I have been happy dancing all over my new flooring the last week. It is done and I am a happy happy girl!
You might remember I put this flooring in my kitchen last November and I loved it so much I regretted not doing the whole upstairs at the same time.
I knew the kitchen was going to clash with our orangey laminate flooring in our dining room but I knew at some point I was hoping to change that as well. I just didn’t know how much I would love the flooring in the kitchen and how bad I was going to hate our floors after the new ones were put in. So they had to change.
**Something I want to point out, when I installed this flooring in our kitchen it was called Allure ISOCORE Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring. The pattern was Harrison Pine Dark in Multi-width. Since installing, they have gone through a name change, it is now called Lifeproof Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring and this finish is called seasoned wood. It is still the same exact product.**
Also watch a quick video with more FAQ’s as well as a video showing exactly how easy it is to put down.
Since putting this flooring down, I get asked a bunch of questions so I would like to take a minute and answer my most frequent.
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Do you need to put down an underlayment?
- No, there is actually an underlayment already on the flooring which makes it so nice! For proof see my above photo. No underlayment I am putting it directly onto the subfloor.
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Did really do it all by yourself?
- Yes! I’m a 37 year old Mom and I did it ALL while my husband was at work.
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Do you need power tools to cut it?
- No, with the kitchen I only used a utility knife to score and snap it. When I had to work around a wall or baseboard, I used a handsaw. You can see how I cut it in the video.
- But with our dining room and living room I had to work around doors and floor vents so I found that a jig saw worked really well and was much faster than a hand saw.
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How do you clean it?
- I used a mop and gentle cleaner. It is not recommended to use a steam mop because it will take off the protective layers.
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How does it hold up with a dog?
- I don’t have a dog so I can’t answer but it has held up with ah 3.5 year old riding his bike, cars and whatever else he is banging around on the floor.
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Does it have a texture?
- Yes! It is slightly textured which you can see in the picture below. I love that because I am not worried about my son running up and down the hall with socks on.
I hope that has answered some of your questions! If you have anymore please leave a comment on here or on Facebook!
How about some before and afters now…
Are they so warm and cozy?! I LOVE them. I feel there is such a calm in each room…well until the kids pull out every single toy that they have.
Here are just a few more for your viewing pleasure…
As you can see I did use transition strips in the rooms. I had to in the dining room/kitchen since they were done at two different times.
I was not planning on doing a strip from the dining room/living room but because there was a slight bump where the two subfloors came together in one spot if I didn’t do a transition piece then the floor would not have laid flat. I was a little bummed but it still looks great! The affiliate link to the transition strips at Home Depot are here.
If you’re interested in purchasing this flooring or would like information you can find it at Home Depot and through my affiliate link here.
When purchasing the flooring remember you can purchase it online and pick up in store with it all waiting for you or you can have it shipped to your home usually for free!
Detailed Installation instructions and specs are here.
We have 3 large dogs, 2 Newfoundlands and 1 Leonberger and they do no damage to this type of flood, they do not slide on it and it feels good to walk on
I simply love this flooring! It looks fantastic with your decor. I have been tossing the idea of doing our RV with this flooring and now you are inspiring me!
Thanks for the preview
So pretty Tara I love the new floors!
I absolutely love this flooring. We put it in our master bath. Great job Tara. Looks amazing.
Floor is beautiful. You did an amazing job.
Do you have any scuff marks from chairs?
Nope I have the floor pads on the bottom of the legs!
Wanted to know how long the floor has been down? It is beautiful. Do the chairs leave scuff marks?
I have had it down in my kitchen since November and it’s been in the rest of our upstairs since May. I have the little felt pads on the bottom of my chairs and they have been fine.
Since you installed it on two stories of your home, what did you do for the stairs? We’ve installed it on our lower level but want to put it upstairs later but read it’s not great for stairs.
Very interested to know what you did for your stairs, as well!
Home Depot sells a product called Cap A Tread that matches the floor and will cover the stair treads in 1 piece. Risers are also available
Scratches very easy, and it is very hard to get the scuff marks out
What pattern did you lay the planks in? I am sorties about dealing with multi width planks but my husband loves the seasoned wood color.
I used the first suggestion in the instructions, but then I basically just flip flopped. Whatever looked good!
I LOVE the rug in your living room. Do you have a link for it? Thanks in advance.
Thank you! I love it too! Here is my affiliate link to Home Depot: http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/7725621/type/dlg/http://www.homedepot.com/p/nuLOOM-Contessa-Silver-9-ft-x-12-ft-Area-Rug-RZBD11A-9012/206985029
Does furniture like your couch or beds leave dents in the flooring? I am concerned that we would not be able to rearrange furniture because of dents left by heavy items.
