Goo Be Gone

The contractors have begun staining the floors of The Box House with Minwax Special Walnut. This pic shows the bedroom on floor two that gave Ted and me the worst time when we pulled up the carpets. While we were able to to tear out the carpet and padding ourselves, we couldn't remove all of the gummy glue used to keep the carpet in place. The floor contractors were able to sand it smooth and the stain looks marvelous. They did a fantastic job around the radiators, too, using small hand sanders.

There will be two coats of finish on top of this, which they'll begin applying on Monday.

The quality of old house construction staggers me. Our condo has wood floors, too, which were thrown in as part of a St. Patrick's Day special (the builders were Irish). But the wood, while pretty, is little more than a veneer, and very susceptible to damage. The planks at The Box House are more than half an inch thick, and could probably even withstand several more sandings before hitting the center groove--not that we plan on resanding again in the next few decades.

When budget allows, we'll be scattering around oriental rugs in all major traffic areas to minimize wear and tear, and all the furniture will have felt pads. I'm not sure how well my "no shoes in The Box House" policy will fair, but don't be surprised when I stare pointedly at your feet when you come by for a visit--it's not because I like your shoes. :-)

Love is the thing that enables a woman to sing while she mops up the floor after her husband has walked across it in his barn boots. —Hoosier Farmer