For those of you considering LVP, I can’t stress enough how important the installation process needs to be. IMO the flooring is great—durable, beautiful, comfortable to walk on, etc. We are having issues because the contractor we used was incompetent and our floors are now buckling. Thankfully it’s can be fixed without completely replacing, it’s just the inconvenience and extra $$ we’re paying because I don’t trust him to fix it. Make sure you’re installer know what he’s doing.

The most eco-conscience option for wood is solid. The adhesives in an engineered hardwood = the unhealthy part. The more layers (which means better stability) = more glue. If ecological and economical is the goal then work with solid. I know. Solid hardwood in Coastal areas can be tricky. So long as you work with a narrow plank (2.25" - 3" width) in a rift and quarter sawn product = best of everything. The humidity control is going to be your SINGLE BIGGEST requirement you need to keep 'wood' happy. It doesn't matter if you have solid wood or engineered wood, you MUST HAVE humidity control. Before you make a choice, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you have the builder's HVAC set up looked at. Ask the big questions. Does the product INCLUDE whole-home dehumidifier (or humidifier...depending on your climate)? Does the unit have the POWER to deal with the size of your home (yah...that one SOUNDS silly but it is SUPER important)? Make sure you have an independent assessment of your HVAC from a professional NOT associated with your builder. If you can maintain PROPER humidity control (not just A/C) you can have solid hardwood. The narrow plank hardwoods are relatively low cost and are more 'eco' than anything else on the market. 'Cause all it contains is 'wood'.

I don't like the idea of LVP because of the environmental impact. I have been hoping that with technology there might be a super water resistant coating for hardwood floors. I have looked at Vermont Natural Coatings Super Whey 3500 which is used in commercial buildings, hotels, & restaurants. Vermont Natural Coating Whey water-based poly coating has been used on many sports/ basketball floors which do get lots of wear but not much water/ liquid spills that sit for at least 8 hours. I would never put wood in a bathroom. I have a semi-open concept home. The kitchen is open to the family/ great room so matching flooring makes the room look bigger and more elegant. The entryway flows into the back great room area so I prefer the main floor being the same flooring. I have seen how the water-based poly coatings on solid hardwood wears quite terribly over the years especially in front of the sinks, stoves, and refrigerators. Every design show makes the main floor all wood now unless it's in Florida where they use tile or LVP. The exception is the mudroom/ primary entrance from the garage being tile IF the main floor is hardwood/ engineered wood flooring. I have been looking at the new waterproof engineered flooring but many reviews show many brands have poor scratch resistance. See: https://www.flooringstores.com/blog/waterproof-hardwood-flooring/

Hi everyone, It’s been a couple months since I posted because I had to pause everything to prepare for my son‘s grad party. I think we finally arrived at something that ended up being a combination of input from you all and that my husband and I could agree on. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to get to the fireplace stone installation, but that is the only thing remaining. Thought I would share a couple pictures