Armstrong Cushionstep

I'm hoping to replace my current flooring in much of my house with a sheet vinyl (wood look) for ease of cleaning up after a large dog! I really like the idea of the cushionstep being softer to walk on and yet easy to clean. Does it work? Do you like it? Am I crazy for wanting it down in much of my house or is it just going to look bad and cheap? I want a hard surface but need one that isn't too slippery (I have a great dane with health problems!) Thoughts???

[Robert Akin]

Hello Jen,


Welcome to the Floor Pro Community. I will try to answer a few of your questions even though I spend all my working time on commercial projects. Hopefully some of the other experience members will comment and help you out.

I throughly understand you desire to replace much of your existing with sheet vinyl. As you are aware it will be easier for you to clean and maintain since you have pets. The one thing you have to keep in mind is that any product with a cushion back will be softer. Both a good and bad thing. It might feel good on the feet but my experience with all cushion back floors is they tend to gouge easier then a non cushion back. I would also be nervous about a product like that with a big pup like yours.

So my best advice would be to get a couple of larger samples, take them home and experiment on them. Try to think of every conceivable way you could damage your new floor. Remember chair legs, hutches, refrigerators anything with a small foot print or leg can have a impact on your floor.

Hope this helps!


Rob

[rusty baker]

And remember that things that roll, chairs with casters, wheelchairs, portable dishwashers, etc, can ruin soft vinyl.

[hookknife]

I agree with Rusty and Robert, there are options for a wood looking floors that are not cushion back, but do like was suggested and try out a few samples and see what you end up thinking, about the ones you like.

[Gary Ebdon]

I too would tend to agree with the others. Cushion backed vinyls will tend to give too much under load and once pierced (by your dogs claws maybe?), the top layer seems to shrink back leaving the cushion backing exposed.
I think maybe a vinyl plank will serve you much better. They still have a not too hard feel about them and will last a lot longer. Perhaps go for a textured top rather than a smooth top, then the visual impact of scratching is much reduced. As it's a modular flooring, any badly damaged planks can be replaced as needed. There are quite a few harder top sheet vinyls in the light commercial ranges that could work too. And welcome to TFP, ask away, we love questions

[Peter Kodner]

The one factor you will have control over is the cutting of your dog's nails. If clip them regularly (every 1-2 weeks) they will not gouge the vinyl. Having been brought up with a kennel at home, I learned at an early age how to do this and it is not difficult. You dog will quickly learn to accept it as well. Cats are another story... but I do fight with mine on a weekly basis

Thanks for the advice...it seems I may not ever get my floors replaced with anything at the rate I'm going! People don't return phone calls...they don't do this or that! Sheesh.

My concern about the plank flooring is water/urine. I don't want anything that seeping under to the subfloor is going to be a problem. Trust me, I don't want any water to set on the floor for any great length of time, but too many seams worry me!

I do cut tonails pretty often and we haven't had any problem with his nails on hardwood or vinyl in the past.

I know, I'm like everyone out there...I want something that looks like wood, feels like carpet, wears like iron, and is in my price range!!! I might be able to give up the 'feels like carpet' part...

[TFP Admin]

Jen, if you register an account here (it's free), you won't have to wait for your posts to be approved before they show up on the board.

Thanks for participating, in any case.

Jim

[Gary Ebdon]

jen said My concern about the plank flooring is water/urine. I don't want anything that seeping under to the subfloor is going to be a problem. Trust me, I don't want any water to set on the floor for any great length of time, but too many seams worry me!

I understand that concern Jen, but the "gaps" between planks aren't joins per se, and your subfloor is coated in adhesive which is adhered to the planks and it is a waterproof membrane. There is nowhere for the water and urine to seep to. This is my experience anyhow, planks are a favourite of mine. I think whatever you get, there will have to be a little compromise. Remember the old tradesman's adage - "Tough, cheap and beautiful, you can have any two of those three options."

[jen]

Wellllll..... I got my 2 estimates back. Neither place had the Armstrong cushionstep... So, I picked Caroline Oak from Mannington. Come to find out, I have very expensive taste in vinyl.... It was going to bet about $8500 for little under 1000 square feet. So, I'm back to the drawing board. I wanted to be closer to about $5000. I know that I can do some more of the tear out of the carpet and old vinyl to reduce the cost some but it still would have been high.

I was thinking vinyl because I thought it would be an economical solution and more waterproof than anything else. But, now I'm wondering if I need to rethink the whole thing. Right now, my max budget is about $7500 for the 1000 sq ft. I'm open to suggestions... gonna go back to the floor stores this week. Would love opinions before I go!

jen.

[Nick Arrera]

$8,500 sounds a little high . Where are you located ? maybe one of our members here is close enough yo you to get you a better deal .
What substrate is it going over ?

[jen]

Um... think my subfloor is plywood? or something?
Old carpet in 2/3 the area and vinyl in the other 1/3rd...which has to be pulled up. That was the total price for the taking out, moving a few things, putting down underlayment, vinyl and all the little pieces that go with it. I know I can get the price down via doing my own tear out (tho I'm not sure I can tear out the old vinyl) ... but that looked like it would only take it down about 800 or so?

I'm in Ohio...outside of Toledo.

[Barry Carlton]

Nick Arrera said $8,500 sounds a little high . Where are you located ? maybe one of our members here is close enough yo you to get you a better deal .

Nick makes a good point. You might try looking here to see if anyone in your area has been smart enough to list in our new Directory.

The Floor Pro Directory of Flooring Products and Services

[Daris Mulkin]

You got Tia in the area. I believe she is within 30-40 miles of Toledo. She is on this board and sells carpet vinyl, flooring. I also have a friend in Toledo who is an installer if you would like I could give his phone number in a pm.

Daris

[DoberStinker]

I've also been looking at several types of flooring in an attempt to replace my carpeting. One of my dogs has dust mite allergies, the other is old, leaky, and needs a non-slip floor. The only thing I've found that is similar to carpet, yet easy to keep clean, is EVA foam tiles. I put cheap ones in my bedroom and actually like the feel underfoot, but they are ugly. I got samples of better looking ones from Wondermat Interlocking soft foam puzzle mats pads and flooring and Rubber Flooring | Martial Arts Mats | Exercise Mats | Dance Floor | Play Mats - GREATMATS. The tiles are very easy to install once the floor prep is done. Note that the most commonly available foam tile surface, a sort of net pattern, is the least easy to clean (I don't have this type). The tiles gouge easily because the foam is soft, but appearance doesn't suffer much if the foam is the same color thoughout. I have extra tiles that I can pop in as needed. I consider this stuff a temporary, inexpensive solution for my current flooring challenge.

I really struggled with the decision to tear out the carpeting. But one night I woke up at 3 am with the dog standing next to the bed giving me one of those, "I have to throw up" looks, which he then did immediately. Cleaned it up in less than 2 minutes and we all went back to sleep. As long as I have dogs, I won't have carpeting in the bedroom.