installing vinyl tile

If you wanted something prettier and cooler you could install linoleum. True linoleum is "green" and non-allergenic as it is made from linseed oil. There are retro colors and styles that are reissues of the vintage linoleum from the 40's and 50's, also there are bright contemporary colors, both of which are used in modern interiors. It just really helps your property value to install a more desireable material than vinyl.

Posted by: guest at April 13, 2008 12:09 PM

I would add (and sorry, this isn't really answering your original question), but you can get linoleum, and also cork flooring in click-lock 1'x3' pieces, that basically creates a floating floor - so if your floor is sloping it will follow the slope, but you won't have to do any leveling in order to make it work. (Forbo flooring has linoleum, as does ecofriendlyflooring.com

Posted by: guest at April 13, 2008 2:48 PM

There are some press and stick vinyl floors that look perfectly decent. I've installed some in rental properties and the tenants have seemed pleased. Please note that unless you have a very smooth underlayment vinyl and linoleum will crack, especially the sheets.

Posted by: guest at April 14, 2008 10:20 AM

I too used the press and stick vinyl for my rental, on top of a nasty old subfloor with some icky vinyl tiles. It took 1 day for me to install with minimal skill. I used an exacto knife to cut to size. It was easy.

By the time we got to the finishes on our rental apartment, we had no money left in our budget. The press & stick tiles at Home Depot were less than $1 each and they've held up great. They don't look like a million bucks but my tenants are fine with it because most importantly it's CLEAN.

Linoleum is a good green option, but at 5 times the price and a similar look to vinyl, you're not going to see much payback in terms of rent. Plus it's harder to cut and install.

Posted by: guest at April 17, 2008 3:04 PM