Welcome back to my blog series about our vacation home fixer-upper in the Pocono Mountains.  I’m so glad you joined me today!  I want to talk to you about the flooring in The Shack.

You may recall, there were 5 different types of flooring on the main floor of The Shack when we first saw it. Yes, FIVE!

BEFORE: The main living area of The Shack, as seen here with it’s original sponge painted yellow walls, multiple unattractive flooring materials and various other dated elements. Here you can see the peel and stick vinyl tiles in the dining area, combined with the nasty old brown carpeting in the main living space.  The kitchen had plastic laminate faux-wood floors (off to the left in through the opening) and the main floor bedroom had a different Berber-style carpeting.  There’s also ceramic tile in the main floor bathroom.

These floors were a patchwork of unfortunate choices.  The materials were of cheap quality, and they bisected the main room in an awkward spot, causing furniture placement difficulties in the main living space.

BEFORE: Another view of the patchwork floors at The Shack, along with the sponge painted walls throughout.

An important decision in any home is the type of flooring you’ll use.  When we first visited this small home, I knew that by simply replacing all flooring with a single unified material, I could open up the space, update the interior, and make everything look larger and more sophisticated in one fell swoop!

So, what to choose?  Many of our neighbors in the Poconos will select wall-to-wall carpeting…simply because it’s warmer underfoot and theoretically provides a certain amount of insulation and cushiony softness.  Unfortunately, carpet shows wear quickly and stains easily, becoming tired and matted over time.  It also collects dirt and grime and is terrible for allergy sufferers.  Just take a look at the ‘before’ images to see how awful the aged carpet looks in the main living area of The Shack!

BEFORE: A detail of the carpeting, originally found in The Shack. It’s matted and worn, an unfortunate color, and is extremely unattractive!

So, the question remains: what type of flooring should we put in our little vacation home?  Well, I don’t know about you, but when I think ‘Mountain House’, rustic wood finishes come to mind.  Right from the beginning, I knew I wanted to inject the natural warmth of hardwood floors into The Shack.

This home, like most of the houses in our area of The Poconos, is built on a crawl space.  You might be wondering why I’d bring that up…well solid hardwood floors should not be installed on a crawl space or below-grade (in a basement).  If you DO install solid hardwood in these areas, the floors will most likely warp and bow, perhaps even crack and will most certainly become very creaky over time.  That’s why I knew I needed to look at an Engineered Hardwood.

This graphic shows the difference between a solid hardwood floor and an engineered hardwood floor. The engineered product has been improved upon, so it can be installed in places a solid wood product cannot. As you can see in this image, the engineered floor has a wood ‘wear layer’ that is placed atop a plywood base, keeping the wood on top more stable and less prone to expansion and contraction.

Engineered hardwoods look exactly like solid hardwood floors when installed, and they can even be refinished if needed.  They are still hardwood floors, just enhanced for installation in a wider variety of locations.  So now, I just need to select from the wide variety of engineered hardwoods on the market.  It’s time for a trip to my flooring supplier!

Until next time, make sure to like Robinson Interiors on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter, and DO stay tuned for future updates on The Shack!

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