BoomerGirl Diary

Dear Mi-Ling:

We live in the country and would like to replace our light gray carpet in the living areas with some kind of hard surface.

The previous owners who put down the carpet also put down 6-inch green tile, moving to brown tile, with wide white grout in the entry through the kitchen to the dining area. Keeping that grout white is impossible.

I'm thinking about having the old tile removed and putting down tile throughout the living room, dining room, kitchen and entry. But I'm also thinking of eliminating the grout area. I have seen grout in commercial buildings with each tile right up against the next for a smooth surface. Or I might make the grout an Oklahoma red dirt color.

My husband says that dirt would get down in there and it couldn't be removed. But, he's not the one on his hands and knees cleaning the grout.

I've also considered wood flooring, but I'm not sure how practical wood would be in the country.

— Carol S.

Dear Carol: One thing for sure, red dirt is a challenge when it comes to keeping floors and carpets clean.

I used stacked tumbled marble on my backsplash in my kitchen and I haven't had any problems. As far as the floor goes, I'm sure you will get some dirt into the crevices, but you could also have the tile layers give you a smaller grout line.

Grout color selections are endless. You can even have them mix a custom color that will match the red dirt. Of course wood flooring would work as well, and if you choose a distressed finish you'll have less upkeep.

If you decide to keep your current floors, get up off your hands and knees and call a floor cleaning service to clean your tile and grout. Most carpet cleaners will do the job or you can rent a machine.

The last option is to have your tile regrouted.