My Rather Alluring Floors

Whooohoo! Happy birthday to me! I just scored 3 boxes of Traffic Master Allure Ultra in Aegean Travertine at $58 a box, down from the regular $78 per box. I walked into Home Depot (my 2nd home), and there they were...right in the middle of the aisle with a big sign that might as well have said "hey Carmona, buy me". Then a Home Depot sales person walked by, saw my longing doe-eyed stare, and told me I should buy them because it was a good deal. Well, how could I refute her incredibly convincing logic? *grin* Yeah, they were coming home with me. But seriously, there couldn't be a better 32nd birthday gift! I've wanted to redo the floors in my laundry room for a while but needed something I could lay myself to save some $$. 

I have no idea how to lay tile or hardwood flooring (although I intend to learn!)...now, a utility knife I can wield with some skill, so Traffic Master's resilient vinyl tile flooring is just my speed. 
First I have to rip this nasty old carpet up. It is glued down to the concrete, and I'm afraid some patched concrete is breaking up.

I was hopeful I wouldn't have much more work besides pulling up carpet, but now I'll have to scrape off and level any areas that look like this. Thankfully there aren't too many!

A project is never as simple as it seems. I'm always so optimistic that occasionally I fail to properly estimate the time frame and amount of work that will go into a project. Today was clearly no exception. The padding from the underside of the carpet decided to stay glued to its happy place...of which I was determined to part it from. This party is over Monsieur Carpet, you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here!

Thankfully it scrapes off easily without putting up too much of a fight! *sigh of relief*

5 hours later my floors are ready to receive new flooring! Now somehow I have to lay flooring avoiding the washer since I couldn't move it. The dryer was light enough for me to "walk" it out on my own, but this washer is a beast! I wasn't sure even my husband and I together could move it out of the room and then get it back in (apparently we are very weak and may need to start lifting weights). Well my crazy plan is to lay as much flooring as I have space to, then move the washer onto the finished part and complete the rest of the of the installation. Honestly I'm not sure this is a recommended course of action, but this is an interlocking floating floor, so if a few completed rows can't withstand a washer then I'm going to have to question this floor's integrity. (FYI, it passed the test with flying colors!)

If you decide to purchase these stunning Allure Ultra interlocking floor tiles, there is one thing you should know; they are harder to attach than you think. I have installed the non-interlocking ones that stick together easily without incident in my old house. However these travertine-like tiles were a bit of a challenge. 

After carefully reading several pdf instructions online, and utterly failing to get the second row properly clicked in place, I played around with techniques until I learned what worked and what didn't. I started with a single completed row, using quarter inch wood spacers near the wall as required.

Then I created a full second row and attached the entire 2nd strip to the 1st strip of flooring. This eliminated what I'm calling "the angle paradox", where the flooring experts somehow expect you  to angle both strictly horizontal and strictly vertical at the exact same time to interlock the tiles (really ???).  My method worked smashingly well until I reached the cleaning closet impasse, then I was forced to use the angle method. Those particular tiles definitely attached, but the tiles don't hug perfectly snugly as the rest.

To cut tiles to size you simply score with a utility knife, bend and snap. It is really very easy to cut! I may have also cheated a little by using shears to make small cuts and angled cuts, this little trick worked like a charm. 

It only took me 2 hours to install all the tiles, compared to the 5 it took to prep the floor. 7 hours later (and quite a few "aah, my back locked up again" breaks), I was ready to add 1/2" trim around the 1/4" gap required by these floating floors.

9 exhausting hours later I'm finally done! Despite my very red hands, and aching back, I am head-over-heels in love with this flooring. Exhausted I plunked myself down where I could sit and admire my work for a good 30 minutes. 

I wouldn't want to have to install this particular flooring in a room any larger than this one (or with too many weird corners), but it was well worth the effort in my mostly straight-shot laundry room. 
These floors are waterproof, beautiful, and feel great underfoot! It was worth it, wouldn't you say? These are my floors before, then after.

If you missed it, check out the details on the art in this laundry room makeover here.

Who Needs Art In a Laundry Room? Me!

"Oh for the love of mercy, I'm the daughter of an artist!"... yep, that was my retort to my husbands quizzical eye-brow arch at my desperate search for wall art for a laundry room. I could read the question in his eyes, why did I have need for art in a room I barely spend time with my head up in? 
Seriously? It's art, it's pretty, it makes me happy, I want it absolutely everywhere, oh and I'm the daughter of an artist so what do you expect. *grin* But there are more reasons to display art in unexpected locations; remember that it completes the feel of any space, as if the room were dressed. So don't be afraid to add that finishing touch (the yummy icing on the cake) to any space!

