|
Post by aremos on Sept 15, 2017 20:28:31 GMT -6
Thinking about changing my floor after 20+ years of carpet. It has treated walls & somewhat of a high ceiling.
Does anyone use laminate (or vinyl) & recommend a type or brand to use?
|
|
|
Post by Tbone81 on Sept 15, 2017 20:43:49 GMT -6
Yes i have/do. It was a big improvement in sound over carpet. And if it's too live sounding you can just buy a cool rug. I used 8mm laminate from Home Depot because it was cheap and looked great. 99 cents a square foot. Model# HL1045 if you want to look it up. It's cheap because you have to special order it, they don't stock it however you can get samples fe a store.
If you go that route make sure to get the best sound damping underlayment you can find. I found mine at bestlimate.com and it was cheaper than anything from a store.i
|
|
ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,810
Member is Online
|
Post by ericn on Sept 15, 2017 20:58:18 GMT -6
Yes i have/do. It was a big improvement in sound over carpet. And if it's too live sounding you can just buy a cool rug. I used 8mm laminate from Home Depot because it was cheap and looked great. 99 cents a square foot. Model# HL1045 if you want to look it up. It's cheap because you have to special order it, they don't stock it however you can get samples fe a store. If you go that route make sure to get the best sound damping underlayment you can find. I found mine at bestlimate.com and it was cheaper than anything from a store.i Nailed it or in this case snapped it ? With a floating laminate you can always use a rug if you need to! Make sure the subfloor is solid and straight, the best sound isolated underpayment is key!
|
|
|
Post by mdmitch2 on Sept 16, 2017 0:00:14 GMT -6
I’ve used Costco laminate click together flooring. It has an integrated pad, and ocassionally goes on sale. I found the quality better than comparably priced stuff at other stores. If you’re putting it over concrete, make sure to use a vapor barrier underneath. And buy an extra blade or two for the miter saw.... laminate wears out blades very quickly.
The room sounds great and I have rugs to dampen things more as needed.
|
|
|
Post by keymod on Sept 16, 2017 3:59:31 GMT -6
Anyone lay the laminate right over existing carpet?
|
|
|
Post by aremos on Sept 16, 2017 7:25:26 GMT -6
Since I live in Miami Beach I'm now leaning towards vinyl. It'll be put over concrete. Vinyl is flood water resistant. Just want to make sure it's sonically equivalent to other "wood" type floors. Any thoughts or recommendations?
|
|
|
Post by keymod on Sept 16, 2017 7:32:09 GMT -6
Attachment DeletedIf you have the budget, why not consider the tile that looks like wood - especially if you're going over concrete slab? I used it in my Piano Room, foyer and lounge and it looks really nice.
|
|
|
Post by jeremygillespie on Sept 16, 2017 8:14:38 GMT -6
Since I live in Miami Beach I'm now leaning towards vinyl. It'll be put over concrete. Vinyl is flood water resistant. Just want to make sure it's sonically equivalent to other "wood" type floors. Any thoughts or recommendations? What type of vinyl? The 1x1 squares seemed to work great for RCA studio B and Motown. Not sure about the Sheet stuff.
|
|
|
Post by swurveman on Sept 16, 2017 8:27:37 GMT -6
One question for you laminate floor guys: Does the laminate scratch when moving guitar cabs and other heavy items across the floor? I acid stained my floor. I think laminate would look better, but I wonder about scratches.
|
|
|
Post by subspace on Sept 16, 2017 8:40:46 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by mdmitch2 on Sept 16, 2017 9:17:53 GMT -6
One question for you laminate floor guys: Does the laminate scratch when moving guitar cabs and other heavy items across the floor? I acid stained my floor. I think laminate would look better, but I wonder about scratches. Highly dependent on the quality of the coating. Mine doesn’t have noticeable scratches after several years of use. But if you really try you could scratch it with enough force. If you go to the hardware store, you can take a key and see how much effort it takes to scratch the samples.
|
|
|
Post by mdmitch2 on Sept 16, 2017 9:22:54 GMT -6
View AttachmentIf you have the budget, why not consider the tile that looks like wood - especially if you're going over concrete slab? I used it in my Piano Room, foyer and lounge and it looks really nice. Definitely a more water resistant option, especially if you paint Redguard under it. Materials cost is probably 3-4 times that of a floating floor, and probably 3-4 times the labor as well... but it’ll last forever, and arguably look better.
|
|
|
Post by stratboy on Sept 16, 2017 10:55:50 GMT -6
My studio is tile. Definitely water and scratch proof. Sounds good, too. I control the liveliness with carpets or ceiling treatment where required. I also put down some plywood for drums on occasion.
