The floors and doors update

11 years ago

I'm surprised I don't have nightmares about them! probably will tonight.

the doors - how many people have to redo their stripping on one door 2-3 times? Tho 1 of those times on the backdoor was styrofoam. the door frame is metal and I didn't want to drill thru it so I did styrofoam. got so much on it the door wouldn't lock. Then I decided i'd attempt the drilling. Wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. Anyway, I finally got it done (different than normal I think) but don't see daylight thru it anymore. Got the vinyl flapper part on the bottom of the door and the threshold down. That'll have to come up so I can fix the floor under it tho.

Then I looked at the front door stripping. yikes. I've got new stripping in there held by 2 screws for now. No daylight showing thru it either.

Then I moved onto the flooring. That stuff I picked out was on sale until the 8th. So yesterday I went in and bought the last 11 boxes they had. I'd already bought 6 boxes.

I'd planned on doing the large LR/DR area but since 2 dws, a stove, a huge glass table top and a granite or marble table support all occupy space in that room I wouldn't have much of an area I could put it on. Beside anyone moving those things would probably rip it anyway.

So, I've decided to put it in the back 2 rooms, the tv room, the hallway and laundry room. And maybe the hall bath. I think the 17 boxes will cover those with some left over as spares.

The LR/DR and my bedroom I'll deal with later. Maybe wood type laminate.

One thing I didn't like that I found while reading some of the instructions for installation - it says NOT to line up top edges of the 'planks'. Bummer, that's just what I wanted to do! Oh well, those 3 rooms will have an area rug in them anyway.

I have 12 of the boxes here already 'resting' and tomorrow I go pick up the last 5. I haven't a clue when I'll be able to start putting some of it down. Going out in the heat to get it has done me in. I couldn't even move one of those boxes so ripped them open in the car and pulled out 4 planks at a time to carry in - that's 3 trips per box.

It will give me rooms with flooring to put boxes and cabinets when I can get someone to bring them over for me.

I looked at wood filler at Lowes but the can mentioned respiratory problems, breathing and ventilation. I can't be keeping the door open a lot in this heat. It might have to wait 2 months til it's cooler. Or I find something that doesn't sound as scarey to use.

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Comments (4)

TxMarti
11 years ago
Those trips would have done me in too. Wonder why it said not to line up the tops? I know you are ready to get flooring down. It makes the room so much easier to keep clean. This concrete in the kitchen is driving me nuts but I can't see flooring any time soon.
Shades_of_idaho
11 years ago
Poor Steph. I think I would collapse in that heat. We are having it bad here too and I am so NOT a heat loving person.

I am with Marti I also wonder why they say not to line up the tops.

You can usually google around and find a forum about anything if you look hard enough. Maybe search words would be. Installing________________. insert your brand of flooring. You might come across some helpful folks that have been there done that.
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chibimimi
11 years ago
Are you sure the instructions didn't say to avoid lining up the ENDS of planks? In order not to have a seam that runs across the whole room?
desertsteph
Original Author
11 years ago
marti - yeah. I'm sure it's so the seam (as chiimimi says) isn't in a straight line. They tell you the same thing for wood flooring, including laminate. Since a 'plank' is 3 tiles I can move alternating planks up 1 full tile. I just didn't catch on to the fact that I COULD do that and they'd still line up VISUALLY for me. duh and double duh!
Do you now have cement all thruout your kitchen? (tile taken up).

It will be easier to clean. I think this stuff will clean easily with the dust mop and an occasional damp mop.

shades - the heat is back up this wk. today it says up to 113. I'm not gonna make it to lowe's today for the last 5 boxes. (I'll call them). Last night was a restless one and then I kept falling back asleep this a.m. I didn't get my meds in me early enough to get me moving before it was already over 100 out there. I could have made it if I felt better - it'd only take about an hr. I just don't feel up to it today.

Also, on a trip there earlier in the wk for a few boxes I checked their tension rods and they had the larger ones in. I'm gonna test it out on one of my larger windows on the west side. If it works ok I'll pick up another one on my next trip there.

Chibimimi - thank you so much for your post. You are so right. I got right up and over to some I have laid out and pulled one up a foot (1 tile) and that'll work fine. As I posted above - a huge DUH on my part. That makes my day!

I'm so glad this forum is here to bounce things off of all of you. It really does help to have some fully working minds think these things thru.

When it gets closer to needing to decide how to 'merge' the vinyl flooring into the LR/DR flooring area I'll post a pic so you all can give ideas on the best way to do that. It's such a weird 'joining' area! Actually, I think I did post a pic of it on another thread - don't remember why I did tho.

In a few months I'll go by the flooring store where I picked up the box of cheap laminate I like and see if they still have it. I might put that down in the LR/DR/MSTR BDRM.

For today, puppy and I will 'hide out' in the house. I'm going to wash up some dishes and maybe later move a few more stacks of vinyl to a back room. Just a few tho.