When last I left you on the house saga the flooring nail gun had died late in the afternoon on Saturday night and we weren’t able to get one from the rental places. Â Well Sunday morning we were up and back at the house. Â While we waiting for the store to open our son Buck started framing the little bathroom in the basement. Â When he was about half done it was time for to head out to the rental place.
I went not knowing if they’d carry one or if it was already rented out. Â Lucky us, they had one. Â I hurried home. Â Buck, Hubby and I started working on the flooring.
Everything went really well. Â With a good working nail gun it can take two people to keep boards moving for one fast nail guy.
I left at about noon to make lunch. Â When the guys came to eat they were about as far along as we had hoped to be Saturday night. Â We knew we would have to hustle if we were going to get the main level floor boards for the addition done.
…and hustle we did. Â At about 1:30 Craig came. Â Hubby started working on odd spots where we had to “back nail”. Â The boards have tongues and grooves. Â Ideally when laying floor the nails are supposed to in on the tongue side. Â Occasionally it doesn’t work quite right and the nails have to go the other direction when working in a closet. Â For that a different nail gun and used so Hubby and Craig started doing that. Â It’s a much slower process.
Buck is a hard worker and when he gets something stuck in his head…watch out! Â He was determined to get that main floor done before he left. Â He had me hopping. Â I learned way more about a tape measure and a chop saw than I had ever imagined I’d know. Â I learned how to cut and work around the heat vents too.
You can see now that the boards are all mismatched and the colors look inconsistent. Â That’s because we got boards from several different places. Â Some are from the house that we took out before we tore the old part off. Â Some are from that old farm house. Â Even in the farm house some of the boards were finished in one style and some in another. Â If it would look right I would just sand them a little and leave them in their mismatch pattern but it won’t look right with the rest of the house so we’ll be sanding them all with the hope that we can get a somewhat uniform finish.
We finished up in the very late afternoon but the next problem…all the floors had to be cover and the woodwork all had to be covered too so the dry wall guy could come. Â Buck left as he had a 2 hour drive home and Kalissa came and helped as she was off her shift at the nursing home…she brought food with her. Â It was a welcomed treat!
I have to say….my body hurts pretty much everywhere! Â If I am up and moving around I’m okay but as soon as I sit down I stiffen up and feel sore. Â It’s a good kind of hard work accomplished sore though.
By the time we ran out of supplies to cover stuff it was past 9pm.
Once home I wrote the morning blog post and fell into bed. Â I was exhausted…and no, I didn’t even take a shower.
As tired and sore as I am…I absolutely positively elated! Â I love seeing the wood flooring….and those days and days on end of working on it this summer are finally coming together.
For the most part, all of our almost 29 years of being married I have lived in houses that Hubby’s bosses have provided(there were 4 different bosses in all). Â I’ve had very little input of the flooring choices or if the flooring was ever updated. Â I have hated that. Â I vowed if we ever bought a house I wanted wood flooring. Â I never wanted to wait around for someone else to decided whether I could get new flooring or not. Â I’ve lived with stained carpet that I could do nothing about. Â I’ve lived with carpet on the stair steps that had holes. Â Once I hooked the heal of my shoe in the hole and while pregnant took a tumble down three steps. Â I’ve lived with one boss who bought new carpet in his own home and took the old carpet and put it our house….and it was ugly carpet too…
I vowed that I would NEVER have carpet. Â Rugs yes…carpet no. Â I can’t easily clean them. Â The wood floors will never be dated…and I don’t have to wait for money or wait for a man to decide that the flooring can have an upgrade. Â As long as I clean them, they’ll always look good.
I have to say…seeing that flooring installed was one of the best parts of working on this house to date….no they aren’t finished but I sure am happy.
Speaking of my vow against carpet…Hubby and I counted up boards and did a little estimation. Â We think we have enough of the floor boards left to do the upstairs hallway and sewing room…and may, just maybe the bathroom too. Â So once the drywall guy goes, we’ll be back to flooring the upstairs…I can’t wait..oh and keep your fingers crossed that there truly is enough flooring for the project.
The floors look WONDERFUL!! I love the mismatched look of them! So modern! Congratulations to all of the hard workers!
A hot bath with epsom salts really helps a body heal and relax. Even table salt in place of epsom salts is helpful. You deserve a nice soak!
Floors look great! You are all such hard workers, but I know it will be worth it in the end. Be good to yourself!
Wow! They’re going to look great when they’re all sanded and finished.
I love wood and I think your floors will look lovely even if they are high contrast. When I google image wood floors I think the most striking ones have varied color!
I already love how yours look. It will be beautiful. Wish I could have a bottle of your energy!
I love the floors! I think the different woods gives character since the house is older. Oh if those boards could talk…just think of the happy times they could tell about. The house is beginning to look like a home instead of a construction site. You sure have great kids!
I have wood floors a swell, Love my hoover floor mate using amonia & water to clean them, every other year I use Old English on them to give them some love!
Your floors are great! I know what you mean of a good ache as I had to help put down new vinyl plank in our kitchen recently and I was very sore. I learned how to use the electric screw driver and had fun taking the base boards off and back on.
Looks great! Can’t wait to see the finished house!
Of all the rooms I would not put wood in is the bathroom. I would put tile or other flooring. It is easy to clean and easy to replace. IF and that is a big IF you run out of wood flooring the bathroom is where I would leave to another type of flooring. Just a thought.
YOUR KIDS (and Craig, too!) ARE FANTASTIC! The house is coming together now:)
I too love the mismatched look of the floor boards! I am so tired of having carpet. When we bought our place, they had just put new carpet throughout the house. I just couldn’t bring myself to rip up new carpet to put in wood. It’s been almost 4 years now and we still have carpet. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you to have enough to finish your project!
Honey, don’t give up on the flooring. Somewhere, somehow there is extra flooring waiting for you. Keep up the search and you won’t have to cross fingers or anything else.
A lovely long story to read today and keeping fingers crossed for your floor boards :)
I love the floors and like you I hate carpet love the wood.
Congratulations Jo… You have had the courage to jump right in with hubby to make this home what you want it to be!! When my hubby and I renovated our 100 year old home, I learned all about stripping boards for windows & stripping doors, learned to use all types of measure instruments, learned to use saws, levels, and lot more than I wanted to learn. But it was fun, and I could say that “we did everything ourselves (hubby, me and our kids)! It was a great feeling when we got moved in. You will SOON be able to sit back and say the same thing!
I bet you are still sore! It’s very hard work! I bet it will look nice when itis sanded and finsihed.