Husband and daughter are sanding the kitchen floor. We've lived here 18 years, and we started poking at the kitchen about two years ago- new appliances and a new counter & sink last year, but the floor has been really pitiful cheap vinyl tile in a speckled cream that didn't ever look clean even when it was. But the kitchen is 15x19 and there were always greater priorities.
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Jo had offered six floor moppings for Christmas, but when she actually looked at the floor last week something snapped. I came home to bare wood.... which was in amazingly good condition overall. We had hoped that was what was under all the layers but hadn't ever had the courage to attack it. (Layers were: 3 layers of 12 in square vinyl/linoleum, one layer 1/8th inch plywood, 2 layers sheet linoleum, and a layer of burlap.)
So everything movable from the kitchen is in the dining room and there is sawdust everywhere, but the nice narrow pine tounge & groove has all had one sanding pass at 80 grit and they have started on the 120 grit.
The part that has had the 120 grit pass is so *smooth* and silky. Of course even with plastic hung over the doorways the dining room and living room are acquiring light dustings of sawdust, and the kitchen requires a throrough wipedown of relevant surfaces before any food prep. Did you know that sawdust will cling to vertical surfaces like stainless steel refrigerators?
(I suppose sawdust would add fiber to our diet.)
And since all the canisters and appliances and anything not in a cabinet is in the dining room, it isn't exactly convenient, but it's going to be wonderful.
What's amazing is that since it's been so protected, once you sand the 100 plus year old wood it is just as fair and smooth as if it were new -- actually my husband says that it is much better than anything you'd see today even in wood intended to be exposed. It was cut from lumber that was tighter grain and slower growth than most wood cut for lumber today.
That is, their paint/construction grade lumber & flooring is better than our stain grade woods today. We've found that in the cabinet and trim that we've stripped too.
Kitchens!
two years ago- new appliances and a new counter & sink last year, but the floor has been really pitiful cheap vinyl tile in a speckled cream that didn't ever look clean even when it was. But the kitchen is 15x19 and there were always greater priorities.
Yes it's the house in my user icon
Jo had offered six floor moppings for Christmas, but when she actually looked at the floor last week something snapped. I came home to bare wood.... which was in amazingly good condition overall. We had hoped that was what was under all the layers but hadn't ever had the courage to attack it. (Layers were: 3 layers of 12 in square vinyl/linoleum, one layer 1/8th inch plywood, 2 layers sheet linoleum, and a layer of burlap.)
So everything movable from the kitchen is in the dining room and there is sawdust everywhere, but the nice narrow pine tounge & groove has all had one sanding pass at 80 grit and they have started on the 120 grit.
The part that has had the 120 grit pass is so *smooth* and silky. Of course even with plastic hung over the doorways the dining room and living room are acquiring light dustings of sawdust, and the kitchen requires a throrough wipedown of relevant surfaces before any food prep. Did you know that sawdust will cling to vertical surfaces like stainless steel refrigerators?
(I suppose sawdust would add fiber to our diet.)
And since all the canisters and appliances and anything not in a
cabinet is in the dining room, it isn't exactly convenient, but it's
going to be wonderful.
What's amazing is that since it's been so protected, once you sand the 100 plus year old wood it is just as fair and smooth as if it were new -- actually my husband says that it is much better than anything you'd see today even in wood intended to be exposed. It was cut from lumber that was tighter grain and slower growth than most wood cut for lumber today.
That is, their paint/construction grade lumber & flooring is better
than our stain grade woods today. We've found that in the cabinet and trim that we've stripped too.