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When I first announced I was considering LVP floors for our new home build, I was met with an overwhelming reaction of surprise. What? You’re putting VINYL floors in your beautiful new home? To which, every time, I simply answer – yup! Because here’s the thing. I’ve had the fancy wood floors. Two times. Even the “durable” fancy wood floors that came pre-wire-brushed and were a practical color for daily wear. And after I had kids, my life was dedicated to protecting those floors.

Matchbox cars banging on the ground. Cups of milk being dumped. Spit-up in knots and cracks. I’ve seen it all, I’ve cleaned it all – and guys, I am DONE. I can’t stomach the thought of spending $20k + on something that will cause me daily headaches, stress and WORK! Wood floors are beautiful. And if I were 50 years old building this house with a healthier budget and aloof teenagers that ignore me  – I might consider them. But that is not my life, and won’t be for a very VERY long time.

So no, i’m not concerned about resale. This is MY dream home I’m building, and I want to make it perfect for ME! And no, I’m not concerned about how they will look. Because guys, I’ve done the research. The products on the market today are definitely NOT your grandma’s vinyl flooring. I’m so excited to share what I’ve discovered throughout this process with you – and even MORE excited to start living with these new life-proof floors! Keep reading to learn about the benefits of LVP, my selection criteria and which floors I chose!

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What are the benefits of LVP?

LVP stands for “Luxury Vinyl Plank.” The main benefits (and selling points for us!) are that the floor is 100% waterproof and VERY durable and easy to maintain. In addition to it being affordable (typically 40-70% less expensive than the price of hardwood floors per square foot) it is also easy to install, meaning your install cost per square foot is going to be less as well. (psssst if you’re doing a rehab – LVP can usually be installed right over existing tile! You will save on demo costs as well!) The fact that it is so easy to maintain and virtually kid, pet and life-proof really sold me. I don’t want to have to worry about my floors when my kids are dragging chairs around building forts. I don’t want to spend hours of my week scrubbing and polishing my floors that (inevitably) get covered in hummus, yogurt and sauce. The cost, ease and durability made these floors a no-brainer for our family. Not to mention how quiet they are and comfortable on your feet! (but I’ll get to that…)

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LVP is affordable, waterproof and durable.

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What did I look for in LVP?

Like I said, the LVP products on the market today are fantastic. They are varied in color and “imperfections” (knots, colors in the graining, etc) and come in a variety of widths and styles. We knew we wanted a light blonde / warm vinyl floor with very minimal rustic touches, but gosh. There are SO many brands and products on the market to choose from! We quickly narrowed our search down to a single brand, Provenza, based on one factor: plank length. A big reason that tile and LVP wood-look floors look so “fake” is because the boards are much shorter than wood boards, and your eye marks the visual repeat subconsciously when you look down a hallway or into a big open room. We knew if we were going to put vinyl floors in our home we had to avoid this. Provenza LVP floors come in various lengths up to 6 ft long (as opposed to most other brands that only carry planks up to 4 ft long). And most importantly, they FEEL like wood! This was a big deciding factor for us – the feel. We ran our hands over our samples. We walked on them in bare feet. And guys, we were sold. The grain isn’t simply painted on – it’s a realistic wood texture and has a painted bevel effect on the sides where the planks fit together that mimics how real wood floors are joined. 

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Don’t just settle on loving a color or finish. Make sure your planks are long, beveled and that you can feel the texture of your sample in real life.

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Which LVP flooring did I choose?

After we narrowed our search down to Provenza, we took a look at all of the colors and options in their lines. It came down to 3 options: Royal Crest from the Concorde Oak line, At Ease from the Moda Living Collection and Road Trip from the Moda Living Collection. We loved the colors online but wanted to order a sample of each to see the color, variation and texture in real life. Never pick a finish based on web pictures alone! After receiving the samples, we looked at the following factors:

• Color: We wanted something light, blonde and warm. The floor needed to go with our home’s earthy color palette (so something TOO orange wouldn’t do)
• Variation: Because we live in Central Oregon and want our home to be casual, inviting and full of character, we wanted to select a floor with some “imperfections” – subtle knots and color variation
• Texture: We wanted enough to feel like real wood, but not so much that dirt, yogurt and LIFE would get caught up in the cracks.

And the winner is… At Ease! This option looks fantastic with the other colors and finishes we have selected for our home, is warm without being too orange, and has the perfect amount of character. We are in LOVE!

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Select your flooring with your other finishes in mind,  and be sure and get samples!

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Check back in over the next few months as we receive our flooring and start the install process. We can’t WAIT to get this LVP all over our new house and start LIVING! This blog post was sponsored by Provenza, but all views and opinions expressed are my own. Check out provenzafloors.com for their selection of LVP flooring and more.

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