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Saturday, October 25, 2014

Kitchen and Flooring Updates ~ Lessons Learned



I haven't been visiting or posting much lately so thank you for sticking with me!
The end is in sight and I can't wait for things to get back to normal.

Our daughter and SIL built a home and have lived in it for a year...we are still in this remodel.
One of my best friends has sold her home, searched for another, and has been moved in...we are still in this remodel.

It is so true...
remodeling looks real ugly, and in our case takes a  l-o-n-g  time, before things look pretty!

When sharing about the Dry Wall and New Flooring being installed you may remember where the old and new floors were weaved together how mismatched they looked?  Today I get to share how well they turned out and also some lessons I've learned along the way...




I am learning a lot through this!
The newly installed great room floors have just been redone.
Earlier this year hardwoods were installed in this room as part of getting ready for the kitchen remodel.  If you remember there were a few issues and I shared about them here,  I'm Just A Girl ~ What Do I Know!

We've had Brazilian cherry floors in our home for about 8 years now and we love them, so we wanted the same flooring and finish put in the great room as well as the new kitchen.  We were thrilled with our first experience with this floor installer so we used him again...but we weren't too happy this time around.

If I've learned anything in this process it's stick to your guns and stay on top of EVERYTHING!

When installing the great room floors we explained that we wanted the same floors and the same finish as in the rest of the house.
When we were told that he'd "upgrade" us to a water based Street Shoe finish at no charge the first thing we asked was, "Does it look like what we already have?"
The answer was yes, it's just stronger and won't scratch as easily.
I've never had an issue with my existing floors scratching but since he said that it would look exactly like our existing floors, we went with it.
Big Mistake!
For some reason they would miss spots with this sealer so it had to be re-done several times and in the end still had areas that were dull, areas with no sealer on them.
It didn't look like our existing floors.  The finish looked cloudy.  It scratched easily.  

The existing floors had an oil based sealer.  The new floors were coated with a water based sealer.
Moral of the story...don't go with something else when the first time around it was perfect!
I will never again trust someone saying a different product will look exactly like a different product.
Lesson learned at a cost of $800 to have our great room floors re-sealed with the original oil based sealer...yes, that one hurt!
Surely you are wondering..
Why did you pay again, it was his fault.  Why didn't you go with someone else?
We had several companies come out to give us quotes and they were outrageous so we are giving him another go and hoping in the end it turns out to be like our first experience with him!  Hoping!


This is how the existing great room floors looked after being sanded down and the first coat dried, a little scary...



And how the new kitchen floors looked after the first coat dried...



Here are the great room floors after their final coat.
The rest of the floors will receive their final coat when the kitchen is finished, that's when our existing floors in the hallways, living room, and dining room will get a fresh coat also.


It's a little hard to tell in these pictures but the old and new flooring that were weaved together look great, you can barely tell a difference between the two...


The floors were covered with paper to help protect them for the cabinet install and the other work going on, except for where the cabinets will go...



The walls are being marked for leveling...



New window and door trim is being installed...



Our goal as we update our home is to add historic touches like this molding detail...
 



The cabinets are being installed...yippee!


The cabinet install will take a week,
templates will be made for the counter tops,
the trim work and crown molding will be completed,
the last of the electrical is being done,
appliances are scheduled for install,
plumber is scheduled,
backsplash will be installed,
the floors will receive their last coat,
painting will be done...then we will be finished!

Thanks so much for coming by!
I hope you are enjoying following along with our Kitchen Remodel Diary.


Join us each week for AMAZE ME MONDAY...


21 comments:

  1. The floor blends together so well. The whole space looks amazing to me. I can't imagine what it's like to live through all of that but it will be worth it in the end.

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  2. It's getting there Cindy...your going to have a gorgeous kitchen!!

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  3. I think you are smart to want to get it perfect, it look fantastic! Some people are quicker to make decisions when they build and remodel, I hem and haw everything. I can't even pick out paint colors!!

    Post when you can, I've been lagging behind as well.

