If the flr is that bad vinyl tile won't work--you need a smooth surface.

Why not a cheapish laminate flr, It floats over the existing floor and it's easy to install.

We have Flor Housepet tiles in our front and back entrances, and I am entirely happy with them.

I chose that style because they had the colors I needed to work adjacent to the Oriental rug in the living room (I cut the darker colored ones into borders), they were inexpensive and plain, and they were rated for high traffic. The cats work out their claws on them, we track every kind of weather and city dirt onto them, and they look as good as new with vacuuming and the occasional spot cleaning.

So I think that's a great idea for your temporary floor. Buy enough to replace one now and then if something gruesome happens to it, and I think you'll be pleased.

(The body color is actually much warmer and more golden than it looks in my bad photography.)

Thanks for your experiences, Bronwyn! I hadn't thought of using them as you have but I think that's a great idea too.

I guess my biggest concern is-- adding more carpet to the kitchen. It just feels so *wrong*. However, as you said, they are inexpensive and you can replace them as needed (if I am clumsy again!)... and wrong or not, I need something on the floor!

I have a dumb question-- where do you view/buy Flor tiles? I thought they sold them at Target but I am not seeing them on their web site. Do I need to buy them direct from Flor?

I would do a cheap laminate floor. Easy to lay and easy to remove when you are ready to do so. No stickiness to deal with then and also easy to keep clean. If ikea still have their laminate flooring, I remember it being good quality for the price, I would use that. They even had colored ones which We used for a fun kitchen at my friends house.

Congratulations on the new job!

A FYI....

Flor Tiles are $8.00@(and up!) per 19.7 x19.7 square
I have nothing against them, but they can add up.

You can can do a laminate for $2.00sq ft.

Yes, Chijim! I am seeing that the Flor tiles are definitely going to cost more than the laminate tiles. I have a gift certificate to Home Depot so I will check out what they have to offer. Lyf.. thanks for the Ikea recommendation .. the nearest one is over an hour away but I could bundle it with a trip to trader joe's too!

Knowing this is a temporary solution, keeping it cheap makes the most sense, I think. Even if the foot print doesnt change much-- the cabs and countertop will change and I just don't see the flooring making it through the remodel.

The cheapest idea would be to paint the floor in a tone that works with your kitchen and then just throw a rug over some of the area and you're good to go until the redo. I used a broom handle on a roller and did two coats and one of poly in my lake house before the redo. It lasted five years and would have more but we put in hardwood.

No help but I like your kitchen! It looks so homey and welcoming.

Yaya.. that was my original plan but when I lifted some of the carpet, the layer of old nasty glue was spread on thick and solidly. It will be a huge chore to scrape it and sand it all down and very messy. It's just not a task I was prepared to take on as I am preparing to move. I suppose I could pay someone to do it.

Floating vinyl plank! You don't need a perfect subfloor it sticks to the next planks it cuts by scoring and snapping no extra tools needed. I installed 1500 sq ft in 4 days and it looks professional. It's waterproof and looks better than cheap laminate!

Hmm.. I know I've heard the vinyl planks are easy to install but the adjoining room has hardwood floors. I am not sure about how they'd look next to each other.

I am about to check out some blogs and photos of the suggested options. The planks sound great.. if I can work around the transition issues.

After seeing pics of tinan's wonderful vinyl plank floors, I considered that solution for a playroom/all purpose room just off my kitchen. Even had my color picked out when I found that Lowe's no longer carries that brand--at least none of the Lowe's in my area carry it. I was told that I could find a few boxes in FL and a few boxes in HI, but I'd have to pay shipping. Home Depot had a similar product for more that twice the cost, ap. $2.20/sf.

I decided to try something different, and cheap, at a cost of about .60/sf, after reading this article in a blog. I used 4x8 sheets of 1/4" hardwood plywood (ap. $15.00 each, less that .50/sf.) I used construction adhesive and ring-shank nails, because I wanted mine to be m/l permanent, but you could use finish nails that would be easy to pry up later. I also scored the plywood sheets to resemble 8" planks, but if your floor is temporary, that's a lot of work you could skip.

