Mar 2, 2015

New Hardwood Floors - Preparation


I'm sending a big high-five out to everyone because we all made it to March! For me this has been a hard winter because it was unusually cloudy here. I'm one of those people who needs the sunlight to keep my brain from turning to mush, so I've had a bad case of brain fog the past few weeks. I know the arrival of March and more sunshine means I'll be feeling more like my old self soon. 

I know many of you are sick of winter too, so 

HIGH-FIVE!

We made it to March and spring is just around the corner!

Our new floor project is progressing right along. The first weekend we packed up all our small stuff, and my husband lugged the boxes upstairs to store in the loft.

 Last weekend he moved the furniture and rugs out.

 You know how your hair always looks great the day before your haircut, and you start to rethink your appointment with your stylist? 

 We're going through that with our old maple floors. They're looking pretty good to us all of a sudden, and we experienced a little floor replacer's remorse over the weekend. I think that's only natural, since we've lived with these pretty floors for almost twenty-five years and have many good memories of fun family times on them. The reality is they're worn to the nub and can't be refinished again, and it's time to move-on.

Probably because the sun is shining into these rooms again after a long dark winter, I'm loving our wide open empty living room without the furniture. I'm feeling inspired to rearrange the furniture when we put it back in. 

Ah-Ha! I feel a twinge of excitement and motivation breaking through my fog!

You can see here in the dining room how the floor darkened around the rug over time, but not under it. I'm not sure how or if this can be avoided with the new floors. Any ideas?

 The wood for the new floor is coming on Tuesday to acclimate for a week before installation. Meanwhile, we're living back here in the family room. Do you like the new Manchester Tan walls my husband painted over the weekend? And can you believe we fit all this furniture in here? Our leather sectional is so huge, we sometimes forget how large this room really is, but we were still able to fit the living room sofa and big reading chair and second ottoman in here. Tucker's memory foam bed (usually over in the corner) takes up a pretty big chunk of real estate, too. That's his favorite blue toy with him, and his blankie. I can't believe my big old tough black lab has a blankie, but he does! He loves it!

 Here's where the rest of our furniture is, in the master bedroom, which is off the dining room. It was way easier to move it all in here instead of to the back of the house or upstairs to the loft. The coffee tables are stacked in the closet, and we have even pressed the master bathroom into service. We can close and tape off this bedroom door and tape off the opening to the kitchen so the dust will be contained to the rooms getting new floors. Meanwhile, we're sleeping in the guest room. It's working out great so far, so it wasn't necessary for me to be such a cry baby about it. I'm feeling rather sheepish about that because the anticipation was far worse than the reality. 

Thanks for coming by to check out the floor update. Demo on the old floors starts later this week, so I hope you come on back to see the mess (and fun).

22 comments:

  1. Laurel, I am so excited for you. You won't regret it once it's done.
    It's gonna be AWESOME!



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  2. If there's a lot of sun coming in, I don't see how you can avoid the lightening of floors with a rug. I don't have that problem because I can't use rugs. My pupsters think rugs are puppy pads.
    Brenda

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  3. So funny I always have my best hair day right before an appointment! Very hard to keep floor color from changing when the sun pours in. Tinted insulated windows are the best defense since I know you don't won't to close off the windows. I need sunlight, too and hate blinds and curtains being shut. Oh, I feel your pain living in a mess, but it will be worth it.

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  4. Tinted windows are absolutely the best way to protect rugs, floors and furniture. And they really don't darken your rooms too much ~ my holographic prisms still get more than enough sun to create gorgeous rainbows!!

    Be careful ~ we're supposed to get down to 23* tomorrow night ~ ick!!!

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  5. Your new floors are beautiful!!
    Thanks so much for stopping by and for leaving such a nice comment on my post 57 Shades of Gray!!

    Hugs,
    Debbie

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  6. Have you done a spring happy dance yet? You have all of that room to do so :)

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  7. All the mess and work will be sooo worth it! But, you are right. The floors look pretty good to me also. I had to laugh at you hair style appointment. I thought it only happened to me. LOL

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  8. Can`t wait to see the new floors. I love your house, Laurel!

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  9. Very exciting...can't wait to see your new floors!!

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  10. It looks so fabulous I don't wonder you're rethinking it!!! The rooms look enormous without the furniture. I can't wait to work on my floors and widen the opening into my dining room.

    Enjoy the old while it's still there!

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  11. I even love your home without furniture! That took some effort, but your new floors will be gorgeous. Can't wait to see what comes next!

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  12. ohhh how exciting. Demo? will you be ripping up the old floors? If so, what will happen to them? ;)

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  13. Such an exciting project! Our houses always are messy during the transformations, but it's worth it in the end!

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  14. The floors look great. I can relate, I'm a sun person too. The snow is here again today, sigh. March is here so let's hope sun warmth are here soon

    Cindy

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  15. Hi, Laurel! I think we all have brain fog at this point....so over winter here too! The floors will look so good when they're all done. I have a hard time with some changes and that would have been hard for me too. Can't wait to see the end result!! Anyway, I have a new post up with our big family news. :) Have a great week! ~ Jamie

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  16. Laurel, love your charming little cottage (especially all the white millwork). Looking forward to seeing it with new floors! And also, thanks for stopping by my blog--- Melissa

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  17. Hi Laurel, We just had new floors installed and I know how much work it is to move everything out. We had an inch of dust over everything and our house is just getting back to normal. It will be worth it when your new floors are in.
    xx,
    Sherry

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  18. I hopped over from A Stroll Thru Life. I am sure your new floors will look fabulous. I have been wanting to snad mine back for quite some time now but can't bear to go through the mess of sanding, maybe it would be easier to actually replace them as you are. Mine are a reddish wood and I wan't more of a white washed look. Can't wait to see it finished and furniture back in place.

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  19. Laurel, I thought the photos were your new floors. lol! It's hard to tell that they are worn in the photos. I don't think there's anything that can be done about the natural light changing the color around a rug. I would like to replace my carpet in the family room and make the entire area all wood. I think I'll wait a year or two longer until the wood in the kitchen is more worn. Can't wait to see your new floor!
    hugs,
    Jann

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  20. Good luck on the new floor installation and cannot wait to see them!

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  21. Hi Laurel, you will love the new floors. It will be gorgeous.
    Hugs, CM

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  22. I can't wait to see the reveal, Laurel! Our floors look much the same as your maple floors, but they are going to have to last as long as we do!! It'll be worth all the back breaking labor when all is said and done. Best of luck!

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