The Menfolk will Play!
Or is that WORK!??
There has been some “Home Improvement” going on up at Quilt Villa this weekend while I’ve been in Illinois.
It all started a couple of weeks ago when we were up there with family, and dealing with rain and a muddy driveway that could really use some more gravel.
We want to extend the gravel into one area to give us a bigger parking surface, and then gravel is going to make a walkway down around the concrete wall so that we don’t track through so much mud and dirt when we want to take things AROUND to the basement doors instead of trying to make them go down a spiral staircase, or – up to the front porch, and down the side steps to avoid the dirt.
This past week while I was gone a huge truck came and dumped a rather large load of gravel at the top of the drive at the cabin.
Who ever thought I would be so pleased about gravel?
Well, when you’ve had to deal with rain and mud on a dirt road, believe me…gravel is our friend.
It will take some time to get it spread around, but there is another job that took precedence this weekend:
Old yucky berber! BYE BYE!
We’ve also talked about this over the past few months, but it was time for the old 16 year old stained white berber carpet in the basement family room at the cabin to go OUT the door.
We’ve chosen laminate floors from Sam’s club to go in….and I am ever so pleased!
Tear out a section, lay down a section – push all the furniture to the newly floored side and continue:
Loving this!
Sweet!
Just this bit left to finish…
A jigasw is needed to cut the planks so they will fit around the poles to the spiral stairs. The tile for my sewing nook starts just to the left of the photo and the laminate will go up to the tile.
This is “not really” a basement…the whole front and most of both sides are open to the outside and above ground…only the back wall is built into the hillside, so it’s not a traditional basement. We have lots of windows and a double wide door to the front yard. We also have heat and a/c down here so humidity is not a problem. We also run a dehumidifier.
I say this as a “preemptive strike” because I know I’m going to to get even more naysayers than I have already had who will tell me I should never put laminate in a basement. Thank you, but too late, and this is my choice and I love it. If anything goes wrong you can tell me you told me so later, but please don’t burst my bubble right now!
Landing in Charlotte this afternoon! I can barely see the skyline!
Hello Greensboro!
Oh, hello, sweet girl! Mama’s home!
But only until Friday when I leave for London! Better cut some more hexies….some of my colors are running dangerously low!
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Have a great evening, everyone!
31 comments:
I so understand getting excited about a load of gravel! We live in the country! and I learned something new, that you are not supposed to put laminate in a basement? really? I didn't know that. Of course I don't have a basement, but our whole house is built on concrete slab. We have laminate everywhere, and it's been fine. Have fun, fun on your trip!
Yeah for you! What an improvement. Check that off the list.
That laminate looks so great. It is so easy to take care of especially with pets, mud, dirt, etc. Just a quick wipe and it is good as new. Can't do that with carpet.
That gravel will help with the mud and dirt too.
Yay for gravel...our Wyoming red mud is horrible! We hauled more gravel in this year too. I have a walkout basement also and have had laminate down there for going on ten years and it looks as good as when we put it in...love it! :) Super easy to take care of and it's very durable! You will love it!
The laminate you chose goes nicely with the paneling and looks great. Hey, I have laminate in my kitchen and it's withstood a water bath from the washer drain overflowing. It's a darn sight better than white Berber carpet any day.
Totally LOVE my laminate floor! We (my Dad and I) took up all the carpet before moving in and then my Dad and my son-in-law put the laminate down. It's been there for over 12 years now; through dogs and babies and still looks pretty decent. Great stuff.
Flooring looks great and doesn't it feel grand to have another home improvement project almost off the list! Enjoying your time at home and I am looking forward to your post from the England trip.
Laminate on concrete is fine as long as you put that plastic thin foamy underlay down first. You might find it chillier on the feet but you can put area rugs where you want. So much nicer than carpet. Yea you!!
Laminate is a great idea for your walk out. It is the easiest to keep clean and will serve you well. Sadie will enjoy her walks this week until you have to leave. She is a sweetie. Have a good week and safe journey.
LOVE LOVE LOVE your new flooring! I am getting ready to do the same thing. What was the name of the color of the flooring?
