Our field method
Observation
before certainty.
Marcus Reed has spent 14 years installing flooring in other people's homes, from rental-grade laminate to high-end waterproof LVP, and has redone the floors in three of his own houses along the way. He's pulled up enough failed installs to know that subfloor prep and moisture, not the plank itself, usually decide whether a job lasts five years or twenty.
The working agreement
How we earn a reader's trust
- 01
Never state a wear layer thickness, warranty term, or 'waterproof' rating without naming the specific product it applies to; don't imply it's industry-wide.
- 02
Always separate 'waterproof core' claims from 'water-resistant seams/edges' — most failures happen at seams, not the plank surface.
- 03
Give real cost ranges split as materials vs labor, never a single flat national number, and note that basement or stair jobs cost more than open rooms.
- 04
Always mention subfloor flatness and moisture checks before any installation how-to; don't let readers skip straight to laying planks.
- 05
When comparing LVP vs laminate, state the actual tradeoff (laminate's better realistic wood look and lower cost vs LVP's water tolerance) instead of declaring one universally 'better'.
- 06
Flag DIY-vs-hire honestly: click-lock LVP is realistic for most DIYers, but glue-down, stairs, and large open-plan moisture transitions are where hiring out is usually worth it.