First-time house renovation

Craftyscholar

Those are really attractive vinyls. All looks lovely.

TomsMom

ukmaggie45 wrote: »

TM, my Mum had a weird kind of flooring in the bathroom when I was a teenager that had a rubber (or similar) backing, but a sort of felt like (?) top. It came in rolls like vinyl or carpet rather than squares. Very hard wearing. Wish I could remember what it was called. It was scrubbable if necessary, or could vacuum it too. Think it might have been made of polypropylene. I always rather hated it, as it was green and black sort of marble pattern, but warmer than vinyl to walk on and softer too. Might something like that (but with a more tasteful pattern) be suitable for your sun room?

Great photos Maggie, your vinyl looks lovely. I like top right handle too.

Still pondering flooring for the sun room. Head is telling me to continue the kitchen vinyl while it's still available to have continuity, just worried about the wearability factor after already "chipping" the kitchen stuff. Will also need a good experienced vinyl fitter - the one we used last time probably wont be available as he just comes here on holiday and it was a bit of a pain pinning him down. Also have to think of DH's feet now. Looks like the chemo has permanently damaged the nerve endings and he suffers with terrible discomfort on hard floors. I bought him some slippers with memory foam insoles which has helped but I don't suppose there's much difference comfort wise between vinyl and the more hardwearing carpet tiles.

Our local carpet shop sells mainly cheaper end stuff but will get anything as long as his suppliers can. We found all our stuff elsewhere, he sold none of it but managed to get everything we wanted and we got a good price off him too. I think I'll pop up there and see what he's got that might suit.

I've got a back-up man who has levelled floors for vinyl before (he's working next door but one at the moment) who is coming to look on Monday. Just putting this in place in case DS lets us down again. He tells us he'll do our job in X weeks time, then when that time comes we find he's pushed us back for other jobs he's taken on. Easy to do when it's your parents eh? Don't want to upset him, which it probably will do mightily if we said we can't wait any longer and will use someone else, but I think we might have to take that risk. Just want all this finished now.

Andy Fingers crossed Mrs Andy will start naturally soon. Thinking of you both and getting very excited :j.

ukmaggie45

TomsMom wrote: »

Also have to think of DH's feet now. Looks like the chemo has permanently damaged the nerve endings and he suffers with terrible discomfort on hard floors. I bought him some slippers with memory foam insoles which has helped but I don't suppose there's much difference comfort wise between vinyl and the more hardwearing carpet tiles.

Sorry to hear about TomsDad's feet. I've got a couple of pairs of sheepskin boots that I bought from these people. They are the most comfortable footwear I own, and you can get spare insoles so they can be washed. I wear them all year round, without socks in the summer. Except on very hot days (what are they? I've forgotton! ). Or what about these slipper clogs?

I know they're not cheap, but very good value - similar cost a lot more from other places. Delivery is very fast too given that it's coming from New Zealand! Note too that the prices include postage and packing, and VAT is paid too, so you don't have to worry about getting charged extra when the parcel arrives.

andrew-b

Like the vinyls maggie..all looking good...you might have to move in soon !

Sort of following your flooring debate TomsMom. Still not totally decided what to do with our bathroom floor. Was going to go for carpet tiles but wondering if i should take a bit more effort to go over with self-levelling and for vinyl instead which would be more practical. Someone on the forum fitted Burofloor carpet tiles that i'm considering as somewhat cheaper than comparable Heuga one's..but one's with a pile which i guess would also be a little more comfortable for TD's feet. The choice of carpet or carpet tiles was mainly my concerns of slipping over and hurting myself -- but then we've lived for about 3 years with concrete floor in there! Either way it's going to have to wait a few weeks. I can't put the bathroom out of action for a day especially while self-levelling dries if we go with vinyl as OH wouldn't be too happy as she's in and out of there all day at moment!

