So, what did you do today?

[jakedaawg]

The next time I say "I've got more time than money, I think I'll do this myself", please hit me in the head with a sledgehammer.

 

[sphelps]

My back and knees hurt just looking at that ....

 

[jakedaawg]

Admiral has bad allergies/asthma. Friends recently sent her pics of their remodel, doing it themselves, that included hardwood floors. She then decided the carpet was "literally" killing her and we needed new floors. I said " well, I got more time than money and I like you alive well enough."

I let you know as this progresses if my feelings change, haha.

Wow, I bit of a heck of a chunk this time. 880 square feet. Not sure i have enough Norco to get through this one.

 

[jakedaawg]

I chose old fashioned nail down stain and finish yourself because ill end up with a better end result for the time and money I had. I've had the new stuff installed in other properties and for the price point I can afford it was terrible.

Please don't give me the you should have blah blah....

This will be beautiful and affordable. Whether ill still be able to walk is another story.

 

[southkogs]

I've got most of a first floor to do. Haven't decided to do what you're doing or used the engineered stuff.

 

[GA_Boater]

Jake - When you're curled up in a corner all stove up and aching, you can look at the new floor and say "Damn, that looks good"

 

[jakedaawg]

I've got most of a first floor to do. Haven't decided to do what you're doing or used the engineered stuff.

To me it came down to quality at a price. I have used the cheap stuff, less than $7/sqft, it was terrible, noisy, and didn't stay together. It was professionally installed.

If I could afford the $10+/sqft stuff I probably would have used it. I just didn't have $10k for floors.

 

[southkogs]

Fortunately (I guess) the Admiral isn't sure what she wants yet. So, I have a grace period to figure it all out. Bummer is if I go engineered, I have some hardwood that will have to come up. If I go true hardwood, I have to try to match this stuff.

Either way, that project will be a bruiser.

 

[gm280]

We recently had the look-like real wood 6" wide porcelain tiles installed in our front bedroom. It has hand hewn look and amazing real wood effect. Of course I know how to install tiles myself doing every other tile install in our house. But this was not for me anymore. Too old and don't move like I used to. And when I try to, I pay for it for a few days later. So we had the pros install it. I will admit, it fools so many that have seen it...

 

[dingbat]

I chose old fashioned nail down stain and finish yourself because ill end up with a better end result for the time and money I had. I've had the new stuff installed in other properties and for the price point I can afford it was terrible.

IMHO Prefinished or Engineered flooring is terrible at any price.
SIL whines about her "wood" floor getting wet or the dog scratching it all the time.

Had 2" red oak in the last house. Random width, wide plank pine in this one.
Floors where installed when the house was built in 1978 and refinished in 1995. They still look pretty good but will need "refreshed" in a couple of years

 

[redneck joe]

I paid last two floor jobs. I've done the raw, the prefinish, tile, etc. This round I went with an EVP. Great look and waterproof (to a limit) which since we have pool and now wet dogs we thought was best. Very scratch resistant as well. Our guy let me take a sample home and I tried to scratch. I did finally but then for fun put a quick torch on it and couldn't tell it was ever there. I was sold - plus if I did the install myself the foam is attached. All one time pass.

Do NOT use a big box store, find a local guy. Worth the 5% more you will pay.

 

[jakedaawg]

making progress. So very painful. Note the pic of the "admiral inflicted torture device". She is smarter than I. She chose to have me do this while she is out of town welcoming the new grandbaby into this world. Healthy little girl "gracia" i think it spelled. All 20 fingers and toes. I hope I live thru this project so she can meet the "goat". Thats what the grandkids call me cause of the goatee and me being the greatest

 

[jakedaawg]

I need to edit the last pic so she doesn't see the empty jack bottle on the counter. Whoops.

 

[jakedaawg]

IMHO Prefinished or Engineered flooring is terrible at any price.
SIL whines about her "wood" floor getting wet or the dog scratching it all the time.

Had 2" red oak in the last house. Random width, wide plank pine in this one.
Floors where installed when the house was built in 1978 and refinished in 1995. They still look pretty good but will need "refreshed" in a couple of years

I cant imagine puzzle piecing the random width stuff together. I am doing 3 1/4" random length and its still challenging to get each run to break right and stagger joints. I find it quickest to layout five or six feet wide swaths the length of the room and then nail them down. It takes an hour or so to pre-plan it and end up with just a few inches of cut at the end of each run.

 

[redneck joe]

jake - glad to see you removed baseboard so that alone will cover up the ends. I really dislike quarter round. If I'm forced to I use shoe base instead.

 

[jakedaawg]

Do not ever mistake your wisdom that came with age for intelligence...this flooring project is way more involved than I foresaw...been a ton of work.

 

[gm280]

My usually thinking have proven to go something like this. When judging how much time and money a project, of any type, is going to take, TRIPLE those numbers and you may get by with those numbers.

 

[sphelps]

Pressure washed around the house all day .. My arms feel like there about to fall off ..

 

[StarTed]

Worked on my new canopy for my pickup.
3 requirements.
1. must be able to sleep across the front of the canopy.
2. must fit in my garage with an 8' high door.
3. must be able to still haul sheets of plywood without removing things.
That would require me to either have a custom canopy built or build it myself. I chose the latter.

Now I'm focusing on the skin. There is a small over cab section and rounded corners to make it more difficult. I still haven't fully decided how to secure the foam insulation inside. I plan to use 2 layers of 1" foam with the second layer held on by screws through the plastic paneling.

Here are some pictures of the aluminum framework.

 

[MRS]

Wow that’s some nice work there, like to see it when completed. Plus should be pretty lite to.