Sunday, September 26, 2010

Day 127

It's still raining here, so I set up some fans today hoping that they will help the floors dry out. The only place in the house they are dry are where Tess and I took the paint thinner and wiped the stain down in my bedroom. I'm beginning to wonder if I should go ahead and do that to the rest of the house. Geez - it will be a pain! I did take the hand sander to a spot in the dry area just to see if the stain came up easily. Fortunately, it did which means the floor sanding will go fast.

Sigh....

Day 126

I got up this morning to watch Colton at the fishing tournament for Boy Scouts. We had fun, but with over one hundred scouts fishing at this little pond, plus parents and siblings, there was only about five people who caught any fish. Fortunately, I had done the "bad mommy" trick of getting Colton a trophy on Friday to give to him afterwards. My friend Christie runs our local trophy shop and she made him the cutest little blue (his fav color) trophy with 'Best Little Fisherman' engraved on it. Oh, I know...probably shouldn't have, but he was so determined that he would be catching 'buckets full of fish or a shark' and win.

I went to the house afterwards and the floors are still so damn wet. I just don't know if they will EVERY dry out! I had turned the air conditioner off a couple of days ago. I hoped to open up some windows this weekend to let the heat it, but of course, it started raining and foiled my plans. GRRRRR!

Day 125

Just posting to say the floors are STILL wet!

Day 124

I stopped by the house just to make sure it didn't spontaneously combust with all the fumes going on. Happily, it did not, but the floors are still wet.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Day 123

I stopped by the house to check on the floors. They are still wet, but no surprise there. The fumes are still so strong that I immediately left. I will probably take the next few days off since you really can't be inside very long without your head spinning.

Day 122 - CRASH & BURN

I didn't sleep last night worrying about my black floors, so I dropped Colton off at school and flew over to take a peek before work. Guess what? They were still black as coal. I felt kinda sick. I went on in to work & we decided I would go over at lunch and try to wipe them down. Well, darn it, the stain had dried just enough to be like tar - there was no wiping at this point. I called several places today and they laughed when I said we rolled the stain on. You always brush it on, then immediately wipe it down I was told - just as the instructions said.

After work, Tess and I went to the house with sponge mops, paint thinner and rubber gloves to try & get some of the stain up. Needless to say, it didn't work. The sponge mops lasted about sixty seconds and the rubber gloves about thirty minutes before the paint thinner and stain ate through them. In certain spots, I could see the true color that I had picked while in other spots we applied too much paint thinner. I called it quits. The pros tell me that with as much stain as we used by rolling it on, we will have to wait ten to twelve days before it dries. THEN...I can sand all over again. :-) At least this time, it will go easier since I don't have to get the poly off of the top.

At the end of the day, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but I chose to laugh. I know Rob felt bad, but I truly appreciate all of his hard work. I teased him about doing the "man thing" and not going by the directions. On the positive side, the fumes from the stain made us all giddy (especially Cathy AKA Sharpie-Marker-Lover), so we had lots of giggles applying it.

Live and learn, but read the DAMN directions! LOL!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Day 121

I took the sander back before work this morning. Rob helped me load it last night...dang, it's HEAVY!!!

On my lunch break, I ran the stain back to Home Depot; however, they didn't have anything else in stock that would work. I called around and found only one place in town that would sell the dark stain by the gallon. Everywhere else was by the quart or had to order it and I needed it today. This place actually mixed the stain there, so I had them brush some on an oak plank to make sure that I was happy with. It was yummy - dark and delicious!

After work, Rob and I headed over to the house to start staining. Jim and Cathy showed up along with Tobi. My friends are the absolute best!

Rob decided to roll the stain on while rest of us painted the edges; however, he said there was no need to wipe it down. I questioned this because I thought that you always wipe it down. Once he rolled it on, it was black. Not dark brown - BLACK!!! I read the can which said to wipe it down when you apply it and again before it dries, but he assured me it would soak in and turn the right color. We finished up about 10:30 and my floors still were black. I got out the brochure that came with the stain and it said the same thing as the can instructions - wipe down twice. I'm really uneasy...I do not like the black at all. It looks like someone painted them jet black. I won't lie...I'm worried! Surely, they will look better in the morning! Keeping my fingers crossed...

