We stayed with nuetral colors for the flooring. We used small tiles in the kitchen, which I didn't like at all! I think larger tiles work much better and they are easier to put down. We used rock on the flooring in the entry way, hallways, bedrooms and bathrooms. We made a horrible mistake in the kitchen using very small tile and white grout. What were we thinking? I'd recommend gray, brown, tan grout; a shade that hides dirt. The white was beautiful when new but I have to bleach it continually to keep it looking clean. I like the rock flooring, but it is rougher in texture then we probably should have used. It accumulates dirt easier, but looks very rich. I like nuetral shades because you can easily decorate your rooms around it. Our one room with carpet is the family room and we purchased a tan carpet. All other rooms have rock flooring. They say by the time you build your third house, you figure it out. I love our home, but I would have done a few things differently. Below is where we bought our bath tub. They have great pricing. If you are counting nickels (like we were), you can save money here on a tub. What blew me away was the cost of faucets for the bathroom and kitchen. You'd think they were made of gold. Good luck with your home! Here is a link that might be useful: The Bath Tub Outlet Store

Thanks lukkiirish - I did go check out the bathroom remodeling books but I wasn't looking specifically at tile at that time so maybe I should give that another shot. I've been to a couple tile places but there are some other ones I can hit as well when I have more free time.

I use Simple Green as a all-purpose cleaner. It's non-toxic, although I couldn't find it on the linked site. You can use it full strength for some jobs and dilute it down for things like washing windows. It is fantastic at cutting grease and oil--use it full strength on oil spots on garage floors. Barkeeper's Friend is similar to Bon Ami, but a tiny bit more likely to scratch things. Bon Ami is gentler. For things that just have to be clean (as opposed to sanitized), microfiber cloths do a great job with just water. If you need to polish up chrome or stainless, they are fantastic. Use two to wash windows. One wet to clean, one dry to dry the window and keep it streak-free. No chemicals at all.

You have floundered around enough and over the span of how many threads you started. Youve found yourself here again because you fail time and again to heed advice from pros and novices alike. It s clear you are not qualified to vet and hire anyone and its likely the price you chase and your inability to listen. Now all of a sudden its a steam shower again! good grief how much will you lose to pinch a pennie with this next handyman