Archive for January, 2009
Floor Refinishing 101
We’re back with more floor refinishing details as promised. First a reminder about why we refinished 600 square feet of our home’s 50-year-old yellowed wood flooring (to match the new prefinished mocha hardwood that we installed in the kitchen, den, laundry nook and half bathroom):
Here’s the yummy after. So much better, right?
When it comes to matching prefinished oak with refinished oak it doesn’t get much closer than that. In fact our wonderful floor guy mixed three batches of stain to come up with the perfect color. The main difference between factory prefinished oak flooring and refinished-on-site oak flooring is that the knots and veins in the wood are a bit more distinct in the sanded and stained refinished floors. But we’re absolutely thrilled with the match-job, it really looks a million times more cohesive and consistent from the moment you step in the door.
But how did those delicious mocha floors come about? Here’s the play by play.
First we asked practically everyone in town for a recommendation- we really wanted a pre-screened floor refinisher since it was sure to be a serious challenge because we wanted to closely match our new flooring. More than one friend recommended the same person so we felt good going with our floor guy (although we did get another estimate just to be sure we were getting the best deal in town).
Then we negotiated a killer deal (saving $300 and coming in at just $900 for 600 square feet by asking our refinisher to sand and restain the existing shoe molding instead of replacing it with costly new wood molding).
Then it was time to completely clear each room- the living room, our three bedrooms and each and every closet within those spaces. We also removed the window treatments in each area, although we did keep the art work on the walls (knowing we’d have to dust it all) since we didn’t have a safe place to store all those fragile glass frames because we already had all of our furniture crammed into the kitchen and the den. We knew that we’d have to clean the sanding dust from the closet shelving and above each door frame and windowsill anyway, so dusting off the pictures in each room seemed doable while we were at it.
We were also sure to tape plastic bags over our heating vents to keep our air filters free of dust during the sanding process that would commence in the the morning. And we hung an old sheet to block renovation dust from invading our kitchen and den where we were storing all of our furniture.
Next our refinisher spent all day sanding the floors (it was actually the longest amount of time a contractor had ever spent in our house- including masons, window guys, kitchen installers, etc). He used one of those professional sanders with a dust bag attached to suck in as much excess dust as possible (but of course we still found some sanding dust atop door frames windowsills and on our closet shelves). He then thoroughly dusted and vacuumed the floors to be sure they were free of dust and shavings.
Then we removed the plastic from our vents and fired up the heat to a toasty 75 degrees before our floor refinisher laid down any stain since we wouldn’t be able to walk on the floors for 20 hours after the stain was applied (heat helps to speed up the drying process).
Our refinisher mixed a few different stain concoctions and applied each one to our stripped flooring (right near the new kitchen hardwood so we could easily identify a match). We all agreed which one was the closest and he went to work applying it throughout the 600 square feet, working towards the front door where he “painted himself out of the house.”
The next morning he arrived to apply the first coat of polyurethane, which only took about 45 minutes but smelled to high heaven so we cracked a few windows before he “painted himself” out of the front door again. Being sensitive to the toxins, we actually arranged to stay with John’s sister for the duration of the polying process due to the nasty smell (and the fear that all the fumes couldn’t be good for us or our tiny pooch). We would definitely recommend arranging to stay with a friend or even at a hotel from the first coat of poly on (we actually didn’t sleep in our house for a full week to ensure that the air was clear)- and would especially caution that anyone who is pregnant or has small children or pets should make it their main goal to stay far far away for as long as possible.
The following morning our floor guy arrived again to apply the second coat of poly (he lightly sanded the first coat before laying it down just as all the experts recommend). This entire process took about an hour and forty five minutes and he again “painted himself” out of the house when he was done. At this point the house was even stinkier (if that’s possible) so we cracked all the windows that we could access (in the den and the kitchen) and although the heat was cranked to 75 degrees to aid in the drying time, we were happy to overwork our heating system a bit in return for some much needed ventilation.
