A customer in Springfield made me rethink my stance on floating floors for kitchens

I was at a job last month, quoting a full kitchen tile install for a remodel. The homeowner, an older guy named Frank, asked why I never suggested a click-lock vinyl plank instead. He said, 'My daughter put that stuff in her whole house five years back, and not a single seam has opened up, even with her kids.' I always thought tile was the only real option for a wet area, but his story made me look into the newer waterproof core products. What's the longest you've seen a good floating floor hold up in a kitchen?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannah_craig21d ago

Wow, that's interesting... my neighbor put down that waterproof laminate stuff in her kitchen maybe seven years ago? It still looks brand new, even with her two big dogs and their water bowl mess. She did say the trick was getting the underlayment right for her uneven old floor.

kim_davis21d ago

Frank's daughter got lucky, honestly. For every story like that, there's a dozen where a seam swells up from a slow leak under the fridge. Saw a job last year where a dishwasher line dripped for months, ruined the whole floor because the water got trapped underneath. That stuff can't be fixed in one spot, you have to rip it all out. Tile might crack, but you can pull up one piece.

green.laura21d ago

I see your point, Kim, but that laminate underlayment Hannah mentioned is a real game changer for uneven floors.