Laminate flooring

Pergo introduced laminate flooring in the US in 1994, but they actually invented it (in Sweden) in 1977.  It's an actual picture of wood layered between plastic, and there are literally hundreds of different variations.  So why can't Jess and I find anything we like?

Part of the problem is me -- I'm quite partial to a recent innovation which includes a "V grroove" between boards, which narrows the options down to a few dozen.  And because we're running it through the kitchen and cloakroom, it has to be water resistant.  And because we're running it through the entire house (upstairs and down), it has to go with everything.  That only leaves one option -- the light oak that everybody has.  And that's the one color we don't want.

However, we have to choose soon because the kitchen arrives on Thursday, and the builder needs to put it on the flooring!  Also, for the rest of the house, he wants to leave it "rest" for a week, because if he unpacks it and lays it immediately, it will develop gaps.

The builder is also ready to start the bathroom, even though the bathroom won't be arriving for at least two weeks.  (We just ordered it yesterday.)  Jess has chosen the tile, however, so that may keep the builder busy for a while.

The plaster is almost complete -- just the kitchen left to do -- and the builder is going to do the first coat of paint.  I tell you, the amount of extra jobs the builder has taken on is staggering -- including replacing the water mains, removing the bathroom waste stack, patching the roof, cleaning out the loft and behind the shed, and of course replacing every wall in the house -- but they are so good and do it so quickly, I'm happy to give them as much as I can.  They've been working seven days a week trying to get it all finished, because they have a hard deadline as wall -- on April 14 two of them are going on a one-month vacation, and on April 22, the other two are going on vacation as well.

Which works beautifully for us, since Jess has already agreed that the tenants can move in on the 23rd, and if the house isn't finished yet, we're going to be homeless!

I wonder if we can pitch a tent on our allotment?