So here is the step-by-step progress (hopefully it will all be over by the end of the week).
First up - the floor selection. I follow Dana's House*Tweaking blog and when I read this post I knew it was time, and I knew we had found the perfect source for our floors - Build Direct.
I ordered 4 samples of engineered hardwood flooring (free!) from Build Direct and we mulled over them for awhile before deciding on the Texas Brown. Absolutely no correlation between where we live and our preference ;). Floor shipping was fast - just a couple of days - although, I'm still waiting on the glue and baseboards :( Hopefully the glue will arrive soon. I need it tomorrow!
Anyway, flooring is here. We went for the engineered hardwood because we have concrete slab - I'm pretty sure this is the only type of wood flooring you can use on concrete slab...but might be wrong? The flooring we ordered also comes with an underlay (extra cost though) that is an acoustic underlay. The living room has a vaulted ceiling, so I'm hoping this will lessen any echo/ noise from the floor. So, because it has the underlay all we have to do is remove the existing carpet, tack boards and nails; vacuum; wash; then lay the underlay. No need to "prep" the floor any more than that. Of course, that is where the "easy" work ends. The boards are tongue-in-groove and each board needs to be glued individually together along each seam. I'm thinking this is going to take FOREVER! My FIL is going to KILL ME!! he....hehe....he...
So here are the before pics:
OK - was that enough photos for ya? hehehe...sorry - sometimes I get a little carried away :)
Oh...um...hmmmm...forgot the hallway ....
Well, I moved as much as I physically could (yes, me, myself and I), except for the TV. I really was "able" to move that but choose, for the sanity of....well, me really (because who in their right mind would take the TV from their kids or husband until right at the very last minute, or unless it was an emergency!!) to leave it until seconds before we really need to move it.
Next up - removing the carpet - now, really, how hard can this be?? No, really??
Oh, all was fine until I came across the dreaded tack boards. Really? Are these things cyclone rated or something??? Good grief! For one, they have a billion nails in them. For two, are they glued down or something?? For three...um...Ok I don't have a third point. But the main point here is that these things are a crime against
So this is how I conquered them ;)
Got this little jimmy-thingo from Lowes - I position it at the base of the tack board then gently hammer it under the board and pry it up. Gentle does the trick so as not to pull the nails up, that hold the boards into the concrete. My first reaction was to pry those nails out of the concrete too...until about a 2 inch round piece of concrete came out with it as well! So, the nails stay until I saw them off with my grinder! WooHoo for power tools!!
The baseboards are coming off too. I cut along the top of the baseboards, pry a little from the bottom, then pop them off from the top. Does all that make sense?? Look, really I just found this on pinterest :) (sorry - cannot find the original reference for it - lost somewhere in those 4000+ pins...oops).
This is in the main living room area - cutting up the carpet into manageable strips to put out for trash collection. I know those trash collectors LOVE me :) They always slow right down in front of my house, point and say a few things (just can never quite hear them though...hmmm), stamp their feet like they are doing a little dance of joy, then load up all my trash :) They are so sweet!
So there you have it. Day One complete and I'm completely exhausted. My muscles are actually shaking from fatigue. In bed by 10:30pm, peoples!! Now that's A.M.A.Z.I.N.G (for me).
Goodnight!
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