What is the difference between installing the click together laminate flooring that looks like tile or vinyl tile squares in my kitchen?

Bob, thanks so much for your question and thanks for emailing out the photos of your kitchen floor. They were very helpful.

First let me start out by making a recommendation based on your questions. I would probably go with the click or snap together type laminate because you will have a much easier installation, very little tear out will be needed, you won't need to install an additional sub floor or wood underlayment and the end result will be more authentic looking then the vinyl squares.

This type of flooring comes  in squares usually about 16" in size and has a tongue and groove snap together system that makes it very easy to line up and install. It is amazing how much it looks like tile, slate etc. Since it is a floating floor, there will be no need for any type of glue or adhesive in the installation process.

When you are looking at the cost, initially it will look as if the laminate flooring is much more expensive, but when you factor in that your main expense will be to purchase the flooring materials and some accessories, in the long run, it ends up being much more economical. 

With the vinyl tile squares, you will need to either tear out and replace the sub floor or add a layer of 1/4" wood or hardboard underlayment flooring over the entire area and then apply a sealer and install the vinyl tile. The labor involved in this to just prepare for the installation of the floor, can be very time consuming. Plus, if you have to tear out the old underlayment and flooring, you really need to know what you are doing when cutting it out around your cabinets.

The average cost for laminate and laminate tile floor material is between $3.00 and $6.00 a square foot. Of course you can find closeout material cheaper and the top of the line products for more money. Self stick Vinyl tile flooring runs between $1.00 and $4.00 a square foot and can cost more for top of the line material. But again, with the vinyl you will have to either tear out the old underlayment and flooring or at the least purchase and install a 1/4" wood or hardboard underlayment flooring over the existing floor plus there will be the cost of renting a power staple gun and staples to install it.

One more thing about the vinyl flooring is that in time the seams can open up. I have installed this in several rooms over the years and most of the time this does occur more or less. Once in a while, and with the more expensive brands, it does not happen.

So we will proceed with the idea that you will be using the laminate tile or slate look flooring and give you some great ideas and tips, on what you will need to install it.

Let's take a look at your floor as it is now.

This photo shows the damage area that needs to be repaired. Below you will see another photo showing a closer view of the damaged area.

In this photo you will notice that you will need to mark a box around any damaged areas. You will want to mark these lines at the points where the flooring is still stuck down securely. Using a utility knife cut along the lines until you have cut through the vinyl completely. Once you have done that, then you will need to remove the old damaged flooring so that the sub floor is exposed in that area.

With the sub floor exposed you will be able to see if some areas have swollen up because of being exposed to water from cleaning etc. You will need to use a power sander with a dust bag attachment to sand down any raised areas so that the entire area of exposed sub floor is leveled off.

If there are areas that need filling in, you can purchase a good floor filler from a flooring supplier or home improvement center and fill in these areas and then sand then flat after they dry completely. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions when using the filler.

Once the floor is patched, leveled off and you sweep up any dust, you will then be ready to fill in the area to level it off with the existing vinyl flooring. To do this, I usually take a piece of the old flooring with me to my local flooring supply company, and purchase some inexpensive vinyl floor tiles that are about the same thickness as the old floor, to install over the exposed sub floor. 

If you decide to use self-stick vinyl floor tiles, then make sure you also get a quart of acrylic floor sealer and apply it to the sub floor first, and after allowing it to dry as according to the instructions of the label, you will then cut, fit and install the vinyl tiles over the sub floor. This will then level that area up with the existing vinyl flooring.

The next step would be that if you have should molding installed in the room, either along the baseboard for cabinets, you will need to remove it and either reset or replace it, depending on how much damage is done when removing it. You will also have the option to remove and reset or replace the baseboard if you want. 

If your baseboard wraps around the walls from the kitchen into the other rooms, then if you remove the baseboard in the kitchen and install it over top of the new laminate floor, it will end up higher then the baseboard it once matched up to, and that will not look very good. In this case, I recommend that you leave the baseboard as is and just live with the fact that you will have less baseboard exposed in the kitchen then in the other rooms where your hardwood flooring is located.

When baseboard is wrapped around the cabinets, you can leave that as well. When installing your new laminate floor, you do not want to hold the flooring tight against the walls or cabinets. Leave gaps as recommended by the manufacturer and when you are ready to install the shoe molding, remember to nail it into the baseboard or cabinet toe kicks and not into the laminate. The flooring needs room to expand and contract and will move.

A transition strip or reducer will need to be installed between the two floor and the manufacture of the flooring can provide you with one that is both easy to install and that will match up to the new floor exactly.

As far as what to do under the appliances, we usually do one of two things. For built in appliances such as dishwashers and ranges, we will install plywood the thickness of the new flooring to level it up with the new floor. You should hold it in a little from the front of the toe kicks of the cabinets and let the new floor go back in slightly so that you will not see the plywood from the outside. This saves a little cost from not having to put the new flooring in this area. Of course you can run the new floor all the way in under the appliance before you reset them if you so choose.

For appliances like refrigerators that are not built in and have exposure on one side or the other, it is usually best to run the new flooring all the way in under them. However, we have in some cases, installed a piece of plywood under the refrigerator the thickness of the new flooring and held it in about 2" all the way around, then installed the new flooring up to the plywood. This then gives the appearance that the floor is entirely under the appliance and once again can save some cost in flooring materials.

Just so you know, if it were me, with the appliances that are exposed, I prefer to install the flooring all the way under.

Exact installation instructions as provided by the manufacturer will be provided with the material or can be obtained from most manufacturers websites.

Bob, I know that you were interested in the slate look and a great place to look for this is from Columbia Laminate Flooring.

Columbia flooring offers the Uniclic Technology system that allows for easy installation using tongue and grooves that can be put together at both an angle or horizontally. You then simply press down and Clic them together. Plus, the finished product provides tight fitting flat edges that result in no open joints or seams.

Plus you will want to use their rolled underlayment, which is a thin material that improves the sound quality of the floor, helps protect from moisture problems and in most cases is required to maintain the floor's warranty.

Once on their site, you can then go to the page where their Cascade Clic Laminate Tile Floor Tiles are displayed, and you will be able to see the different styles and colors they offer.

You will also be able to pick out any Accessories or Trim that you may need and find the complete installation instructions.

I hope this helps. Rick

Rick Maselli is Founder and Editor of Showroom411.com and Ask Rick