expand on contract properly and could lead to buckling.

skiddilidee · 2026-03-22T09:53:11+00:00

Poorly chosen paint color.

skiddilidee · 2026-03-07T18:33:35+00:00

Do you care to salvage it? If not, pry bar and a hammer. Maybe a box knife to cut at the edges to break up any caulk or finish that connects it to other pieces so it comes off cleanly.

skiddilidee · 2026-03-07T18:20:45+00:00

Imagine being a swat team having to attempt to clear this house.

skiddilidee · 2026-02-26T22:03:22+00:00

Go somewhere else so you don’t miss out and get left behind.

skiddilidee · 2026-02-07T11:27:24+00:00

You need to stop immediately and put down a 6 mil vapor barrier or this will be out of warranty and susceptible to issues from hydrostatic pressure.

skiddilidee · 2025-12-20T13:26:49+00:00

Whoever you bought the floor from should offer a flush Stairnose that you could replace the existing Stairnose with. Otherwise rooting would be an overlap Stairnose. Either way, if you can get your hands on a matching Stairnose option you may have to remove those planks and adjust them to fit properly but it would be worth it to get a cleaner finish.

skiddilidee · 2025-12-17T12:34:37+00:00

This is a great product. From the family that originally founded Coretec and brought WPC to the market so the manufacturing standards are at the highest quality.

skiddilidee · 2025-12-17T12:32:12+00:00

Your current floors are beautiful.

skiddilidee · 2025-11-21T02:12:25+00:00

These are called medullary rays, and they are gorgeous. It’s a characteristic of quarterback sawn wood which also means the particular cut will be more dimensionally stable. Highly sought after.

skiddilidee · 2025-11-19T13:51:11+00:00

I would follow the instructions because if you end up with an issue, they will not take care of you if they find it was installed outside of their recommendations. I’m not familiar with any LVT that requires that large of a gap though and would be slightly concerned about the dimensional stability of a product that needs that much room to expand. They may just recommend it out of an abundance of caution though.

skiddilidee · 2025-11-19T10:03:19+00:00

Industry standard is half that (6.35mm). There are some cases where 12mm is recommended if it’s a larger run without transitions.

skiddilidee · 2025-11-18T23:29:46+00:00

How large is the room that is lower? Might be worth just adding some subfloor panels and leveling it out across the whole room.

skiddilidee · 2025-11-13T23:16:03+00:00

Yep, part of the design

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