Indian River County had 159,788 residents at the 2020 Census, and Vero Beach is the county seat. It was carved from the northern part of St. Lucie County in 1925. The Indian River Lagoon runs the length of the coast behind a barrier island, the St. Sebastian River drains the north end, and Sebastian Inlet on the Brevard County line connects the lagoon to the ocean. The county’s name is also on a famous citrus region.
The housing mix is broad. Census ACS estimates count about 71 percent of homes as single-unit and 17 percent in complexes of five units or more, with about 37 percent built since 2000. Roughly 12 percent of homes are held for seasonal use, one of the higher shares on our map.
Homes that sit empty part of the year
When one home in eight is a seasonal residence, closed-up houses and humidity become a flooring topic. Carpet and laminate suffer in a house that’s shut for months; SPC plank doesn’t absorb moisture and isn’t bothered by a higher summer thermostat setting.
A measurement can happen during your stay, the order is confirmed by email, and we install before you return. Where a building has rules, we help with the association’s approval paperwork and install the sound-rated underlayment your building requires.
The island side and the mainland side
East of the lagoon, association-run buildings with flooring and sound rules are common. On the mainland, from Vero Beach to Sebastian and the inland towns, most jobs are single-family houses on a slab with original carpet or tile.
Each calls for a different plan. See Vero Beach and Sebastian for what we see in each.
Jeanne and the cost of storms here
Hurricane Jeanne in 2004 is recorded as the costliest hurricane in the county’s history, and the National Hurricane Center logged a 106-knot gust from Vero Beach. Storm leaks are a common reason owners replace floors.
Leaks and spills don’t harm SPC plank. Floodwater is another matter: FEMA Technical Bulletin 2 doesn’t class vinyl as flood-damage-resistant, and wet rooms are dried and repaired before a new floor goes in.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · census.gov · en.wikipedia.org · censusreporter.org · censusreporter.org · censusreporter.org · nhc.noaa.gov · fema.gov