Day 120 - NAKED Floors!

Woohoo...at the end of the day, my floors were bare-ass naked! It was really neat to see how the pattern in them laid out without anything on them. Before, they were completely worn in areas while still having alot of finish in others. As usual, my camera batteries were dead, so I took a pic with my cell.

Rob was kind enough to pick up a hand sander and some knee pads. Raise your hand if you know what contractors call the knee pads...it's too naughty to post on here. tehe! I put it to work sanding around the edges of the floor, doorways and corners. He was smart enough to pick out a sander that took the same disc sanding pads as the floor sander, so I could use those discs as well.

Whew - stink! Ever once in a while, he or I would hit a spot and you could just smell the pet pee-pee in the floor. It was so totally gross - that smell just seem to cling to me. Uggghh.

I also painted a plank in Colton's closet with the stain and decided I didn't like it. It had too much red in it and looked nothing like the sample shown at the store. Also, once it dried, it did not have enough of a sheen to it to call it "gloss" by any means. I would not recommend the Polyshade other than just using it for staining only. I'll go tomorrow and swap it for something else.

Day 119

I hit the road bright and early this morning in Garry's truck to pick up the sander (thank you, Tess). I ran by my house to drop it off and that's literally what I did. The rental place had loaded it up for me, so I had no idea it was so dang heavy. I just about broke my back when I pulled it off the of the truck bed. BAM...it hit the ground. Just glad my feet were out of the way.

Rob showed up and went to work. Once he tested several different grits of sandpaper, I went back to get more of the heavy duty 20 grit since that really worked well. I rented a U-Sand which is advertised as dustless. I'll give it credit...it does suck up ninety percent of the dust. While I slaved away sweeping up the dust, Rob sanded and sanded and sanded. He quit around 6:00 PM. I know he was tired, but he got the guest bedroom and the entire living area sanded. I finished removing some painter's tape around the trim work and for the first time in three months, got to see my windows in the living area.

At some point, we ran to Home Depot and picked up some Polyshades which is supposed to be a stain and finish all-in-one. I love the dark stains, so I picked Bombay Mahogany. It's really dark and beautiful. Can't wait to see it!

Day 118

Wow...my ex-boss is coming to town from Washington. He called & wants to sand my floors! He must be a glutton for punishment, but that works for me! I called around today and the only place I could find here in town does not reserve them, so I'll have to get up bright & early Saturday morning to make sure I get one.

After work, I cleaned 954 square feet of house...the part with all the hardwood floors. Geez...I did NOT realize how much stuff had piled up in that part of the house. Odd and end things, but lots of small debris had to be moved or thrown out. Then, I crawled around on the floors ripping/cutting the plastic drop cloths off that have been there for over three months. It seemed to take FOREVER, but I finished late tonight and I'm excited about tomorrow!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Day 117

Well, no surprise here, but I took the night off. I did stop by the house and Scott was there. He was caulking the nine million cracks that are EVERYWHERE in that pine tongue and groove paneling. You couldn't see them until the wood was painted and then you can see them three miles away. It's amazing what a difference it makes...I'm very thankful for his help.

I hope to feel better and finish my checklist this weekend. I'm still feeling extra crappy...not sure if it was a virus or what. Yuk!

Day 116

Surprise - I took a night off!

Day 115

Yay! After work, Tess came over and put the first coat of paint on the trim in Colton's room. I cut painter's tape off of the entire house with the exception of the crown molding in the living/dining area. It took for freakin' EVER!!! I also untaped one of the front windows. It faces onto the front (screened-in) porch so no one can really see in. It's just really weird seeing the window again. They've all been taped up since mid-June!

Also, my painting just sucks. I never imagined I wouldn't be a good painter, but sheeeesh! Painter's tape is just almost worthless. Paint easily goes under it and I have a heck of alot of taping up to do, but I've decided to just live with it until later. I just want to get the floors done and move in.

Wow...I sound cranky. Guess I'm just tired...

