Floor Installation - Part I

So we're here eagerly anticipating the arrival of my parents and brother. My parents say their entire car is full to the brim with tools to help us install our new bamboo floor. But first, we have to get that refrigerator in. Once that worry is done, we can begin.

As you can see we have the wood spread out between two rooms awaiting its installation, I'm sure this is going to be an interesting weekend filled with some good stories.

My Dad anticipates 3-4 days for installation, I personally have no idea. There are lots of corners to go around, a refrigerator that might not fit if we put flooring under it and a very heavy island in the kitchen to contend with. I'll be sure to take lots of photos, don't worry!

It Doesn't Quite Fit

The delivery men were amazing. I think they were relieved to see that the floors could be scratched and the only thing they needed to worry about was the walls. I was so nervous that they wouldn't be able to get the refrigerator past a myriad of obstacles, but they were amazing.

After a half of an hour of me flitting around, questioning and trying to stay out of their way, but actually being in their way, the refrigerator was rolled into the kitchen. The doors were reattached and an attempt was made to shove it into place. That's when we discovered that the opening wasn't quite big enough. Another 1/8" needs to be sawed off of the counter for the new refrigerator to fit.

But let me tell you about this new refrigerator. I can actually program the crisper to a different temperature than the rest of the fridge, the freezer has a pizza nook, it has a quick freeze option, crushed ice dispenser and my personal favorite it tells you the temperature in the room. It was love at first sight.

The Plumber

I really wanted to call this posting "The Butt Crack", but I can just see my parents cringing in shame and my church friends banning me from playing handbells ever again, so I refrained. But that doesn't mean I won't talk about it.

Yesterday a plumber came and installed our range, our hood and our dishwasher. To my amazement he bent over to work on something and I was flashed by yes, his butt-crack. I couldn't believe it. I really wanted a photo for this blog to prove to everyone that this is not a stereotype or an urban myth, the Plumber's Butt-Crack jokes are all based on TRUTH! I am happy to say he has an assistant, a plumber in-training, who was sans-butt-crack. I figure it's something you earn the right to expose.

Since I've already taken up most of my space writing about butt cracks, I'll give you the bare bones of their 2 1/2 hour job here. They cut three holes in the wall, that my Dad advised me to have them repatch with caulk (check!), they had to run new wiring from the electrical socket to power the hood (check!), they were one leg short on the dishwasher and had to shim it up (check!) and they asked me if I wanted to clean the cat furballs out from under the stove (check!). Really all in all a very successful day.

Photos to come soon, I'm currently painting the wall behind the stove and the stove is covered in tarps.

Counter Top Cutting

After many phone calls to my nervous Dad and brother and hours of nerve-wracking anticipation about using a saw for the first time, we were rescued. Our friend Doug came over and sawed the counter top edge off for us. Our new refrigerator should now fit - God willing.

Doug was a life saver as he also figured out how to move our island and disconnect the electricity coming up into the island. He was fabulous, although when he left, he kept telling us to have a good time with the house and that there was a lot of fun left to be had. I'm still waiting for him to explain what he means.

Cotter Pin King

Kevin has officially been crowned the Cotter Pin King. We went to Home Depot on his birthday and he found the greatest tool in the world called the "Pin Extractor." It was made to take out all of the cotter pins that were criss-crossing our floor. They had originally held the backboard for the linoleum to the floor, but were now just grasping onto the floor for dear life.

The demise of the cotter pins is complete. Kevin spent his entire birthday afternoon pulling out the little buggers with his new tool. I have to say I love him even more for sparing my hand. Hip-Hip-Hooray for the Cotter Pin King!

Fingernail Biting

This week is a stressful week for me and the house. There are too many things going on that are on the verge of not working and its making me very stressed.

Refrigerator: Our refrigerator is coming this week. There are a few concerns with this. Namely will it fit? Will it fit through the front door? Yes, if we take the door off of the refrigerator. Will it fit up the stairs? Yes, if we take the door off of the refrigerator. Will it fit between the wall and the stair? Yes, if we take the door off of the refrigerator. Will it fit in the slot? Yes, if we saw off the counter! This is the counter and we're waiting for help from Kevin's friend. The sawing must be done for Wednesday's delivery.

Range: Our range is coming this week. We have a giant all in one piece right now and we're hoping that the plumber who is installing it won't have any problems getting it out. We also do not have a hood right now. We're wondering if he'll even hook up the range without a hood as it won't pass code. So do we need to get a hood pronto is the question. We think there's wiring back there for a hood (we saw an old hood in the basement, so there should be...). But if there's not wiring then we're really in hot water.

Flooring: We're trying to get the floor ready for installing the bamboo. Namely pulling up all of the current linoleum in the kitchen. But we can't seem to move the island. It's attached to the floor in a manner that we cannot figure out. There's also electricity running through there, so we don't want to pull that out.

Dishwasher: It's still not installed and we never seem to buy the right part. We just keep buying one useless part after another and never seem to fix the problem.

I have one word for my life this week: streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessful!

Happy Birthday Kevin!

Today is Kevin's birthday and for his birthday we're doing what we normally do...yes, working on the house. Today's new toy that Kevin found at Home Depot is a 'Pin Extractor.' I cannot praise Kevin enough for finding this new tool.

Let me start at the beginning. Yesterday, Kevin ripped out most of the kitchen floor, which consisted of linoleum on a plywood backing. This backing was 'stapled' with cotter pins to the floor. There are pins every 4" at least. Meaning that there are a heck of a lot of pins. After using needlenose pliers yesterday for an hour and half and only having pulled out about 100 pins (and there are thousands), I was sorely disappointed.

Not to mention (and please stop cringing my handbell friends) but I have two huge blisters which will make ringing hard.

Kevin found the pin extractor today, which takes a fifth of the time and spares your hand. We timed him this morning at 19 cotter pins per minute. Do you think there's any chance I can enter him in a race? Hooray for Kevin. And Happy Birthday too!