Let's Review...

Hi Jules!

Before my review, yes I am stalling, I just want to say that I too love wood floors.  Okay, yeh, I painted mine, but still the feel of wood with 2 or 3 coats of paint and finish is just yummy on my bare feet!  I know that you have more for us and I can't wait to see it!

So for my review~ Ugh!

In my first post I mentioned my water reclamation project.  Well, I still have a bigger project in mind, but my shed is still supplying plenty of water to the two 30 gal plastic trash cans that the gutter flows into, or into which the gutter flows (for the grammerians out there :o). 

I have 6 more plastic trash cans that are not yet integrated into the system, but hey that doesn't mean they don't collect any water.  I have placed these individual containers in strategic spots around the house.  These spots are just below valleys in the roof line and when it starts to rain I go out and pull off all the tops to catch the rain.  Not the greatest use of equipment I grant you, but hey, but it works until I get the will to improve things further.

Oh, no, finishing the dining room floor.  Augh!  I have completely finished that one square that was so messed up, but the rest of the floor...well, not so much.  I can go into a whine about having so much to do all the time, but then I use that complaint for everything, so I am sure that you have it memorized.  Just add another verse and maybe, just maybe this will be completed someday. 

Now the painting of the stripes around the ceiling; that is actually coming along.  Why you ask is that going better than the floor?  Maybe because it is a smaller project, maybe because it involves color and not just shades of gray or maybe because I get to stand up while I work rather than getting  down on the floor.  Who knows, but here is a picture of the progress.

The cornice over the window.  Done!  Let me say that again, 'cuz this is the only item that I can say this about~~ DONE!  Of course I am not completely satisfied with how the window looks now, but you couldn't pay me enough to mention what additions I am considering.  I can only handle stating so many incomplete goals at one time without permanent damage to my self esteem.

Slip covers for the furniture....yeh....don't hold your breath on this one. 

Washing the windows.  This may actually get done. Small and accomplishable.  (Small meaning just the dining room window-no guarantees on the other windows)

May Garage Clean Out.  This weekend, I mean it, this weekend more will be accomplished on the goal....really....I mean it...........really.

Cheers,

              Bud

Love Wood Floors!

Let’s talk about one of my many ‘favorite’ things in interior design – wood floors. There are so many advantages to them it’s hard to know where to start. First the look is completely unbeatable. They are beautiful to the eye, easy on the feet and legs, and have a natural warmth to them. I love the depth of color and texture in the wood because they are made from a ‘living’ substance. All in all, wood floors make a very comfortable, livable and visually pleasing space to live and work.

The variety of floors we have available to us is really quite remarkable. In our area of the country we predominately use a red oak sand and finish floor. It is installed with raw wood, one plank at a time, and then stained and finished. If the house is being built or is having major remodeling, we put down a “nail down” floor. If however, you are living in the house and decide you want wood floors, we now have the option of a “glue down” red oak wood that can be sanded and finished and looks just like the nail down. (Putting in a nail down floor after the house is completed would require changing the height of the baseboards because the nail down floor has a plywood sub-floor first. Most people do not want to go to that hassle. In addition, the process for a nail down floor takes much longer than a glue down floor and most people tire of the disruption before the process is complete.) Both the nail down and the glue down boards come in multiple widths. In the ‘old days’ most every floor plank was 2 ¼” wide. Today we have the options of 2 1/4” 3” , 4”, 5”, 6” wide planks. I have just finished 2,000 square feet of a scraped 6” floor that is simply breathtaking (see above and left).

Both the glue down and the nail down wood can be sanded smooth or scraped, with or against the grain. How you scrape a floor makes a significant difference in the feel of the room. If you scrape against the grain it will be more rustic and ‘lodge’ looking. You will see darker spots in the floor as the stain sinks into the roughness of the exposed grain. Scraping them with the grain can give you the best of both worlds. It still gives the durability of scraping and yet is more elegant, has a comfortable, upscale feel. Sanding floors smooth is timeless and I love it, (see below) AND you have to be mentally prepared for the floors to show more wear and tear. If you have dogs or small children, I usually don’t recommend sanding the floors smooth. Every time the dog skids across the floor with its nails gripping the wood, you have the chance of seeing those skids marks, though slight, in the polyurethane coating on the floor. Over time, those marks really add up.

The variety in wood is extensive and begs for another post, check back in a couple of days. But for today, red oak scraped with the grain and red oak sanded smooth. Wood floors beautify any space, add value to the home and are extremely livable. I would recommend them to anyone. They are more expensive than carpet and you must figure in area rugs when you’re considering the budget on wood floors, but they are well worth the minimal life disruption during installation and the cost, if your budget allows. Enjoy!

Stop the Presses. . .

Jules!

 You just have to check out this blog about eating on only $1.00 a day - http://www.grocerycouponguide.com/articles/eating-well-on-1-a-day-day-12-score/ .  I am so inspired by this amazing use of purchasing power I just have to share it.  Not only is it amazing frugality, but the local food bank is making out like a bandit as well.  I will have to work very hard to be as good as this with my couponing, but hey, goals are what keeps us moving forward, right?

Today's progress in the Great May Garage Cleaning

Before

After

Still much more to do!