Flooring question... Inside the house...

MossflowerWoods · Oct 29, 2011

Guys,

This house I live in is nothing to write home about. it is an old modular that was the dealer's demo unit. The original owners dug the basement, and move this here on the cheap. it sat out in pieces for a while and they put it up on the basement. The roof leaks, the electricity (at least the switches) are intermittant, the sheetrock has bumps and cracks, the floors are not level, etc.

I NEED to make it livable, but there is no way to make this sow's ear into a silk purse. I refuse to spend too much money fixing this place up when I will eventually (once I can sell one/both of my other homes) build what I really want up on the ridge by the pastures.

The problem plauging me right now is flooring. I did the living/dining room in a laminate wood because it needed to look good, and it wil not get as wet. The kitchen is very bad looking and poor condition linoleum. The family room (where we spend most time) is 20 year old carpet in TERRIBLE shape.

I NEED to at a minimum redo the family room in something wet tolerant. I was going to do Linoleum but the quote I just got was $3000 for the family, kitchen and hallway. NO FLIPPING WAY!

Is there a DIY option like the laminate but water tolerant? I wish there were click together plastic floor tiles a bozo like me could install on the cheap.

Please advise.

Thanks in advance,
Be well,
David

JimRB · Oct 29, 2011

If it were me I would fix the roof leaks. Mold is not good to live in. Then I would be removing and replacing light switches and recepticles so you do not have an electrical fire. Get some other bids on flooring.

Gary Fowler · Oct 29, 2011

Just put down some cheap vinyl floor tile. I have seen those for as little as $.69 a square foot. A bucket of glue, an applicator for the glue and some scissors is about all you need. They even make it in sticky back, but I dont trust that stuff to stay put. Get the regular tile glue and go at it. Hardest part if finding a centerline and keeping it all straight but it is much easier than ceramic tile since there is no gap to align.

Fixemall · Oct 29, 2011

Fixing a house is like washing a car...top down. Even if you throw a layer of roll roofing over what you have now it will be safer and more livable. Then you can rip out that old carpet etc and hunt down some cheap remnants, double pad underneath them and everyone will think you have a $5,000 rug down.

MossflowerWoods · Oct 29, 2011

JimRB said:
If it were me I would fix the roof leaks. Mold is not good to live in. Then I would be removing and replacing light switches and recepticles so you do not have an electrical fire. Get some other bids on flooring.

Jim,

The attic is unfinished, no mold. Only leaks when there is heavy wind & rain. The roof is shot. I will be re-roofing in the spring, and it is a 45 degree roof, STEEP, I will probably HAVE to hire it out. Simply cannot afford it right now after 11 months of unemployment... NO roofer are offering 0 down 0% for 60 months...

I am replacing the light switches as they are failing also.

I was really just trying to set the tone for what this house is like. Webought it for the 51 acres, NOT the house.

My big lovely 5,000 plus square foot house is rented out :thumbsup: so we can afford to live out in the country, with tractors and horses, 50 fowl (Guinea, ducks, & chickens).

Thanks,
David

Fixemall · Oct 29, 2011

If you really want to bandage the roof and not replace it you can goober it where it leaks with roofing cement.

MossflowerWoods · Oct 29, 2011

Gary Fowler said:
Just put down some cheap vinyl floor tile. I have seen those for as little as $.69 a square foot. A bucket of glue, an applicator for the glue and some scissors is about all you need. They even make it in sticky back, but I dont trust that stuff to stay put. Get the regular tile glue and go at it. Hardest part if finding a centerline and keeping it all straight but it is much easier than ceramic tile since there is no gap to align.

Gary,

Do I need to put down a layer of plywood or other ontop the subfloor?? The current subfloor is 1/2" particle board. I also have some sag in places, the floor is NOT level as best as I can tell.

This guys did all this for cash, so he seems to have been able to cut massive corners. MANY things are totally not-to-code!!!! If I posted pictures of the 10.5' wide wrap around concrete and steel porch you guys would all tell me to RUN AWAY fast...

But this is what I've got, I bought it (I was planning to do a full remodel from foundation up and suddenly congress cut my contract to $0).

I am just looking to make it livable.

Thanks,
David

MossflowerWoods · Oct 29, 2011

Fixemall said:
If you really want to bandage the roof and not replace it you can goober it where it leaks with roofing cement.

Fixemall,

Where I can find it, and it leaks every time, I am doing that now.

Maybe it is better to say occasionally the roof seeps water, depending on wind direction and speed, and qty of rain. It does not always leak in the same places.

Plain and simple, the best way to fix this house would be a bomb. but I can't do that...

David

Qapla · Oct 29, 2011

Actually, they do make water-tolerant laminate.

If you have a "wet" problem, I would not recommend vinyl until the water issue is resolved. Is it possible to just cover the roof with a tarp where it leaks?

If you do use vinyl tiles, two things:
1) I agree that the self-stick tiles need adhesive like the commercial type. However, make sure you use the right adhesive. It is made for vinyl tiles and is different them sheet goods adhesive. When you apply it, you have to let it "tack-out" - in-other-words you have to let it sit open until it is dry to the touch or the tiles will not stay in place.

2) When you put the tiles down, make sure you have them right because they do not come back up easily. Also, do the edges last and they are the trickiest to do.

You do not have to do the whole floor at once if you want to take more then one day. Just don't glue more area then you can do in one sitting.

MossflowerWoods · Oct 29, 2011

Qapla said:
Actually, they do make water-tolerant laminate.

If you have a "wet" problem, I would not recommend vinyl until the water issue is resolved. Is it possible to just cover the roof with a tarp where it leaks?

Qapla,

The "wet" problem for the floors is wet shoes, coats, and kitchen wet. It is also my Wife LOVES her steamer mop.

The roof leaks are contained in the unfinished attic. Nothing reaches the floor.

David