Luxury Vinyl Tile Installation in Bellaire

What Luxury Vinyl Tile Is and When It Fits

Luxury vinyl tile, or LVT, is a layered vinyl product cut into square or rectangular tiles, often 12 by 24 inches, printed to look like slate, marble, travertine or concrete. It comes in two main builds. Rigid core tiles click together and float over the subfloor. Dry-back tiles are thinner and glued down. Some styles are made to be grouted, so the joints look like real tile.

It is a good choice for kitchens, baths, laundry rooms and entries where you want a tile look without cold, hard ceramic or cracked grout lines. The wear surface resists water, but water can still get through seams and around the edges. Our installation work is about closing those paths and keeping the core sitting flat.

If you prefer a wood look in long boards, see our luxury vinyl plank page. If you want genuine porcelain or ceramic, our tile flooring service covers that.

What Our LVT Installation Includes

Moisture testing on the slab

Most homes here sit on concrete slabs, and a slab can push moisture up into the floor. We take readings before we pick an underlayment or adhesive. A floating floor may need a vapor barrier, and a glue-down floor needs an adhesive rated for the moisture we measure.

Flattening the subfloor

Click joints only lock fully when the base is flat, usually within 3/16 inch over 10 feet. We grind down high ridges and fill low spots with patching or self-leveling compound. Skip this step and the locks can flex, which over time shows up as gapping or tile edges that sit higher than their neighbors.

A layout planned from the center

We snap reference lines and dry-lay the tiles so you don't end up with thin slivers at doorways or along the most visible wall. Offset patterns are set at the stagger the manufacturer allows, because some large tiles bow slightly and will lip at a 50 percent offset.

Expansion gaps and trim

Floating LVT needs a perimeter gap, usually about 1/4 inch, so it can move with temperature changes. We undercut door jambs so the tile slides beneath them, then cover the gap with baseboard or quarter round, never with caulk that pins the floor in place.

Bath and kitchen details

We pull toilets and reset them on a new wax ring, and we seal the edges at tubs and showers with flexible silicone. Floating floors are not run under heavy kitchen islands or built-in cabinets, because that weight pins the floor and can cause buckling elsewhere in the room.

Signs Your Floor Is Ready for New LVT

• Cracked grout or loose ceramic

  Hollow-sounding ceramic tile and crumbling grout lines usually mean the bond has failed. Depending on how flat and solid the existing tile is, we will either remove it or prepare it to go under the new LVT.

• Old sheet vinyl that's peeling

  Curling seams and bubbles in sheet vinyl let water reach the subfloor. LVT gives you tighter joints and a thicker wear layer in the same rooms.

• A cold, hard bathroom floor

  If you love the look of stone but not the feel on bare feet in the morning, vinyl tile keeps that look and feels warmer and quieter underfoot.

• Carpet in a wet room

  Carpet in a laundry room, kitchen or entry soaks up spills and holds odor. LVT wipes clean and handles water at the surface.

• A previous LVT job that's separating

  Gaps between tiles, peaked seams or edges lifting at the walls usually trace back to an uneven slab or a missing expansion gap. We can tell you which one, then fix the cause when we reinstall.

How an LVT Job Runs

1. 1

   Measure and test

   We measure each room, check the slab with a long straightedge and take moisture readings. You get a written breakdown of the prep, the product and the trim, so you know where the money goes.

2. 2

   Acclimate the tile

   The boxes sit in your home at normal living temperature for the time the manufacturer specifies. This keeps the tiles from shrinking or growing after they are locked or glued in place.

3. 3

   Remove and prepare

   We pull the old flooring, toilets and baseboard as needed, then grind, patch and level the slab. Doorways and openings to your other rooms are covered to keep down dust.

4. 4

   Install and trim

   We lay the tiles from the reference lines, staggering and cutting around jambs, vents and cabinets. Then come the transitions, base trim and silicone at the wet edges. A click floor can be walked on as soon as we finish, while a glue-down floor needs time for the adhesive to cure before furniture goes back.

5. 5

   Walk-through and cleanup

   We walk the floor with you and check that the seams are tight, the edges are clean and the transitions are secure. We haul off debris and leftover scraps, but we leave you a box of spare tiles for future repairs.

What Moves the Cost of Luxury Vinyl Tile

The price of an LVT job comes from the tile you choose and from the work underneath it. Two rooms of the same size can price very differently once we see the slab. That is why we measure and test before we put numbers in writing.

Subfloor condition

A flat, dry slab needs little work. Humps, dips and old adhesive residue add grinding and leveling compound, and high moisture readings add a vapor barrier or a different adhesive.

What comes out first

Pulling carpet is quick. Removing ceramic tile set in mortar takes much longer and creates more debris to haul away.

Tile build and pattern

Rigid core and dry-back products differ in material and labor, and thicker wear layers cost more. Diagonal and herringbone layouts need more cuts and produce more waste than a straight lay.

Room shape and fixtures

Bathrooms with toilets, pedestals and tub edges take more cutting per square foot than an open living area. The number of transitions, stair nosings and new base trim also adds to the total.