A Home Improvement Thread (Sans Tim Allen)

[Pete Incaviglia]

Since I'm now a home owner (although, I don't take possession until next month) I thought a home improvement thread would be handy.

InkyWretch and I were considering the value of such thread — for people who own and rent.

Just a place to ask questions, ask advice, share tips, etc.

I'll begin. The place we bought needs new flooring. I have a little one — with more on the way hopefully — and I have some money saved up for renovations (it was all part of the plan).

So, do I get hardwood or laminate? Carpet is out — except for the stair case, second-floor hallway and master bedroom. Everything else will be some sort of easy-to-maintain, not-easy-to-stain surface.

Any advice or opinions would be welcome.

 

[mike311gd]

That's low, dude.

 

[Pete Incaviglia]

That's low, dude.

Sorry Mikey. Didn't mean to get your hopes up.

 

[mike311gd]

It's quite OK.

My parents redid their house a few years ago, Pete, and they put down hardwood floors in their bedroom and the basement, and those rooms look amazing. I'm not sure of the cost between the two -- I know the hardwood was pricey -- but the look you'll get from the 'wood should be worth the extra cash.

 

[Armchair_QB]

Go with laminate. It looks just as nice as the real thing and it's easier to install if you're doing it yourself.

I say this despite not having it in our current home. We built and since we don't have basements down here we decided to stain the concrete in the common areas of the house (living room, dining room, kitchen, etc.). I'd highly recommend that as an option to anyone who is building in a non-basement part of the country.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Mikey was hoping for Jonathan Taylor Thomas photos.

 

[mike311gd]

It's all right. That's why Jesus invented Google.

 

[Barsuk]

The floors depend on your price point and neighborhood, Pete. If your house is heavy on the upgrades, and the comparable houses in the neighborhood are, too, then you should probably go with hardwood. But if you're going to be on the lower end when it comes time to sell, then you probably should stick the laminate, or you won't get all your investment back.

 

[Dirk Legume]

If you are thinking of hardwood (and I don't recommend it, laminate looks great), be sure what kind of wood you are buying. We decided to go hardwood 3 years ago and the contractor suggested Brazilian cherry. It looked fabulous and boy were we smug about our decorating prowess. Until, we started putting the furniture back in. Turns out, it's a very soft wood. Anything marks it...anything. Not just the heavy furniture, but women walking in heels can mark this crap.

Make sure it's a good hardwood.

 

[Pete Incaviglia]

I'm leaning toward laminate right now.

For those thinking hardwood, Consumer Reports recommends Bamboo. I can give you the exact make and model number since I subscribe to it.

 

[andrews_mom]

We have both hardwood and laminate flooring. Definitely the hardwood looks more "professional". But the laminate looks pretty decent too. The laminate was fairly easy to install (for my hubby, not me!), the ends being the most difficult. If you're going to do hardwood, go for oak, considered fairly durable. I had maple once, and that was pretty soft, lots of scuff marks and dents pretty easily. Either way, VERY easy to clean! And i have a 2.5 year old! I would only suggest getting a rug during the winter time, pretty chilly on the tootsies...

Just a side not, consider porcelain tiles for a smaller room, like the kitchen. Looks great and very easy to install yourself!

 

[lisa_simpson]

Take it from someone who learned the hard way (and is still trying to get **** fixed, nearly five months later) - if you have a contractor do any work, meet his crew and get EVERYTHING IN WRITING before the work starts.

 

[Shaggy]

if you have an IKEA near your house, I recommend the laminate flooring they have. I love it, and it's very cheap.

Since you're a new homeowner, be prepared to spend money on things you never even realized. I'm in my second house and everywhere I look it's something we want to tweak.

You won't get to it all at once, or all in the first year. So don't try.

 

[Pete Incaviglia]

if you have an IKEA near your house, I recommend the laminate flooring they have. I love it, and it's very cheap.

Since you're a new homeowner, be prepared to spend money on things you never even realized. I'm in my second house and everywhere I look it's something we want to tweak.

You won't get to it all at once, or all in the first year. So don't try.

Yeah, we already have a priority list. Stripping the wallpaper and repainting is No. 1 and new floors are No. 2. We can afford both — we budgeted for that no matter what house we bought.

After that, the list consists of things we do at our own pace and live without.

 

[Shaggy]

Painting is a nice, cheap way to completely change a room for the better.

And don't worry about taking chances on bold colors. You can always paint over it.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

I just put down the faux wood floor laminate. It was a 14x24 room. Took two days. But it looks pretty good.

We considered bamboo. But it was like $5 per sq foot.

 

[slappy4428]

We considered bamboo. But it was like $5 per sq foot.

Yikes...

 

[Pete Incaviglia]

We considered bamboo. But it was like $5 per sq foot.

Yikes...

That's nothing. The top-ranked hardwood floor, according to Consumer Reports, is a bamboo and it lists for $7.50 a square foot.

 

[lisa_simpson]

if you have an IKEA near your house, I recommend the laminate flooring they have. I love it, and it's very cheap.

Since you're a new homeowner, be prepared to spend money on things you never even realized. I'm in my second house and everywhere I look it's something we want to tweak.

You won't get to it all at once, or all in the first year. So don't try.

Yeah, we already have a priority list. Stripping the wallpaper and repainting is No. 1 and new floors are No. 2. We can afford both — we budgeted for that no matter what house we bought.

After that, the list consists of things we do at our own pace and live without.

Have fun stripping the wallpaper! If it's been up for a while, that stuff can be seriously stubborn.

 

[Pete Incaviglia]

if you have an IKEA near your house, I recommend the laminate flooring they have. I love it, and it's very cheap.

Since you're a new homeowner, be prepared to spend money on things you never even realized. I'm in my second house and everywhere I look it's something we want to tweak.

You won't get to it all at once, or all in the first year. So don't try.

Yeah, we already have a priority list. Stripping the wallpaper and repainting is No. 1 and new floors are No. 2. We can afford both — we budgeted for that no matter what house we bought.

After that, the list consists of things we do at our own pace and live without.

Have fun stripping the wallpaper! If it's been up for a while, that stuff can be seriously stubborn.

I'm assuming it's original, from 1988. And I'm renting a steamer from Home Depot. Other than that, not much I can do.