The pictures above are Costco (Harmonics) laminate. The reason I'm asking bout this now is I picked up 15 boxes around the 11th of this month and the $8 off each box runs until next Monday. Not only is Costco laminate amazing and better than any Home Depot/Lowes etc stuff that I've found.. it'* on sale at the moment!

Which is why I'm looking to figure this out asap. I have another 7 days to find some money and go pick more up to do the kitchen. thumbup2thumbup2

How do you beat a laminate that locks together like this stuff does? How do you beat the 35 year residential warranty when everyone else is 15-20 years? How do you beat Harmonics that has the padding on every piece? And....how do you beat $8 off per box, unlimited quantities for the month of Feb?

I can't.

Thanks on the hookup for the counter tops.

Damn Bill! am i going to recognize the house when i come by in may?

Looks fantastic, and would sure stop the wife'* whinning. Does it just lay in and float?

Pretty much John. This brand locks together tighter than any of the other ones I looked into, and there were a lot.

My dads got that same flooring you've got in the office in the kitchen, it'* held up great other than where the fish tank used to sit. The fish would splash and a little water got down under the feet and the feet destroyed the floor. That'* a big tank though and a lot of weight. Otherwise they've always got animals in the kitchen, their dog, cat, and the other family members dogs and through all the running, sliding, and accidents, it still looks great after 5 years now I believe.

Good to hear all the reviews on the flooring.

Last night the electrical was figured out and pulled from the walls. Some more sheetrock was pulled, closet emptied and general cleanup. Then one of the walls came down.
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I really should break out the real camera. The cell pics aren't quite cutting it.

Bill, what are you doing with the wall area that is down to the studs? What do you use with the item (looks like a cabinet on the floor) that is sitting on the floor? Are you going to make counter space at that location? I am almost thinking you could do a two level granite counter top at the opening. One at floor cabinet height and a secondary at breakfast bar height.

Home Depot sells an incredible line of cabinets that nobody knows about and they don't market called Mills Pride. Every conceivable size so they are essentially custom cabinets, and they are half inch construction. The catch- you have to assemble them, which I find a plus. HD quit stocking Mills Pride because so many people returned them because they could not do simple assembly. In my case, I did assembly on steroids, using special glue and clamps, etc- making the cabinets super strong. Mills Pride does not want assembly in that manner because one can't reverse parts but on wrong. If you know what you are doing, get a super strong cabinet at a super cheap price. I have also done the same with Ikea cabinets. The self assemble cabinets can be a blessing if you rehearse before you assemble, then you do the extra strengthening and you have a great cabinet, I also waterproof the unseen bottom of my cabinets so they never absorb water in case of a flood.

Recessed lights are the new thing. Track lighting is out- per Mrs. Guns.....

It'* great to hear you say that stuff. There'* two contractor 6 packs of recessed lighting in the basement. Great deal because you get the can and the shade piece (whatever it'* called). The plan is to toss in the recessed after the island is complete.

The Plan:
Open up the kitchen by removing the corner walls to the dining/living room. Add an island and overall make the house flow better and be overall nicer.

1. Take down walls
2. Change hallway closet into kitchen pantry (thanks for the mention on the cabinets.) This will work in conjunction with enlarging the fridge spacing to the normal 36"
3. Flooring in living room/hallway/kitchen (will be all laminate now that we've discussed)
4. Island with two levels (I was already doing this, but like that you've mentioned it as well)
5. Recessed lighting in the kitchen
6. New fridge to match all the other white appliances.
7. Take the wall by the counter back a bit further.

The Work: Began with an over the range microwave to free up some space. Pulled those two cabinets off the walls as there was nothing under them and not enough room for a table in the kitchen. Removed the sheet rock from said walls and figured out the electrical rerouting etc. There was a coat closet in the hall by the kitchen. Door frame will be out tonight and the sheetrock will come off both sides, then the walls will come down to be moved. I'll pull the applicances out and ensure the flooring is under everything except the currently installed base cabinets. A good friend/neighbor is a contractor who builds houses in his sleep, he'll be putting in the LDL beams that are needed to carry the load of the ceiling joists. Nice part here is that'* all the weight they need to carry. His brother (another friend) is a drywall guy. I'm doing most of the work myself, the LDL install and taping/sanding will be done by these guys.

Once the LDL is done, then the sheetrock work will be completed and I can get moving with the island and flooring. While I am doing most of the stuff myself, the project isn't expected to take a long time.

Sounds like you have a growing project.

One last TTP (tips, techniques and procedures), Ikea has some very special items for someone with a vision and can think outside of the box, which I think describes you. Spend a few hours waling around, eat Swedish meatballs in their cafeteria and simply ponder.

I had a empty wall in the kitchen that I could do nothing with, wasted space. I searched for years for a solution, but everything had to be custom built and I am cheap. The challenge was the wall lip was only eleven inches. Nobody makes big furniture eleven inches deep and eight feet tall.

This is where Ikea came in. They had items that one could manipulate. Attached is a picture of their bookshelves, which I converted into a china cabinet and/ or pantry or anything else. This cost me a few hundred dollars and used the entire eight feet. Ikea also offered the glass in impression, so if one wanted a pantry without showing the items, it can be done. Note I did not paint the crown yet so it looks a bit off.

Mike...Like you I don't enjoy breaking the bank to do a project. I'll be hitting up those cabinets you suggested for the pantry front that I'll need in the kitchen.

Quick other question. The dining room, originally thought to be a pergo is a hardwood flooring. The height of the laminate if installed directly on the subfloor will be a 1/4" below the dining room. Any suggestions on an edging or if I should just man up and add another layer or whatever to the flooring to ensure it'a all the same height?