Day 114

Ok, so my crappy feeling butt took another night off. I just could not make myself go over there tonight...give me a sad face sticker.

Day 113

Whew...felt like I had been drinking tequila for a week this morning (not that I've ever done that). I rolled outta bed around noon and finally made it to the house around 3:00. I worked til 8...I'm exhausted.

Day 112

Sigh...what a crappy week! I got up sick at 4 AM this morning. I finally went back to bed around 7 AM. I'm guessing I had some kind of virus? Dunno. I kicked my butt outta bed around noon and dragged myself over to the house feeling like sh!tsuper-duper. I worked until midnight and then crawled to the car and vaguely remember driving home and falling into bed.

Day 111

Gee, I won't bore you with the details, but I worked 'til midnight trying to get things done. I'm slowing checking off my list of items...

Day 110

Oh, guess what? I took another night off. Colton goes to his dad's this weekend, so we spent the evening together. Love my little fella...

Day 109

I took the night off!

Day 108 - CRASH!!!

Well, darn it. I dropped Colton off at school this morning & had to run by my house to pick up my make-up I had forgotten there. BLAM! I rear-ended another car. GRRR!!! I did knock the heck outta her, but the damage was cosmetic so she decided not to file a claim. Thank goodness.

I called into work & decided to just go work on the house. I worked until time to pick up Colton and then came back and worked til 8:00. Nothing exciting - lots of finishing work on painting.

I'm stiff and sore...

Signed,
Crash Gordon

Monday, September 6, 2010

Day 107 - Labor Day

Well, I've been putting it off, but I finally opened up the Kilz (original) again. Uggghhh...I swear my head started hurting the minute the top popped! I had a few areas that got missed when the house was sprayed and some areas where I thought I could 'free-hand' it that I needed to cover. I also made sure I taped up first - the prep work just takes so long. I worked 'til about 6:30 this evening and decided to call it a night.

I know the last week has been sketchy, but there's so many little things I try to get done each night. Everything is just getting the final touches - crown molding, touch-ups and trim. The big part of the painting is done with the exception of the den which will may end up waiting until after I move in.

I don't know where this weekend went! After not drying my hair this morning then leaning into paint several times today, I had a flashback to my big hair days, so I'm posting this link. This never gets old!

Day 106

I woke up with a little headache this morning, so I lallygagged in getting over to the house. Plus, it's just dang pretty outside. My the time I got there, the contractor had already been there for four hours and left. He put a coat of paint on some of my crown molding and caulked some more gigantic cracks in the wood here and there.

The house stays such a wreck. It seems like I rush in, do what I need to get done and rush home leaving a train wreck behind. I decided to do some very necessary cleaning today. I've noticed in the last week that I'm seeing a return of those creepy white spiders...maybe the cooler weather?

Day 105

I thought I would paint the trim in Colton's room today; however, I realized that I had never peeled the painter's tape off from last week from painting his walls....or was that the week before? Anyway, my stupid butt spent almost two hours carefully peeling and cutting the tape off of the walls. I knew better than to leave the tape on, but I guess I was too tired the night I painted to remember to take it off. I also painted the first coat on some of the windows in the living room along with the crown molding and baseboards that I bought at Lowe's on Thursday. The contractor said to go ahead and paint them and I'll touch them up once they are installed.

Wow...what a beautiful day. It was hard to stay inside!

Day 104 - Night Off

We took the night off! Happy Friday!

PS - I smell fall in the air!

Day 103

I made my trip to Lowe's this evening. I know...just little stuff each night, but my evenings are so limited. The contractor met me up there to make sure I got exactly what I needed. The inside of the bathroom and the outside new walls in the hall both needed new crown molding and baseboards since none of it was salvaged. Dillon got new wheels so I made him come haul my stuff at Lowe's. I dumped it back off at home & hurried home for homework and baths!

Day 102

Tess came over this evening and put a second coat of paint on the bottom of the living area (thank you BFF). I sat on my bootie making out my list for Lowe's and the contractor stopped by. He measured the bathroom and hall and added to my list...crown molding and more baseboards.

It was a rushed crazy night (as always)!