|
|
ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,810
Member is Online
|
Post by ericn on Sept 16, 2017 11:29:21 GMT -6
Since I live in Miami Beach I'm now leaning towards vinyl. It'll be put over concrete. Vinyl is flood water resistant. Just want to make sure it's sonically equivalent to other "wood" type floors. Any thoughts or recommendations? Just paint the concrete and use cheap rugs where needed!
|
|
|
Post by winetree on Sept 16, 2017 13:45:05 GMT -6
I'm also trying to decide on flooring in the new tracking room. I have the old VCT vinyl squares (Sound City) in the analog control room. Tuff as nails but it does need to be stripped and coated every so often. Wood laminate floors, regardless of the underlayment, Still clicks when walked upon and scratches. Tile is nice, but a lot of work to lay and grout. A very messy process. Also it will crack if something heavy is dropped on it. Concrete Paint will eventually peel. I've used all of the above.
I've been considering vinyl plank flooring. Looks like wood, has adhesive backing and applies like laminate. No underlayment needed and can be applied right over the concrete. Or the garage floor epoxy. Tuff, durable and easy to apply. Comes in different colors and is available at Home Depot. Still have to finish the drywall so I have some time to decide.
|
|
|
Post by aremos on Sept 16, 2017 16:50:58 GMT -6
... I've been considering vinyl plank flooring. Looks like wood, has adhesive backing and applies like laminate. No underlayment needed and can be applied right over the concrete. Or the garage floor epoxy. Tuff, durable and easy to apply. Comes in different colors and is available at Home Depot. ... Was under the impression that vinyl also needs underlayment - let alone for better sonic results?
|
|
|
Post by Tbone81 on Sept 16, 2017 17:55:59 GMT -6
... I've been considering vinyl plank flooring. Looks like wood, has adhesive backing and applies like laminate. No underlayment needed and can be applied right over the concrete. Or the garage floor epoxy. Tuff, durable and easy to apply. Comes in different colors and is available at Home Depot. ... Was under the impression that vinyl also needs underlayment - let alone for better sonic results? It does but some vinyl laminate flooring comes with underlayment strips already adhered to the bottom of each plank, which is I think what winetree is referring to. Depending on the surface you may still need a vapor barrier, from what I know.
|
|
|
Post by aremos on Sept 16, 2017 19:50:51 GMT -6
Just paint the concrete and use cheap rugs where needed! Might just be a plausible solution. Read there's paint (latex or acrylic) & epoxy or a mixture of both. Do you have any ideas?
|
|
ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,810
Member is Online
|
Post by ericn on Sept 16, 2017 21:08:05 GMT -6
Just paint the concrete and use cheap rugs where needed! Might just be a plausible solution. Read there's paint (latex or acrylic) & epoxy or a mixture of both. Do you have any ideas? The stuff for garages is best, 8 years of a loft with plain concrete floors has thought me how simple concrete is to maintain!
|
|
|
Post by keymod on Sept 17, 2017 6:59:35 GMT -6
The thing about the garage floor epoxy is, if you don't prep absolutely perfectly per manufacturer's instructions, it still ends up coming up in places. This includes acid washing several times with rinses in between, scuffing/scraping/sanding ad nauseum. And if you try to get a warranty replacement they just tell you that you must not have prepped properly. I used it in my basement workout/laundry area and it looks great, but I'm going to have to re-coat it at some point to cover up ( hopefully ) where it's starting to come undone
|
|
|
Post by subspace on Sept 17, 2017 8:35:27 GMT -6
I went with the absolute cheapest option, doing nothing but oriental 6x9s, or is that asian 6x9s? I haven't kept up with the cultural sensitivity of the rug industry.
|
|
|
Post by Tbone81 on Sept 17, 2017 17:08:28 GMT -6
I went with the absolute cheapest option, doing nothing but oriental 6x9s, or is that asian 6x9s? I haven't kept up with the cultural sensitivity of the rug industry. Awesome looking room. Is that a stack of Randall MTS modules I see?
|
|
ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,810
Member is Online
|
Post by ericn on Sept 17, 2017 17:49:40 GMT -6
I went with the absolute cheapest option, doing nothing but oriental 6x9s, or is that asian 6x9s? I haven't kept up with the cultural sensitivity of the rug industry. Awesome looking room. Is that a stack of Randall MTS modules I see? Hey Clairbrothersused has a bunch of those listed.
|
|
|
Post by aremos on Sept 17, 2017 19:54:04 GMT -6
Has anyone heard of NuCore waterproof flooring? It has cork at its base already & needs no underlayment. It's a mixture of vinyl & pvc.
|
|
|
Post by Martin John Butler on Sept 18, 2017 8:17:05 GMT -6
Cool space subspace. I think it would look a lot more finished if you stained the concrete. Everything would look better around it, and your clients would feel uplifted by the environment.
|
|