I think you can see where my mind has been the past few days. We have been in a battle with this floor for a week and a half. It has been under carpet for years, then let to get beat up for years after that.
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I think you can see where my mind has been the past few days. We have been in a battle with this floor for a week and a half. It has been under carpet for years, then let to get beat up for years after that.
The past seven years it was just let go to the point that it has no finish, with a ton of ground-in dirt. The home is being repaired now, so the drywall and paint guys made a HUGE mess on the floor. We were asked to sand it, but it is 5/16 T&G worn out to the point that the nails are showing. The new owners do not want it to look new, but they don't want it to look too old and beat up. We started with sprits and the 2/0 steel wool pad, then 100-grit paper on the buffer. We hand-sanded all the walls and then finished with the 120 to hide the scratch. The finish that's left is so hard to match, plus the old stain is here and there, but it's not here, then more there and not there… with a lot missing here. So, we cannot use the big machine, and the edger is out. The hand-work is a big task, plus getting it to look the same is just frustrating.
We took before and after photos to show you the floor, but I do not think they will show the real story:
This is a 2,000-foot job and we are just now getting down to the last rooms. What makes it less fun is the other trades want to be on the job, plus the homeowners need to be in next week. They are in Florida right now but are moving here after the 4th. I know we talked about this job last week, but it has been taking more labor (hand-work) then we wanted. I should have this job done already.
Good news: The phone is ringing some; I went and looked at three estimates last night. Two will be a snap, but one is a going to be a pain because they kicked the other floor guy off the job. So we were asked to pick up the task and make it look good. I did not see what he did wrong other than try to take them for money, as it's an insurance job. The guy is trying to get more funds out of them but is not being honest. It was a water leak from the start but this guy took out 700 feet of tile to fix the problem....700 feet down to the subfloor. The tile will dry, and the plywood was not that wet.
They want wood where the carpet is now, but they have to pay for the upgrade. I told them the insurance company will repair or replace what was there, not remodel your home from 1970 to 2011. I do not understand how folks think at times... Oh, they also want me to cover the deductible!
I am working on that estimate tonight but the other two are done and in the mail. We had to pull off the 2,000 foot job so the other trades can get done; we made it clear that no one can be in the house next week while we do the last rooms on the first floor. So Joey and I are going to do a quick install today-less than 200 feet in a bedroom. The homeowners are away while we do the work, however "she" wants to see one room installed before we do the rest of the house. It is a small job-only 600 feet total-all factory-finish 3/4 nail-down, and if they would let us roll we can have that done Friday, plus trim it all out. That is okay, we will have happy homeowners and the last 300-400 feet will be easy. It's just going back that we do not like-gas and time.
It was the last week with Joey for a long time; he is off to railroad school for six weeks of class. It has been a ton of fun working with him again, plus the timing has been great for this 2,000-foot hand-working task of a floor... thank you, Joey.
Well, off to the install and to play around with Joey, we will be able to get this one room installed faster than a chicken on a June bug. The good thing for me is this home has indoor plumbing, so they cannot mess with me and Blue John!
