I got several questions about my kitchen remodel. To read more about it…
Click here to read Part I of the Distressed Cabinet Tutorial
Click here to read Part II of the Distressed Cabinet Tutorial
Click here to read Part III of the Kitchen Makeover Extras
We always knew we wanted laminate flooring in our house. While tile is beautiful, it is very cold and there is some amount of upkeep to it. Hardwood flooring wasn’t even an option with two very small kiddos and a small budget. Tim and I have refinished wood flooring before and we think it is absolutely beautiful but for the season in life we are in we chose laminate flooring for several reasons.
After reading the November 2009 issue of The Family Handyman I was totally ready to get started on our flooring issue. Yes, I get a men’s handyman magazine, no it is not my husband’s subscription, thankyouverymuch! In the article on laminate flooring they used wording like…
“High-end laminates are nearly bullet-proof…”
“It’s a good choice for high-traffic areas…”
“Choose laminate flooring if you are on a budget…”
“Choose laminate flooring if you have high-traffic areas with pets or kids…”
“Choose laminate flooring if surface moisture is an issue”
Kids, high-traffic area and leaky sippy cups = laminate flooring! Since I have had laminate flooring before I also know it is REALLY easy to clean. So we decided to take the plunge when Menards was having their flooring sale.
Our linoleum had taken a beating for sure. It was definitely the lowest grade flooring option available I am sure.
Burn holes in it…read story here…
Vacuum cleaner skid marks…
Gouges of linoleum missing from who knows what…
Tim and I have installed laminate flooring three times so we knew what we were getting into. It is a lot of work but it is fairly easy. It is kind of like building a puzzle. It is a floating floor so it is literally floating on top of the linoleum. Plus it is a tongue and groove click, so the pieces click together very easily.
This project is not for a beginner. You need to have a decent working knowledge of saws. But as far as remodeling and flooring goes it is pretty straightforward.
We chose the laminate that had the underlayment glued on the back for ease and because we liked the coloring better. The brand we got was Tarkett because it has an AC4 rating which is a better durability rating. The color we got was called Exotic Tigerwood. We chose it because of the variations of color in it. It was $1.69 sq. foot on sale.
We have ALOT of flooring, 450 square feet to be exact. We had to buy 22 boxes of flooring and 13 transition pieces. The total cost of the flooring was $896.47. It was a huge chunk of change but we believe it added value to our home and every time I look at it I am happy.
One of the areas that bothered me daily was this…
Why would there be a patch of carpet from the front door and garage door before you hit the kitchen? This carpet got so worn and dirty because it was a main thoroughfare. The minute I got the chance to rip it up I did.
Now there is a hard surface from all the doors into the kitchen and all is right in my world.
I will post about the Laminate Part 2 tomorrow which will include a brief tutorial, time breakdown, etc.
When can you plan a trip up north to lay laminate for me? I'll feed you! I, too, have that same patch of carpet from the garage to the kitchen and it drives me mad!! However, unlike you, I don't have the patience to lay the flooring myself.
I love the exotic tigerwood! It's beautiful! (Hmm, those words shouldn't go together–exotic, Tiger, wood.)
I love our laminate flooring. LOOOOVE it! With two dogs, two cats and two kids on the way, the durability just can't be beat!
That said (and I don't know if this is true for all laminate or just the kind we have), you do have to be a weensy bit careful with it – my husband is REALLY bad about spilling water in the kitchen (and then just leaving it to dry vs wiping it up!), and I recently noticed that a small section of the flooring was buckling up just a *tiny* bit around the seams right in front of our sink. So it's nearly indestructible, but not 100%. I've put a rug there now to catch all of the water to prevent it getting any worse, but it's just something to keep in mind – to wipe up liquid ASAP and not leave it there like my dingbat husband lol. 🙂
Wow… that looks awesome.. Ed and I have drooled over new flooring ideas for about…well, since we became homeowners 6 years ago. Congratulations, I know exactly what you mean about being happy every time you look at it. 🙂
Gorgeous. We are getting ready to do our 118 sq ft of kitchen counter top and I'm dying over the cost of stuff. The change makes a huge difference in your home.
I totally agree with the season of life…we have 3 kids 5 and under and a very big clumbsy shepherd. It works great just be careful of standing water would be my only thing to add in your post. Some of ours lifted because of it:(
We have a patch of carpet in a hall that is very high traffic and it is the worst, I hate it…phew, thanks for letting me get that off my chest….
We also chose laminate that looks sooo much like real hardwood, and I have loved it! Your kitchen looks so good!
I'm glad you did this and are posting about it. I'm gonna send the link to my husband! We also have very poor grade linoleum in the kitchen, bath and mud room. I thought I wanted ceramic tiles, but knew it would be way pricey. Our area would be about 450 sq. feet too, so it's nice to see what you've done, the price you paid. I'll check back for your next post!
You are right–that $800+ is a GREAT investment in your house and your family. Great choice!
I also agree that installing laminate is not a good first timers project…and I speak from experience! We installed laminate (Pergo brand with a separate vapor barrier and a separate underlayment) as our very first project. We were living in a condo at the time and installed it everywhere except the laundry room, bedrooms, and bathroom.
It was a nightmare because we had no experience with anything. We borrowed a chop saw from one friend and had to drive across town to another friend's house every time we needed a board ripped. Ohhh, the (bad!) memories!
Proper tools and some experience with home improvement projects make a world of difference. I think if we tackled the same project today, it would be MUCH easier and we wouldn't have had to rip out and lay down that teeny tiny hallway three times! LOL!
~ Sarah
The floor looks great! I agree on that odd carpet protrusion – builders are good at so many things but they often make odd design choices or very impractical ones. My dad is a "retired" home builder so I ought to know!