Well, we sanded the floors of what is going to be our bedroom and the library. It wasn't much fun being that it was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity, and I really shouldn't take the credit because my [amazing] husband did most [or all] of the work while I continuously made him fresh watermelon juice.
We took out the pocket doors and the hardware on the floor. It seems that the floorboards run from one room into the other, meaning when they first built this house, they installed the floor first and then the walls. The flooring, which sits right on the wood beams, acts as the decking and the finished floor. That's not the only reason you can hear everything from one floor to the next, of course, but it's one of the reasons. There's also no insulation.
When we moved in, all the plank flooring in this house was covered in vinyl and floor to floor carpeting. We pulled up nine layers in total. I suppose basic wood planks weren't considered very tasteful, refined or fashionable throughout the years. Funny how tastes change. It'll probably be covered back up again one day, or maybe ripped out completely.
But for now, it does look so beautiful, the planks running from one room to the next without interruption. And the room smells wonderfully like fresh pine. To think these planks were installed a century ago (not very long in comparison to European standards or the world in general, but a lifetime in New York-ian years).
Next, we've bought some Milk Paint to whitewash the floors with, and we're going to seal it with Safecoat's Polyureseal. We're going all organic, baby! That whole bit of the project is my job, and I'm starting this weekend. Baby's gonna have a real honest to goodness bedroom AND library!