The wood grain on the plywood was very uniform, but a reddish color that I didn't like, so I opted to paint, rather than stain and seal. If ever I decide to install hardwood or other flooring, the plywood will be left as underlayment. I uploaded some pics in a thread in the Smaller Homes forum, if you'd like to read about my adventure.

Good luck with your kitchen remodel!

*Edited to correct error.

This post was edited by mama_goose on Sat, Feb 23, 13 at 14:51

Lots of good ideas - if you do decide to use a small number of Flor tiles as a rug in part of it, look on line and ask for a catalog. They'll also send you samples of things you're considering.

Oh, I'd have to do the whole kitchen, Bronwyn.. but I do like the idea to use them as a throw rug elsewhere in the house. I was surprised by all the styles!

Thank you all for your budget friendly suggestions! I was very surprised by all the very affordable options. It eases the pain of the bile yellow stain in the middle of the floor!! LOL

I am going to try to find a knowledgeable salesperson at HD and figure out what my best solution will be-- and if it has to be a short-term solution or if I can put something in now that will last through the reno. The more I look at the footprint of the room, the more I realize that while I'll change the layout, the actual footprint will only change on one wall.

Thank you Anele for your sweet compliment! The kitchen needs sooo much work but I am glad you see some charm there. The oven is but 24" so that must be updated.. and the countertops must be replaced, and cabinets either refaced or more likely replaced.

Lyf, thanks for the congrats! How are you doing? Have you found a new job?

You could use some inexpensive plywood sheets cut into large tiles and screwed down, top it with a coat of poly and be done with it. As you can see, it can be a very interesting and cool look.

lukkiirish, I definitely think that's a very interesting look. Love the movement of the wood grain.. but wouldn't that look odd next to the regular old hardwood floors in the adjoining rooms?

I guess if it's a temporary gig, it shouldn't matter-- and I could still paint it as mamagoose painted hers-- and thank you for sharing your playroom, mama-- i had missed your post earlier but did look at the photos just now. Great job!! What a fun spacel!

I'll have to figure it out in the next few weeks. I just can't believe I spilled paint lol.. and of all colors.. Wasabi!! I really don't like being rushed to come to figure out a plan for the floor but I am thrilled to be getting the old stuff out. I hated everything about the carpet and it pained me to keep it until the remodel.

Thanks again all!

You can get tile-look vinyl flooring, and it's not as common in floating but you can find it. But unless the subfloor is terrible, you can probably use peel and stick. Use a flooring scraper on a handle to scrape up the carpet glue - make sure it's a small, sharp one.

Tile look would "go" with your hardwood adjacent better, perhaps. I still think vinyl tile/plank will give you the best looking, fastest, and most suitable floor and with no other cost requirement for underlayment, tools or adhesive etc.

For example here is one with reviews saying it is easy to install even over imperfect subfloor:

Armstrong 12" x 36" Exquisite Smoky Quartz Paver Floating Vinyl Tile 36 sq ft per box makes it $2.30 per sq ft

Can you just cut out the damaged area in some sort of motif and inset another piece of carpet? Kind of like patching a quilt or pair of pants. Cottage style :)

Or just throw a cute rug over it!

This post was edited by snookums2 on Sun, Feb 24, 13 at 0:56

Snookums.. here's the icky reality: the rug is at least 25 years old. The pattern is very dated but I was willing to live with that until I undertook the remodel.. but when I was on my knees cleaning up the paint, I saw up close the condition of the carpet. It's gross.. and while I didnt stick my nose up to it, I am certain it must smell too. My grandparents fried lots and in their later years, things weren't cleaned as they should be (eve though my sister and I paid for a house cleaner for the last 5 or 6 years they lived there, I can't tell you how much dirt and grime I've cleaned-- especially in the kitchen) I do appreciate your suggestions but I am choosing to look at my accident as a happy opportunity to freshen up the space.

Tinan, I like the smokey quartz you shared-- but more so, I like your reports of how easy it is to install. That's right up my alley-- so is the price! I also like that if I choose well, I should be able to use the vinyl planks post-remodel too (if I keep some extras to redo perimeter). That's another big plus.

