One of our readers, David Watson, received a book of hardwood flooring advice written in 1906 by F. G. Odell that contains some amusing tips, which he was kind enough to share with us. We're hoping this tip from the book is one you don't need:
"A great many carpenters are unfortunately addicted to the tobacco chewing habit, and a goodly percentage of this number are careless about where they expectorate. It is very unpleasant for the owner of a building, and he usually makes it unpleasant for the contractor when his hot air registers are loaded up with tobacco quids and spittle left by the carpenter who finishes the floor. It is probable that a few readers of our readers would be guilty of such an indiscretion, but there are a lot of such fellows in Nebraska, and it is in the hope that this may meet their eye that this friendly word of caution is dropped."
The author also wrote that real contractors don't drag around "sacks of shavings as cushions"—he's referring to an early version of kneepads. Gulp.
Here are a few pages of the book, courtesy of its owner. Don't miss the section describing an installer's going rate in the early 1900s.
