My concern is the layers of vinyl underneath the hardwood. Hardwood doesn't like sitting on vinyl and vinyl doesn't like sitting on hardwood. The two do NOT like each other. If you think this is a good idea (which it is considered on the technical side of things a horrible approach to this) then you might have to add another layer of subfloor. A nice, fat, thick 1/2" plywood to cover those two layers of vinyl. Now you can go ahead and lay the hardwood. Technically, my suggestion is hideous. It is atrocious. It is so "unprofessional" that I could weep. But if you insist on leaving the vinyl in place, then you need to think of a way to separate the vinyl from the hardwood sitting on top....and one very sure way is with plywood. Again, my suggestion is a travesty. Then again so is laying hardwood over two layers of vinyl. In the flooring world, we 'allow' ONE layer of resistant flooring (like vinyl) to sit underneath another floor. For example: the first layer of vinyl was considered "OK" to lay another layer of vinyl over top. All good. No one in the technical department batted an eye. If a THIRD vinyl floor was proposed (or a laminate, or linoleum, or cork, or hardwood, or tile, or even carpet) it would be a "NOOOOOOOO! STOOOOOP! DON'T DO IT!" type of answer. So I will officially say: No. Stop. Don't do it. There. It has been said. That being said, if you as the homeowner choose to forgo the installation instructions and the "Best Practices" as set out by the National Wood Flooring Association (as homeowners your word is "law" when it comes to things like this), you are welcome to go ahead and lay hardwood over two layers of vinyl. If you do it, I suggest a new layer of plywood to help things along - because you need FLAT. And most "old hardwoods with two layers of vinyl sitting on them" are anything but flat. Good luck. You would be better off remediating the asbestos/vinyl and getting down to bare hardwood. Now a new floor (with the help of a layer of plywood) can go down. Or you remove the original hardwood with the vinyl (this is easier to do than scrape off the vinyl...and easier = cheaper) and start with a new layer of subfloor and go after it like it should be done. But as homeowner your word is "law". If you tell a professional to "just do it", they will say "yes ma'am/sir" and do it. But they will not warranty their work. You will be left holding the bag - and all the pit vipers that lay inside. It's your call.

Now that you have lived in the house for two years, you will have figured out if the kitchen foot print is usable. As soon as you start renovating this kitchen, you will be tempted to change things. Little things. Things that have bothered you for 2 years but could do nothing about. Once you do that, you have a new foot print. And then saving the boxes will be irrelevant or impossible (depending on how much of a change you make). Because change is inevitable, you will want to plan this out CAREFULLY. You will need to figure out your floor plan FIRST. Then you can look into whether or not it makes sense to keep old boxes vs. starting new for a full upgrade. If a bigger change is going to happen, you should get a certified Kitchen Designer on board. S/he will save you plenty of money with her/his designs and abilities. The KD will put together a package for you, including colour palette, flooring and counter top materials. Which you will direct the KD to order for you OR you can source yourself and then have installed. At which point, the flooring is decided WELL before the kitchen is touched. As you can see, you have a few more steps to go before you worry about flooring colour. To decide now, before you have a full idea of colour/materials would be putting the cart before the horse. Floors go in last (and can be chosen last). It is an important thing to work with. As tempted as you are to get rid of the red vinyl, you will be very upset to pay for a floor TWICE (which is often the case if flooring is changed before the kitchen is renovated). Because you have vinyl that is EVEN with the hardwood (same floor height) I would look at very thin product. It will prevent a large 'lip' from occurring through the doorways. But that's a decision that can come LATER. Right now you want to figure out the kitchen's footprint.

If the wood is 30 years old, it is READY for a full sand/refinish. I can see that these may be premanufactured wide planks that are made up of smaller planks. You can look to see how thick these are by looking at the cross section: you have a LOVELY little hole in the floor (air vent) which I see in the photo. This is PERFECT to look at the cut section. Go ahead and take a measuring tape to measure the total thickness of the wood. If it is made up of multiple layers (like plywood) then simply measure the TOP layer. To achieve a full sand/refinish you need 3mm or more. I would bet my first born that a WELL TRAINED flooring professional (ahem...NOT a General Contractor...someone who ONLY works with hardwood) to come in and get a sense of what this wood is. The 'make up' of the wide plank isn't important (which is why the GC is saying you don't have enough wood). All you need is the same SPECIES, narrow plank width, cut and grade. Don't worry. A professional wood flooring person will know exactly what those 4 requirements mean. An order can be put in for more of the same. Then the new wood is installed...and then the WHOLE thing gets sanded/refinished = same colour throughout. Please believe me when I say a hardwood floor that is 30 years old NEEDS a sand/refinish. This is the PERFECT time to do this.

Sorry but the LVP/LVT or even SPC/WPC product needs REALLY FLAT! Oh...no. The wobbly subfloor = DEATH to vinyl click ANYTHING. Why? Because the click edges are VERY THIN. Any bit of height variation will cause EXTREME stress on the click edges. Any stress on those thin, brittle, finicky, nasty edges and you LOSE the floor's integrity. And you lose warranty. And....and....and. I'm in Vancouver BC, so the extra $5K for subfloor work (by pulling the old floor, etc) doesn't even phase me. Cost of labour in Canada runs (roughly) $50/hour in the building industry. The sheet plywood is STAGGERING right now. Unless you purchase DIRECT from a mill (in small town Canada, that's ENTIRELY possible) you are looking at $3/sf for plywood alone. A tile install normally runs (all-in...tile+labour+materials) $18/sf and up...with prep being the extra (which is why he's saying DOUBLE the cost). Sorry but the 'lay it right over' the old wobbly floor is NOT correct. Everyone will tell you, "You can float it over anything," but they FAIL to mention the old floor MUST BE LEVELED and with a flatness rating that is ACCEPTABLE to the flooring manufacturer. I'd be happier with a STURDY laminate (except this is in a wet area) or an engineered hardwood (watch out for the clash) over vinyl being floated over wonky. Vinyl CANNOT HANDLE the floor height variances. The edges are too fragile, too brittle and too easily damaged just by standing on them over that wonkiness. Do the work. Pay the price and get the correct floor. If not, then just throw down any old 'King of Floors $0.99/sf vinyl' and be happy if you get 10 years out of it. You will replace it by then anyway, and you can pay for the subfloor work at that time...if you need to cap your costs today....but you WILL pay for it tomorrow. It's your call.