I had a contractor come in to tile my 80-square-foot kitchen, but he turned me down because he thinks the floor might shift due to some structural issues (there are a couple of sistered joists beneath it). Instead, he recommended using glue-down Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) and quoted me $15,000 for that option. Is this a reasonable price? Additionally, I'm curious if using a decoupling membrane could help manage the shifting issue. Any insights or advice would really help!
3 Answers
Honestly, I’d recommend getting multiple estimates. $15,000 seems way too high for a space that size. You might find a better deal elsewhere!
Floor shifting, sometimes called deflection or bounce, can really mess with tiles over time. Using a decoupling membrane helps, but you should address any underlying issues first. Kudos to your contractor for being upfront; some would just take your money and leave you dealing with cracked tiles later! Oh, and definitely shop around for those LVP quotes. No way it should cost that much for only 80 square feet!
Using a decoupling membrane is definitely a good idea! It can help with minor floor shifts because it’s designed to absorb some movement over time. However, if your floor bounces a lot when someone walks on it, it might not fully solve the risk of tile cracks or grout issues later on.
Thanks for the insight! I’m unsure how much my floor actually shifts, so that worries me. I hope the contractor isn’t just looking for an easy way to maximize his earnings.