Indicators of Wealth?

[Moemg]

Bragging either subtle or gross is the main pastime here. Since people here mostly think themselves wealthy, maybe bragging is an indicator of a certain level of financial wealth?

Ha

Not me since I know the stock market gives and the stock market takes .

 

[RobbieB]

I don't worry about that as I find it gives more than it takes.

 

[Another Reader]

Marble requires a lot of work and is passe. It's also very slippery when wet, at least the polished stuff is. I was thinking the porcelain stone-look which is more timeless. Also, there are some really nice wood-look tiles out now. Might weather the dog nails better than hardwood.

To be an indicator of wealth, whatever you install has to look like the multi-million dollar houses on HGTV and the like.

 

[RobbieB]

Thanks, that's what I'm looking for, real experience.

Yes, I want it to be good looking and easy. I'm going to miss the linoleum as it's a 50-50 weather stuff bounces or breaks.

The hardwood is going to be the new stuff with some kind of ceramic coating that a guy advises his great dane doesn't damage.

All new to me, gimme the straight dope -

 

[Another Reader]

Thanks, that's what I'm looking for, real experience.

Yes, I want it to be good looking and easy. I'm going to miss the linoleum as it's a 50-50 weather stuff bounces or breaks.

The hardwood is going to be the new stuff with some kind of ceramic coating that a guy advises his great dane doesn't damage.

All new to me, gimme the straight dope -

If you are on slab, you can only use engineered hardwood. That stuff will not hold up to your dogs' nails and it cannot be sanded and refinished. Look at some of the tiles that look like hardwood. Redid a rental in Phoenix with this and it looked good. Good enough to sell for the high end of the neighborhood range. End of thread hijack!

 

[RobbieB]

The plan;

Kitchen, foyer and bathrooms - tile

Dining area - this new "dog nail resistant" hardwood

Rest - carpet

What I have now is;

Kitchen, foyer and bathrooms - Linoleum
Rest - carpet

No hijack here, I'm looking for the best way to do this that looks killer and cost is no problem. Small house, lotta dough -

And yes, slab foundation.

 

[haha]

If you are on slab, you can only use engineered hardwood. That stuff will not hold up to your dogs' nails and it cannot be sanded and refinished. Look at some of the tiles that look like hardwood. Redid a rental in Phoenix with this and it looked good. Good enough to sell for the high end of the neighborhood range. End of thread hijack!

Can you mention what this product is called? And maybe a brand or two?

Thanks

Ha

 

[Another Reader]

Home Depot carries a lot of it, in different grades. Various "brands." Pay up to the point you get the tile that lays flat on the slab. The cheap stuff does not. The cheap stuff chips as well. You see a lot of this now in model houses, at least in Arizona.

A good flooring contractor will carry higher grades.

 

[clobber]

Though I fall into "Category 3," I would still not opt for the extra $2,300 for a seat. Instead, that same $ could buy me a couple more economy seats to Europe (so I could take two more trips with different friends). Doing so would leave more funds available to give to charity. I enjoy planning frugally so I can support the good work of underfunded non-profits AND still have my fun.

Well - I just slept 9+ hours on a 13 hour flight in a lay flat bed. VERY much worth it to me. I happen to have traveled quite a bit in coach, not sleeping, arriving in Europe between 5-7am, and spending the next week trying to get over the lag. That sure detracted from the fun.

 

[kcowan]

I have no fancy cars, but two nice homes at different climates to move between. A poster here has 4 (or is it 5) homes. I don't feel wealthy at all, but I am not envious either.

We also have 2 homes. We have 3 cars but use transit whenever practical (cost of transit is cheaper than cost of parking downtown). If another home made sense, we would buy it. We prefer to house sit and pet sit.

No envy at all. But we do appreciate good things and feel genuinely happy to share others good fortune in their lifestyles. But we also realize that more stuff means more work.

 

[kcowan]

Home Depot carries a lot of it, in different grades. Various "brands." Pay up to the point you get the tile that lays flat on the slab. The cheap stuff does not. The cheap stuff chips as well. You see a lot of this now in model houses, at least in Arizona.

A good flooring contractor will carry higher grades.