I do still love the idea of cork-- and I woke up this morning thinking about the plywood blocks lukki shared. There's something about that raw industrial look that I really like. While it would be wood next to wood too-- plywood does have that orange tone that my 50 yo oak hardwood has. It could be interesting.

I don't know what I'll use for countertops-- but I am certain I won't use granite. It's a small modest kitchen and even post remodel, it won't be a grand kitchen. My vision is a simple, sleek kitchen with (hopefully) and awesome range. If I put big money anywhere, it will be on the range. I am currently leaning towards stainless steel countertops -- with wood and concrete also in the running. I share this because it shouldn't be hard to choose a flooring that *could* carry on through the remodel if I decide that's what I want to do.

I so appreciate all your ideas. Removing the carpet in the rest of the house did SO much to improve the feel of the house, I am really looking forward to the same in the kitchen. Yeah, I'll still have the tired old formica and dated cupboards but a fresh floor will be lovely.. even if it is just plywood!

Have you been to the surplus place on the Pike, next to TJMaxx? They seem to have multiple flooring options, not sure what would best work for you. But their prices seem to be pretty good.

Do you know where I mean? (Wolf's Furniture is there too)

Oh yes, I do know where you mean. I havent been there but that's a great idea. I'll check them out (and get some thai food!).

I havent seen anything interesting on CL but I thought I'd check out the reStore in Lancaster. Ollie's makes me crazy but I should check them out too, I guess.

I like the idea of peel and stick tiles, but that plywood floor is very cool. More work, though.

I would also take very good measurements and allow extra for waste, and check out Restore, salvage stores, the clearance rack at all of the flooring stores and big box places.Maybe even check Craig's List Freecycle, and ebay for anyone selling leftover flooring.

Have you thought about removing the stain? It can be done. Attached is the method directions.

Here is a link that might be useful: remove dried paint from rug

You can also paint the rug. Here's the tute to do it. This is the solution I would do rather than create a new project only to rip it out again.

Here is a link that might be useful: paint a rug

I don't know how it would look against the hardwood but if you didn't like the look you could easily paint it. You also could just lay whole or half sheets depending on the size of the room and what you prefer. The pro's to this would be that you could use it as your foundation when you do lay your final choice of flooring and if you level the floor now (if it even needs it) it's something you won't have to bother doing later.

It's also inexpensive and very simple to do.

It's obvious that you hated that carpet a lot, so much so the idea of living with it through the year and into the next was intolerable. Under the circumstances maybe spilling that Wasabi paint was a blessing in disguise. :c)

This post was edited by lukkiirish on Sun, Feb 24, 13 at 11:06

The absolute cheapest option would be to use sheet vinyl. You can usually find 59 cent stuff from a discount builder's supply. If you move up the cost a bit to go to one of the fiberglass reinforced ones that can loose lay without being glued, then that would be the easiest installation as well. It can lay down over what's there, and you can just screw a couple of transition moldings at the edge to keep it in place rather than perimeter glue it.

Or, if you like the industrial plywood look, OSB is even cheaper. Several coats of poly on top of it will make it easy to keep clean. You can even mop it then. It's already darn moisture resistant as it's used as exterior sheathing for houses and sits out in the weather for months sometimes before being covered over with siding. I have a friend who did it as a temp wall covering for an old warehouse building that they were renovating. She did 5-6 colors of wood stain on it, then poly coated it and installed it with screws. It was industrial mod and suited the warehouse vibe.

OK, I read through this but must have missed something; you are going to redo the kitchen and floor before you move, but want something temporary till then, is that right?
If so would not spend an unnecessary cent: what floor are you planning to eventually install? Some new floors will require an underlayment. I would have that installed if thats the case, and live with that until the redo. Most regular,vinyl tile and sheet goods will require a new underlayment. Otherwise, is there a cheap outdoor rug you can throw down that you could use outdoors after you move?