Here i'm still tinkering with my shed....need to seal between eaves and walls as i keep finding lacewings (see http://www.royensoc.co.uk/insect_info/what/lacewings.htm) hiding there. Seem they are good for pest control in the garden but i don't really want them in my shed. Also found some lacewings behind the strip lights. Going to put some more door strip on hinge side and top of door where it's a bit draughty. Eventually i'd like to insulate the walls so it's a bit more usable as a workshop throughout the year - was quite chilly out there after dark last night!

TomsMom

andrew-b wrote: »

Sort of following your flooring debate TomsMom. Still not totally decided what to do with our bathroom floor. Was going to go for carpet tiles but wondering if i should take a bit more effort to go over with self-levelling and for vinyl instead which would be more practical. Someone on the forum fitted Burofloor carpet tiles that i'm considering as somewhat cheaper than comparable Heuga one's..but one's with a pile which i guess would also be a little more comfortable for TD's feet. The choice of carpet or carpet tiles was mainly my concerns of slipping over and hurting myself -- but then we've lived for about 3 years with concrete floor in there! Either way it's going to have to wait a few weeks. I can't put the bathroom out of action for a day especially while self-levelling dries if we go with vinyl as OH wouldn't be too happy as she's in and out of there all day at moment!

I had a friend round yesterday and asked what she thought. Her main concern was that the tiles down at the moment are light in colour and replacing with the slate effect vinyl or toning carpet would be much darker. However, the walls are very light, plenty of windows and the two Velux roof lights plus a full glass door and a half glass door so plenty of light coming in. The blinds come down on a sunny afternoon to protect furnishings in the lounge but they are light reflective and light filtering and being basically cream in colour we don't loose much light. Also we'd probably put some sort of rug in the middle to be a bit warmer, comfortable underfoot when sitting in there, wont go too light for practical reasons but would not be as dark as the vinyl or carpet tiles.

Thoughts now going through my mind:

There are 3 conservatory armchairs with small feet on the legs in there plus a very heavy oak computer cupboard and quite a heavy dining chair to use at the computer (thing dining chairs dent the carpet in the dining room quite badly). We don't intend moving these items so once back in place they're there to stay, apart from moving the chairs to clean. We're now thinking that the feet on the chairs in particular will make little dents in the vinyl and maybe eventually make holes in it. With the carpet tiles the dents would still be there but it's very unlikely holes would appear.

I really feel as though there's a game of ping-pong going on in my head :rotfl: .

andrew-b

I know what you mean...i've considered so many options for the bathroom floor now! Trouble is for us because there is no dpm in the floor vinyl is likely to sweat unless it's a glued down sort rather than loose lay.

Most vinyls are pretty thin and won't take much to tear them so you have to be careful moving stuff about on them. Certainly i'd put felt pads on the dining chair legs. Carpet tiles you can get one's that will take really heavy traffic (like office chairs rolling back and forth on them)..some quite nice ones...the hotel where we got married had carpet tiles throughout...but you'd never have guessed unless you looked really closely (i didn't notice but my Dad told me they were!) .

Is carpet not an option? Sure it will get dirty quickly especially around the entrance but if you have mats inside and out and a runner those will get dirty before the carpet does..plus then you don't need to level it and can have a thick underlay underneath which will cushion it more underfoot for TD's benefit.

TomsMom

andrew-b wrote: »

I know what you mean...i've considered so many options for the bathroom floor now! Trouble is for us because there is no dpm in the floor vinyl is likely to sweat unless it's a glued down sort rather than loose lay.

Most vinyls are pretty thin and won't take much to tear them so you have to be careful moving stuff about on them. Certainly i'd put felt pads on the dining chair legs. Carpet tiles you can get one's that will take really heavy traffic (like office chairs rolling back and forth on them)..some quite nice ones...the hotel where we got married had carpet tiles throughout...but you'd never have guessed unless you looked really closely (i didn't notice but my Dad told me they were!) .

Is carpet not an option? Sure it will get dirty quickly especially around the entrance but if you have mats inside and out and a runner those will get dirty before the carpet does..plus then you don't need to level it and can have a thick underlay underneath which will cushion it more underfoot for TD's benefit.

