It doesn't look like this on HGTV

D, the floor guy, was here all day, doing the entry and kitchen vinyl plus the stairs. None of the HGTV programs I watch ever shows the real mess and chaos involved, or mentions the hours of clean-up afterward.

Here's the reality of having your stairs carpeted and vinyl floor put down.

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The mess and chaos when you live in a small space and have to clear things out of your entry, plus move your stove (and fridge). BTW, I'm really glad I'm down to the sub-floor on the main level -- no worry about doing damage to flooring.

 

 

 Prepping the old floor.

 Jeepers, look at the carpet fibres! This might be worse than Christmas tree needles. :-)

The vinyl done in the entry way.

 The sides of the stairs now done; very finicky work!

 Did I mention the mess and chaos?

 Another view of the entry.

 The carpet tacks are on.

 

Now the underlay is on (below). I had gone for the mid-level (of three grades) of underlay. Much better than the basic underlay that had been under the old carpet I had pulled up 8 - 9 years ago.

 Half done.

 Done*.

*When the installer and I originally looked at the stairs and talked, the idea was to run the carpet on the left flat part only half way, and I would have someone trim it all out, as well as up both sides of the stairway. I didn't realize he was going to completely cover that flat part until it was too late, as I'd been down in the basement cleaning up his mess (he cut some of the carpet down there on the cement floor).

So I've ended up with the entire thing one big scratching post, carpeted the way it had been with the old cheap, basic carpet that was put in the unit when I bought it. Very 90s, I guess. I would have preferred some trim instead, but since I don't intend to stay here for years to come, who cares. The new owners can do as they please. At least I bought good quality carpet...though with Nicki, who knows how long will last.

Speaking of...Look what he did to one of the spare rooms upstairs! I'd locked him up in the back den and the little bugger tried to dig his way out, ruined the corner of the old carpet. The old carpet that wasn't too bad and which I'd hoped not to have to replace.

He also made a hell of a mess in the litter box, dropped soft poop on the carpet and wiped his bum on another part of the carpet. Oy. Thanks, Nick. My payback for locking him up. (Derry was shut up in my bedroom and he spent the day under the bed.)

The kitchen vinyl, below. Certainly not high end, but nicer than the cheap sticky tiles I'd put down 11 years ago.

I also reused the carpet treads that I'd had on the main stairway (for safety). I popped into one of our home and garden stores while I was running errands this morning, and picked up some double-sided tape. I think it'll be a bit safer to go down the basement stairs now.

So the only thing left to do is the main floor laminate (and all the trim, of course). I hope to get the laminate done within a few weeks, but I'm looking into having my old sofa bed removed first, if it wouldn't cost me a horrendous amount of money. (I hate the thing, though it was an expensive piece, good quality, 25 years ago.) The job would need two strong men used to moving heavy furniture and who could take both my main door and screen door off, plus put them back on properly. I have an email in to someone about that, but if I haven't heard back by early next week I'll contact a local moving company that also removes junk. It would leave me without a couch for a short time, but I really don't care. Sometimes you have to clear out the old first, to make way for the new.  :-)

You know, my house is not ultra-clean (how could it be, with pets?), but I find this kind of mess, dirt and disruption difficult to deal with. I much prefer the HGTV version where the home owner leaves for a certain amount of time and comes back to a home worthy of a magazine spread, all "magically" renovated and spic and span.

Peace.