Remodeling trends can vary greatly in both price and scope of work. Here is a little flooring and paint upgrade I did to my own condo and found it made a great difference in the overall look and feel.
Over the past month or so I decided to take on the task of removing the carpet in my condominium and replacing it with some sort of new flooring. My ultimate goal was to have a place that would make a good rental property in the near future without losing it’s warmth and livability. I went back and forth as to what type of flooring would best accommodate my situation.
Wood flooring was a one choice if I wanted to continue living in the condo for a long period of time. It has a rich look and feel, but since I was going to be renting my condo in the near future I decided against it. Wood would likely get marred up by renters and their ski boots and it’s easily damaged by melting snow coming off of people’s boots. Besides, I have a dog and she would likely tear the wood flooring up with her nails.
Sticking with carpet was another choice, but after recently pulling up the flooring in my condo I realized how much dirt gets trapped in the carpet and just how disgusting carpet can be. Granted I love the feel and warmth of carpet, but it’s tough to keep clean in a mountain environment.
Tile that looks like wood was a third choice and I almost went with this as I wanted something durable and natural looking. After considering how slippery tile can get in snowy conditions and the fact that tile planks can actually chip/break relatively easy… I steered away from this option.
Bamboo and laminate flooring were some final options but I couldn’t stand the feel of the “floating floor” and how cheap laminate feels. Also, neither of these products can’t be exposed to water so they wouldn’t work in the bathroom.
Almost deciding to go with carpet again I encountered a vinyl plank product in one of my favorite lunch spots in Mammoth Lakes, Roberto’s Cafe. I always thought the bar room flooring was wood and yet was amazed to find out that it was a durable vinyl. It looked great after 10 years of commercial wear and tear! Vinyl was never an initial consideration as I always thought vinyl looked cheap and couldn’t have a “quality” look; I came to realize it could look great. After a little research, I found one particular plank with a genuine look of hand scrapped wood and I went with this.
The sub- flooring in my old Mammoth Fireside Condominium was tattered and in desperate need of repair. My brother and I went to work tearing out concrete and replacing sub-flooring with a fresh coat of concrete; the flooring was particularly bad in the kitchen. Do you like how we are working around all the furniture?
After the floor was repair and leveled (floated), we let the concrete dry and installed our vinyl planks.
The dining area and the hallway were the easiest to complete as these were more open and square, having very few corners to cut around. These rooms offered the greatest sense of “instant gratification”. Because the planks were lock and click, they would normally install very fast, but because I don’t care for a true floating floor, I decided to glue the planks to the sub-floor. This too a lot more time, but ended up being the look and feel I was after. Adding the glue also helped get rid of that irritating hollow sound that comes with so many floating floors.
A coat of paint added to the look of the wood and helped me get rid of many nicks and smudge marks appeared over years of use.
Vinyl plank flooring is just one new trend that is emerging in mountain environments. Tile planks that look like wood are also popular flooring options and are even being used in shower enclosures and around fireplaces.
Glass tile is having a great comeback with an incredible variety of options. I found an amazing selection at Floor and Decor in Reno, Nevada. As you can see, I added glass tile to my kitchen back splash (above) to keep my condo from looking too much like an old log cabin.
If you have any questions about real estate in Mammoth Lakes or if you are looking to buy or sell a home in the area I hope that you consider me as your next real estate professional. Here is a quick link to assist you in your search. Search Real Estate in Mammoth Lakes