On day four our floor guy returned to apply the third and final coat of poly (and get paid of course!). Apparently three coats of polyurethane are far superior to two- so always check how many coats your refinisher intends to apply (three probably means that you’ve got an expert on your hands).
We then were instructed not to walk on the floors for 48 hours at which point we had the ok to move all of our furniture back into the rooms. Thanks to the holidays we easily stayed clear of our house for three days (extra insurance that everything was dry and the fumes were even more dissipated). And truth be told we actually still smelled some lingering poly chemicals in the air, so we continued to steer clear of our house for a few more days and keep our windows cracked to further vent the fumes (although we lowered the heat back to our normal not-home temp of 64 degrees).
And once we finally got around to putting everything back in it’s place we were beyond thrilled with how our furnishings seemed to pop a little more and look a bit more luxe thanks to the rich mocha flooring underfoot:
And not only in the living/dining room, check out the newly spiffed floor in the third bedroom:
And the guest bedroom:
And our master bedroom:
Even our closets look sleeker with their newly mocha-fied floors. Mmmm.
So there you have it. A step by step breakdown of what to expect when you’re refinishing your floors. Whether you’re doing it yourself or hiring it out, we wish you all the luck in the world… and some glossy and fabulous floors that make all the dust, smell, and chaos totally worth it in the end!
Psst- For more info on the guy we hired to redo our floors (and the entire process) click here.
On The Road Again: Beach Fronts
When our family left town after Christmas last week, we were faced with two options: hang out in our still somewhat-fume-y house (thanks new floors) or escape to my parents’ beach house for a mini-vacation. Decisions, decisions…
So that’s how we found ourselves on the Delaware coast enjoying a few relaxing days of holiday detox. And although it wasn’t bathing suit weather, we did score one unseasonably warm 68-degree day that was perfect for walking the boardwalk sans sweaters. And of course, we brought the camera along to snap a few photos of the envy-inducing beach architecture.
Check out this beachy behemoth that stands a few blocks from the ocean. It shows that if you’re gonna go big, you’d better make a grand entrance. We love those wide steps, window-flanked doors and broad stone path. However, we don’t love the idea of keeping a house that size clean…
On to something not quite as massive: this cottage-y home with a classy rounded stone stairway. We love that they didn’t pass up the opportunity to do something interesting with the often overlooked front steps.
Speaking of stacked stone landscaping, Sherry was pining after the nicely manicured plant beds of this Rehoboth Beach home (which, btw, look pretty lively for December). I, on the other hand, wanted those big picture windows…
…or maybe I just wanted their lakeside view (not to mention they were mere blocks from the beach).
This new construction was up for sale (though no pamphlets were left to check the price, bummer) and we were digging its classic facade, crisp color scheme and welcoming wraparound porch.
But what really caught our eye was its mini-backyard that featured a baby in-ground swimming pool. A reminder to us all that there are understated ways to get your swim on, even if you don’t have a huge piece of land to dig into.
And as much as we love a classic tan-with-white-trim exterior color scheme, having a home at the beach is a great excuse to be brave with color. This one takes baby steps into that bold world with a bright aqua door and a matching stained glass window above. Not a bad start, eh? And we love the crisp stone path and the feathery grasses that flank it- a perfect play on textures.
This home scored big points with us for its Americana vibe. It was sheer genius to use red adirondak chairs to accent the blue and white facade- so much more inventive than expected white ones.
Meanwhile, this bungalow across the street was giving off a bit of a Mediterranean vibe. I don’t think we could ever pull off yellow shutters, but the idea of a deep blue tin roof is very intriguing indeed.
Once on the boardwalk, most of the homes were towering examples of modern construction of which I’m happy not to have seen the price tags. But it was actually this modest beachfront home that called our name. This little guy shows that even a simple decorative railing can really up the curb appeal, even amongst the mansions.