I haven’t moved the living room furniture since putting it down in April, but I have moved the refrigerator to clean under it and I didn’t see any marks. It’s a pretty hard material I can’t see furniture leaving any marks.
What about a billards table? We were initially thinking of laminate but it won’t tolerate the weight so we’re looking into the wood-look tile. I want to explore ALL of my options and I absolutely don’t want to keep carpet!
I called the manufacturer before I installed it and according to them it will handle 250lbs per square inch.
So what did you use at the joint between the two floors at the doorway?
They have their own transition strips: http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/7725621/type/dlg/http://www.homedepot.com/p/Zamma-Harrison-Pine-Dark-Seasoned-Wood-1-3-in-Thick-x-1-3-4-in-Wide-x-72-in-Length-Vinyl-T-Molding-0157223779/300739017
Do you have to use transition strips?
Not if you can match it with the rooms we did our kitchen a few months before our dining room so we had to use one. And we had a little bump in our dining room/living room that the floor wouldn’t lay really flat so we used one their. But we were not going to.
Your installation job looks awesome! Do their transition strips work at a doorway? I want to lay this in my front entry way and there is a door-jamb transition strip with rubber weather stripping that we will be butting up against.
I realize I’m almost a year late in finding this but I wanted to ask you if you researched transition strips. I read that they should be used in doorways, and especially in large areas like say a living room adjacent to a dining room. Your thought?
I used 3 transition strips. Since we did the kitchen before we did the rest of the home we had to use two in the two kitchen entries. I then used a strip from our dining room and living room because of a weird issue we had with a spot on the floor. IF you watch the video in the post you can see them in there also there is a link to transition strips in the post as well.
What are the styles/colors you have used in your above photos of Lifeproof on this webpage??
This is Lifeproof’s Seasoned Wood. in Multi-width plank.
what is the color you painted the walls with when you used the Seasoned Wood…I didn’t know the Seasoned wood had green in it…thanks
I don’t see any flecks of green in the seasoned wood. The walls are painted perfect greige by Sherwin Williams.
Do you think this flooring has grey in it? I’m wanting to use grey paint for my walls
Yes the seasoned wood color definitely has grey in it.
I just had the seasoned wood installed throughout my whole place and I have shades of grey in each room. It compliments well with grey, beige, greige. I am in love with these floors. My only issue is my old dog can’t get traction to jump on the bed with these floors vs the carpets.
Do you think using a irobot vacuum would harm the surface?
For cleaning the instructions say to not use the roller brush on the vacuum. So I’m not sure with an irobot.
Hello,
I am considering flooring from Lifeproof as well. I am concerned about the off gasing from the chemicals in the vinyl. When you installed the flooring, did you experience any odors?
Thanks!
I experienced no odors whatsoever!
Hi, I have accidentally created a long scratch on the flooring. Now I’m looking for a product to cover up (or repair) the damage. This floor has a so called “ceramic bead overlay” on top. Any idea which product to use?
I would contact the company or go to Home Depot. I think they might have an actual product for them.
Can you lay this over ceramic tile?
I believe you can if you fill in the grout lines. I would look at the specifications on the website to make sure though.
Hi! Do you know what the “wear layer” is on the Lifeproof floor? It’s not listed in the specification list. Thanks so much!!
what is the wear layer on the lifeproof vinyl and is it made with any harmful chemicals like VOC organic compounds does it have pvc, fermaldihide, anything harmful .
We just installed Lifeproof in Sterling Oak and love it. Now I want some indoor mats on flooring to protect it. Manufacturer says not to use mats with rubber backing which I cannot find. Any suggestions?
I just natural jute or sisal rugs. You can also use a wool pad underneath.
I want to put this in my basement. My concern is the sloping of the floor toward the basement drains. I know the product says it’s good for basements. Do you believe there is enough ‘flex’ in the product to work in a basement?
I believe that it states a certain amount slope in a certain amount of in area in the instructions. I can remember though!
Love, love this!
Can I ask where you bought the matching room transition pieces? And do you know if they have matching stair nose pieces?
They are on the Homedepot site! A little hard to find though. Here is my affiliate link: http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/7725621/type/dlg/http://www.homedepot.com/p/Zamma-Harrison-Pine-Dark-Seasoned-Wood-1-3-in-Thick-x-1-3-4-in-Wide-x-72-in-Length-Vinyl-T-Molding-0157223779/300739017
Thank you 🙂
I’m wondering what these are like to walk on. I don’t love the way laminate floors feel and sound. Do the vinyl planks feel more solid?
