Product Review: Armstrong Crescendo Groutable Vinyl Tile

When we redid our master bath, flooring was a tough choice- the original avocado green tile was laid atop maybe 3 inches of concrete? We were not ready to tackle trying to redo that. Tiling atop was an option but we also worried about raising the floor height so we would have an uneven threshold. Although it's relatively new we decided to try the peel and stick groutable tile. The tile can be easily scored and snapped using a box cutter, and it goes down with regular tile spacers. Finally, it is grouted with a vinyl grout specifically made for the product. It has a nice textured surface which makes it similar in appearance to porcelain tile. Oh, and it is extremely budget-friendly at under $2 per square foot (we spent about $50 for our medium-sized bathroom.

Bathroom before:







After:








just after... vanity is still dusty, oops-

Front Porch Makeover

The front porch (well, landing), needed some sprucing up. The door got a coat of Rustoleum door paint in cranberry. New numbers for about $50 for the kit and numbers from Lowes, and brown patio paint for the concrete which was patched and tired-looking. Plus, a $25 outdoor runner rug since finding such a wide doormat is tough and/or pricey.

Dining Room Before and After

On the bright side, this wallpaper was vinyl, so removing it was quick- however, smoothing out the walls was labor-intensive. Then the room was topped off with picture rail, new paint, and a chandelier. The carpet was removed and replaced with hardwood floors throughout the house.

Before & After: $500 Powder Room Reno

$500 and some elbow grease to remove that dizzying wallpaper. Breakdown:
$16 Crown molding
$220 Kohler High Efficiency Chair-Height Toilet
$150 "Magick Woods" vanity & top
$100 Faucet, hardware, mirror (garage sale find) & paint
...well, I didn't count the floor which is continued from the kitchen, breakfast room & laundry room.