By this point we started to get more distracted by the sand and water, so our camera lens kinda strayed from the rest of the beach front homes. We’ll leave you with this shot of Burger showing off his buff beach bod. Feel free to share it with your female pooches, but be warned- he’s a real heart breaker.
That concludes our report from the beach. We’re already back to reality (i.e. Richmond) but our fleeting taste of sun and sand has us crossing our fingers for summer to come quick.
How’s It Hangin’?
When it comes to hanging curtains we’re not shy about encouraging people to hang them high and wide to visually enlarge the window and add height and drama to any space. Just as influential as paint on the walls, nothing makes a room look more finished than a few floor to ceiling curtain panels. And we’re here to break down a few fast and easy curtain-hanging steps for your convenience. Of course there’s more than one way to skin a cat (that expression is gross, sorry) so here’s a method that works for us (although there are about a million other approaches out there).
Here’s our favorite eight year old’s window sans curtains. You can see how harsh the rectangular frame of the window is, and how naked the entire wall looks. Nothin’ some Ikea curtains can’t fix.
The first step is to determine how high and wide you can go. In this case (where the ceilings are 9 feet tall) we didn’t go all the way to the ceiling (as we do with our 8 foot ones) but we did decide to place the curtains 12″ higher than the top of the window, and 12″ wider on each side. A good way to check that the curtain rod can extend far enough (which is definitely something to figure out before installing the rod hooks) is to lay it on the floor in front of the window and measure your targeted width (in this case adding 12 inches to either side of the window) to ensure that the rod is long enough.
Once we determined that the rod was long enough, we simply used a level to measure 12″ higher than the window frame and another 12″ to the right of the window (and to the left on the other side). Marking the spot with a small penciled “x” was all it took. Then we predrilled a small hole for a plastic anchor, hammered it into place, and drilled the screw right into the anchor to secure the rod hook. No sweat.
In this case we also hung a hook in the middle of the rod for added support (to counteract the dreaded “sagging rod”) which was easily added by measuring 12″ above the center of the window and again using a plastic anchor and a screw to keep the rod hook securely in place.
Here’s the finished product: billowy floor length curtains that can be easily hemmed to just skim the floor (although Princess Olivia loves the pooled look so much that she prefers them as is). Of course colored and even patterned curtains would add even more punch to this space, but Olivia’s minimalist mommy adores the white on white look. And it’s actually a huge trend to hang curtains that closely match the hue of the wall for a seamless and uninterrupted look that draws your eye right out the window. Mission accomplished.
And while many people fear the space between the top of the rod and the window, you can easily see here that it looks perfectly balanced (in fact, we think the window looks choked and crowded when the rod is mounted right on top of the window frame). And you can always cheat things even more by adding some bamboo shades like we did in our living room to hide the 15″ gap above ours. Oh window treatments: how did people ever live without you?!
We hope our lil’ curtain tutorial has been helpful and empowering. John wasn’t even around when I hung the curtains above (his sister Emily and I grabbed the drill and went to town). So if you have a ruler, a level, and a drill you can get ‘er done in about a half hour for a totally polished result. And of course we’d love any and all curtain hanging tips that you guys have picked up over the years. Dish the curtain hanging dirt…
Burning Question: Resolution Roundup
We’ve only recently become resolution people, but oh how quickly Sherry and I have embraced this New Year’s tradition. We’ll spare you all of the personal “improvements” that we’re going to tackle in oh-nine, but we do have a couple of home related resolutions on our list. I, for one, want to tap into my inner carpenter this year and build something – even if it’s just a few flower boxes for the front porch (and the back windows above the patio if Sherry has her way). And Sherry’s making a resolution to hone her entertaining skills by having more friends over for dinner, game nights, etc.
How ’bout you guys? Are you into the whole resolution thing? If so, we wanna know what yours are- especially if they involve any home improvement projects or DIY skillz that you’ve been itching to break out. And who knows, maybe writing them here for all to see will help everyone stick to ‘em a little better. Here’s hoping we do…
Image courtesy of Southern Living
