DIY Vinyl Plank Flooring

I got the bathroom floor put down in the loft. We used vinyl peel and stick plank flooring because it was cheap, easy to cut and install, and I can get it at Lowe's down the road. I'm very happy with the wood look.

I didn't cover the floor under where the vanity will sit. 

I wanted to save as much vinyl planking as I could just in case I cut any wrong.

This is the Henry 547 I leveled the floor with. It was easy to work with and sand-able so you can knock down any ridges or mistakes and spread another thin layer! I used "the pink stuff" quickset some years ago and it dried so fast it was a nightmare! Also the pink stuff is NOT sand-able like the Henry 547 is.

When it was completely dry I applied the adhesive primer to ensure the peel and stick vinyl planks adhere well. I will add the name of it when I find it.

 Gunstock Oak Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring from Lowe's. For straight cuts I used a square and box cutter to score the topside then bend the tiles to easily break them. I used a pair of scissors to do some extra trimming around the door frame and trim.

Each wood-look plank is 6"W x 48"L -  $.88 sq ft. with 20 planks per box 

but you can buy them by the plank to get exactly what you need.

Cocoa approves....

Pictures of vanity cabinet make-over soon.

The Vision For The Barn Loft Apt

When I first started, I made a 3D mock-up of the loft over the barn before we ever started it. I used Autodesk but there are many programs that do this. I could move around the kitchen and bathroom layouts, windows etc. until it felt right to me. 

I'm still not finished but couldn't resist making a collage of the vision, the half-way, and the after (well more like progress).

Barn Raising Photos

Derick thought I was crazy when I told him I thought that with my Dad's help we could build a barn with a sweet loft apt above it for cheap, using as much salvaged materials as I can scrape up. I lovingly call him 'left-brain' because he's about the least visual person I know. My description of a barn clad in used fence pickets, a roof of rusty tin salvaged from the hurricane Rita clean-up, and hay loft decorated with junk to make a guest quarters.... well let's just say he did not see my vision! He eventually relented and trusted me  though and we started building our barn. It's a good size (24' x 33'). We decided to position it in the very back of our property, and fix up the loft for overnight guests. The barn has the usual stuff like a workbench and tools but also has a pool table and dart board so it's a multi-purpose barn! It's a great place for parties. It's been slow going but we're getting there. We've had many starts and stops for one reason or another time is an issue but most usually it's money. I've had to remind left-brain often that I said cheap - not free. Here's some pictures taken through-out the different phases of construction. You can click the pictures to enlarge them and I'm also using Thinglink which allows me to make notes on the photos.  

16 4" x 6" treated posts

The cement truck was scheduled to arrive early while these nice shadows cast across our foundation

It arrived 3 hours late on this 100* day we almost died!

We saved money buying the pink studs. The pink thing will become the loft. 

The buzzards enjoy sitting on it, check-out the shadow I caught on the wall.

The rusty corrugated tin I got for free looks good

 

The work was/is really hard this vision of the loft apt I made at Autodesk kept me motivated.

Most paint websites have online virtual painter's to see wall paint choices 

We could never have done it without my Dad's help.

So close to having the loft finished

Those virtual online painter's I mentioned made me a little insane with so many choices! But I like Valspar 'Organic Garden'.

Barn Loft Guest Apt - April Update

Front of Barn

Back of Barn - Front of Guest Apt

View Of The Woods

'Left-brain' taking a break

Bathroom

Searching for something different to use as a vanity


I took this video from the balcony, it'll be a sweet spot to drink coffee in the mornings and enjoy the birds and wildlife.

Gardenias Beginning To Bloom

I've been wandering around the yard with my camera. Spring is here.

 My gardenias are starting to bloom!

 I didn't trim back my Rosemary like I should have but when it rains it out-smells the gardenias!

Butterfly bush? Bottlebrush bush? I know these attract hummingbirds and butterflies to our yard.


Baby squirrels were entertaining me yesterday while the power is out.