02-23-2016, 02:08 PM
Time to bring this back from the dead. Let me first start by saying having a split level house sucks balls. I hate walking in and going right up the stairs. Our house had some cheap hardwood in the foyer with carpet up the stairs into the main living area. The carpet was getting so dirty from people coming in with their shoes on. This was mostly our fault for being lazy, but who wants to come in and take their shoes off when the closet is up 5 steps?
To remedy my laziness (and give the house a little more value) we decided to look for a nice laminate. Looked around and found a whole saler with a great selection and best prices by far. After looking at high-end laminates we decided to spend a little more per square foot and go with engineered hardwood. For those unfamiliar with engineered hardwood it is multiple layers (typically three to five) bonded together under extreme heat and pressure. The top is a veneer of real wood and the rest is usually a combination of plywood and/or other substrates. It is not affected by humidity as much as a solid hardwood so it's great for basements. Not really a worry for us as it is above grade, but we loved the color/distressed look and the price.
The stairs were another story. You can't do laminate on steps because it floats and is not to code. Ok no problem. Well the company we went with doesn't produce treads and risers in the matching color. Well fuck. We decided to go with untreated oak treads and risers and have our installer stain them to match the flooring. I was skeptical that it would match, but the owner of the company ensured it would be extremely close although not 100%. It turned out to be damn close to a 100% match. You wouldn't know the difference without being told.
On to the photos! I feel like Emily spent an entire commission check on pillows, lamps, and the area rug, but whatever. She is happy and I'm comfortable.
![[Image: QMex5BF.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/QMex5BF.jpg)
![[Image: WXx32f2.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/WXx32f2.jpg)
![[Image: 42iZvGg.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/42iZvGg.jpg)
Pro Tip: Don't rip out your carpet a week before the floor install. It was the only time I had access to a truck to take everything to the dump. Living on the plywood subfloor for a week was awful. Couldn't walk without slippers on.
To remedy my laziness (and give the house a little more value) we decided to look for a nice laminate. Looked around and found a whole saler with a great selection and best prices by far. After looking at high-end laminates we decided to spend a little more per square foot and go with engineered hardwood. For those unfamiliar with engineered hardwood it is multiple layers (typically three to five) bonded together under extreme heat and pressure. The top is a veneer of real wood and the rest is usually a combination of plywood and/or other substrates. It is not affected by humidity as much as a solid hardwood so it's great for basements. Not really a worry for us as it is above grade, but we loved the color/distressed look and the price.
The stairs were another story. You can't do laminate on steps because it floats and is not to code. Ok no problem. Well the company we went with doesn't produce treads and risers in the matching color. Well fuck. We decided to go with untreated oak treads and risers and have our installer stain them to match the flooring. I was skeptical that it would match, but the owner of the company ensured it would be extremely close although not 100%. It turned out to be damn close to a 100% match. You wouldn't know the difference without being told.
On to the photos! I feel like Emily spent an entire commission check on pillows, lamps, and the area rug, but whatever. She is happy and I'm comfortable.
Pro Tip: Don't rip out your carpet a week before the floor install. It was the only time I had access to a truck to take everything to the dump. Living on the plywood subfloor for a week was awful. Couldn't walk without slippers on.
2019 Accord Sport 2.0 A/T
2012 Civic Si - Sold
2012 Civic Si - Sold