Hi, well we are finally putting down this hard wood floor that we got, at the demolition sale. We got all the rental equipment last night and got a start on it then. It seems to be going quite smoothly. Have to get on it early this morning, as dd birthday party is tonight. We have to sand the floor, do that another weekend, I am so excited, even though it has the old finish still on it, it looks awesome. I have been living on plywood floors for two years, as the carpet we had was toast. We cut boards for the floor untill 12 last night untill we seen the neihbour next door shut off all his lights, we shut it down, the older couple is around 70, and we really like them they are so nice, we used their light shutting off as our quitting time. Well must go, and get ready for a new day!

By Trina~moderator on Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 01:43 pm:

Sounds like quite a project! I hope installation continues to go smoothly.

By Mrse on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 10:54 am:

Well dh and bil, worked on the floor untill 7 last night, while birthday company was still here, I finally told them to shut it down. we still have a few more strips to go down, but not much at all. I love the floor, dh can not wait to put the new varnish on it. With any luck we will do our den today while we have the equipment.
We gave my sister and bil, some flooring to do their living room, but we rented the tools to put our livingroom floor down and the den, and whatever was left over was going to my sister's. My bil, started getting kind of ignornant, and said that oh no, we are doing the living room, then, they are going to rent the tool next weekend and do his living room, and if their is any left over they will do our den. Ok now I have a problem, their is still tons of wood, and I want to get my floor done, while I am already putting the rental money out for the tools, why should we waste rental time and stop doing our floors? Last weekend I told him to measure the boards, and take his wood home, as I was over raught with wood, that was in the house, we could not even function it was in the living room behind my chair and my chair had gotten pushed out in the middle of the living room because of it, well at that point he said no, I don't want to take any home, we will do all yours first. Not sure when he decided that he made the decisions. HE was giving dh a hard time last night saying he spends every weekend over here doing renovations, and what do we do for him, well, first off, it is not every weekend, he does help, but we have done two projects in two years. Dh and I have talked about this last night, and we are not asking him to help with the rest of the floor or any future projects. When bil does projects at their house dh always offers to help and he laughs and says ah no, I can do it myself I don't neeed any help! kind of ignornant!!

By Karen~moderator on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 11:24 am:

I wouldn't ask him to help me with anything else in the future. I agree with you, wanting to finish the job you began at your place, while you have the rental tools.

When you are soliciting help on home projects, it's always tricky, and there's always the possibility someone's going to throw that in your face. I always felt guilty asking people to help us move, or work on something, etc.

As for myself, I'm the kind of person who, if asked, will gladly help someone because I WANT to, and I don't expect anything in return. However, many people want you to feel you are indebted to them, and it sounds like your BIL may be feeling this way, and feeling resentful because he's given up his time to help you.

I'd give him whatever wood you were planning to give him, offer one more time to help him with his floors, then remove him from any future home-project equations completely.

Good luck finishing your floors - we'd love to see pics of them when they are done.

By Audreyj on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 02:51 pm:

I want photos!

Maybe you could give him the wood you were planning to give him anyway and if he has already refused your help just leave him "out" in the future. It is tough. Men same to communicate by some type of "barter"system when it comes to these things.

After 15 years of marriage and homes being what they are (a constant investment in time) DH and I have become semi-experts on remodeling (we have had to do so much stuff and can not afford to hire help) but when we do have to hire (we put a bathroom in the guest room downstairs and for THAT we hired a plumber) we hire experts and pay the awesome fees they charge.

Frankly, (this is probably terrible for me to admit) but if I need help, I would rather "save my pennies" and pay an expert than get a friend or relative to do it--that way, if it gets screwed up, I can call the expert back and make them fix it or get my money back!!! If a friend or relative messes it up it is a "favor" and there is not as much of a "business" side to it. I'm that mercenary! I want a guarantee and a contract. LOL AJ

By Mrse on Monday, September 13, 2004 - 10:14 am:

ok, since I posted last I stated we had tons of wood, well........ we took another look when the living room was done, and now we are wondering if we had eneough to do our den plus sisters livingroom and hallway. sis, and bil, said they would do their living room but not the hallway, to make sure I had eneough to do my den. I know I was complaining earlier about the den, not being done, but with all the mess etc this week end, I told them to go ahead and do their stuff and we will see if their is any left over and if their was we would do the den. sis was really concerned as she knew I wanted the den done, I told her it was more important to have all their's done first as off of the hallway was all their bedrooms, and it would look silly to have another form of flooring in their hallway , then carpets in the bedroom. Their was so much mess here this weekend, and with my 3 kids, and neice, and a friend over it was way to many bodies, all the kids were confined to the kitchen, and it was a full time job getting them to clean up after themselves. dd just put a digital camera on layway, used all her birthday money so soon as she gets it I can start posting some pictures. Even though it still has to be sanded and refinished, we just love it dh, comments on how much he loves the floor everytime he walks into the room, which is alot! sis and I went to home depot to take back rental equipment, and looked at the hard wood flooring strips pre finished, oh I sure wish we could have afforded to get that, we would be done right now. Oh well a little hard work will go along way.