LVT recommendations - natural wood without ticks

Hi all,

I've got a new flat and would like to install an LVT across the hallway, bedrooms and living room/kitchen.

I found this forum when searching for advise.

I'm finding it very difficult to find a nice warm/natural looking wood LVT that has a finish that doesn't look terrible when light hits it.

I have a lot of light in my new flat.

Basically, Amtico is the worst to me - it has loads ticks on the surface, that when the light hits the tile, reflects - ruining the illusion and making it look really fake.

In my efforts to find something better, so far I've come to these conclusions:

Moduleo Transform - the surface picture is too photographic. It looks a bit like an aerial photograph.
Surface texture - car tyre effect. Too pronounced.
Looked mostly at classic oak - I do like the general look of the main version, just not the execution:

Moduleo Impress.
As above but so much worse. 2D image of 3D relief, really textured. Totally fake looking.

Kardean Van Gogh - French Oak
A little bit too rustic for my maybe, and not the original tone I'd go for, but looks good.
However, feels really plasticy/like slick rubber under foot.
Major car tyre effect when light hits it. The surface texture is just too thick - and it doesn't help it's colourless/transparent plastic.

Distinctive Flooring
Classic Range - poor prints. Forrest Oak looks fake. Spring Oak has the sort of tone I liked, but I don't know how these are made, but it's like multiple planks are in one. As if planks are just cut from a continuous surface which has planks in it that don't match the planks cut.
Surface texture - the dreaded ticks

Autograph collection
Much better. Matisse looks good, just sadly far too orange.
Surface texture - no ticks. Just random ridging. But the riding is shallower and less rubbery than Moduleo and Karndean Van Gogh.
The texture doesn't follow the design, but I don't actually mind. My brain seems to marry the subtle reflection with the design anyway, maintaining the illusion.
Just no normal warm oak design unfortunately.
Something like a spring oak in the Autograph collection style would be fine.

Their other ranges seem impressive, but too rustic or dark for me.
Tanoak and water oak have notable grey in them.
If the signature collection just had a normal warm oak, I could go for that.
Although I've not tested the feel or reflection fully.

Quick Step Livyn

Pulse - matches the grain, and very subtly! The most accurate and subtle simulation I've seen.
However pulse glue isn't available yet I believe.
Also the colour changes! From yellow in the daytime, to red in the evening for one product.
And the reverse for another!
Balance range unfortunately doesn't have a grain matching finish, and instead very large ticks.
Still much better than Amtico, but is an issue with bright light.

Polyflor - all use ticks from what I can tell?

Vusta - natural oak looks alright, but amtico level of ticks.

So where I am now:

Wondering about Lifestyle floors Colloseum or Palace ranges.
Liked the look of natural oak and light oak etc.
It doesn't have any ticks, just quite smooth random grain effect.
But concerned about how it'll look over the 55 square metres. Is the quality there?
Seems like a small player/budget product.

EarthWerks - hoping this will save the day.
But no idea where to view this.
Do any stores have samples in the Bristol area?

Sorry for the overly long first post.

Basically, any recommendation on a nice wood effect LVT that doesn't have a tick texture would be really appreciated.

Thanks!

Prot

 

Have you looked at Forbo Allura?
Failing that what about an actual wood floor as it doesn't seem that LVT'S are for you.

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I had a brief look at Forbo Allura. I can't remember if it had ticks or not.
Will have to try to find somewhere that has large samples in the Bristol area.

I found a lovely engineered wood, but last minute changed to LVT as the fitter said it'd be a nightmare to fit.
He said we can't undercut the skirting as you can't get the expansion gap right on the last board.
Taking off the skirting apparently could cause major issues - it's made from MDF, and has been stuck on with grip fill and pinned on.
So he says it'll likely break.
He'll refit it if it's intact, but won't deal with decorating/fixing it etc.

Also I have windowsill on my floors - as my windows go down to the floor (large industrial windows)
These aren't the same height because of the tolerance allowed for pour in concrete for the frame.
So in two rooms we can probably run the flooring over the concrete and damp proof membrane, but not in one.

I have a floating chipboard subfloor - Hi load, on top of 4mm of foam, on top of the concrete.

