Oiling the floors

A month into our project, our friend Chris from Balsam Designs told us about a new flooring technique called, "Oiling" versus stain and poly. The name of the product is Rubio Monocoat, which is a non-toxic covering developed in Belgium. It's more expensive, but goes on in one coat and is buffed in versus brushed on. It creates a sealed floor that is one hundred times better than older, so-called traditional processes. Our friend Ryan came over and gave us the quick 101 on how to get started.

Here's a sneak peak during the process, but you'll have to wait for the final pictures until tomorrow when we go to check it out. 

The Kitchen walls

I forgot to add these pictures last week. Our friend Matt was volunteered by his wife to come help us, and up went the wainscoting on the sink wall. 

Drywall dust every-stinking-where

The Missus is going to punch me for sharing this photo, but the dust on her behind was too good to pass up.

For four straight days she sanded this part and that part, intermixing more mud and joints and detail in between. And holy frijole, that shiznit gets everywhere. So, so, so very annoying. 

But after all that work, late Friday night April 21st we finished drywalling for good. The next afternoon we were going to start finishing the floors, so all that dust had to be completely removed. First a broom, then a shop vac, then a vacuum, followed by the a microfiber dry dusting, then a tac cloth over every floor surface, and finally a microfiber wet wash. Lots and lots of work, but it's all going to be worth it. 

The ceiling above, the floor below

We rented a large orbital sander to take off the sixty-plus years of dirt and grime and that terrible burnt black spot in the living room. Our friend Dave spent four hours running the machine by himself while I led a food tour on a Saturday afternoon. That man is my hero.

And now down into holes and corners for finish it all up. 

The wooden ceiling begins

Been waiting for this since before I owned the house.

A three row repeating pattern. 

Looking good. Pictures of the final results to come very soon.

Let's build a wall and close in this room

The guy who was doing our ceiling foam insulation took FOREVER to show up, canceling three times before he finally showed up. Unfortunately, he waited just long enough to let the Inspector General go on vacation for twelve days. Not knowing we were going to have to wait, we had turned in our lease termination on the Beech Glen house. So that means we didn't have the option to just sit around and wait. I had wanted to wait until inspection to build the attic half-wall, but now it needed to be done. 

Some crazy angles and twisted turns, but it all worked out. Honestly, it's one of the most intensely satisfying things I've done on the house so far. 

Picking Paint

The Missus had a paint theme in mind, but there are still decisions to be made. Four samples from Sherwin Williams painted on a wall that will be hidden by wainscoting was the perfect way to see the colors in large swatches. 

Once a color was picked, she started in the laundry room with some coverup primer. She finished it with two coats of primer and a couple coats of paint all in two or three nights.