We came to the conclusion that carpet tiles would be the way to go rather than carpet if we decided against vinyl. We have our own little dog, who is house trained, but her sister visits occasionally and unfortunately my DS has not house trained his dog so puppy pads go down and sometimes get missed. At least with carpet tiles we can keep a few spares and if necessary lift to clean them if there was an accident.

Thanks for all your thoughts on this, it is helping.

stolt

hi everyone..... ive spent today putting up some venetian blinds in the lounge and the playroom, wouldnt have been so hard ut for the metal lintal where i was drilling!!! so took longer... just took these with my blackberry. will upate the blog at some stage.

went door hunting yesterday and found a composite on but its thicker than average so it seems a bit of sturdier than the upvc doors. going for somethign simple, nearly went for black and once we saw the grey in the showroom thats the colour were going for. as we were driving home from colchester so a couple of huge hot air ballons just taking off, manage to get some pics in time before they disapeared into the sky....

ukmaggie45

Went up to the house yesterday evening when OH got in from work. Most of the doors are in, with their handles, and looking very good. :j Two still to be delivered, and one is at the joiners still for matching panel to be made. No photos yet as it was beginning to get dark, and I want to take pics with the sun shining in.

Found violets under the crab apple tree - don't remember seeing them last year! Will prob transplant them later on as want to dig up the daffodils under the crab apple and spread them out all round it - the clump is getting rather overcrowded. Here's a photo from last Friday.


Daffodils round the crab apple tree by ukmaggie45, on Flickr

Just one problem with the kitchen doorway... The vinyl layers assumed the door would be opening into the kitchen. In fact it opens into the hall. So when the door is shut we have about 3" where there should be vinyl and there isnt. I think we'll ask them to lay a bit of the plank patterned vinyl at right angles to the already laid stuff as I'm sure the join will be obvious anyway IYSWIM. I don't want the carpet to come under the kitchen door as too much potential for it to get filthy and greasy in kitchen.

Hoping to get up there this afternoon to do some more gardening. Have some tiny weeny lobelia plantlets from Aldi that are getting desperate to be potted on, plus the tuberose I ordered from Suttons arrived this morning so would like to plant them and get them sitting on a sunny windowsill. Must search out some 6" pots.

Builder has finished off the odd bits of Thermaskirt that weren't quite done - mostly the cosmetic stuff at corners and where the pipes change direction to run along under the bifold doors. Not sure when the glass balustrade will go in, fitter was going on hols for 2 weeks, but was going to order the steel work and and glass before he went. So I guess it's just possible it'll go in next week, can't wait as want to get upstairs and see it for myself and still too dizzy to manage stairs without banister.

TomsMom

Very pretty Maggie. I love daffodils. New born lambs and daffodils - spring - probably my favourite season.

Shame about the vinyl - I do wish people wouldn't "assume", we had an instance of that - why don't they just ask if they're not sure.

We had the reserve builder/self-levelling flooring man in the other day, just to have a look at the sun room floor and tell us if he would do the job, etc. (just in case DS puts us off again). Well, he could do it, no problem, we'd have to wait as he's fully booked for 2 months. We got chatting about continuing the vinyl versus carpet tiles, plus OH's problem with his feet etc., and without asking he said he would go for carpet tiles and they could be laid on top of the present ceramic tiles. I told him he'd probably just done himself out of a job but he said he'd rather be honest.

So we're now 99% certain we'll go for carpet tiles, just got to find some now that will blend in nicely with the slate effect vinyl so looking for grey/black type of thing. I asked DS if he would lay carpet tiles directly onto the present ceramic ones and he said no, he'd still do the self-levelling. It makes sense as the floor is a bit uneven and a few of the tiles are blown, so fingers crossed DS comes up trumps in April as he said. Just realised how close April is :eek: need to get looking at carpet tiles PDQ!