Thanks so much for your ongoing generosiity, Bonnie! Barbara Green, San Clemente, CA bigrin@cox.net
Can't think of any downside to the new flooring. Looks great. Enjoy!
Bonnie, must have been a basement laminate weekend. We finished our basement room for just in time for company. Both look great. Love it. Ignore nay Sayers .. My choose . Your choose. Our homes. Right for us.
I love it!!! What a treat to come home to. From one who is so proud of
you and what you do.
I can't wait to live vicariously through your trip to England! I love London and Britain in general, and haven't been back in almost 20 years.
(Also -- not a complaint, just reporting in case you want to know -- the social media sidebar thingie doesn't seem to like Safari, for Mac. Or isn't working right.)
Who cares about the naysayers - Bonnie wants laminate. In a few more years your care factor about peoples opinions about your life that has no effect on their lives will drop to zero. The older I get the less I care.
Bonnie, Love the look of the floor. I love wood as well. When our carpet dies we will be replacing it with laminate too. It is so much easier to clean! Enjoy..
that kind of basement is known as a daylight basement here in OR. I dont know why it would not work, as long as the basement is kept warm and dry, I like it.
Donna in very warm Oregon
I love your new basement floor. Love the colour too
Your basement looks great!!! I absolutely love laminate! Our entire house has these floors..... clean and easy!
Good choice to put gravel around the cabin. I hate dirt in my house....
Dear Sadie.... love that look on her face; she loves you!! ;D
Enjoy your time home; you sure deserve it..... man, you are one busy woman!!!!!!
Love from the Netherlands, Ria.
super improvements....as one who has carpet in the sewing area, this is a great improvement....pox on the naysayers...
I love the laminate! My dining room needs the carpet yanked out, thinking laminate might be the way to go if it looks that good!
First thing.... gravel rocks!!! :)
and second... from one who is not in the know.. why don't you put laminate in the basement?
Your floor looks amazing! We,too, have a walk-out basement, and it needs new flooring. We were just talking about it yesterday - I may suggest this to my DH.
Sundae quilter, experts say that you're not supposed to put laminate in basements because it's too damp. The floor could warp. I think flooring stores just want to protect themselves from customers who installed the floor incorrectly. If you put down a vapor barrier, the floor will be just fine. I've had laminate in my basement for many years and it still looks new. We have a very dry basement though and we run the dehumidifier often. Good for you, Bonnie!
Hello Bonnie,
Glad you are having a breather at home before your trip here. Packed yet? I'm sending you an email...
Love from (hot and sunny!) England,
Muv
Laminate products are getting better and better. I have some in one half of my basement sewing room. The dehumidifier is running this summer however. As long a puddles of water are clean up there shouldn't be a problem. Also love laminate for its convenience..if something does go wrong...lift and replace!!easy peasy!!!
Am I the only person who has problems posting a comment when Photo Sphere BLOCKS out the code that I'm supposed to put in?
I have laminate flooring in my quilt cave (aka basement), and also run a dehumidifier (mostly for the fabric).
I've not had any problems at all. If I don't run the dehumidifer, a very thin film of moisture can collect on the surface of the laminate, but it can be mopped away easily. No damage on the laminate.
Congratulations!
My parents have a great story about how my dad tried to cut down a full sized cotton wood tree, right next to the house, when he was home unsupervised once. He got lucky and a neighbor with a truck and a chain came to the rescue but we won't ever let him live it down!
I know I am late to reply, just back from a two week large group camping vacation. A couple loads of gravel would have made a difference where we were! !!
We put laminate wood flooring into our KITCHEN. And we love it. At that price, if unfortunate things happen down the road, we figure we can replace it. Your gravel and your new wood floor will make your time at the "cabin" just that much more enjoyable
Big hint for that old carpet... Put it under your new gravel! We did it at my aunts house, she lives in the dismal swamp... And it keeps the gravel from sinking down into the dirt and mud. Takes years and years to break down, I think the terrible carpet that we put under her gravel has been there about 25 years now, and the need to regravel has dropped way down! I I think they have only had to do it once since, instead of every few years!
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