ServicesLuxury Vinyl Tile
Luxury Vinyl Tile Installation in Houston
Luxury vinyl tile brings a stone or ceramic appearance to your home, but it feels warmer and kinder underfoot and shrugs off everyday water. Before anything is ordered we test your slab for moisture and flatness, then pick an install date around the season so the new floor settles under steady indoor conditions.
The look of tile, without the cold, hard floor
Luxury vinyl tile, usually shortened to LVT, carries a printed image of natural stone or glazed ceramic under a clear protective layer, and it comes in squares as well as longer rectangles. It handles spills and wet shoes, has a bit of cushion that real tile lacks, and is quieter to walk on. That makes it a good fit for kitchens, laundry rooms, bathrooms and entries where you want a tile look without grout lines to scrub or a surface that chips when a pan drops.
LVT comes in two builds. A rigid core tile locks edge to edge and sits on top of the concrete with no glue at all. The glue-down kind is thinner and is spread with adhesive and pressed straight onto the slab, so it stays put better in sunrooms and in front of big west-facing windows, where heat can make an unglued floor shift. We'll tell you which one suits each room, and why.
If you prefer a long, wood-look board, our Luxury Vinyl Plank page covers that format. For real porcelain or ceramic, see Tile Flooring.
What your luxury vinyl tile install includes
- Slab check before ordering
- Ahead of any purchase, we take moisture readings on the concrete and run a long straightedge across it to find dips and humps. Vinyl tile needs a floor that is close to flat, and low spots under a click floor turn into joints that pop or open up months later.
- Taking out what's there now
- Old carpet, sheet vinyl, laminate or ceramic comes up and leaves with us when we go. Leftover adhesive and thinset ridges are scraped or ground off so the new tile can lie flat.
- Leveling and prep
- Low spots are filled with leveling compound and high spots are ground down. This step is quiet, unglamorous work, and it decides how long your floor looks right.
- Layout planned with you
- Tile formats show patterns more than planks do, so we dry-lay rows and agree on a starting line, direction and any offset with you before installing. Cut pieces at doorways and walls are kept from getting too thin.
- Trim, transitions and cleanup
- We fit transitions to neighboring rooms, reset or replace baseboards or quarter round, and leave the room swept and ready to use.
Signs luxury vinyl tile is the right call
Cracked or loose ceramic tile
Hollow-sounding tiles and cracked grout often mean the old floor has let go of the slab. LVT gives you a similar look without relying on rigid grout lines.
A cold, hard floor in rooms you stand in
If your feet ache after cooking or folding laundry, vinyl tile has a little give and doesn't feel icy on a winter morning.
Worn sheet vinyl that keeps lifting
Curling seams and bubbles near the dishwasher or tub are a common reason people call us. Vinyl tile with tight joints handles everyday water much better.
Grout you are tired of cleaning
Most LVT has minimal or no grout. Groutable styles exist if you want that look, using a flexible grout that resists staining.
A move-in or a busy season coming up
Vinyl tile goes down quickly and you can walk on most floating installs the same day, which helps when you're working toward a date.
How the job runs, from first call to finished floor
- 1
Talk it through on the phone
Tell us which rooms, what's on the floor now and the look you're after. We'll set a time to come measure and check the slab.
- 2
Measure, test and choose
We measure each room, test moisture, check flatness and help you compare rigid core and glue-down options. Your estimate comes in writing and breaks out removal, prep, materials and trim on separate lines, so nothing is lumped together.
- 3
Schedule around the weather
Vinyl needs to sit in the house for about two days before install, with the AC running at normal settings. In Houston we steer clients toward spring and fall dates when they can, because steady humidity and fewer open doors mean less movement in the material, though we install year round.
- 4
Install day
We protect walkways, remove the old floor, prep the slab and lay the tile in the pattern you approved. Most kitchens and baths are finished in one to two days.
- 5
Walk-through
We go over the floor with you, check every transition and explain simple care, like using a damp mop instead of a steam mop.
What moves the cost of luxury vinyl tile
Your price comes from the room and the slab as much as from the tile itself. We list each part on your written estimate so you can see where the money goes and decide what matters to you before anything is ordered.
- Product type and wear layer
- Rigid core and glue-down tiles are priced differently, and a thicker wear layer costs more but holds up better to pets and chairs.
- Slab condition
- A flat, dry slab keeps prep simple. Heavy leveling, grinding old thinset or treating moisture adds time and material.
- The floor coming out
- Carpet comes up fast. Ceramic set in mortar has to be chipped loose piece by piece, which adds hours on site and a heavier load to carry away.
- Pattern and room shape
- A diagonal or staggered layout, a small bath full of cuts around the toilet and vanity, or a hallway with several doorways all add labor and leave more offcuts behind.
- Trim and transitions
- New baseboards, quarter round and thresholds to other floors are priced as separate line items.
Luxury vinyl tile questions we hear often
Something not covered here? (346) 746-6967
Is luxury vinyl tile waterproof?
Most rigid core LVT is waterproof on top, so spills and splashes won't harm it. A leak that runs beneath the tiles is another matter, since moisture can sit there against the slab. That's why we seal the perimeter edges in bathrooms and laundry areas.
Can it go right over the tile I already have?
That depends on the tile underneath. When it is solidly stuck down and level, and the added thickness still clears doors and appliances, we can lay LVT on top of it. Loose pieces or wide, deep grout joints mean the old tile comes out first, since that grid can otherwise show through the new floor over time.
How is luxury vinyl tile different from vinyl composition tile?
Vinyl composition tile is a harder, thinner product that needs waxing and is common in utility spaces. LVT has a printed photo layer and a clear wear layer, looks far more like stone, and needs no wax. Our Vinyl Composition Tile page explains that option.
Will summer heat make the floor buckle?
Vinyl does expand with heat, which is why we leave the right expansion gap and recommend glue-down tile in rooms with strong afternoon sun. Keeping the AC on, even when you travel, keeps the floor stable.
Do I need to move out of the house?
No. We work one area at a time and keep a path open. You'll want to clear small items and plan on the kitchen being out of use for the day we're in it.
Ready for a tile look that's easier to live with
Tell us about the rooms you have in mind and when you'd like the work done. We'll come measure, check your slab and help you pick a date that suits the season.