Vinyl Plank Flooring in the Rio Grande Valley, TX
In July, a closed house with the air conditioning off passes 85 degrees, and vinyl grows in that heat. A 1/4 inch gap at every wall keeps your seams flat.
We install rigid core vinyl plank across the Rio Grande Valley, from Rio Grande City to Harlingen. A 1,000 square foot floor takes about 2 days. The core is plastic, so a spill or a mop does not swell it. In rental homes we use a 20 mil wear layer.
What the job includes02
What a flooring job with us includes
A floating vinyl floor lives or dies by heat in the Valley. Plastic grows when the room gets hot. A house closed up in July with the air conditioning off runs past 85 degrees inside. Without a gap at the wall, the planks push against the baseboard and lift at a seam. We leave 1/4 inch all the way around and hide it under the trim.
- —Carpet, pad, tack strip and staples removed and hauled off
- —Slab checked for dips, since a floating floor telegraphs every low spot
- —Boxes acclimated in the room for 48 hours before the first plank
- —A 1/4 inch expansion gap held at every wall, cabinet and door jamb
- —Planks staggered at least 8 inches so the seams never line up
- —Transitions at the doorways and a threshold at every exterior door
- —Baseboard or quarter round reinstalled to cover the expansion gap
- —Silicone at the tub, the shower base and the toilet flange
- —Carpet in a rental that you replace after every second tenant
- —Laminate seams already puffed up along the kitchen sink wall
- —A stain under the washer or the dog bowl that will not come out
- —Sheet vinyl with a tear or a bubble that keeps growing
- —Old tile you want gone without two days of demolition
- —A rental you need back on the market inside a week
Price range03
How much does flooring cost in the Rio Grande Valley?
2 days for 1,000 square feet, including transitions and trim
Half a day for one bedroom. Four to five days for a whole house with tile removal.
Which material holds up best in Valley weather?
| Material | Holds up because | Watch out for | Best for | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rigid core plank, 20 mil wear layer | Takes rental traffic, dog nails and a rolling office chair | Costs more per square foot than the thin builder product | Rentals, vacation units on the island and busy families | 15 to 20 years |
| Rigid core plank, 12 mil wear layer | Same waterproof core at a lower cost per square foot | Shows scratches sooner in a hallway or under a chair | Bedrooms and rooms with light traffic | 10 to 15 years |
| Glue down luxury vinyl plank | Stays put in a sunroom or a closed house where heat builds | The slab has to be clean, dry and flat, and repairs run slower | Sunrooms, vacation rentals left empty and rooms with wide glass | 15 to 20 years |
How we work this job04
How does the job actually run?
A written estimate before anything starts, a start date we commit to, and one person responsible from the first walkthrough to the last inspection.
- 01We look at the slab, not just the roomWe check for dips with a straightedge and mark anything lower than 3/16 of an inch over 10 feet. Patch goes in before the planks.Day 1
- 02The boxes wait inside the roomMaterial sits in the room 48 hours, so the planks match the temperature of the house. Skipping this step opens seams later.Two days before
- 03Layout starts from the longest wallWe measure so the last row is not a sliver, and we stagger the seams at least 8 inches. Cuts happen outside.Build
- 04Planks go down and the gap stays openEvery wall, cabinet and jamb keeps 1/4 inch of room to move. The spacers come out when the trim goes back.Build
- 05Trim, silicone and walk throughWe reinstall the baseboard, silicone the wet edges and walk the floor with you. Furniture can go back the same day.Handover
From the build site05
Which homes has David Aceves helped build?
Homes built by Cuates Construction, with David Aceves on the build. Look at the tile layouts, the transitions between rooms and the straight grout lines: David plans a flooring job with that same eye.
Questions we get06
Questions homeowners ask us about this work
Is vinyl plank really waterproof?
The plank is. Water that runs through a seam still reaches the slab, and it sits there until it dries. In a bathroom or a laundry we silicone the perimeter so water cannot get underneath.
Which wear layer should a rental house get?
A 20 mil wear layer. It takes furniture drags and dog nails between tenants, and it costs less than replacing a 12 mil floor twice. Keep two boxes on site, because a single damaged plank can be swapped out.
Does vinyl plank float, or does it get glued down?
Most jobs float, which means the planks lock to each other and nothing bonds to the slab. We glue it down in sunrooms and in houses that sit empty through the summer. Both methods need the slab flat first.
Can vinyl plank go over my existing tile?
Yes, if the tile is bonded and the grout lines are narrow. Wide or deep grout lines telegraph through the plank, so we skim them flat first. The floor gains about 1/4 inch at the doorways.
Will it fade next to a big west window?
The wear layer carries a UV coating, and the color holds better than a printed laminate. West and south glass in the Valley is still hard on any floor. Blinds and a rug cost less than a new floor.
A remodeling contractor based in Rio Grande City, working across the four Valley counties. The team is led by David Aceves, whose background is building custom homes, from the slab and the framing to the finish work.
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Let us talk07