Let the floorboards begin!

There are many aspects of home renovation that are very time consuming, and for Rob and I it seems to be the planning and decision-making process that really eats up the time. Maybe it would be easier if we weren't both indecisive Libras who need to endlessly weigh the pros and cons of every little possibility and impossibility, but then again, maybe not. I'm not sure that making a multitude of choices about very costly, (semi)permanent things is all that easy for anyone.

One thing that we were very sure about from the get-go was the need to rip out all of the dirty, smelly old carpets and install hardwood floors. Both Rob and I suffer from allergies and those carpets were harboring a host of nasties that set us of. We considered a number of different options for floor coverings and finally settled on recycled jarrah floorboards. Jarrah is a native Australian hardwood that has been used extensively in building in this region for ages. It's highly resistant to termite infestation and has a range of beautiful colors from rosewood to strawberry blond. Neither one of us wanted to support the harvesting of new trees just to have pretty floors, so it was nice to discover that there is a small but prosperous industry committed to collecting and refurbishing old floorboards that get ripped out of demolished houses. So, no new trees were harmed in the beautification of our home and the boards didn't have to travel long distances to get to us - it's a win-win situation

The process started with the tried and true - measure twice, cut once…

Above: Rob's makeshift work bench and a pile of boards directly from the recyclers.

Below: Boards are prepared and laid out in the master bedroom.

Below: All the boards have been cut to size and laid out in anticipation of installation in both the master bedroom and office.

Rob spent an entire day carefully cutting all of the boards and arranging them to highlight their natural color variations. It was no mean feat to get it all sorted! The next day our friend Brad came to help with the actual installation process. The two boys spent nearly 13 hours completing the two rooms! It probably would have gone a lot faster if Brad didn't lie down on the job so often…

Above: Loads of heavy stuff stacked on the boards to hold them in place whilst the glue dries.

Below: The kitties enjoy a sunbeam on the nice new floors…