I like the way they feel. They are also warmer than our laminate we had before.
Do they pop like a floating laminate does? That hollow sound you can hear in some floors?
Not at all.
Oh my gosh, your post was exactly what I needed! We’re trying to pull the trigger on new kitchen flooring, and my super handy husband and I want to do it ourselves. Here’s my question:
Did you void the lifetime warranty by putting it down yourself??
Thank you! Your pictures are beautiful and now I want to get on our project asap!
The new floor looks great, I was wondering why you put a strip between each room, wouldn’t it have looked better to just keep the planks connecting to one another instead of dividing the rooms with that strip?
I need some advice, i had the Lifeproof vinyl plank flooring installed, I’ve noticed some small gaps in the long parts of the planks, the ends are tight, Do it just just need to retampv then planks with the tamping block?
I would think so, but don’t know who you would do that if they are already installed. Seems like they were locked when they were installed. Maybe call the company and see if they have a solution.
glad u like it!
I bookmarked this and just showed my husband. I have to do the whole house in it. Thank you for all of your ideas and hard work to show us it CAN be done!
The instructions I saw on Home Depot’s website states to install with a quarter inch gap from the wall and then finish with quarter round. Your pics don’t show show any quarter round against the baseboard. Did you install differently or did you take the pics before you put down the quarter round against the baseboards?
I do’t have any quarter round. I took up the moulding and placed it 1/4″ from the wall. When I replaced the moulding it covered the gap.
Do you mean trim when you say molding? Is that the same? Was it hard to remove the trim?
Yes, I mean trim. Nope, just cut the caulk line and use a screwdriver or crowbar to remove it gently. It’s kind of the same process as taking off the chair rail, which you can find here: https://justcallmehomegirl.com/remove-chair-rail/
We just installed this product in our family room,dining room and kitchen. WE LOVE IT!!!! It looks wonderful, feels great to walk on and with 3 dogs, there are no scratch marks!!
My question is what gentle cleanser did you use? I purchased a bottle of Rejuvenate floor cleaner. This product is to be used on Vinyl flooring. It says it will clean and not leave streaks…NOT! The floors look terrible after using it.
I use a green cleaner from Shaklee. I got it from a distributer. You literally just put a few drops in a bucket of warm water. But I believe it says to use any gentle cleaner.
This really helped me make a final decision. I’m going with life proof sterling oak. I’m having measurements done on Saturday.
Awesome! So glad I could help!
Amazing! This is exactly what I was looking for! We are instaling Harrison Pine Dark Luxury Vinyl Plank in our home office! Did you remove the baseboards to install the vinyl?
Also loved the wall colour! Thank you!!
Hi I’m looking to put this in my basement. I got two young kids with lots of toys but no dogs. I’m just concerned about the durability and scratches. What has been your personal experience so far to date? Thanks
I love it! I have an almost 4 year old and a 15 month old. We have bikes, cars, ride on toys, trains and everything else could think of moving along these floors. So far I have not seen one scratch. I don’t think you would be disappointed!
I had contractor putting this floor down. I loved the look and that it would waterproof my bath and adjoining utility room. He told me it really gave him trouble. I see seams not tight and ends curled. This cannot waterproof and pops as I walk over it. What is the warranty like if bad boxes? Im so surprised and thoroughly disapointed.
He should not have had a problem. This flooring was so easy to put down. There is a lifetime guarantee for residential. Call the company to see what they can do.
The transition strips only come in 72 inches, do they fit tight for a seamless look or can you tell that the seams are there?
Mine fit tight. You can see them, but not obvious. I just made sure to put the cut ends on the ends so there were two straight edges together.
Hello, I am wondering if this shows a lot of footprints and smudges. I currently have vinyl plank flooring installed, but the footprints and smudges are completely unmanageable and show up immediately after cleaning no matter which product/ method I try. I’m thinking of installing something new that is easier to manage in that aspect.
Not at all. It’s textured so I see no smudges!
Your floor is beautiful! I also believe we have the same sofa, from Ashley’s about three years ago?
Thank you! And Yes it is!
We had problems with getting it from home depot. Ordered 22 boxes (I’m in so. California) got 7 boxes damaged now I have to wait till mid December. It is going in master closet bathroom and master bedroom. Bathroom is all outed out. I was so looking forward to having it done
I am having an issue with my flooring coming in also. It’s the wood acres oak. Wasn’t told it was on back Oder till a week after it should have arrived. I’m so upset with Home Depot. Will never use them again. My house is all torn up, time to decorate for Christmas.
