ITs quite possible I will never have a free weekend again... or not for a long time! Still in the very early stages of the "this old house makeover"!
SO today we (Mom has been helping out a little too) loaded up the yard debris we cleared up last week onto the trailer to take to the dump, we had 3 piles larger than this one pictured....but by the time we got it loaded the dump was closed! grrrr so now I will have to wait till next week to take it...I could get up super early before work one day this week and take it,,,,but I donnnnntttt know about that. That would be a days work before a days work!
Meanwhile I am taking one room and getting started on the "make better". This room has a couple of issues but the main one is the FLOOR! I was so busy I forgot to take a proper "before" but if you look at this photo Ive shown before and the room at the end with the double windows you see that tan carpet?
Underneath that is another carpet a brown shag from the 70's --Groovy right? WRONG-
I hate carpet..this was the LAST ROOM that needed to have carpet removed well and that french glass door leads to a small room we called "the Office" it was where we kept a desk and all our paper work, it has carpet and that will be removed too...
ok it has 2 layers of carpet too..but the dining room has the 2 layers of carpet and A layer of TILE! And the tile is on a underlayment sheeting and trust me they used long nails every 6 inches square when they put this tile down back in probably the 50's?
You cant really see the tile this black stuff is the remains of black carpet padding that stuck to the old tile...
and under all that is the pretty pine wood floor that has never been finished! Once this old stuff is literally "peeled" off with Intensive back breaking labor, the wood floor will get sanded and varnished to hopefully match the other floor! IT took me an hour to remove this one section that's about 4 x 5 and it looks like there's about 4 more of the same! Probably take all day tomorrow to get it off!
LOOK AT ALL THESE NAILS..I dont think the fellow that put this down missed one single nail and these nails are 3 inches LONG!! I mean really? Did they need this many? Holy Moly!
Im trying to not do too much damage to the floor underneath but Its not easy!
I'm half way thinking of doing the same in the kitchen, can you PLEASE talk me out of it?
PLEASE, enlighten me as to WHY I dont need to do that! It has Vinyl on it now and I know there are 2 layers of that and possibly a layer of linoleum under that and a layer of this horrible underlayment with nails every 6 inches!! AND yes the dated curtains are gonna go too!!
Footnote: to anyone reading this as of today, June 14, 2016 here is the finished room
PEACE
NOPE...I will not be the one to talk you out of doing this. LOL! It will be worth it and you will love it. :D
ReplyDeleteMy oh my ... the WORK!!!! Like Jean says, it will be worth it when all is said and done. But the only way to do it all and keep your sanity is to start to enjoy the work! Hey, you may get to enjoy it so much you'll make it your business (I don't think so).
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a hell of a task you've got there Sondra.
ReplyDeleteLove to help, but yer just a little too far away lol
Seriously, don't overdo it though.
HI Sondra...Dear me....been there done that!! Nails must have been cheap back then, but on the other hand some of the goo that has been used is miserable to remove too!! yuck!!
ReplyDeleteGirl I don't envy you or want to help you LOL..... I can try to talk you out of the kitchen, but you know it will bug you and you will be doing it once you see how great this room your doing looks ; )
Tell Mom to take it easy, and you too!!
GOOD LUCK!!
Grace
Wow I do not envy your work load! But nope, not talking you out of it. That room the french doors lead to looks like it will be awesome once you redo the floors- so worth it! Two layers of carpet- scary! I keep putting off ripping up my carpet, think I'll save it till it's warm enough to open windows while I do it. Sending much luck (and energy) your way..
ReplyDeleteI feel weary just looking at this and the last post Sondra! I wish I had just one tiny bit of your self motivation to tackle the huge list of renovation jobs that need doing here. That floor looks like back breaking work, you be careful!
ReplyDeleteSuch abundance of nails really makes one asking questions! Super sticking floor... or just the damaged base.
ReplyDeleteThere obviously is a lot of work to be done yet to get the floor you imagine but it will be a fine one. Forget the kitchen until you're finished here, then you can move on! ;)
I agree with Petra, try to think about one thing at a time or you're really going to drive yourself crazy (crazier?) And probably take Mom with you. LOL You know it will all turn out beautifully, but try not to overdo.
ReplyDeleteWork work work ;>) (don't try to do that dump run before going to your "other" job...that's tooooo much and it probably wouldn't be open that early anyway).... by coincidence, our granddaughter just facebooked about taking up carpet in their house....her words were just about the same as yours. (I just thought oh my gosh, the third generation of remodelers!).
ReplyDeleteWe are letting the linoleum on the stairway treads go. Why? Because we must have free weekends at some point! We hear you and hope you can find some time for restorative nature outings. :)
ReplyDeleteThe work is backbreaking hell. But someday when the sun slants across that beautiful pine floor your pride will glow just as the floor does!
ReplyDelete