Not what I wanted to write about.
Aug. 12th, 2008 02:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
averygoodun42I so want to write up a post titled "Putting the Right Foot Forward," using the irony/ significance of my life lately, as my right foot has been having mishap after mishap after mishap. But my mind is too full of kitchen matters right now to concentrate.
I got the estimate for the floor, and ZOMG! It would be almost as much as the cabinets! It's also about $3.00 more per square foot than the pre-measurement price. It seems to me that $8.00 a square foot is just Too Much for vinyl flooring ($5.00 was pushing it), and I don't care if that includes installation. And $3.00 a square foot is Way The Hell Too Much to pay for 1/4" plywood (which is the only explanation for the price difference, since the $5 supposedly included installation).
So now I'm trying to figure out what to do. We could install it ourselves, which would cut the price down considerably (though I didn't ask what the exact price was, they said "half down for materials" would be required). We could go with laminate throughout the whole level (which is by far the cheapest option, rather ironically), we could bisect the kitchen, install vinyl in the kitchen proper and use laminate everywhere else, or go to Home Despot or Lows and screw using local businesses for about 1/2 the price (and likely 1/2 the quality).
Tile is not an option, though I wish it could be (it's too hard on the feet and back).
And, of course, if I do go the laminate route, then which laminate do I use? The one I really like I don't have a sample of yet (it won't be available for another month). However, it is the same brand, style and warranty (30 yr) as another one I like of which I do possess a sample. The downside is that the sample I have got scratched (lightly - you have to look really, really hard) by running a Matchbox car over it. Not a good sign for wear and tear. Of course, being maple, and therefore light, it wouldn't show the scratches as much, right? (And the scratch didn't actually go through the finish. It's a glossy finish and the scratch is just marring the gloss a bit. And, as I said, you have to look really, really hard to see it.)
Besides the durability factor, the thing I have against the one I like is the width of the planks. It is single plank (which I really, really like) instead of multiple strips per plank, but the singleness is negated by it being 5.5" wide. It's a fad width, for the most part.
But there are other laminates (and samples) I like as well. One of them is also 5.5" wide, but it's replicating old-fashioned, 'handscraped' wood, so the width works just fine. The thing against it is that it is relatively dark. A dark medium or light dark. I love dark floors, but a) they show dust, b) they're dark, and our winters are daaaark, and c) this is a small place. Also, if I used it in the kitchen, although it would look excellent against the white cabinets, it would darken the already dark room considerably. I'd have to get light area rugs, and I dislike those for maintenance purposes.
But it would be beautiful. And charming. And it doesn't scratch lightly. We tried.
There's also a slightly narrower (I think it's 4" wide) laminate that's in-between the maple and dark one shade-wise, but it's thinner (8 or 10 mm, rather than 12 for both the others) and has crap padding. It's also more expensive. But it doesn't scratch easily.
I guess my problem is that I can't quite decide whether I want to go with the light, bright, more contemporary space, or a cozy, more old-fashioned space. It would look good either way, but which way do I want to live with, since I can't have both?
Anyway, that's pretty much what's on my mind right now. Nothing vital, obviously.
I got the estimate for the floor, and ZOMG! It would be almost as much as the cabinets! It's also about $3.00 more per square foot than the pre-measurement price. It seems to me that $8.00 a square foot is just Too Much for vinyl flooring ($5.00 was pushing it), and I don't care if that includes installation. And $3.00 a square foot is Way The Hell Too Much to pay for 1/4" plywood (which is the only explanation for the price difference, since the $5 supposedly included installation).
So now I'm trying to figure out what to do. We could install it ourselves, which would cut the price down considerably (though I didn't ask what the exact price was, they said "half down for materials" would be required). We could go with laminate throughout the whole level (which is by far the cheapest option, rather ironically), we could bisect the kitchen, install vinyl in the kitchen proper and use laminate everywhere else, or go to Home Despot or Lows and screw using local businesses for about 1/2 the price (and likely 1/2 the quality).
Tile is not an option, though I wish it could be (it's too hard on the feet and back).
And, of course, if I do go the laminate route, then which laminate do I use? The one I really like I don't have a sample of yet (it won't be available for another month). However, it is the same brand, style and warranty (30 yr) as another one I like of which I do possess a sample. The downside is that the sample I have got scratched (lightly - you have to look really, really hard) by running a Matchbox car over it. Not a good sign for wear and tear. Of course, being maple, and therefore light, it wouldn't show the scratches as much, right? (And the scratch didn't actually go through the finish. It's a glossy finish and the scratch is just marring the gloss a bit. And, as I said, you have to look really, really hard to see it.)
Besides the durability factor, the thing I have against the one I like is the width of the planks. It is single plank (which I really, really like) instead of multiple strips per plank, but the singleness is negated by it being 5.5" wide. It's a fad width, for the most part.
But there are other laminates (and samples) I like as well. One of them is also 5.5" wide, but it's replicating old-fashioned, 'handscraped' wood, so the width works just fine. The thing against it is that it is relatively dark. A dark medium or light dark. I love dark floors, but a) they show dust, b) they're dark, and our winters are daaaark, and c) this is a small place. Also, if I used it in the kitchen, although it would look excellent against the white cabinets, it would darken the already dark room considerably. I'd have to get light area rugs, and I dislike those for maintenance purposes.
But it would be beautiful. And charming. And it doesn't scratch lightly. We tried.
There's also a slightly narrower (I think it's 4" wide) laminate that's in-between the maple and dark one shade-wise, but it's thinner (8 or 10 mm, rather than 12 for both the others) and has crap padding. It's also more expensive. But it doesn't scratch easily.
I guess my problem is that I can't quite decide whether I want to go with the light, bright, more contemporary space, or a cozy, more old-fashioned space. It would look good either way, but which way do I want to live with, since I can't have both?
Anyway, that's pretty much what's on my mind right now. Nothing vital, obviously.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-08-12 08:07 pm (UTC)Believe me, I know exactly how you feel, since we have been enhancing and remodeling the house Drone has inherited for 7 years now.
The kitchen was already 4 years ago - it feels like eons.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-12 09:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-13 03:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-13 07:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-13 08:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-13 08:32 pm (UTC)Anyway, the non-white parts are not wood, just imitation; the typical wipable kitchen surfaces.
The countertops have nearly the same color as the floor. With all that grey around we needed some color - as we found the lamp we settled for repeating the orange of the lamp on the wall.
The many windows make the room seem bigger than it is.
Of course I sometimes lament the resulting lack of shelfs.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-13 08:43 pm (UTC)If I could, I would add more windows, but this is a condo, so I can't. Melamine (or laminate) are nice, easy care surfaces. I really like that lamp. It's very stylish. And the color combo is also great; enough white and gray to temper and really bring out the orange without it being overwhelming.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-12 08:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-12 09:00 pm (UTC)