need some flooring help please!

13 years ago

We're doing our kitchen next month on a very strict budget. We were looking at flooring around $2 sq/ft or less and our contractor was going to do labor for that as a gift. So we were looking at a light colored bamboo from Lumbar Liquidators (I know, very mixed reviews about them). However, we found we have more room in our budget then we thought (which is always good), so *maybe* we can go a little more on the flooring.

The contractor doesn't do sheet vinyl. If he does our floors we can expect the flooring to take longer (days?), if we hire it out, it'll be done in a day. While I'd love to do a true Linoleum, I know we can't afford that. I thought I'd get some pricing on sheet vinyl from Home Depot, Empire...

Last point - we are on somewhat of a timeline. I'm due with my first child (other then 11 yr old DSD) at the end of July. This work won't start until June. It'd be better but not necessary to be completed by then, or at least close. We are replacing cabinets and appliances (have them) and running new electric wires (not changing most of it), removing soffit and a closet from the adjoining room that juts into the kitchen. Counters will be either beech butcher block from Ikea or we'll use the Corian in the pic if we can afford the changes to the fabrication.

With all that, would you have him install the bamboo from questionable LL or would you have HD or similar come in with vinyl? And here's a pic of our cabs in their prior home if you'd like to comment on color/pattern choices as well ;) I'm thinking pale apple green for the walls...?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

idrive65
13 years ago
Whenever I've done sheet vinyl in the past, I've gone to a local flooring place instead of HD/Lowes. Quality of installation is pretty important and you never know who you will get with the big box stores.

Your current cabinets are pretty and look to be in great shape, you don't like them? I noticed the finished end panels right away. Are they birch or maple?
blackcats13
Original Author
13 years ago
By current cabinets do you mean the pic above? Those are the new ones ;) They are natural cherry and in great shape (except where they got dinged moving). They were being pulled out of a house in an upscale neighborhood for a gut remodel, making our cabs a tiny fraction of normal cost =D

Our current ones are ancient, grease saturated (previous owner) and gross. Thanks for the rec - I will look at local places as well. HD/Lowes are not my favorites to begin with.
Related Discussions
I need some help please - repotting
Q
Comments (3)
Maureen, you are off to a good start. Earwigs...cringe! I hate those buggers. I would leave the foliage especially if it is green and healthy. Do not get the basal plates overly wet, but do wash off soil and trim any roots that look like dry string. The plump roots are what you want. Let the plants dry off a bit and plant. I am not an expert, but giving them a fresh start just may give you new blooms. Good luck and keep us posted.
...See More
Floor Plan Review - Need some feedback please!
Q
Comments (4)
A 15x15 living room is pretty small but whether it is too small depends on what you plan to do with it. You mentioned that you are a family of three (with maybe one more someday) but I see a living room, a family room, and a game room. That's essentially THREE living areas. Plus you have a dedicated office. Then there are FIVE bedrooms. I won't be like some folks and try to tell you that you don't need all that space - perhaps you have lots of overnight company on a fairly regular basis or expect to have aging parents move in with you fairly soon. But, with only three people living in the house full time, it does make me wonder how you plan to use the front living room. The family room and game room should provide plenty of space for one or two children to play and the family to gather to watch TV, converse, play games, do chores, etc. The dedicated office means you shouldn't be needing the the living room as a computer space or home office. So I'm guessing the living room will mostly be a "show piece" that gets little or no use. And in that case, 15 x 15 is plenty big. What I see missing from the floor plan is any sort of mud-room area. I also don't really like the location of the downstairs powder room and the garage looks too small to park two full-sized vehicles. For comfort, your garage needs to be at least 4 ft longer than your longest automobile and it needs to be wide enough to give you two feet of clearance on the sides and between the two vehicles. Otherwise you're constantly brushing your clothing up against a vehicle when you try to get in/out. And, if there are any steps down into the garage, you need extra space around the steps so that you don't have to park with your bumper over the bottom step. I also don't like front-facing garages that nose out in front of the house because it tends to make the garage more prominent (noticeable) than the house. Makes it look like you built a garage with an attached house instead of a house with an attached garage. The proverbial GARAGEhouse. If your lot is small and you have no options except a front facing garage, I would at least want the architect to push the garage back so that the house is closer to the front of the lot than the garage. I'd also rethink having the master bedroom over the garage. Anyone sleeping in the bedroom over the garage is likely to hear the garage door open/close. I'd see if there wasn't some way to move the game room to the spot over the garage and put the master bedroom in a quieter location.
...See More
Need some help please with recessed kichen lights
Q
Comments (2)
With the cost of remodeling a kitchen, I would put the lights where they should be. Get a drywall guy in there and see if it's better to patch or replace. Mine was patched all over the place. It looks great. You can't tell at all. I have 6" cans over the floor areas and 4" cans over prep and sink. Here is part of it. This is before the pendants went in. I have one eyeball pointing to a blank wall where I hope to find some kind of artwork. Good Luck, Lisa
...See More
I need some serious help!!!! Please!!!
Q
Comments (33)
The OP never said they have water problems. They said they have high humidity. Quite likely they're referring to outdoor humidity. I live in south Florida so I'm familiar with high humidity. Most homes here are climate controlled all year long. Many houses visible from my desk have solid wood flooring that was installed in houses here that are largely uninsulated and were built before air conditioning became prevalent and they're largely in good shape. Some solid exotics are problematic in regards to humidity swings but engineered floors only have issues when subjected to extremely low humidity or flooding. Wood seems a feasible option in this case of this poster. Even the least expensive items I have seen are reasonably stable. The effect of low cost is generally manifested in lower grade veneer or shorter lengths. I have nothing against wood look ceramic but it will never will never give you the board lengths, color depth and variety of a product like Triangulo 1/2" x 5-1/4" engineered plank. Additionally, one needs to consider the leveling aspect of using wood look ceramics. From what I've heard and read, the subfloor has to be very level before installation of square edged wood look tiles. All that said, I've often advised people that they'd be better off with carpet, vinyl, tile or another hard surface floor, when it was obvious that their situation was problematic for wood, even though I only sell wood.
...See More
idrive65
13 years ago
Oh phew!! Because I was secretly thinking, geez, what a waste to toss those!! I missed the "in their prior home" part of your OP. :)