That $80k is starting to look pretty low! Maybe cut out the caviar for a couple of years or until the kids graduate?

 

[W2R]

That $80k is starting to look pretty low! Maybe cut out the caviar for a couple of years or until the kids graduate?

If it was me, I'd sell the dog, put in the most gorgeous high end hardwood flooring I could find, and be done with it with lots of that $80K left over I'd think. But these pet owners just don't see the advantage to that.

I would definitely avoid the white marble with gold veins in a 1400 sf house, which IIRC is about the size that Robbie mentioned. Flooring like that needs a lot of space to look its best, IMO, and I think it would make a small house look like a broom closet in Versailles. Besides, when wet it would be so slippery.

 

[RobbieB]

Yeah, I worry about that in the bathrooms. Maybe the ceramic tiles would be better.

Not talking a lot of area either kitchen, foyer and both bathrooms together are less than 200 sq-ft.

I could put in really expensive stuff, say $25/sq-ft and it would only be 5 grand. But I don't want to slip & fall either, that's like death to old folks.

 

[W2R]

Yeah, I worry about that in the bathrooms. Maybe the ceramic tiles would be better.

Not talking a lot of area either kitchen, foyer and both bathrooms together are less than 200 sq-ft.

I could put in really expensive stuff, say $25/sq-ft and it would only be 5 grand. But I don't want to slip & fall either, that's like death to old folks.

These days I think that there are a lot of tiles available in neat patterns (like the wood look patterns) that are not slippery at all. I agree about falls being awful for old folks. I'd much rather not slip at all, than slip and have to recover from a broken hip in my old age.

 

[haha]

These days I think that there are a lot of tiles available in neat patterns (like the wood look patterns) that are not slippery at all. I agree about falls being awful for old folks. I'd much rather not slip at all, than slip and have to recover from a broken hip in my old age.

Older people often do not pay enough attention to avoidance of falls, and if there is a fall, minimizing injury. There are many good papers on the web about best flooring as one gets older. Usually it comes down to wall to wall carpet is much better than whatever is next best. There are also various brands of anti-slip flooring for bathrooms.

Ha

 

[Another Reader]

The wood-look tile has the grain stamped in and is not as slippery as stone-look porcelain tile or marble. Look at Home Depot's Marrazzi Montagna Saddle Brown for pictures of the basic wood-look porcelain tile. You will need to keep both a dust mop and a wet mop handy, because the darker colors show dust and dirt.

 

[rodi]

We put in marble in our master bathroom remodel - but it was a basketweave pattern - so there are enough joints to avoid the slippery factor. It was $10/foot for the tile - DH did the labor - which was intensive since the subfloor was redone and then leveled properly. That floor is there forever. And yes - the floor makes me feel wealthy, even though it was only 100sf of marble floor.

 

[RobbieB]

That's pretty cool, I like that -

 

[Walt34]

We put in marble in our master bathroom remodel - but it was a basketweave pattern - so there are enough joints to avoid the slippery factor.

That looks very much like the tile floor that was in my parent's house while I was growing up in the 1950's. The house was built ~1943 and had the original tile all the time we lived there.

 

[Just_Steve]

All tiles have a coefficient of friction which should be looked at for wet areas.

New Standard Measures Coefficient of Friction for Ceramic Tile

 

[HadEnuff]

I just got to thinking that one indicator of wealth is the ability to not get upset over one of life's misadventures that costs you money you hadn't planned on having to spend.

Knowing you can handle this unscheduled repair without it impacting your lifestyle.

 

[audreyh1]

Exactly. Same here in New Orleans, either "drug kingpin" or "pimp running slavery/prostitution ring".

I don't think anybody else around here is very concerned about what make of car they are driving, or it's age.

Yeah here along the TexMex border when that Ferrari blasts past me I'm thinking narcotraficante.....

 

[steve88]

Yeah, that's it. When I'm sitting in first class sipping a cocktail on the runway during boarding I feel "rich"

I like to be the last person to board on plane and sit way on the back because I have ear plane.

 

[Markola]

I'm so rich, I only buy organic firewood.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum. I'll show myself out....

 

[Sunset]

I must be feeling wealthy.
I buy up our local grocery store overstock, even if they charge $5.99 / bottle