Friday, June 25, 2010

Housework/Sanding the floors

It has been a long time since any floor sanding has happened in this house. We hired people when we first moved in. They removed the old linoleum from the kitchen, exposing the beautiful hardwood. They sanded off the old paint on the upstairs floors letting the golden glow of the pine floors come through. Most of the floors haven't been done since except for Tom sanding the kitchen floor many years ago.

We decided to do the floors which were in the worse shape: the kitchen (along with the new pine floor in the new butt'ry) and the entrance hall.

This gives you an idea of how they looked.



Yesterday we moved everything out of the kitchen except the refrigerator and stove.



And today, the fridge and stove went out - the fridge on the side lawn, plugged in through the kitchen window, and the stove on the porch.



And here's Mr. Sandman! The ribbons from the lights are to prevent him bumping his head on them.


My part in this is such a hard one. Let's see, I'm reading some of your blogs and reading my book and keeping the dogs company in the two rooms they must live in, the living room and study, until this work is done. We've got the sander rented until Monday morning. Tom has just finished the initial sanding, and will soon begin to put on the polyurethane. It will need two coats. Stay tuned!

16 comments:

  1. I think I could handle the job of blog reading and keeping the dogs company. Anything more complicated might end in disaster if it were me.

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  2. I know it's going to look beautiful... but what an ambitious project! The picture of the refrigerator on the side lawn makes me smile. You've got a busy weekend ahead. Good luck!

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  3. My mother has hardwood floors, also. They were last sanded back in the 1970s and do need sanding now. Since my dad is deceased, it will probably never be done.

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  4. Our floors are as bad as yours in some places...esp. around the kitchen table.

    We are still a year or two away from having to do it, so I'm interested in how it goes for you, as we are not sure if we will do it ourselves or hire it done.

    And....well done Tom!

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  5. Your floors will be beautiful. I have pine floors in my one year old woods home. Everyone compliments them.

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  6. Your house is lovely. I think Tom should be wearing a mask!

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  7. Nothing like nice wood floors. What a difference; looking great Nan

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  8. I tend to have your type of job too when something needs to done on the house!! Those floors are going to be beautiful! Why would anyone put linoleum over a hardwood floor????

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  9. Well, Andi, Tom did a great job! No way I could've done it.

    JoAnn, he has now started today's sanding. He finished last night at five. The fridge has worked out well. We can go out and get stuff from it without going through the sanding areas.

    Gigi, this makes me feel sad.

    Niki, when you decide to do it, email me and I'll tell you all the info about doing it yourselves. We saved a LOT of money.

    Ernestine, I've seen how beautiful they are from your photos!

    Call me madam, thanks! He's alright. Every window is open in the house. He said to tell you he did start off with a mask but it fogged up his glasses!

    Diane, they will never look like the ones you can buy in the flooring stores, but they are MUCH better than they were!

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  10. Staci, probably so they wouldn't have to go through this sanding process! :<)

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  11. I spent most of today vacuuming blinds in the wake of our refinished floors. Tip for the future, when having floors refinished, take the blinds down first. If only I had thought of that earlier.

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  12. Good idea, Thomas! :<) I left some things out that I should have put away, too. I spent much of yesterday dusting off the butt'ry shelves and what was left on them.

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  13. Love to see a photo of the finished re-finished floors. What a job.
    BTW, I love the 'blue' trim in your home...I can't remember what that shade is called.

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  14. Jill, I plan to put some pictures here today! I don't recall the name of the trim either. It has been 11 years since it was painted! That's the next big project.

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  15. You were so smart to rent a sander! My dad has finnished few hardwood floors, each time with a hand held belt sander! It was such hard work for him. Your floors look beautiful now!

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  16. Chelle, Tom says it isn't hard to run at all. In fact the time before when we rented it, the kids helped push it along. I feel badly for your dad- that must have been so much work. The cost was about $200 in all - for the rental, the polyurethane, and the sandpaper.

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