Comments on: Requiem for my renovation innocence http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/ "Maybe all we can hope to do is end up with the right regrets." Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:39:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: jennielynn http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105721 jennielynn Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:40:09 +0000 http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105721 I love that Otto nearly walked into a wall, investigating his colleague's floors and trying to make you feel better. What a guy! I love that Otto nearly walked into a wall, investigating his colleague’s floors and trying to make you feel better. What a guy!

]]> By: Catherine http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105659 Catherine Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:56:33 +0000 http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105659 After our installers did the floor I walked around with painter's tape placing pieces everywhere I saw a nail, a gap or sand marks. My floor was covered with blue tape. The contractor came in and said, "well what do you expect?" Something about it's dry in Colorado, wood is a natural product, installers are human, but yes he could putty those nail heads. Honestly, I don't notice all those things very often. What I do notice is the giant scratches from us putting our fridge back. Sadly, that was all us. After our installers did the floor I walked around with painter’s tape placing pieces everywhere I saw a nail, a gap or sand marks. My floor was covered with blue tape. The contractor came in and said, “well what do you expect?” Something about it’s dry in Colorado, wood is a natural product, installers are human, but yes he could putty those nail heads. Honestly, I don’t notice all those things very often. What I do notice is the giant scratches from us putting our fridge back. Sadly, that was all us.

]]> By: Brigitte http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105657 Brigitte Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:39:44 +0000 http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105657 Wow, in our naive, young innocence back when, I guess we got lucky with our wood floor installation. Sure, there's one or two minor flaws, but I don't think there are more than one or two teensy gaps. Maybe it helped that our baseboard was just cheap, natural-color trim - he removed it to do the floors, then replaced it with new trim. Ow, stop hitting me! Wow, in our naive, young innocence back when, I guess we got lucky with our wood floor installation. Sure, there’s one or two minor flaws, but I don’t think there are more than one or two teensy gaps. Maybe it helped that our baseboard was just cheap, natural-color trim – he removed it to do the floors, then replaced it with new trim. Ow, stop hitting me!

]]> By: Deborah P http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105656 Deborah P Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:24:38 +0000 http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105656 Before I moved into my house, as part of a remodel, I had wood flooring put down in the entry, hall and living room. Then proceeded to have a meltdown because the boards were cut so jagged around the stone hearth. My contractor assured me it wouldn't be noticeable after the boards were stained (and later asked me, very nicely, to tell HIM my concerns rather than the subcontractors; he really was a sweetheart). Know when I thought of it again? After I'd been in the house for months - he was right, it's not noticeable unless you are looking for it. You may always see the gaps, but no one else will, I'm sure. Before I moved into my house, as part of a remodel, I had wood flooring put down in the entry, hall and living room. Then proceeded to have a meltdown because the boards were cut so jagged around the stone hearth. My contractor assured me it wouldn’t be noticeable after the boards were stained (and later asked me, very nicely, to tell HIM my concerns rather than the subcontractors; he really was a sweetheart). Know when I thought of it again? After I’d been in the house for months – he was right, it’s not noticeable unless you are looking for it. You may always see the gaps, but no one else will, I’m sure.

]]> By: Sophia (Adventures of Brown) http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105655 Sophia (Adventures of Brown) Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:35:09 +0000 http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105655 Man - you're brave. I don't think I could have held my composure as well as you did! Hope this is the end of all house fix-up disasters for you!! Good luck! Man – you’re brave. I don’t think I could have held my composure as well as you did!
Hope this is the end of all house fix-up disasters for you!! Good luck!

]]> By: The Other Leanne http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105654 The Other Leanne Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:03:06 +0000 http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105654 Better to have gaps than to have the boards buckle like mine have. The installer put a deep scratch in too. On the third day I accidentally screwed a piece of assemble-it-yourself-furniture INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR. Then I bought a big rug to cover the hole. A friend of mine asked, "Why is it that when people get wood floors they immediately cover it with a rug?" That's why. Truth is, my philosophy now is to ruin new things right away so you don't have to worry about them anymore. It's better than hearing my mother's voice in my head whining "why can't I ever have anything NICE!?" Better to have gaps than to have the boards buckle like mine have.
The installer put a deep scratch in too.
On the third day I accidentally screwed a piece of assemble-it-yourself-furniture INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR.
Then I bought a big rug to cover the hole.
A friend of mine asked, “Why is it that when people get wood floors they immediately cover it with a rug?”
That’s why.
Truth is, my philosophy now is to ruin new things right away so you don’t have to worry about them anymore. It’s better than hearing my mother’s voice in my head whining “why can’t I ever have anything NICE!?”

]]> By: Jeanmarie http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105653 Jeanmarie Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:12:11 +0000 http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105653 At least you HAD a contractor to yell at! After my hubb installed wood floors ion my daughters room ALL WRONG - AND LEFT PIECES OUT, I couldn't criticize, yell, or complain for fear of damaging his precious ego and living with the fallout of said bruised ego for months :-) At least you HAD a contractor to yell at! After my hubb installed wood floors ion my daughters room ALL WRONG – AND LEFT PIECES OUT, I couldn’t criticize, yell, or complain for fear of damaging his precious ego and living with the fallout of said bruised ego for months :-)

]]> By: Astrogirl426 http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105652 Astrogirl426 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:23:15 +0000 http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105652 The next time you wake up in the middle of the night to go pee, or get a drink of water, listen closely. That sound you hear is the sound of Otto, sobbing quietly into his pillow. lol I hear you on the "wanting to scratch your own floors" thing. However, you DO realize that you will not be the one doing the scratching, right? That's the kids' job. And I'm sure they will take their responsibility very, very seriously :). The next time you wake up in the middle of the night to go pee, or get a drink of water, listen closely. That sound you hear is the sound of Otto, sobbing quietly into his pillow.

lol

I hear you on the “wanting to scratch your own floors” thing. However, you DO realize that you will not be the one doing the scratching, right? That’s the kids’ job. And I’m sure they will take their responsibility very, very seriously :).

]]> By: Chuck http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105651 Chuck Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:58:03 +0000 http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105651 I do think that, when having major work done, you have to be there checking up on the contractor, at least every day or two. When my last house was being built I found a feature missing that I had paid for...had I not been visiting fairly often, I might not have caught it in time. Of course, it's a pain to have the contractors around doing a big job when you're trying to LIVE there, but I think they do better work if they feel like the owner is keeping a close eye on them. I do think that, when having major work done, you have to be there checking up on the contractor, at least every day or two. When my last house was being built I found a feature missing that I had paid for…had I not been visiting fairly often, I might not have caught it in time. Of course, it’s a pain to have the contractors around doing a big job when you’re trying to LIVE there, but I think they do better work if they feel like the owner is keeping a close eye on them.

]]> By: All Adither http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105650 All Adither Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:15:21 +0000 http://wouldashoulda.com/2008/07/18/requiem-for-my-renovation-innocence/#comment-105650 I can't help noticing that you're not posting about BlogHer. It's refreshing. I can’t help noticing that you’re not posting about BlogHer. It’s refreshing.

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