A Flooring Story.

Over winter break, the carpet got a bit ripped.  We think it was Chloe.  This led to the idea of getting new floors and painting the walls.  Walls have been painted, floors have been picked out, ordered, and arrived.  We are ready to put in the new floor!

Friday afternoon: get a call from Diana saying that we need to rip up the carpet now since the landlords and handyman want to come over and check out the floors so that we can get it in the next day.  I'm thrown slightly off guard since we had planned on doing it in the evening, but it's ok since that idea was never adequately conveyed.  I run home, we move all furniture out of the living room.  They decide the handyman can pull it out himself, so I return to school.  Diana is left pulling up all extra nails and staples, sweeping and mopping the floor.  Handyman comes back to help, decides that there is a downward bow to the floor in the center of the room.

Saturday:  We go to Christina's to get out of the house while the flooring is installed.  Tali gets to play with Nuna.  We get word that it wont actually be done that night since they have to lift the floor by using a self-leveling agent.  I get upset that our estimated day of completion is now Sunday night, and we can move in Monday. But I get over it.

Sunday:  Since it was so cold, self-leveling agent didn't dry well and pulled up off the floor.  Bubble and stuff.  More is added in the now warmer room.

Monday: Sanding, leveling. Lay down glue to get tacky by the next day.

Tuesday:  Attempt to put in the floor.  A bubble forms and when they try to pull the floor back up, it rips up cement with it. That's not good.

Wednesday:  Put in a wood base, screwed in over the cement. That's about it.  Patience being tested on all fronts. At night talk about how we need to get back into the house and maybe the floor should just be floated (no glue) until the summer.  It should be quick and easy to do now.

Thursday: Minds are changed about just sticking to the plan.  Sounds like floor wont get done today.  Then minds change back to the plan.  Sounds like things will get done today. But that was the case every day between Monday and now, so....

It has been since Friday evening that our house has been a mess.  With problem after problem, we have been living at our landlords' since Saturday evening.  We had originally brought with us just a change of clothes and Tali's things, since the job was supposed to be done by Sunday night at latest.  By Sunday it was to be done Monday, by Monday it was Tuesday, by Tuesday it was for sure, definitely, no really why it wouldn't be done Wednesday.  Today it is Thursday and still incomplete.

Needless to say, it has been hectic.  We have been displaced from our home with limited resources (we grabbed our toothbrushes Sunday morning, and could get into the bedroom for new clothes on Tuesday evening).  Eating oatmeal for every breakfast.  We have to be extra careful that Tali doesn't do any damage to the house, which is difficult when our landlord's three year old son runs around yelling and dangling food right at her level, getting her riled up. The kid is sick, to top it off, and super grumpy about that. Diana has it worse than I do, since she's cooped up taking care of Tali while I run off to school and get to interact with other people and get my mind off of it.  And, it's obvious that I would be this way, but both of us need time alone, to feel we can turn off and just be at ease.  We need to not have people around us sometimes.  It's emotionally draining to be in this situation.  But whenever we go through a hard time, we feel grateful for having each other.   We don't turn on each other... we only help each other to feel better about the situation, and it's so nice to have someone there.

As of JUST NOW, I got a text message from Diana saying that she is cleaning the house.  I think that might mean that ITS DONE!  OOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMGGGGGGGGGGGGGG.  I will be so happy if it is! HOW WONDERFUL THAT WOULD BE!!

Once everything is put back to its place and all of the dust off of every surface (because, trust me, it's on every surface), I shall take photos to show you the transformation.  It's going to look awesome when all done.

And maybe at that point, it will have all been worth it. 

p.s.  Word from Diana is that it is "not down yet, he's been putting down screws most of the time he's been here.  He's going to go get lunch and some adhesive, then we have to clean off some glue from the floor that's being put down, and then we put it down"...  Whether that takes just hours, or days, at this point it a toss-up.  Your usual sense of time has no place in this project.