We had our whole house re floored in LVP In June 2021. Within a few months a portion of the kitchen started bubbling up and splitting at the seems. The flooring guy originally came and said that he believed it was sun damage coming from our glass sliding door. We ended up replacing the door with uv protection glass and the flooring guy replaced the whole kitchen floor with a moisture barrier paper underneath. During the demo they said there was possible moisture on the floor. We had a plumber out and he determined we did not have a leak. Just a few months later it started to happen again in a different area of the kitchen. When they installed the lvp originally they went right over tile, so this time he took up the tile as well so we could see what was happening. There was no obvious water or leak. We then had all our pipes looked at. Our drain pipes scooped. Inside and outside, pool, etc. Spent a ton of $ on tests. There was no leak to be found. We think we must have a foundation slab that has a high moisture content or the soil below has a lot of moisture? That’s all we could come up with. This time for the 3rd installation they put down a moisture barrier epoxy, a wood plank sub floor, and glued the lvp down to that. It made it a year after that, but we have the same problem happening again. So they have replaced the flooring in the kitchen 3 times in less than 3 years and it needs to be replaced again now. We had the manufacturer out and they of course blamed the installation. It is mind boggling. We have had so many plumbers, and flooring companies out and no one has ever agreed on what the problem is. So, I have to replace the kitchen floors again and this time need to do something other than the LVP that matches the rest of the house. I have heard about epoxy/ painted concrete flooring and thought that might flow better than tile. Do you have a knowledge as to if it would hold up to moisture fumes as that is our best guess as to the moisture problem we have? Tile is the other option and that is what was originally in the house and there didn’t seem to be any issues with tile. any ideas?

We just had soapstone counters installed last week and love them! We were not comfortable with local stone yards lack of inventory and information on soapstone though - each had 1 slab that could be scratched with fingernails. We ordered a sample pack through M. Teixeira in NJ and were very impressed with the variety and durability of some options. We selected Stormy Black - it is hard with dramatic veining. Fortunately we are only 90 minutes away from their location. They did a phenomenal job fabricating too. Oiled they are a gorgeous charcoal color that plays well with the light grey shaker cabinets. It is a big decision! Good luck.

The hazing and stains you mentioned were caused by applying sealant to a granite that should not be sealed. San Gabriel is a very dense, non-absorptive granite. Different granites have different levels of density. For example, on the other end of the spectrum is Imperial White granite, notorious for staining, it’s a granite almost as absorptive as marble, and which needs sealing 4 times a year. Conversely, the very dense granites like San Gabriel should not be sealed because the sealant won’t absorb, but just sit on top showing as haze and streaks. As the granite gets used, gets wiped, gets dishes and pots dragged on it and the like, the haze gets more and more apparent. You mentioned not sealing the perimeter. That’s good. If you’re saying the perimeter was also sealed initially, there could be a number of reasons why the perimeter doesn’t show the haze that the island does - the island is in a more prominent position with different lighting, the island gets more objects set on it, which caused the hazed surface to streak, the island may have had more quantity of sealant applied, or perhaps the perimeter wasn’t sealed in the first place. As to the pitting, different slabs of granite will look different, whether San Gabriel or another type of granite. For example, granites with more colors may have one color dominate in one slab and a different color dominate in another slab of the same granite. It’s a product of Mother Nature and will vary, and that’s why people think it’s beautiful. So too the amount of mica and pitting will vary. Look closely at the slab that’s available. If that one slab has a lot of pitting, wait for them to order another. You’ve been waiting this long already, right? As to matching, San Gabriel is fairly uniform. But I’d not hold out for the new slab to match your existing counters exactly. It’s a product of Mother Nature, and your expectations for it to match perfectly your existing stone, quarried at another time, are unrealistic.

Re you last comment, is you trim a different color then the bookcases? I’m on my phone so can’t see the photo very well. I’d repaint the bookcases and fp surround white. I think white goes better with grays and black and creams go better with browns and muted earthy tones. I also like the dark photoshopped ones above. If you keep the cream I think it will look more intentional and cohesive if you repeat that cream color in the room. Is it anywhere else? It doesn’t look like it from this photo. Looks like your rug has an off-white. I think it would be more challenging to repeat the cream and to make it look intentional and good. Again, my first choice I think would be to paint light. I would choose BM Simply White for the bookcases (it’s an off-white.). If you wanted a true white look at BM Chantilly Lace. I think a white also makes sense over the cream because of your rug colors. That said you will see the pink of the tile more going with white. I’d either repeat it or prime and paint right over it. (I’d go with painting it the same as the surround.) My second choice would be the dark color for thr bookcases and surround. I think that looks pretty sharp. Whatever you go with, even if you embrace the cream, once you add books and other items to the shelves that will make a big difference. The eye will be less focused on the cases I think. Please post an update with what you decide. :)