just say no. i'm so sick and tired of seeing these outrageous prices for these products. you can buy marble for less! -not that i'd use it in a kitchen but it's the principle. label something as "green" and it's reason enough to mark it up over 500 times what it's worth.
i wanted cork for my kids' playroom. went to the flooring store and they quoted over $4K. NO. no way. i went to lumber liquidators, found cork i liked even better and paid $1800 for the cork and the install. shop around!

Make sure the installer is certified/trained by Marmoleum/Forbo. You want a good and guaranteed install on the den. Any reason you can't do Click in the den?

I've noticed even on this forum, where people know a lot about things they don't have, there is a common misunderstanding that linoleum is an inexpensive choice. It isn't, but it's a nice material. I hope you can get it worked out.

I like the idea of click in the den--it's somehow more homey than sheet. Maybe in the spiffy plank shape?

Thanks for the posting and clarification. My experience is secondhand--the home of a friend has it and she is not wealthy so I had assumed the product was a match with what I presumed is her budget.

I think you can do better on price - shop around do your homework as you said! It isn't cheap but it sure will last a very long time.

Click comes in so few colors, some people have no choice but to go with the other products. Good luck and let us know if you do go with it or find another product that fits your budget.

make sure you have your installer tell you how much sheet marmoleum you will actually need rather than just estimating by the sq ft of the room. we had to purchase more than I would have anticipated based on the installation method. you will want the least amount of seams. mine is going in as I type this. very excited!

I spoke to the installer's boss and to the place that sells the Marmoleum on the web and am feeling optimistic I can make it work out after all.

The materials come in at under $2K. I know the installation won't be cheap, but know it also will not be $5k! Since 230 of the 351 are the kitchen in Click in a simple pattern, I don't think the installation will ruin the deal for us. Dh emailed me this a.m. and said that we should go with it somehow since it is what we want and the difference will be worth it if we enjoy it more. I don't think he wants to spend what the first place wanted, but was referring to the progress I had made by last night in material prices.

There is a new color, purple "something" (too tired to get up and look for the exact name), that I want to use either in the den or the kitchen but it only comes in sheet. Since the kitchen is much larger than the den (almost twice as big), it is where it makes more budget sense for the Click. I want to use the same background color in both rooms (gray) and do a pattern in the kitchen and a rug look in the den (and an area between the 2, the aisle to the french door, with no pattern). The purple will be in the middle of the "rug" and part of the border (assuming we can afford the custom order border). If not, we can do a frame of simple black around the purple and get a similar effect. The Click does have a limited palette, but I can make it work for the kitchen (black and gray floor). If I absolutely have to, I can do the whole job in the one pattern in Click.

The flooring installation company today said that the guy they have in mind for our job is certified by Forbo and does a lot of Marmoleum (they said it is mostly used in commercial applications in our area). I will be speaking to him over the weekend.
It is funny, but I realize that with all the houses I see every week, I can't recall a single one with Marmoleum. It is such a good choice if you don't count the outrageous first estimate, and many houses I see have spent boatloads of money in renovating. I guess I will be a local pioneer. My retro kitchen will be ahead of its time, lol.

This is the pattern I intend to do in our kitchen, just in gray and black (more subtle, less contrast) instead:

Right colors, wrong pattern. This is my early attempt at a mockup using our colors and white instead of wood cabs. This is Forbo's picture with my crude photoshopping:
{{!gwi}}

I meant to say that the sq foot amounts I used were what the expensive flooring place told me I'd be needing and not the actual square footage of the rooms (although the sheet one is close). The shape of our rooms is odd with the kitchen being a T shape and the rest being close to a rectangle.

I really wanted it for my breezeway....until I did the math. Maybe in a few more years it will be a realistic alternative for me. Until then, the 1970 inlaid stays.

Here is a link to a 20% off coupon for Marmoleum. It's good for Marmoleum purchased between August 25, 2010 and December 31, 2010.

http://www.asthmaandallergyfriendly.com/images/stories/pdf/coupon.pdf

This will help to take some of the sting out . . . .

:)

Wow! Thank you, Thank you, Thank YOU!
That will really come in handy ;)
I am so psyched. I went to IKEA yesterday and found that there are all sorts of deals and discounts now. Our counters will actually price out to under $1k installed with their 40% special (if you buy a kitchen there for over $2,50). That is seriously below budget ;) We will also save 10% on installation, using their installers (as planned). There is also a refer a friend program if I can just find someone else who got their kitchen from my local IKEA within the past year and a half. We will each get $300 to spend in IKEA. I am not allowed to apply it to my kitchen purchase, but wanted the closet organizer for our master from there anyway.
This is so exciting! It is easy to go over budget, but to save so much in a few days is amazing!

