Thanks to all for your responses. I wish this hadn't been a last-minute issue, but these surprises are part of the process. The decision was made by my husband and contractor (I was out of town, but was partially in the loop) and Streetshoe was the choice. Their decision was based mostly on practicalities rather than aesthetics, but so far I think they made the right choice. Yes, we could have had the Glitsa shipped, but it would have cost us a week, due to the shipping time and the difference in application. Streetshoe can be applied in two or more coats per day; Glitsa must dry a day between coats. You can walk on the Streetshoe within an hour or two of application (although we aren't!), but Glitsa takes much longer. And you have to vacate the house for several days with the Glitsa, but can get right back in with the Streetshoe. Our floor refinisher was on a very tight schedule -- things are apparently going well in the building/remodeling industry here. So, while I'd like to say the saving the environment was the real reason they chose Streetshoe (it was a consideration), in the end it was really the scheduling and being out of the house that were critical. All of them commented on the fact that the Streetshoe will not yellow like Glitsa. I didn't really consider it yellowing, more mellowing, at least on the cherry. I haven't seen the floors in good light yet (just got back home), so don't know if the Streetshoe gives the floors the same "liveliness" as the Glitsa. I wish oiled and waxed floors were a possibility, but moving all the furniture out of the majority of the rooms once a year or so is out of the question. So, end result: We have the Streetshoe and I am reasonably confident it was the right decision, given all the considerations. The cats can come home tomorrow, rather than next week -- that's important, too!

I'm more than happy with our Bosch Ascenta, the cheapy one. It's quiet and cleans well, and cost around $500. I scrape/rinse food particles off before loading, always have. Never owned a DW with a grinder. Still, the filter catches some stuff and needs to be cleaned every once in a while, which takes about a minute, some hot water and a dishbrush. It's very easy to pull out and take apart. That infamous 'fishy' smell that lingers on otherwise spotless glass and porcelain (not so much on plastic) is, from what I've experienced with the many DWs I've owned or used over the years, not limited to any brand. Instead, I've found that often the culprit is egg. Dishes used for foods like omelettes or souffles, or raw egg left in mixing bowls, even cake batter, seem to bring on that smell. Now I always make sure to add a little dishsoap to those dishes, and rinse them more thoroughly than others, and it helps.

Thank you! I will look into Prism as an option. Do you think urethane grout is worth the extra expense? I'm not sure if my tile installer is trying to upsell me, or if it really is more stain resistant. The reviews of the Custom urethane grout (Fusion Pro) aren't great. Lots of people that have problems with it.

I wouldn't worry about "water proof" if you are NOT going into a kitchen. Yes...it is possible it is overkill. If you have a POOL, a wet garden AND an outdoor hot tub that will have people walking around DRIPPING WET will you need a water proof product THROUGHOUT the space. That being said, the person who is the PICKIEST about durability needs to have that need met FIRST. I say there are many high-end laminates that have the WEAR characteristics WITHOUT the water proof side of things. Patricia likes and owns European grade laminates such as Kronotex. So long as you stick with these versions, the WEAR should be fine. The CoreTech mentioned above is a vinyl product. Not everyone is enthusiastic about vinyl. For me it is hit or miss. Because you do NOT have kitchen/bath requirements, the HIGH END European products will do just fine. And high-end means $4.50 - $6.50/sf for laminate. Just sayin'.