New Floor Reveal!

Hey gang! I’m wrapping up the saga of my new flooring today, can I get a woo-hoo?

Previously, on The Story of My New Floors, I left you with a cliffhanger.  Was tearing out tile and ripping up carpet going to be the death of me?

Kinda sorta yeah. It was the worst. And for a long time my house looked like this:

But now …

It looks like this! Hooray and yay!

Everything is installed and put back together and we are loving it.  I’ll share a few more details at the end of the post, but for now, pictures!

The kitchen floor used to consist of this uninspiring 12×12 gray tile. It really seemed like the type of flooring you’d find in the waiting room at Big-O Tire or like, the bathrooms at Jack-in-the-Box.

But now …

Oh yeah. That’s an improvement.

I hated this area where the carpet from the hallway met the kitchen.  It was a one-way ticket to Grossville on the Grunge Express.

Now it’s just one solid expanse of floor! It makes the house feel so much bigger now that the flooring extends all the way down the hall.

This hallway is like the main artery of the house. It goes from the front door to the kitchen with the living room and laundry room on one side, and the office and dining room on the other, so it’s nonstop foot-traffic through here all day everyday.  And sometimes scooter traffic. Carpet just can’t handle that.

But let me be really real with  you. I’m about to hit you with some truth. There is something I can’t stand about these floors. Can you see it?

THIS TRANSITION PIECE. It seems like a little thing, but I can’t get over it. The type of flooring we used is considered a ‘floating floor’ and basically as far as I understand it, the amount of area we wanted to cover was greater than the flooring specifications allowed, so a transition piece was necessary to combat any shifting and spreading of the planks. It’s a little strip that matches the flooring perfectly, but it’s slightly raised, and to me is glaringly obvious. Much more obvious than the picture shows.

However, I learned from a flooring expert that there are ways of possibly getting around it. Of course I learned this now that everything is said and done.  But I have some ideas floating around of ways I can potentially change this so it doesn’t make me so cranky. And crazy. Crankzy. It’s a thing.

BUT! The other 99% of my floor I truly am happy and in love with.  And it’s definitely a step up from what we had before.

Here are some of the frequently asked questions I’ve received about my floor:

What is the name of your flooring?  Delaware Bay Driftwood by Lumber Liquidators.

What kind of flooring is it? 10mm laminate with pre-attached pad

Laminate? Oh no! Haven’t you heard the news??  Yes, I’m aware of the big laminate flooring controversy raging right now. I talked about it in my last post. Going into this, I had no idea about any of the allegations and claims against Lumber Liquidators.  The news broke about two days after my floors were installed. It was kind of a nightmare. Fortunately, my particular flooring was not affected. My advice is to just to inform yourself as much as possible and make the best decision you can for you and your family! I do believe that laminate flooring is safe, and I know there are tons of regulations and tests in place that are supposed to ensure that. You are also just plain better off choosing products that are made in the USA vs. China.

Whew. Ok. I feel better. So, is it hard to keep clean? What about footprints? I think it really depends on your finish, not so much on laminate vs. hardwood.  My parents used to have a super glossy hardwood floor, and you could see every single speck and smudge.  I specifically chose a very matte finish for this reason.  So far, so good! I clean it with just water, using an ever-so-slightly damp mop.

I heard that laminate makes a ‘hollow’ sound when you walk on it, is that true?  In some cases, yes. However, my flooring came with a pre-attached underlayment, and also features a thicker, sound-reducing core, so I haven’t noticed a hollow sound at all.  There are also many different types of pads you can lay underneath to help cancel out sounds.

Is laminate extra slippery? Again, I think that just depends on your finish. It’s no more slippery than my parent’s hardwood floor.

Is it safe to put laminate in the kitchen? What if it gets wet? Laminate has made some big strides in the past, and is more durable and water-resistant than ever. My particular brand came recommended for moist, high-traffic areas like the kitchen and even the bathroom.

Let me know if you have any other questions, and I’m happy to share my answers!

Disclosure: Lumber Liquidators provided me with product for this post, all words and opinions are 100% my own.