Hanging the Kitchen Drywall

Now that all the electrical/ Plumbing/ flooring have been finished in the kitchen it is FINALLY time to button this bad boy up. It is about time. I was starting to think that renovating this kitchen was going to take forever. With my tape measure and pencil ready, my trusted assistant Ben at my side we started hanging the dry wall.
The reason the dry wall is purple aside from being a generally great color (go UWO Stangs)  signifies that this is Mold resistant drywall. I figured it would be a good idea in a kitchen.

Finishing a ceiling piece late into the night

It is starting to look like a room again

Almost Done

Refrigerator Number 2

I mentioned earlier in this blog that Kristin and I decided to shop for our fridge at the Sears Outlet. I also mentioned that the fridge had a few minor imperfections. Well it would seem that after looking at our new appliance in the home for a few weeks that the scratches and dents were to much for Kristin to handle. So let the games begin. First I will have to see about returning this Kenmore to Sears (no going to be easy). Secondly I will have to find a well priced (none dented or scratched) replacement fridge. Good thing Black Friday is this weekend. There are some sweet deals right now on appliances. After a number of phone calls and having to quote Sears its own return police a number of times the excepted the return. Time fro the new fridge.  It would seem that every store that sells refrigerators is carrying this LG French door  for $1200. Sweet huh??? Well we went to HH Greg to check it out only to find our dream fridge the RF4287HA . They had a nice deal on it but still out of our range. Until I found it in the open box area for 1/2 off. Super sweet. New Fridge found (Check).

Autumn leaves.... NO... Pine Needles Yes!!!!

When one thinks of fall you think of the beautiful fall colors of the leaves. Then you realize that you have to start raking said leaves. This is true of most homes but not ours we have these wonderful old Pines and the shed like a scared dog. Our front yard was a sea of pine needles. By the time they were all collected  we had 20 leaf sized garbage bags full at the end of the property. Gavin did a very go job helping Kristin with the needles. He even tried creating piles large enough for jumping. I think leaves would have been softer but I don't think he really cared.

Hardwood Floor Beautification Part 2 : Polyurathane

Their are many options when it comes to the protective coating for your freshly stained hardwood floor.

1. Oil-modified urethane is generally the most common surface finish and is easy to apply. It is a petroleum base with a blend of synthetic resins, plasticizers and other film forming ingredients that produces a durable surface that is moisture-resistant. It is a solvent-base polyurethane that dries in about eight hours. This type of finish ambers with age. and comes in different sheen levels.
2. Water-based urethane is a water-borne urethane with a blend of synthetic resins, plasticizers and other film forming ingredients that produces a durable surface that is moisture-resistant. These finishes are clear and non-yellowing and are  different sheen levels. They have a milder odor than oil-modified finishes have and they dry in about two to three hours. Water-based urethanes are generally more expensive.
3. Penetrating Sealers - These sealers are spread on the floor and allowed to penetrate and are solvent based. The excess sealer is removed with rags or buffed in with synthetic or steel wool pads. This type of finish often have a color and can be used to stain and seal the wood floor. Penetrating Oil Sealers are made from tung or linseed oil, with  additives improve drying and hardness.
4. Varnish- Vinyl-alkyd varnishes have superseded natural varnish made from vegetable oils. This product was commonly used before urethane finishes where introduced.

5. Lacquer - The flammability and incompatibility of this floor finish is NOT a recommended by many manufacturers. This finish should avoided.
6. Shellac - This product (natural shellac) contains wax and is not widely used for top coating in today's wood flooring market. Dewaxed shellac is becoming used more and more for a wood floor sealer.


I chose to go with the Oil Modified as it is the easiest to work with and gives a nice warm amber glow to the wood. The water based Poly is super clear and has no warming effect.


The finished Product:

Isn't it Pretty ;) Its so shiny because at the time it was still wet. I ended up with 4 coats of poly on these floors. I let each coat dry over night and gave it a very light scuff sand prior to the next coat. To keep hair and other debris I also recommend going over your floor with a tack cloth to pick up all the really small stuff.

Hardwood Floor Beautification Part 1 : Staining

Now that the floors are all sanded and smooth I had to apply the stain to match the new in with the old wood. This is always a difficult task as no two stains are the same. Even the same stain from the same manufacturer with different lot numbers can be different enough that you can tell. Once when took possession of the house I asked the selling agent to contact the previous owners to find out what stain had been used on the floor. Luck for us they knew the color (English Chestnut). With a bit a patience and effort I was able to blend in the new and old wood fairly well. I can still see the line but I know where to look :) 

Hawaii Baby !!!!!!!!!

A much needed break. Kristin and I had scheduled this trip at the beginning of the year, well before we even thought of buy this house. Thank goodness we did because I know we wouldn't have taken this trip and had this wonderful break if we knew then what we know now.

     So we will be taking a much need two week break to surf and enjoy the sun. See you in two weeks :)