We had the same flooring put in our house when we had it built a year ago.
One year later and still very happy with the floor.
We have 1 dog and no issues with scuffs or scratches.
I have been installing this flooring since I moved in and it has held up to plenty of wear and tear from my construction project as well as my dogs. I highly recommend this flooring after seeing several different types of laminate fail after being an insurance adjuster for 10 years. This flooring has had impact with tools and other items and not a scratch! I also have a slab instead of wood sub-floor so it has a lot of moisture. Still holds up well and doesn’t change state of material and warp or peel.
Hi. I just completed the installation of Sterling Oak throughout my whole house. LOVE IT! Did you apply a sealant or just leave the planks as they came?
Nope no sealer!
Thank you for all the great information! Love how you decorated your house. We are just installing our floor in our large kitchen. I love our floor already and it’s only halfway done. Do you have any suggestions about installing under the overhang of the cupboards or is it pretty easy?
I have installed STERLING OAK Rigid Core Luxury vinyl Flooring (Home Depot, Mod.1966106L, Stock SKU: 1002-241-524,
Internet SKU# 300699284) in three rooms. I love the look, but I am very unhappy with its function. Every other step you feel and hear a “klunk” kind of noise (the opposite of solid floor under your feet).
Could you tell me who is the manufacturer of this “lifeproof rigid core” flooring? I cannot live with this situation, always expecting that sound. Perhaps the manufacturer might have some solution. Otherwise I will have to tear it out since I believe to take it out plank by plank is almost impossible without damaging the connecting pieces.
We want to use the lifeproof flooring but my issue is that I can’t find one that I’m in love with. I don’t like the patchwork effect, I don’t mind the variation I just don’t want it to stand out as much. They don’t have many samples at the store so we’ve been ordering samples online and looking at pictures online is pretty deceiving or I’m just really bad at this! Lol. Any suggestions?
Yeah the samples are SO small so you really don’t get the real look of the flooring and the colors/pictures on Home Depot . com aren’t very good, some of them are way off on actual colors. Life proof does make several “solid” colored options tho! My local Home Depot has about 12-15 colors on display. What color are you looking for? Dark, light, warm, rugged… I can maybe suggest a couple that are similar color thought out the flooring so you don’t have the wild stand out pieces! 🙂
Pinterest has pictures of the different floor colors shown layed in rooms.
This helped us decide.
Awesome!
I found the knife didn’t work well to cut. Ended up using a power tool much easier!
Definitely easy to install and looks great!
I feel the edges of the planks. Do you feel the edges? Or is your flooring perfectly smooth? I feel I make not have locked all the planks together correctly and the trim is already down. Not sure how to remedy this?
You would likely need to pull the quarter round or trim up and then from the edges try to tighten it. There is a tool that home depot sells that floor installers use, it’s heavy metal and curls down at one end to fit over the board on the edge and then other end curls up so you can use a rubber mallet to bang it towards the gap. If the gap is on two boards fairly close to the edge it will come together, if its towards the middle probably more problematic. This tool kit also includes a nice rectangular block and spacers that can help when ensuring the planks go tightly together.
What is the best to choose for a bathroom floor ceramic tile or vinyl plank floating flooring?
Hi
I noticed in your pics and otger videos that the bottom flooring is some sort of plywood. Would I have to put that down? Or does anyone know if laying it on concrete would make the floor too cold?
Thank you
Maria
I was also wondering about underlayment for concrete sub floor???
I after it is super easy to install! We are remodeling a beach condo and putting this in. I have laid most it all by myself! I now hate doorways! Not fun!
We recently installed lifeproof heirloom pine in our den. The sub floor was the osb wood floor. I have a few places that seem a bit soft or lower, when stepped on. I was curious if you experienced this and if so did it go away. We have not put the furniture in yet, just in case we need to remove and reinstall it. We love the color and look, just concerned with the soft spots.
Could it be that your floor is not level? I added a little bit of leveling compound in a spot in our kitchen where we had a link and the plywood was a little soft. Around this area I sometimes feel a give but not much.
Is your floor completely smooth with no lips in the planks? If not it might not be locked in all the way.
I love your floor! My question is: What is your opinion of that floor color with Honey Oak cabinets? I am terrible, I mean terrible at “seeing” that for myself. I have black stainless steel appliances with lots of natural light, but I am worried about the Honey Oak color cabinets not matching.
Thank you!
This color floor would completely clash with the Honey oak I think. If you look at the before pictures of my flooring that was like a honey oak and when I did the kitchen it clashed so badly.