Thank you, funkyart. I can attest to the 'wearability' and ease of care of OSB. We lived with the OSB subfloor for almost 5 years before putting down the plywood. Nothing shows, and even where we had a slight leak under a set of French doors, the OSB didn't seem to be affected. If you can stencil, you can have some real fun with a temporary floor!

Mamagoose.. there is a part of me that likes the idea of doing something creative on the floor. I could stencil or do something freehand.. but as I start to get carried away with ideas, I remember HOW much work I have to do to this house to make it a comfortable home and I back down lol.

I am going to take a few days and chew on the ideas.. and look at what kind of deals are available locally. It's a small room and is connected to a dining area that I intend to take in a comfy coffee house/breakfast room direction with a sofa/loveseat table and chairs. I could definitely see a painted floor working -- or cork-- or vinyl planks LOL.

So many options.. so few decisions made!

Ollie's makes me itchy...

Sorry, I missed a bunch of posts here. This "temporary" flooring will be used for the next 1.5 yr or so until I undertake the kitchen remodel. There will be NO salvaging the rug. It's disgusting and while I didnt intentionally spill the paint-- lukki is right that it is a happy accident!

I also nix sheet vinyl. I hate it.. would rather do anything else but.

My long term vision for the kitchen is only partially worked through so it's hard to say what I envision for the long term. IF I can bring in flooring that will last through a reno, then I'll be more likely to take the time to choose carefully. As I've said a few times, I love the look and features of cork. However, I think I could also be happy with some other options.

I am definitely intrigued by the poly plywood suggestion-- and had already hoped to paint the subfloor (until I discovered that it will require a great deal of work). I could move forward with that as soon as the painters are through.

I don't mind spending some money on the flooring-- it's worth it to be rid of the carpet. What I don't have much to spare is time... so all of the quick and easy options are high on the list.

Bee.. that's funny! I said that very same thing to my bf (who thought Ollie's was a hoot.)

Thank you all-- love the range of ideas and suggestions! I just need to spend some time mulling them over now.

Yes if you buy some extra of whatever vinyl tile, you can easily re-do the perimeter later if you change cabinets etc. I bought 2 extra boxes of the vinyl plank and when I had a new dishwasher installed with a different footprint, I just used a hairdryer to facilitate removing the existing plank, cut a new one to the new size, and pressed it in.

I think it's the ideal flooring for kitchens and baths - softer and warmer underfoot than tile, waterproof and durable - and much much easier to install!

I am hoping by your comment about being busy means you got one of the jobs you were interviewing for. My first thought was to paint it temporarily and if it has big glue you could sponge paint or rag roll to hide the bumps depending on how bad they really are. Good luck! I hope you post pics of your finished temporary update.

The carpet is going to have to come up at some point even if it's only to do a temporary floor for the next 18 months. Have you tried lifting the carpet from multiple points? Perhaps it's not glued down as tightly everywhere and you can get part of it out.

I know you don't want to make more work for yourself, but I'd invest in a heat gun, bite the bullet and get 'er done. It's likely you'll have other projects in an old house where a heat gun will be handy, like stripping paint, perhaps.

Pull back a corner of the carpet with a vise grip pliers and use a heat gun to soften the glue. Keep pulling back on the carpet, heating the next area, pulling back more...... and so on. Once you get the carpet out, the heat gun and a metal paint scraper will get the glue off. Then you can paint the subfloor, put down cheapo peal & stick or whatever. I'm itching for another project house, can you tell??!!!

CLBlakely, I did get a job-- I start on Monday. It's sweet that you remembered.. and thank you for asking. So, yes, I'll be busy with that and also all the other things to prep to move in. I finally feel ok about spending a little money but now I don't have the time that I once did. Never fails-- I rarely have both money and time at the same time. :)

DLM, yes, I can pull the carpet up with a lot of tugging and we'd talked about getting/renting a heat gun as well. From what I understand, many of the options I am looking at won't require me to clean the glue mess off the subfloor though. I expect to go talk to the flooring guys this weekend or next so I should know more soon.

Just confirmed that the painters will be in first thing tomorrow. Kitchen floor is next on the project list!