Prints for Less
I was busy bemoaning my poor luck at finding laundry related prints when a thought hit me... Now, I confess this thought should have hit me years ago (I had quite the "uh duhh" moment), but I suddenly realized that if I just searched for a photography book I might actually have prints to put in the myriads of gorgeous empty frames I'd been collecting over the years, and not just for my laundry room but the entire house! 

I promptly planned a trip to my local library's monthly book sale, and imagine my glee and sheer joy to find two fantastic photography books for 25 cents a piece! Well, I didn't find laundry related art, but for a quarter I think I'll get over it. 

Finally the stars were aligned...or something. That same week I was looking through Burlington's home goods department when I spied these silver frames at $3 a piece!! It was a 70% markdown! At $3 a piece I couldn't very well leave them behind, they were just begging for a home.

My trick to fit the smaller pictures from my newly acquired photography book into a medium or large sized frame? Double matte! I'm using inexpensive smaller sized mattes under the mattes that came with the frame so they will "fit in" nicely. 

I love the bit of silvery sparkle these frames will bring to my laundry room. They will go perfectly with the brushed chrome pulls I've purchased for my cabinets!

At just the right time of day, when the sun is pouring through the back laundry room door, the light bounces off the frames and all over this room casting the prettiest reflections! 

How to Fix a Torn Washer Bellow

It will only happen when you have had holiday guests for a week and they want to wash a couple things before they fly home. Oh, and your entire family has also run out of clothing to wear, while the workweek is about to begin in two days. That -that is the fateful moment when you will walk into a flooded laundry room and your washer will be out of order for the next week.

I removed the base panel of the washer and let it go through a cycle to see when and where the leaking occurred. Lo and behold, the rubber seal (otherwise known as the bellow) had a long gash in it. I don't even know how it could have happened. Perhaps a wayward pocket stowaway with sharp edges went on a little sightseeing trip through the wash cycle...either way something had turned my bellow into a shredded mess.

How to Replace a Torn Washer Bellow
I own a Maytag 3000 series washer and dryer, and while searching for the needed part online I learned a few things. The most important thing I learned is to ask whether the supplier will match a competitors price. I managed to save $40 on the purchase of this bellow by price matching.

Step 1. Unplug
Seems like a logical first step, but then again, when you're distraught with how much that part just cost you, and why your fairly new washer is doing this to you, well... I'm just covering all the basics! You will be dealing with wiring in your machine, so it is important to make sure your washer is unplugged. 

Step 2. Remove bottom panel
You may have to prop your washer atop a couple 2x4's for this step. The bolts are located at the bottom corners, then pull down and out to remove the panel.

Oh, and just so you aren't searching high and low for the proper tool to disassemble your dryer, you already own it: it is your screwdriver minus the screw bit. Why am I saying this, well lets just say it was late, I was still distraught over my still sopping floor, and I might have had an "oh duhhhhhhh" moment myself. *grin*

Step 3. Remove washer top
Remove the bolts that are securing the washer top...usually two bolts located at the back of the washer. It might take a little tug to lift the washer top up.

Step 4. Remove soap dispenser and screws
Push that grey tab down (the one you always wondered what it was for), and slide the soap dispenser out. Then remove the two screws revealed, just to be difficult mine are star shaped. 

Step 5. Remove electrical panel & detach wires
Remove bolts, but you wont be able to remove this front panel until you detach the wiring. Unhook the bundle of blue wires, and the bundle of black wires from the panel.

Step 6. Remove spring loop & bellow
Now that the washer top, base, and front top panel have been removed, it is time to remove the washer front with door. Start by unhooking the spring loop from around the outside lip of the bellow, then loosen the bellow.

Step 7. Remove door latch & washer front
Using the star bit unscrew above and below the door latch and push the latch through. Remove the entire washer front with door.

Step 8. Unhook dispenser hose and bellow clamp
The dispenser hose should be popped out of the bellow, and the bellow clamp loosened with a flat head screwdriver. Now you will be able to remove the old bellow.

Step 9. Remove old bellow & install new bellow
Be sure that the new bellow fits snugly where the old one sat, lined up with the dispenser hole.

