Remember this game from the arcades and county fairs as a kid? Whack-a-Mole? Photo CreditI had the chance to play the same game with my husband on Monday night. You see, our kitchen originally had some laminate floors that had been installed on plywood over the sub-floor. In preparation for installing the hardwoods we needed to remove the plywood to have an even sub-floor throughout. You would think it would have been a priority to check that the sub-floor was in good condition with some time to … [Read more...]
music to my ears
My hubby knows I'm handy and can hold my own for most DIY projects but he shudders at the thought of me touching any electrical project. I've never done anything that would cause this concern so I just assume he's being an overprotective husband. Boys. I took advantage that he was preoccupied to tackle the doorbell and thermostat for the air conditioner. Minor electrical components but extremely easy to do if you follow the directions. These were things he has been putting off for weeks and I … [Read more...]
budget? what budget?
So you know how we intended to have all of our existing hardwoods refinished and some new ones installed in just some areas? We just had to throw that idea out the window and all of our existing floors with it. We knew our floors were damaged and that more of the damage would be apparent when the sanding started but we didn't expect it to be a total loss. Termites eat wood from the bottom and sideways so the top sometimes looks better than the full board. Here is what we were working with … [Read more...]
pitter patter of little feet
Not baby feet....furry, little animal feet! The sound of little dog and cat paws running around hardwoods is music to my ears. We got really lucky that half the house had original red oak solid plank floors. Most of it was actually covered with ancient, nasty looking (and smelling!), orange carpet. The floors were stained in a beautiful dark chestnut brown but badly damaged from termites in certain areas. One of the guestrooms was so bad it had to be completely ripped out. We are having the … [Read more...]
surprises in every corner
There is never a dull moment when you start renovating a home built in 1953 that has had little, if any, updating since that year. Design styles were quite interesting in Florida during that time and I question the sanity of the people who designed and decorated this property. Exhibit A - There is a planter with a waterfall in our family room. Yes, you read that correctly. That brown hole in the corner is a planter full of dirt and mulch about two to three feet deep. Those little protruding … [Read more...]
girst home delivery
We got our appliances yesterday! We get a great discount directly from Whirlpool through my company so we took advantage and bought these beauties:The delivery might be a bit premature since our kitchen currently looks like this but apparently I was being a bit optimistic when I set the delivery date.We are making progress though! The kitchen is definitely an improvement over this:The new appliances are now nestled in their boxes and plastic wrap in the corner of the family room where they will … [Read more...]
