I just got my first rehab duplex and I am wondering what to do with the flooring. Hardwood doesn’t have to get replaced all the time like carpet can, but I noticed that when we walk on the upper unit it can be very loud for the lower unit. Would carpet make a big difference in how much sound would come from kids running around etc. in the upper unit for people living below?
It is a lower income area and I talked with a real experienced investor who strongly recommended hard wood as opposed to changing the carpet all the time.
real harwood would be expensive for a low end rental. Maybe laminate would be a good choice, I’ve had great results in a rental with it. Tile is always a good choice but probably not upstairs. Remember, real hardwoods are expensive to install and still require refinishing periodically while cheaper laminate does not. Good luck.
The best possible scenario in low income property is to paint hardwood floors that are pre-existing with a gloss oil based paint. Hard as a rock and helps prevent damage from their animals urinating on the floor and them leaving it there to evaporate.
Another good solution for low income is VCT everywhere with a good coat of wax on it. Tile is also durable but more labor intensive and costly than VCT.
They will burn cigarette holes in regular vinyl or linoleum flooring and you will find yourself replacing it as often as you would with the carpet from what I have experienced.
I agree that real hardwood is going to cost quite a bit for you to install.
I don’t have to install a new hardwood floor. I think I just have to replace a couple of boards and refinish the thing. The thing I am worried about is how loud it would be for people living in the lower unit if there are kids running around the up stairs unit. Would carpet significantly reduce the noise?
Carpet will reduce the noise but I wouldn’t use it. You will constantly replace it and this is not economical. You need to always think of doing things “landlord style”. I wouldn’t be concerned about the noise downstairs from kids running unless YOU are living downstairs. I have many multifamily houses and NO one complains to me about that. They get used to it.
Always remember your primary objective is to make money.
I don't have to install a new hardwood floor. I think I just have to replace a couple of boards and refinish the thing. The thing I am worried about is how loud it would be for people living in the lower unit if there are kids running around the up stairs unit. Would carpet significantly reduce the noise?
Who cares? You aren’t living there - are you? People in low income rentals have not EARNED the right to live in better housing. If they got off their lazy butts and worked hard, they could afford to live in a nice SFH in a beautiful neighborhood. If they’re going to sit on their lazy butts all day and collect a government check (out of my pocket), then they shouldn’t expect to live in the Taj Mahal. Moreover, what makes you think that the low income tenant downstairs won’t be making a lot of noise themselves?
Safe and clean - that should be your goal for low income rentals. Don’t make the mistake and thinking about what you would like if you lived there. You aren’t some low-income deadbeat!!!
I have lower income rentals, and have dealt a lot with this subject. Here are some tips:
Painting old wood floors is a good idea - its cheap & actually does not look too bad if you use a light brown paint. It will last “one tenant”, and is the cheapest & most cost effective option. I have even spray painted CARPET on stairs - note I wouldn’t do a whole house of carpet that way - and it comes out great.
Tile floors are the most expensive option, but they will last for many (and I mean MANY) years.
Vinyl wood planks or vinyl wood-style 12" tiles are cheap, easy to install yourself and will last for several years if you get a good brand (e.g. with a 10 year warranty); I can’t say how good this option is if you are doing the floor install yourself. The vinyl wood tiles that are peel & stick from Home Depot are awesome. I have done this for $0.75 a square foot or less INSTALLED.
Wood floors, in particular floating wood floors, are good. I have not done these myself but I’ve seen them in practice and they work well. Watch out for really cheap faux-wood floors, as they are junk. Higher quality faux wood floors are good though. These are relatively cheap, and look VERY good.
Carpet can be purchased & installed cheaply if you shop around. But I would prefer NOT to use carpet when possible, as you may have to change it frequently / between tenants if you get someone who is rough on it.
- Wood floors, in particular floating wood floors, are good. I have not done these myself but I’ve seen them in practice and they work well. Watch out for really cheap faux-wood floors, as they are junk. Higher quality faux wood floors are good though. These are relatively cheap, and look VERY good.
I have wondered about the floating wood floors. I have a buddy that installs these and ceramic tile in ALL of his low income property because he doesn’t want to mess with the floors again. I can understand the ceramic tile. If he wants to fork over the initial cash they will last a very long time. But looking at the floating wood floors, they only have a very thin like wood laminate on top of low quality wood. The same kind of thing that you see on cheap furniture that is not solid wood. They haven’t been around for that long and I am wondering if they would hold up to the heavy abuse they will get in a low income property.
You can usually find basic 12" ceramic tiles for about $.69/sq ft. I haven’t done that yet, but would like to. Our apartments have had laminate wood floors in a couple units for a couple years. It’s holding up well so far. It was close to $1.40/sq ft or so. I’d hate to use the really cheap laminate. I’m sure there would be all kinds of spaces between planks.
I agree that tile is the best idea, especially if you have the time to do it yourself. However if you pay someone else to do it - look to spend from $1.25 to $3.50 per square foot for labor PLUS materials to install it. So when you add in the cost of tile too, on say an old house that’s 1500 square feet, that can relatively expensive quick.
I just got done putting in the “peel and hope it sticks” tile in the house we’re getting ready for rent. I have to go back and put some adhesive under some of the tiles that didn’t want to play nice. One of these days I’ll buy a tile saw and do some ceramic.
I agree on the labor costs. If I could get a decent handyman to do it for an hourly rate, I’d go that route rather than pay the per square foot rate like you listed.
I would put carpet in the upstairs unit. Tenants are really hard on carpet and carpet is a big expense when you have to replace it all the time. However, turnover is also a huge expense, and if the upstairs is too noisy, you risk losing the downstairs tenants, one after another.
It’s not legal to refuse kids, but it is certainly better to not put kids in an upstairs unit-- not that I would recomend that you break the law.
I have lived in apartments where you were required to have an area rug over the hardwoods if you were on higher than ground. Might not be a good idea in low income properties though. Or you could find some really cheap 2nd hand area rugs and tell the tenants they are required.
If the hardwoods are OK fix the missing pieces and leave them alone. Go to any carpet store find a real cheap remnet and use it as a rug. Sometime you can find them with a finished stiched edge. This way it covers the floors, lowers the noise. and if it can’t be cleaned toss it buy another because its the installation of carpet or wood that is the expense not the material.