10. Follow steps in reverse to put the washer back together
By the time you are done putting the new bellow on, these are the parts you will have removed to get to it. These are the parts you will need to put back on...I promise it is not as scary as it looks. *wink* 

Take A Second To Clean Up!
Before you put your washer base back on, take a moment to clean out that nasty little catch-all that filters things out of your wash load. It is disgusting, and will stink to high heaven, but it is well worth it! You should probably make it a habit to clean it once every 6 months or so... eeewww.

Pinspired Laundry Rooms

I hate doing laundry, but the mounds of laundry that haunt me daily sure seems to have a love affair with me. As much time as I spend in the dreaded laundry room I figure it should be both functional and pleasing to be in. Time for a little laundry room inspiration...

I love peeking into this laundry space. It may be the slightest glimpse, but it is so full of beauty and inspiration! The chandelier in the laundry room says "I sparkle", while the contrasting dark washer says "I mean business".

To see more than a glimpse visit The Little Things for a full tour.

{Source: The Little Things}

Have no space for an entire room dedicated to the laundry? Or maybe you live in an apartment... I love this solution to hide away the washer and dryer in plain sight! Click here to see the entire set of inspiring laundry rooms via Better Homes and Gardens.

{Source: BHG}

The Nester is a genius! I love the basket lamp, the dark hues, and the bit of fun whimsey in the disco ball! Pop over to Nesting Place to see the before...you'll appreciate the after even more (if that is possible!).

{Source: Nesting Place}

I love that Melaine @ My Sweet Savannah included the laundry door in her laundry room makeover. Sometimes we overlook small things that could have a big impact. Using the back of the door as additional storage, and the creative use of chalk board paint makes this laundry storage cute and functional!

{Source: My Sweet Savannah}

Ashli @ Maillardville Manor knocked this laundry room out of the park! It has everything needed; enclosed spaces for storage, hanging space, folding space, and loads and loads of style! 

{Source: Maillardville Manor}

These laundry rooms each have an element I adore and give me much to think about when I take my laundry room up a notch this month! Pin these laundry rooms (and see more!) via the source, or via my Pinterest board:

Follow Home Made by Carmona's board Laundry & Mudrooms on Pinterest.

May's Highlights & Happenings

Wow, May really flew by... I guess that's what happens when you have too many things going on in a single month, plus all those DIY projects I've been dreaming up. Now that summer is FINALLY here, this homeschooling mama is on break! Can you hear the rejoicing and jubilation in my words? That means more time for projects, which is a good thing because (and I'm really excited about this and couldn't wait to share) I'm going to be a contributor at Remodelaholic!! Say what?!! 
It is very fitting don't you think? Seeing that I'm a non-recovering remodel-aholic myself... *wink* I painted my dining room last year, and I'm very ready to do it again. I've been forcing myself not to re-paint (or tear out walls) until I've enjoyed the previous work at least two years, but I can't say I'll win that battle.  See what I mean? A die-hard remodel-aholic! Look out for my first article for Remodelaholic at the end of the month. 

I've had the privilege of working with some pretty awesome peeps & sites, and my latest obsession is no exception.
I have joined up with Whimsey Box as an influencer, and I think you'll really like the new feature it adds to a few of my blog posts. Many of you want to know where to find the materials in my tutorials, well now you have the option to shop the materials from my post. I add a product link that leads you to the item via Whimsey Box or Amazon. So this is what you'll see every once in a while at the end of some posts...and if you like it, I'll do it more frequently.

This will hopefully makes it easier for you to find (or at least to look up the details of) the product before you make a run to your local store, and I also get a few cents when you purchase through my material links. So thank you in advance! *chuckle* I know my husband would appreciate me trying to supporting my chronic crafting & decorating addiction. Feel free to pop over to Whimsey Box, you'll be able to follow many fantastic projects, and don't forget to check out my profile page and follow along!

Besides surfing awesome websites, I have been working on my living room makeover, which I recently shared has been a bit of a challenge to complete (see the progress report here). 

I have another hundred projects to complete for my living room, but I thought it was time to take a little break from that space and cleanse my palette. So I'm going to pop over to my laundry room and do a few updates throughout the month of June.
Remember what it looked like before? Well it is time to revisit that space and make it sparkle! 

I hope your May was as beautiful and blooming with possibilities as mine... now on to summer!!