January 28, 2012

7 Floor It!

Updating the linoleum flooring is something we knew we needed to do throughout the first floor.  I think you can understand why.


We are putting it off for a while until we decide on a cabinet layout and re-use for the Kitchen and Dinette area.  Melissa is thinking of a kid's craft area in the Dinette since we don't use it for anything other than mail, diaper bags and backpacks all which seem to pile up on the table.  Ever notice how she doesn't show the Dinette in any of her pictures?  Well maybe this is the reason!


This didn't stop us from updating the floor in our 1/2 bath though.  Actually we never had a choice not replace it since when we tore out the vanity cabinet there was no flooring under it.  We stopped at Grossman's Bargain Outlet, looking for a bargain of course, and looked at some travertine tile among other things, but weren't about to splurge and spend a couple hundred dollars on tile alone.  Even though it is a small room where expensive materials would be more economical we were, and still are, on a tight budget (I just turned off the Kitchen light to save a penny or two).

We rounded the corner of what seemed to be a never ending selection of flooring material and right under our eyes was the perfect thing.  EC Lock!  The name sounded a little cheapy and lacked a description of what was in the package and the packaging itself wasn't great, but why not try it?  If you didn't know, EC Lock is a resilient vinyl plank with adhesive edges or 'grip strips' as they call it to put planks together.




The installation was really easy, I just had to be sure not to repeat a pattern very often in the grain of the plank. The room didn't allow me to install the planks in 3 staggered rows, so I had to use only 2 staggered rows.  I think you'll know what I mean after looking at the picture.  It was well worth the price of $87 and we still have 1/2 a box left!

                                                       

Now that the flooring was chosen, what were we to use for baseboard?  When the vinyl baseboard was removed we were left with a bunch of glue on the drywall.  Try removing the glue and you're left with ripped drywall paper.  Not good, especially since typical baseboard wouldn't cover the whole thing.  




I didn't expect to patch all the rough spots and have it look good so I bought 5-1/2" tall baseboard.  It covered the entire mess of glue and ripped paper and adds quite a bit of character to the bath with its larger profile.  Wood instead of MDF is best for an area that can get wet - the wood won't swell up when it gets wet.


We are very happy with the results and hope the EC Lock holds up over time and the abuse we'll give it. Comments have come our way of how much the floor looks and even feels like real wood!


7 comments:

  1. Who make EC Lock and who distributes it? I have looked on the web and all I have seen are blogs about using it.

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    1. Hi Sam! Thanks for taking a look at my blog. The EC Lock flooring is an elusive item as far as the manufacturer is concerned. There are no markings on the box referring to a manufacturer.

      The EC Lock flooring is very similar to TrafficMaster's Allure flooring. EC Lock is available from Grossman's Bargain Outlet. At my local stores they are $1.50/sq.ft.

      We just purchased 17 boxes to re-do our Kitchen, Dining Room, Dinette and Foyer. It looks great!

      If you don't have a Grossman's near you try and search for "Vinyl Plank Flooring" its a generic term.

      Thanks again and hope you find what you're looking for!

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  2. Hi, thanks for posting these pictures! They really have helped us visualize this color (cedar mill?).

    Just wondering, a year a half later, how has it held up? We were at Grossman's and just found out about this stuff. Really seems perfect for our lake house kitchen. I am torn between this color and an Allure color at Home Depot. About a $40 difference so we are also looking at how these have held up.

    Thanks for any insight you can provide!

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    1. Hi StephanieG,

      Glad the pictures have helped. I haven't kept up the blog - either has my wife - and we have sold the house. I can say that the bathroom held up very well while we were there. The Kitchen, due to the higher traffic it receives (two young kids, two adults and a puppy) held up okay. There are some noticeable scratches when the light is shining just right. Also, the fridge did leave some wheel marks or marring. That is it though - no other problems. I did our Powder Room, Kitchen, Dinette, Dining Room, Front Hall/Foyer in this and the look was excellent. We have fooled people who thought it was real hardwood.

      I'm quite a stickler for things looking great, so I have pretty high standards. All in all I would not use the flooring again in my Kitchens unless it is a little more scratch resistant. Oh - make sure your chairs have soft pads on the bottom - that is where some of the scratches came from.

      Also - when installing - make sure you sweep everything up before hand and try to keep the dust down. I did have a few areas where something fell onto the sticky part and didn't notice. Ended up with a small bump.

      Good luck!

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    2. Thank you! That sounds like what we experienced with laminate in the kitchen. We have a load of kids, dogs, etc. so that is very helpful.

      Best to you and your wife!

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