    Jane xx

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  4. oh those floors are beautiful!! can't wait to see it all come together! Our daughter and her husband had a total gut and remodel of their 1906 kitchen. They started July1 and they're still not back in. I don't think I could live through all the stress!

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  5. Oh your floors are stunning - what a great fix to blending so well - glad you stuck to your guns. This has all been so exciting, so sorry it's taking so long, but great things take time, it's how it works. I'll be watching for more posts from you soon with anticipation!!!!

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  6. The floors look gorgeous and I <3 those molding details...thinking of upgrading my own home with some added moldings around the doors and windows.

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  7. Well, I know it is a mess but it is so worth it, Cindy. The floors are looking beautiful now!! Your trim work is lovely, too. It really does add a lot of character and class when you go the extra mile with trim. I know it has been a long haul but it will be SOOO worth it when all is said and done.

    We went with a Swedish Finish on this floor (I had it on another floor and loved it) and it has not been good on this floor at all. It is scratched and even though the floors are a mid tone the scratching still shows up. We will have to rebuff everything at some point and put a sealer on it.

    Hope you have a great weekend. xo Diana

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  8. Oh my what a scary event having the floor turn out like that but at least it was recoverable. I hope he learned a lesson from this too. Your home is going to be quite a showcase when your done. The kitchen is going to be fabulous! Looks like you'll be able to have a Thanksgiving meal made out of your beautiful kitchen!

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  9. It's looking great, Cindy! I definitely couldn't tell in the pictures where the old floor ended and the new floor began.

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  10. Oh, Cindy, it is absolutely going to be gorgeous. Imagine if it looks this great now, how it will be!! Thanks for keeping us updated and looking forward to more. The floor is so beautiful and it is uncanny how the new and the old found their way together so beautifully...Happy Weekend..Judy

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  11. The floor is amazing. It's great news that the cabinets are here... The end is near, I can tell - says the girl who's been remodeling the same tiny Cottage for five years!

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  12. wonderful looking floors. The whole house looks great. I am enjoying learning from you and will take it to heart when we have workers in. We just want someone to stain and seal our patio, but the prices are too high so we will do it ourselves.

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  13. Oh, my goodness, you all deserve a perseverence award for sure! And, you are so right, you have to stay on top of everything and that's exactly what my husband is doing on the building of our new home. Things have gone amazingly well and I'm pretty sure that's because he is on the site almost all day everyday. Hoping your beautiful remodel will soon be over and you will be enjoying "the fruits of your labor."

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  14. Floors are looking great. I know you will be glad to have it finished. It seems to always take so long to get remodeling finished up. Patience.....

    Judy

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  15. The kitchen is going to be gorgeous! What a hassle with the floors. We had ours refinished two years ago and it was a huge undertaking. I can't imagine having to have them redone again, but now you've got exactly what you should've had originally! I love the moulding too. Good luck with the final weeks of the project!
    Pam

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  16. Cindy we are doing our second floor over so I know how you feel. Some of the furniture from the second floor has been "stored" on the first floor and in an enclosure where we usually store our summer furniture which of course means the summer furniture is still out. The whole house is a mess. I miss cleaning my house, rearranging things and having company. I wanted to do the kitchen next but I truthfully don't know if I can live through this again. We have been pricing flooring for 3 bedrooms and a hall and found out it will be another $3,000. I want it finished so we can sell and move to a warmer state. Good luck with your renovations.

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  17. Cindy, your floors are beautiful! Sorry it wasn't the best experience; but, in the end, you will be getting exactly what you want! You are nearing the end; and I am sure that you will love your new spaces!!

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  18. Hi Cindy! So sorry to hear of all of your floor troubles. They look beautiful now and I hope your finished kitchen floor will look the way it should! What a huge project this is. Love the beefed up moldings on your doors.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  19. I can't wait to see the finished project! I'm sure your new kitchen will look absolutely amazing! I can see why you were concerned about your floors first finish but now they also look beautiful

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  20. Well, it's too bad you had to pay for your floor man's mistake, but I'm so glad you got the mess resolved. The floors do look beautiful, Cindy! I bet I know who will be having the family Thanksgiving this year!

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