Getting flooring estimate now. He's doing the math. Eeep.

Deep breaths, o_a, deeeep breaths.

Empire flooring, nationwide company, HUGE price difference. 3-4x more. Was not expecting that. Looks like I'm heading back to store around corner.

Empire flooring, nationwide company, HUGE price difference. 3-4x more. Was not expecting that. Looks like I'm heading back to store around corner.

Whoa. That surprises me too. I got a great estimate from a local store on installation, and they said for $25/per room they'll move the furniture! That was honestly the main thing stopping me from getting badly-needed new flooring - having to move my beloved HEAVY antique furniture!

I found a type of flooring I didn't know existed, and only one store had it: vinyl plank. It's, well, vinyl, made to look like wood or tile or stone and textured so it's hard to tell it's not, but instead of going down in sheets like those rolls of vinyl floors, it's planks that attach to each other, not the floor - so if one gets damaged, you can just remove and replace it. Check it out if you can find it! Price is better than laminate and it'll stand up to water. I'm putting it in my kitchen and one bathroom, and probably in my office too.

end Stepford Wife

Did you tell him you were uncomfortable? While he's pretty clearly not your dream man, what you've said so far is pretty average goofing off, but enh--there's no need for you to be attracted to pretty average.

I did. I moved as far as I could from the fireworks, declined every entreaty to participate, and said repeatedly that I preferred my fireworks from a safe distance, that they could fall off of the porch railing, that they shouldn't be set off on wood, etc. I could have (and wish I had) just said that it made me uncomfortable and that I needed to leave if they were going to continue. However, the urge to be polite is still ridiculously ingrained (engrained? both look wrong) in me. Lifelong battle, that.

And pretty average or whatever - someone who's 36, has a kid old enough to drive, makes a living with his hands, and lets off explosives out of those hands? That just ain't my kind of stupid.

omnis - yep. I'm guessing it's glossy or semi-gloss? You just need to take off the shiny so the paint will adhere. Otherwise it'll peel. You can probably rent a power sander from Home Depot or the like. To be safe, you should check it for lead paint, but you won't like what has to happen if there is lead paint.

Also, I'm going to vote against vinyl. Carpenter's bias, can't help it. Also, it will probably offgas (but so can laminate depending on the adhesives in the product). Whatever flooring you're going to use, make sure you stick your face right up close and take a deep whiff.

Also, I'm going to vote against vinyl. Carpenter's bias, can't help it.

I grok this! I love wood. But I don't want to put wood floors -- or even worse, laminate -- in rooms where liquid is likely to end up on the floor a lot. That includes my office, because that's where I keep the litter boxes. Also, I am loathe to put wood floors in a little townhouse that may someday end up as a rental again.

Also, it will probably offgas (but so can laminate depending on the adhesives in the product). Whatever flooring you're going to use, make sure you stick your face right up close and take a deep whiff.

That is a good point. I hadn't thought about offgassing, and I should have, being as I'm allergic to formaldehyde. I will check on this, thanks!

I suppose bamboo counts as wood for this purpose.

I haven't looked into bamboo floors, actually.

Linoleum. Real linoleum. (or marbleuleum or whatever the kids are calling it nowadays). No offgassing - done right it is made from non-toxic material chalk and stuff. And it can be made really gorgeous. titles or one sheet as you prefer. I'd vote one sheet (or at least as few sheets ad possible) - not having grout is one of the advantages of linoleum. And they can groove lines in it so it looks like tile, like separate sheets. And they can make really gorgeous patterns these days.