In which my floor erupted...

....and I had to get a new one.

A week or so ago, I noticed a change in the kitchen floor.

It seemed to have raised slightly near the stove and dishwasher, and was a bit soft feeling around the raised bit.  By Sunday morning there was a noticeable change.  By Monday morning, I was tripping when I walked around in the kitchen.  It was clear that something had to be done.  We were confused, stymied, unsure as to what would be causing the shift.  There was no sign of leaking around the dishwasher or water anywhere else.

So we made a phone call.  The result of that call is that a couple of the floor boards came up (we have laminate flooring in the kitchen, so it was relatively easy to remove the boards).  Underneath the laminate, we found the foam underlay, and under that, we found first...disintegrating linoleum, and then...hardwood.  But the hardwood looked like this:

It may be difficult to see, but it was obvious to us that the boards had buckled.  Something had to be done.

I was headed to the city the next day, to see my Dad, and help him pick out a memorial for my Mom's grave.  It was decided that work would begin Tuesday morning, and hopefully would be completed before my return.  Seems to me, we've been there before.  At any rate, the plan was to pull up the damaged hardwood and replace it with plywood, and then install the laminate.

Under the damaged hardwood, they found this....(will wonders never cease?) 

 I believe it is an early type of linoleum, that had to be waxed?  If anyone knows better, I'd welcome comments.  (With floors like this, it makes me wonder what colour the walls were!)

The hope was to be able to patch the areas that needed work, and not have to completely take up the old floor.   Well...as times change, so do products.  Not only did the new boards not match the colour of the old ones, but the tongue in groove system had also changed, and no amount of effort was going to make the old tongues fit into the new grooves.

So while I was blissfully away in the city (sort of)...my family was hard at work doing this...

And then 

And finally

It wasn't all done before I came home, but it was mostly done,  and I was home in time to help move everything back into the kitchen.

What caused the problem?  Water. But not from inside.  Somehow, somewhere it is coming in from outside, and going under the floor.  So that is the next project.  And I am glad it is summer and there is no snow to melt and ruin my new floor.