Apparently trying to float 55 square metres, between 3 rooms and hallway, with no thresholds won't work.
Although my fitter said it'd be fine.
Others said to glue down.

But basically, the way the flat's been built could make it a total headache.
It's also much easier to scratch, and not ideal around the kitchen area.

If I can find a nice looking light/mid/golden oak - without loads of knots, that looks real, and without a tick or rubbery finish, that'd be fine.
Just seems very hard to find.

The finish of Quick Step Livyn Pulse, and Distinctive Flooring Autograph (and maybe Signature), are fine.
So just need the right design with a similar finish.

 

Jeeeeez!
I feel sorry for your fitter
Not the input that helps but you sound like one of those customers.

Dont think you'll be happy with any Lvt by sounds of it...

 

I'll be happy with an LVT that doesn't have ticks, or a rubber tyre profile, and looks like normal light/golden oak!

Can't be that hard.

EarthWerks will hopefully do the job.

I would go for Livyn Pulse if it were available as a glue down, but it isn't yet.

I've not bothered my fitter with any of this, other than asking for quotes for the different products.

I want it simply laid. The only more difficult thing is maybe that I want the planks horizontally up the hallway. But that would only be a pain to fit for real/engineered wood.

I'm not sure there are that many customers like me . I think normally you get people that can't make up their mind.
When I looked at bamboo flooring I did research into the various emissions ratings and tests, supply chain, FSC certification etc.
I was a pain to the suppliers I'm sure. But some companies were excellent, e.g. Havwoods. They provided the actual emissions test results for the product within hours by email. Can highly recommend them as a supplier, they know their stuff. Not like the people at posh flooring!

 

How do you choose your loaf?


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By making a list of real bread from realbreadcampaign.org

Then I know I can go to the supermarket and buy a loaf from:
The Village Bakery
Vogels
Doves Farm
Cranks

And know it's not made using the Chorleywood bread process (CBP)

Lol. Or get something, check the ingredients to make sure they're not ridiculous - and buy it, as it's a cheap consumable.

Not like dropping a few grand on a floor that you won't change.

Anyway, EarthWerks looks promising and it's been mentioned positively on here.

I've been trying to look at Tarkett - iD Selection 40 and iD Inspiration 55, but only found places that have iD Essential 30.
It all has register embossing it seems. So no ticks.

Anybody got feedback on Tarkett, and know where I can view this in Devon or Bristol?

When I contact Tarkett all they do is give me the names of their distributors in the area, who in turn tell me they don't even handle their product.

EarthWerks on the other hand have been really helpful, which more than makes up for the fact that it's a harder to find product.

Anyway, there are plenty of brands that avoid ticks (they're just the less common ones it seems):
Distinctive Flooring
QuickStep Livyn
EarthWerks
Tarkett

And the first two have quite matt finishes, which is even better for avoiding a plastic look.

 

What are ticks?

 

You should become a floor fitter it seems you know more then us as floor fitters

 

Pull the snickers and get the stanley out. Surely a rep


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Taking off the skirting apparently could cause major issues - it's made from MDF, and has been stuck on with grip fill and pinned on.

Your skirting will come easy, I've done this many a times with no hassle when replacing wood flooring.
You will need to score the decorators corking and gently prise the skirting away from the wall, when fitting back on apply more grip fill and line up the pins to the holes in the walls and push back on to the wall, re pinning if you need to in places to get a tight fit, then apply a thin layer of decorators Cork to the top of the skirting and smooth in.

If the skirting going to be higher than before snap off the pins scrape off the glue on the back of skirting and re glue and pin,

 

Mate, he'll be forever deciding on the 'perfect' floor covering. Skirtings won't be touched at the moment


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Distinctive flooring rep here - signature,Italian or regale ranges are worth a look as they have in registered embossing for a true to touch look and feel, our manufacturing process is state of the art at that level, tan oak is used worldwide throughout Versace clothing stores, we love it. Italian Roma, Florence not suit they are decent oak options, great variation throughout these options too, failing this take a look at the Mflor library www.mflor.co.uk hope it helps find your perfect floor

 

