Sunday, September 12, 2004
Floored
Tired and sticky at the end of a weekend. How often has that happened to me?
So, Friday night Sue throws down the gauntlet. She's sick of the upstairs being torn up. Why can't we do something about it?
OK, I say, lets put the parquet down in Patty's room.
Fine.
Fine.
We have now goaded each other into a shared goal -- refloor Patty's room by the end of the weekend.
We spend Saturday driving around arguing and dithering over prices and colors. Finally we make a decision and buy 750 square feet of solid oak parquet. This will cover Patty's room, our room and the hallway. Since it's stock at Home Depot, we should be able to buy enough for Lucy's room later. I drive home with 250 square feet in the trunk, ready to start. It's 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
We dive right in. Sue and Patty box up Patty's crap, we rip up the carpet and pad and spend the next few hours digging tack strip and staples out of the floor. By 11:00 we have a mostly empty room with a mostly clean floor.
Had the house to myself most of the day. The girls went to church with Ma and Pa. Then Sue picked up Lucy and took her to her LYO audition. I picked up Patty and we proceeded on to Frankfort where we retreived another 200 square feet of wood and another jug o' floor glue.
Home by 3:30 and finally ready to start really working again!
Spreading that glue is like spreading pizza dough. Nasty, smell, viscous glop. Then you set the tiles in it and they shift. Push one over here and that one moves. Straighten it out and that entire row shifts. Sigh.
By the end of the night I got 120 square feet set. It looks good. Very good. I did cover my arms (and legs) with glue that is holy hell to remove. My forearms are now hairless and I still have various dusty floor sweepings glued to me. Oh well, 120 down, 630 to go.
Pictures to follow.
So, Friday night Sue throws down the gauntlet. She's sick of the upstairs being torn up. Why can't we do something about it?
OK, I say, lets put the parquet down in Patty's room.
Fine.
Fine.
We have now goaded each other into a shared goal -- refloor Patty's room by the end of the weekend.
We spend Saturday driving around arguing and dithering over prices and colors. Finally we make a decision and buy 750 square feet of solid oak parquet. This will cover Patty's room, our room and the hallway. Since it's stock at Home Depot, we should be able to buy enough for Lucy's room later. I drive home with 250 square feet in the trunk, ready to start. It's 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
We dive right in. Sue and Patty box up Patty's crap, we rip up the carpet and pad and spend the next few hours digging tack strip and staples out of the floor. By 11:00 we have a mostly empty room with a mostly clean floor.
Had the house to myself most of the day. The girls went to church with Ma and Pa. Then Sue picked up Lucy and took her to her LYO audition. I picked up Patty and we proceeded on to Frankfort where we retreived another 200 square feet of wood and another jug o' floor glue.
Home by 3:30 and finally ready to start really working again!
Spreading that glue is like spreading pizza dough. Nasty, smell, viscous glop. Then you set the tiles in it and they shift. Push one over here and that one moves. Straighten it out and that entire row shifts. Sigh.
By the end of the night I got 120 square feet set. It looks good. Very good. I did cover my arms (and legs) with glue that is holy hell to remove. My forearms are now hairless and I still have various dusty floor sweepings glued to me. Oh well, 120 down, 630 to go.
Pictures to follow.
// posted by Frank L. Dempsey @ 11:34 PM 