Your photos are amazing – we are considering putting in this flooring after a burst dishwasher supply line ruined all our wood laminate flooring in our kitchen and living room. I’ve heard so many opinions on laminate vs. luxury vinyl, but we’re leaning toward the vinyl in the color you used. My only question – do you find the overall effect in your home is a little…purple? Our previous floors were gray, but I really like the warmer beige tone of the seasoned wood. Just concerned I’ll walk into our home and think, “whoa purple”…
No purple whatsoever, they are more grey than beige though.
I just watched a Home Depot video on Lifeproof vinyl flooring that said this product is not recommended for stairs but I was just looking at the Lifeproof display in Home Depot an hour ago and there was information about stair nose pieces available. Why would they have stair nose pieces available then say it’s not recommended for stairs?
The only thing I can think of is I believe it’s a different company that makes the trim. It is just matched to the Lifeproof Products. (Don’t quote me on that!) So it just might be that that is what they made.
It is a different company that makes the stair pieces and transition pieces. It does, however, make sense that they have nose pieces – for stair landings or, in my case, for a room that is raised up by three stairs. Our top step needs something to cover the edge of the floor as it reaches the stairs, so we’ll need to either use the Zamma stair nose, or stain a wood stair nose to closely match the flooring.
Getting ready to make a decision on 1800sq ft of flooring. This one make sense to me as its suppose to be water proof and my dog doesn’t care where he goes. I see ALOT ALOT of people saying it scratches and show all kind of feet prints. What are your thoughts on this?
I LOVE this flooring! My husband wants to use laminate or engineered hardwood. I want to use this product. I would like to use it in our master bedroom, bath and laundry room. What are your thoughts? He is concerned about indentations from bedroom furniture (to much weight)?
He also saw something stating that women’s high heel shoes could pierce the floor. Do you think it is more durable than that?
Thanks!
LC
We haven’t had any issues for scratching. We are also a non shoe home so I don’t know about woman’s heels. I think they’re more durable than that. I put floor protectors on all my furniture. We have our refrigerator on it and hasn’t had a problem.
I am planning to place this seasoned vinyl flooring. but I am wondering if this would fit my light blue house paint. thanks
The floor is a really great neutral so I think it would work. If you love the floor, do it and then if you don’t like it with the paint color, paint! I think it will be fine though!
Hi! Thanks to your cite I believe I have found the flooring I will purchase. We have 2 dogs who are in & out, cats, grandchildren & we are in & out a lot. I too love the Seasoned Wood. My question- did you consider Coretec Plus and if so what swung you to Lifeproof? I see Coretec in some of the cites I’ve been on. So confusing. Also….your rooms look incredibly wonderful & inviting! Thank you!
Thank you so much Pam! To be honest I have never heard of Coretec Plus! I wanted Lifeproof because the manufacture was the same as our flooring that we did in our downstairs family room just a more durable floor. I have no regrets!
Hello! We are considering LifeProof LVT in our church classrooms, but I’m concerned about chairs and even tables causing scratches. It looks like you’ve had your floors (stunning, by the way!) for almost a year in your dining room/living room. Have you had any issues with scuffs, scratches or tears? TIA for your response. And THANK YOU for sharing pictures- you have a beautiful home!!
Thank you so much! We have felt furniture pads on all our furniture so when the kids decide to push a chair across the room its fine.
Hi. We are very close to going for the seasoned wood. We are building our kitchen now. I cant tell what color your counters are. We picked out a medium gray quartz and was wondering if you think it would be too much gray. Any help would be appreciated. Your floors look amazing. Thanks.
I am assuming your cabinets are white? If so I think it would look beautiful and not too much gray. My counters are an ugly tile from the last homeowner and I plan on replacing them with gray! Good luck!
Does the vinyl flooring look like a sheet on the floor? Or does it resemble separate planks where you see the separation of each plank like hardwood? Is there also any shine to do the seasoned wood floor? I love this color but I am so hung up on if you can tell that this is vinyl when you personally standing on it. Hope that makes sense. Please let me know your thoughts! Thank you.
Because of the variation in colors it doesn’t look like a sheet. But if you’re looking for the little “gap” between planks it doesn’t have that.
I love your floor and are considering putting in down in family room. However I really like the wall paint in your living room. Do you remember what color it is? Thank you
Thanks! It’s Perfect Greige by Sherwin Williams
What color and brand paint is it that you have on your walls in the above photos? Ive been looking for that right color and i like the one you chose
It’s Perfect Greige by Sherwin Williams