I'm with Adam on this one, recently fit some mflor/distinctive to a bathroom from the Italian range, emboss is spot on as runs with the grain. I'm afraid you won't get an lvt that when light hits it has the plastic look, that's basically what it is, but minimise the plastic look by going for something with more emboss rather than the grain. Also i tend to find that the smoother the finish the more prone you are to noticing scratches..... More emboss tends to hide scratches. Also scratch resistant doesn't mean scratch proof, so if you do go for lvt make sure felt pads are bought for furniture and if you have a hallway I'd definatly recommend some type of entrance mat in external doorways to keep it looking better for longer

 

I mean when light hits it doesn't look plastic sorry for typo error, not had my coffee yet

 

Thanks.

Didn't realise there were replies.

I've decided to go with QuickStep Livyn Pulse Click.
Main floor will be a few mm lower than bathrooms, but I planned to use thresholds to the bathrooms anyway, so guess it's not an issue.
The fact it wasn't available as glue down was the main reason I kept looking really.

Going to have mastic around the edges to cover the 2mm expansion gap. Guess that won't be an issue?

@nevertrever2

Yeah, someone else in the same block has taken off the skirting themselves and fitted QuickStep laminate.
They didn't have any issues. Guess that fitter just didn't want to deal with it/was a pessimist.
One of the site managers said it'd come off fine, the other said it'd be a nightmare. Heh.

Adam I did like the Mattise in the Autograph collection, but it was too red. Shame you don't do a normal beige/golden oak in that range.
Like I put in the first post, the ranges with registered embossing were either way too rustic, or too dark etc.
Again, no normal beige/golden oak present.
I'd recommend adding some cleaner/modern/warm/light designs. Most other designs seem covered, but what I'd call a "normal" nice oak floor seems to be missing.

Our of interest, do the mflor finishes also not have ticks?
I was going to explore it, but seemed hard to get hold of samples etc.
The situation where distinctive are sole distributors in the UK, but sell their own product threw me off a bit.
I guess you could have sent mflor samples?

 

Classics church oak registered embossed is a great golden oak, surprised that option was over looked to be fair - we can either Mflor or distinctive sampling it's not a problem, tick finish not so much it's more of an amtico thing. Glad you found your floor, quick step are a great brand and am sure it will do you proud.

 

Yeah I was surprised by church oak as it has registered embossing but is in the classics range. I think it was too rustic and heavily ridged if I remember correctly though.

Few things to note on the quick step.
Balance has a pattern repeat of 12 apparently.
And the new pulse range has a pattern repeat of 8 - apparently because the planks are longer.
Not sure how it's made, e.g. if it comes off massive rolls like Amtico - I didn't think it did.
But the planks are definitely cut from very long strips. I noticed one plank that was basically the same as another but the the pattern started a bit later (so cut a bit further back than the other plank). But most repeats are identical.

Apparently quick step flip the balance click designs as well, as you have to lay it in one direction, for more variation.
But I see no flipped designs for the pulse click.

Always wondered if that's what people do with standard glue down - flip the planks around to help combat repeats, or if that's a bad idea.

Pulse click looks great, as long as you can deal with the repeats.

Only problem I have now is my fitter has installed it using a tapping block which has damaged the edge, causing the black vinyl to show on the bevel for some planks

Wish I did it myself. Clearly wasn't going to do glue down myself, but the quick step would have been fine. Would have been less rushed, and installation instructions fully followed.

Will post in the pulse click thread for advice on that if anyone's happy to advise!

 

Our repeats work out around 4 per box although in fact they're not exactly the same as we don't have an exact match across any single batch - they look similar to the eye but technically they are slightly different, the knot will be a .MM out etc, Tbf with any click products they are truly suited to the expert DIY enthusiast, I'd argue more suited to that then a fitter who thinks he can fit click,many fitters avoid click and will not do the courses that are on offer to do it right, I don't know why but that's the reality.

 

Thanks, wish I'd known that sooner.

How big are your boxes? I can't remember how many pulse click are in a box, but the repeat is 1 in 8, so there shouldn't be any repeats in a box I think.
But I don't know if that's normal or low. Seems low to me. Certainly requires some work to deal with in a normal sized room.