Flooring Choices

How is your week going? I have been up to my ears in samples and paint. There are lots of decisions to be made around here now that its tax season. A DIYers favorite time of year! We have lived with some horrible carpet the last three years. Light beige carpet and two big dogs do not mix at all! So the time has come (sound the trumpet's) that we are getting new flooring! Just saying that gives me a big cheesy smile! Its hard to believe that in just a few days I will get the pleasure of cutting into it with a utility knife and ripping it up. I have seriously dreamed of this day. Each time I vacuum it, I think "please let this be the last time."

So we have a few big things to consider. 1.) Our open floor plan. Our kitchen, dinning room and living room flow into one another so we wanted the flooring to be continuous. 2.) I love the look of wood but I do not love the price nor the fact that you take a big risk laying it in a kitchen. I've known some people (including myself- in our previous house) that had to rip out wood due to water damage. 3.) We have two long haired big dogs.

So real wood is out for these reasons: It is realistically not in our budget. I don't think it will stand up to our dogs and we don't want to risk it being ruined in the kitchen. This leads us to the next option, laminate.

We have lived with laminate before. Pros: It was easy to clean and held up to the dogs. Cons: It is not water resistant. It was cold, hard and loud. I could hear my dog walking around the house 24/7 from any room. That gets old when you are trying to sleep and you have a restless dog. This leads us to our next option, vinyl planks.

At first I thought the idea was crazy. After allot of research I found that they have improved tremendously over the years. I didn't realize how durable they are along with being water resistant. My friend installed and lived with them for a few years and said she would install them again in a heart beat. They held up to her kids and pets. They are softer and not as loud as laminate. Easy to install. Easy to clean. I really couldn't find anything wrong with them.

We are loving the two end samples on the left. The top is Dark Walnut and the one below is American Walnut. We are going to start tearing the carpet out this weekend. It will be a big job to do our whole house but we are up for the task. We plan on stretching it out over a few weekends so it doesn't get overwhelming. I am so excited that I don't even care we have to live on concrete for a while. Which finish do you like best? Do you have any thoughts on vinyl planks? Have a wonderful day!

Stay Humble
Amber