I have a rental property that has 3 inch wide strips, good quality, engineered wood floors (Bruce?) which were there when I bought it. There are actually three different colors of woods laid randomly and are very attractive indeed.
We just had water penetration and about 20% of the flooring has discoloration and stain as a result. Fortunately because of furniture it isn't obvious, but at some point will need to be repaired or replaced.
I know from previous experience that chiseling up the existing strips is very tedious and time consuming, also requiring considerable care. Hard job!
I can see two options. One is sanding the existing and refinishing. Since this is engineered wood the finish is excellent and will be hard to duplicate. Also I don't know how much engineered wood can be sanded.
Alternatively, I have heard about wood tiles (planks?) that interlock (I think invisibly) which can either be glued or can float. The person telling me said that the appearance is very attractive and he claimed looked like genuine hardwood flooring at a modest distance.
What attracts me to this is the possibility of easier repairs in future. There are four units all of which have the 3 inch flooring, and this is now the second instance of repair to that flooring.
If the tiles (planks) can be easily be replaced in the event of damage, that would be ideal. Even if the initial cost is higher, the savings on future repairs might more than offset. It might be a good alternative to periodically replacing carpets in the bedrooms as well.
So the three questions are: One, is there such a product that is indeed easy to repair by pulling up and replacing so that even a ham handed guy like me can do it?
If so, does anyone have any recommendations as to attractive products that actually look like wood floors instead of tiles, and what brand and models?
Three, what are the disadvantages of such a floor (cost might be a determining factor here)?
Any other thoughts or comments? Thanks.
We just had water penetration and about 20% of the flooring has discoloration and stain as a result. Fortunately because of furniture it isn't obvious, but at some point will need to be repaired or replaced.
I know from previous experience that chiseling up the existing strips is very tedious and time consuming, also requiring considerable care. Hard job!
I can see two options. One is sanding the existing and refinishing. Since this is engineered wood the finish is excellent and will be hard to duplicate. Also I don't know how much engineered wood can be sanded.
Alternatively, I have heard about wood tiles (planks?) that interlock (I think invisibly) which can either be glued or can float. The person telling me said that the appearance is very attractive and he claimed looked like genuine hardwood flooring at a modest distance.
What attracts me to this is the possibility of easier repairs in future. There are four units all of which have the 3 inch flooring, and this is now the second instance of repair to that flooring.
If the tiles (planks) can be easily be replaced in the event of damage, that would be ideal. Even if the initial cost is higher, the savings on future repairs might more than offset. It might be a good alternative to periodically replacing carpets in the bedrooms as well.
So the three questions are: One, is there such a product that is indeed easy to repair by pulling up and replacing so that even a ham handed guy like me can do it?
If so, does anyone have any recommendations as to attractive products that actually look like wood floors instead of tiles, and what brand and models?
Three, what are the disadvantages of such a floor (cost might be a determining factor here)?
Any other thoughts or comments? Thanks.
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