Upgrading our Flooring: Take 1 and 2
Take 1:
In Spring 2021, we decided it was time to replace the worn and outdated vinyl kitchen and laundry room flooring and hallway carpet. We searched several stores for waterproof luxury vinyl plank and purchased Pro Core Plus English Grove Oak from Lowe’s. Due to supply chain issues, it took several months for the product, transitions, and trim to arrive. Then we had to wait another month or so for the installers to arrive. Of course, this required removing everything from the closets and walls. It also forced us to declutter and donate or pitch several items. Finally, in late August, the installation was complete.
Take 2:
Fast forward to February 2022, my husband walks into the kitchen in his sock feet. He feels something wet. There was water coming up from under the new flooring. We checked under the sink, but it was dry. We called a plumber who discovered the dishwasher was leaking. Ugh! We called our insurance company and then the restoration company the plumber recommended. The restoration company removed the dishwasher and damp flooring and brought in loud fans and a dehumidifier to dry the floor.
We had plans to go on vacation, so after a day with the loud fans, we had enough of the noise. We left for our long trip to Florida (more on that in a future post). Upon arrival in Florida a few days later, our daughter stopped by the house to check on things. She called to tell us there was water by the sink. We called the restoration company again. This time, the sink shut-off valve was leaking. They shut off all the water to the house, so we didn’t have to worry about another leak while out of town. Sections of the old vinyl were removed to allow for further drying of the underlayment.
Upon our return, we had the shut-off valve replaced. Next, we met with our favorite flooring guy at Lowe’s to obtain an estimate for the insurance company. After we received our insurance check, we reordered the luxury vinyl plank. We called the same installer we had previously because of his quality work. Finally, all the flooring arrived, and the job was completed in April 2022.
Since our dishwasher was six years old and we did not want to replace the flooring again in the future, we decided to buy a new dishwasher. We ordered a Bosch dishwasher from Best Buy because we are Total Tech members, the store price matches, and installation was free!
Want to learn about DIY faucet replacement? Check out my post on our kitchen faucet replacement. What home repair adventures have you endured? Please comment below!
