Dog- & wheelchair-friendly flooring

9 years ago

My husband is in a wheelchair, we have two largish dogs, and I am driving myself crazy trying to select flooring for a house we are buying. Built in 1981, it's got beige carpeting everywhere but the kitchen/breakfast nook and bathrooms now, all evidently laid on top of particle board. I'm happy with the idea of Tarkett Nafco in the kitchen/breakfast nook and the two extra bedrooms. Had been considering engineered hardwood (hickory, maybe bamboo) for master bedroom/dining room/sunken living room, including a ramp to the living room. I'm having second thoughts--scratching seems a likely problem. Could porcelain tile be laid over the particle board? Any other suggestions for a durable, elegantly modern floor that won't completely break the bank? My brain hurts. ;-)

Comments (5)

_sophiewheeler
9 years ago
Remove the particle board. Assess the joist height and spacing and reinforce if needed. Then new plywood, cement board, and tile.
dabroad
Original Author
9 years ago
Oh, hollysprings, I know that's what I should do, but honestly it seems that doing that over about 1800 sf is going to break the bank. (A bathroom makeover was planned to be our biggest expense--I've been on a steep learning curve about flooring and am feeling somewhat homicidal toward whoever thought it was a good idea to lay pb in homes!)
Thanks!
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gregmills_gw
9 years ago
Particle board works well for carpet and vinyl, its a pain in the butt when you want to upgrade to something nicer, like tile or wood.

With big dogs and wheelchairs Tile or Laminate or sheet vinyl are going to hold up the best. wood will just get banged up.

when on a budget and especially with the size you are looking at, laminate may work well.

and although I wont go as far as saying PB will be just fine as an underlayment, people do lay right over it and it works for them.

gotta weigh the pros and cons. You may never have an issue just laying right over PB and save a few bucks, but in a few years time it may become soft and spongy.

Def No tile over PB, that's just asking for problems.
dabroad
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks, gregmills. Sigh. If only I could find laminate that I like here in the US. Saw some German laminate that looked fabulous but they don't offer the same lineup in North America.
glennsfc
9 years ago
I know that some industry folks won't like what I am about to say, but here it is...

When laminate floorings were introduced in North America, it seemed to be a great concept and the stuff performed well. Most all of it was imported from manufacturing plants in Europe. Then we started making it here...and it all went downhill from there.

Also, to make it a DIY-friendly product...so any sclub could install it...proprietary t&g locking mechanisms were designed. Unfortunately those joints were not as moisture resistant as glued joints. I dropped all laminate lines when moisture related complaints began to pour in.