Vinyl flooring in Brooklyn, from condo slabs to basements
Luxury vinyl plank for Brooklyn kitchens, basements and new condos, floated or glued down over a base that is flat, dry and quiet.
Luxury vinyl plank gives a Brooklyn home a wood look that water does not ruin. That makes it the floor for the rooms where wood struggles.
We install it most in three kinds of Brooklyn room. Kitchens, where spills and dropped pans would mark a wood floor. Basements and ground floors, especially in the low-lying neighborhoods of southern Brooklyn, where damp rises from below. And new condos in Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Downtown Brooklyn, where the floor sits on a concrete slab and the building has rules about sound.
We install rigid-core click planks and thinner glue-down vinyl, in houses, co-ops and condos across the borough.
Floating or glued down
Most vinyl plank today clicks together and floats over the floor underneath. It goes down fast, it can go over most existing hard floors that are flat, and it lets the floor move a little with the seasons. Glue-down vinyl is thinner and fixed to the base, which suits large open rooms, rooms that get strong sun through big windows, and places where the floor height has to stay low at a door.
Either way, the base has to be flat. Vinyl plank is thin enough to show every dip and ridge under it, so we level the floor before the first plank goes down.
Condos on concrete and the sound rules
A concrete slab is a good base for vinyl plank, as long as it is flat and dry. We check it for moisture before anything goes over it. Many Brooklyn condos also set out in their own rules what underlayment a floor must have to keep noise from the unit below, and some ask to see the product before work starts. Send us what your building asks for and we will choose the underlayment that meets it.
Basements and ground floors near the water
In Marine Park, Mill Basin, Gerritsen Beach, Sheepshead Bay and the other neighborhoods close to the bay, a basement floor has to live with damp. Solid wood cups and swells there. Vinyl plank does not mind water on its surface, and with a vapor barrier underneath it handles damp from the concrete too. It is also warmer and softer underfoot than tile, which matters in a basement you want to live in.
What a vinyl plank floor from us includes
Moisture and level checks
We test a slab for moisture and measure how flat the floor is before we start.
The right underlayment
We fit the vapor barrier and acoustic underlayment the room and the building call for.
Planks laid and trimmed
We lay the planks with staggered joints and a gap at the walls, hidden under the trim.
Clean edges
Doorways get transitions, and the trim is fitted so the floor looks finished.
How a vinyl plank job runs
Prepare the base
Old flooring comes up where needed and the base is leveled and checked for moisture.
Underlayment down
The vapor barrier and underlayment go down, taped at the seams.
Lay the planks
Planks are clicked together or glued, row by row, cut around radiators and doors.
Back in use
A floating floor can be walked on straight away and furniture can go back the same day.
What moves the price of vinyl plank
The plank you choose and the size of the rooms matter, but the preparation often matters more: taking up old floors, leveling a slab or an old wood subfloor, and adding a vapor barrier in a basement. Glue-down floors take longer than floating ones. We look at the floor first and give you one estimate for the whole job.
Vinyl plank questions from Brooklyn
Is vinyl plank a good floor for a Brooklyn basement?
It is one of the best. Vinyl plank does not mind water on its surface, and over a vapor barrier it copes with damp from the concrete. It is warmer underfoot than tile, which makes a basement feel like a room rather than a cellar.
Is it better to glue or float vinyl plank flooring?
Floating click plank suits most rooms and goes down faster. Glue-down vinyl suits large open rooms, rooms with strong sun through big windows and places where the floor must stay thin at a doorway. We recommend one after looking at the room.
Can vinyl plank go over my old floor?
Often, yes. It can float over most existing hard floors, including old tile and sheet vinyl, if they are flat and firmly attached. Carpet always comes up first, and a floor with dips or loose sections is fixed before the planks go down.
What underlayment does my Brooklyn condo need?
It depends on your building. Many condos set a sound rating for the floor and underlayment together, and some ask to approve the product. Send us what your building sent you and we will match it.
Kitchen, basement or condo? Tell us the room.
Send the room size and a photo of the floor, and we will plan the vinyl plank job.