If you own rental property or apartments, cheap flooring is a must. Tenants moving in and out tend to put a lot of wear and tear on the floors. With this frequent turnover, updated décor such as flooring is crucial to keeping units rented out. The trick is to know the options that you have and decide which is best for you, your needs and your budget. There are 5 very good options for cheap flooring for rental properties and each has it’s pros and cons.
Cheap Carpet Flooring
Carpet is probably the most common cheap floor installed in apartments and rental units. You should be able to find entry-level luxury rugs in neutral colors for under $ 4.50 per page. Cheap carpet cushions will typically fetch you an additional $ 2.30 to $ 2.75 per yard for a 6-pound, 7/16 ” thick base density. You can save on your plinth by choosing thinner or lower padding, but in the long run you will do so end up replacing the pads more often than if you went with the 6 pound base style.If you want to stay a little more up-to-date and put up a décor or fancy textured carpet you should almost double your budget to around $ 7.00 per yard and higher range.
Carpet Tile
Carpet tile is a version of carpet but modular. It is manufactured with a built in backing and comes in square pieces designed to fit next to each other. Installation can be very quick and inexpensive and they can be easier to handle than rolls of carpet. An advantage of carpet tiles is that they can be individually replaced if one becomes too soiled or stained to get clean. Using carpet tiles can possibly save you some money over time by not having to replace the entire carpeting in a unit. The commercial rated carpet tiles also handle heavy traffic much better than traditional, cheap plush carpets.
Cheap Laminate Flooring
Can be both cheap and very functional in rental properties and apartments. Laminate is virtually stain proof, holds up well against most scratches and handles foot traffic extremely well. Laminate will last much longer than carpet options and can be fairly inexpensive when looking at lower end styles in the 6 mil to 7 mil thickness range. You should be able to buy a entry level laminate floor for under $8 per yard ($.89 a foot). The major drawback with laminate is it’s susceptibility to water. Laminate flooring hates water and moisture. Kitchens and bathrooms are usually not good areas to install laminate flooring.
Luxury Vinyl Plank and Tile
Along with Laminate, a very good choice for economical and longer lasting than other options. Luxury vinyl planks that simulate the look of wood and vinyl tiles that have the appearance of ceramic, slate or marble, can handle spills and constant traffic very well. Furthermore, luxury vinyl planks and tile do well in rental properties due to their ability to resist most scratches. These are not the same as peel and stick vinyl planks and tiles which can be a bad idea for rental units (peel and stick vinyl flooring tends to come back up and can be a maintenance headache). Quality luxury vinyl tile and planks can be found for as little as $1.25 per square foot. This tends to be a touch on the high side compared to some of the other options but will last much longer than most choices.
Traditional sheet vinyl
Sheet vinyl goods actually are fairly rugged and handle abuse pretty well. The knock against traditional vinyl is that it looks cheap. Vinyl roll goods have come a long way and some of the newer patterns look much better than those of the past. The upside to vinyl goods is they do extremely well in wet areas such as bathroom, laundry areas and kitchens. A good way to save money on vinyl for rental property or apartments is to find a source that you can get discounted product that is considered overruns or seconds. If you can find these types of vinyl you should be able to purchase them for under $6 a square yard for a pretty good quality product. You can also find first quality builder grade vinyl for around $6 a yard as well.
Source by Wood Flooring Manufacturers
Also Read : LAMINATE FlOORING AT CHEAP PRICES