I like corian, but I'd probably put down some brand new formica or that Ikea butcherblock instead. I had a white corian sink and EVERYTHING stained it. Yeah it can be bleached but I don't normally keep bleach in my kitchen.
blackcats13
Original Author
13 years ago
LOL no way, we're BIG on reuse in my house ;)

Good point about corian, especially with an 11 yr old and baby on the way. And DP too ;) My only concern with the butcherblock is that it will blend too much with the cabs. I think it's the Ikea beech (it's been in the box for 8 months, I've forgotten now) like this www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60057852 And then I'll have to go back to the whole discussion of what to use on it, but that's a problem for later!
pinch_me
13 years ago
I bought sheet vinyl from the discontinued/remenant room of a carpet store and my tile layer/carpet layer/jack of all trades carpenter laid it. I think it's all in the installer. Mine is about 5 year sold now and survived the kitchen rip out in February. Still looks great. He even patched it where the penensula used to be. It's easy to clean. Not so slick that I fear for my life. And mine is a wood look so near the real thing a friend WITH the real thing bent over and rubbed her hand on it to feel the vinyl.

My bathroom is next. I had planned on heated tile until the other morning when I stepped on the sample tile. NOW I'm thinking vinyl. At least it isn't freezing cold! And I've got ideas for that, too! And I know how easy it is to take care of. AND if I want to replace it at some point, it wasn't so expensive that I can't. It won't cost a new remodel loan to buy something else. And last but not least, the color/pattern choices are endless. My guy is so good I will wait in line for however long it takes for it to be my turn. It's only a day for his labor.

I also considered/am considering cork, marmoleum, Duraceramic, and bamboo but the vinyl is at the top of the list today.
blackcats13
Original Author
13 years ago
It just occurred to me this evening that it's butcherblock, aka wood. Uh ... I can STAIN it to whatever color stain I want! Oh the pregnancy brain is a funny thing!

Vinyl is definitely at the top of the list (like you said, today) - so much easier to care for!

need some flooring help please!

Comments (6)

idrive65

blackcats13
Original Author

Related Discussions

idrive65

blackcats13
Original Author

pinch_me

blackcats13
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

need some flooring help please!

Comments (6)

idrive65

blackcats13Original Author

Related Discussions

idrive65

blackcats13Original Author

pinch_me

blackcats13Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

blackcats13
Original Author

blackcats13
Original Author

blackcats13
Original Author