Floors in OKW

[BSil]

OK, so I would like to put hardwood down in the house, but I have a couple youngsters who just play hard, and I can't say that I don't drop or scrape things occasionally, so a few years back we put in some laminate floors. I cheaped out, and bought some super low priced junk, but they have held up nicely. My wife is dying to redo the floors on the first floor and stairs, and I really liked the floors at OKW. They were very solid feeling, but maybe because they were on top of something more solid than plywood? They did seem very well made though, and I have to imagine being walked on and played on by family after family would test the toughness of the floors. I didn't see any scratches, or dents or dings, and when we steam mopped them, they cleaned so perfectly. Does anyone have any idea what brand they used there? I figured I'd check with the experts here on the boards, before I started digging around the net.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Boy, I'm not sure I agree with your assessment of the vinyl "wood" floors at OKW. I think they look and feel cheap. Unless you are talking about the wood floors in the GV's which still are the real hardwood.

Vinyl plank flooring like that used in the OKW remodel is fairly common in commercial applications. Since, like most commercial sites, it is put down over concrete, it does have a good solid feeling. The problem with the vinyl is that it does sometimes show both stretching and shrinking, so the butt joints can come apart a bit.

The first OKW renovated 1 bedroom we stayed in did not have the floor installed very well. They didn't level out the old concrete well enough, so the floor had little hills and valleys in it and looked awful.

I will agree that it does feel softer underfoot than some other flooring, but it does show wear and tear. I've seen this product used extensively at the MOA, and foot traffic is definitely visible after even just a year or two in those high traffic stores.

Now...the nice real wood floors in the GVs at OKW are a different story. They put a really nice hard finish on them in the remodel, and they look and feel wonderful, even though they are now nearly 20 years old.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I forgot to mention that we have also heard a few complaints here about the floors at BLT. Those are basically the same product, but a darker color. I noticed significant wear and gaps on the butt joints of the floor in the GV we went through on tour there last year.

 

[SusieBea]

We used a Wilson Art product in the kitchen of our vacation home on Hilton Head and have been very happy with. It is not installed over concrete however it's very easy to clean and has held up to kids and dogs

 

[5forDiz]

We used a Wilson Art product in the kitchen of our vacation home on Hilton Head and have been very happy with. It is not installed over concrete however it's very easy to clean and has held up to kids and dogs

This is good to know; DH & I have been shopping for flooring for ground level family room(aka kid cave), it'd be installed over concrete though. We saw Wilson Art laminate at great close out prices, the salesman said Wilson Art stopped production of its flooring line at the end of 2010. He wasn't very clear on warranty issues so it is making us hesitate but it is very nice product, probably can't beat it at closeout prices offered.

 

[BSil]

Thanks for the responses. I guess I got a 1BR with no floor issues. It seemed very tight, no gapping etc. It just seemed like a pretty hard product that could take some abuse. Maybe I'll have to rethink possibly just doing wood, and putting extra poly down. Thanks again all.