Agreed that the price seems insane--!! We're paying $5.50/square foot for Click II in Northern California (and sheet was less!) Doing the install ourselves, but the store would have done it for us by the hour---not sure what the hourly rate was but they said it was a half-day job at most (225 sf room) so I can't imagine a scenario where it gets anywhere close to that price. I guess I can see prices varying regionally to some degree---but not by that magnitude! I'd keep shopping.

I was just looking at the Consumer Reports Kitchen issue while in the grocery store. They rated three types of linoleum. Armstrong was the best with a brand I never heard of 2nd and marmoleum third. I did not buy the magazine so I don't have all the details. Armstrong was rated above average for everything except wear.

Has anyone used Armstrong?

My information brochures arrived today....Deep breath...There's a floor there....For me.

Here is a link that might be useful: Picture #8

Armstrong is hard to find in my area. Usually, being in NY gives me access to almost everything, but not in this case. I had gotten samples before when I pretended it was for a commercial application a few years ago. I don't think they have a Click type product though. Their VCT tiles were a consideration back then for me....

Your right they don't have a click type. It does seem to be a more commericial product.

DH really wants tile but I'm searching for a softer option. After reading your post I found marmo on sale with free delivering plus the 20% rebate! (greenproducts.com) That got DH's attention. Then I go to the store and read CR. :( Not sure what to make of their results.

artemis78, you are installing sheet marmo yourself? The literature makes it seem impossible. We are only DIY so we thought click was our only option, if I can talk DH into linoleum.

I got the look of Marmoleum with vinyl composition tile (VCT) by Centiva in style Event, color Mesa. It is 16 x 16 tiles because this color didn't come in sheet at the time. I really do wish it was made of linseed oil like Marmoleum but it's not. I have been really happy with the Centiva. In almost 5 years it shows no wear.I don't remember the price but I'm sure it was 'middle of the pack.' I just checked their website and how the line with the most color options is Victory by Centiva.

Here is a link that might be useful: Centiva floors website

No, we're doing the Click (primarily for that reason). The sheet was not a good fit for us for a number of reasons---we wanted a floating floor, we probably won't have a perfectly smooth subfloor, and we wanted the DIY option. The cork underlay was an added bonus since after a lot of debating I think we've decided not to add heat to the kitchen, so that will help keep the floor nice and warm.

We looked at Armstrong too but didn't like the colors as much, and I seem to remember that there wasn't a good DIY option in their line. The store where we're ordering had all of them installed in little squares that you could walk around on, and the Marmoleum just seemed the most comfortable.

sue b, how did I miss your kitchen in the FKB? Looks great. Please don't try this...but what happens if you drop a knife point down on your floor? Durability is why DH wants porcelain tile. I've dropped a few knives and they left obvious cuts in our current vinyl floor. I'm thinking the new vinyl is much better. I'm going to check out centiva.

artemis, our situation is simliar. Not sure how level the floor will be, half of the kitchen old house and half new. Like the idea of cork backing for warmth and softness. Was thinking of under floor heating if choosing tile. I need to find a local store with marmoleum.

dianalo,

Like the pattern/colors you are choosing.
Sounds like you are finding great deals. Hope you can take advantage of that 20% off marmoleum.

Sue - you just know I immediately surfed over to Centiva's site and had some fun. I ordered some samples but have no clue how one would price or order the materials. Maybe they will send info with the samples.... Thanks for the tip.

I still have a few months before we would be installing, but will order early to make sure to get the 20% if we go with the Marm. The installer was supposed to call me over the weekend but never did. I did lose my cell phone (sigh) on Mon, but have checked my voicemails every day and there were no messages. I absolutely hate when people do not call back a lead. As a salesperson myself, it always makes me wonder what the heck they are thinking!

That's a good question about how to price and order Centiva! I had to find a local supplier who would sell it and install it. But first I saw it in a local flooring store and got a price just off my measurements to learn if it was in the ballpark. Now I remember the price for cork was the same as the Centiva. Then my GC used his 'go to' flooring installer and they made it appear and installed...I paid the GC.

Debrak, as for durability, I get the sense it is more durable than the laminate I had prior. The Very First Day the laminate was in (white stone tile look & pattern by WilsonArt) I dropped a knife and gouged/chipped it for a gray gouge on the white floor. Now I have had Centiva for 5 years and there are no gouges or scratches on it. But I don't think I have dropped a knife point down that I can remember.