The floors are in now, and we’re in the process of pulling our home (and lives) back together. Since we spent over two years agonizing over the hows and whens and whats of this ambitious adventure, I thought I’d pass along a few things we learned along the way.
1. All flooring stores are not created equally. We encountered quite the variety of idiocy: refusals to allow samples out of the store, demands that we sign contracts before measuring for pricing, radical cost differences, extreme ignorance and/or lies… it was downright discouraging. In the end, though, the company we selected lived up to every expectation we had, so if you’re considering a floor remodel in the Katy / West Houston area, feel free to contact me privately. I’ll gladly share both recommendations and warnings.
2. Concrete floors and no furniture equal astounding echoes. Also: even a modestly-sized home will seem enormous when empty. Ours seemed (and is) ridiculously vast.
3. The slightest signs of progress will inspire extreme euphoria. Try to stay out of the way, or the work will stall.
4. Hardwood floors absorb sound. This one was a complete surprise to me.
5. When you start putting everything back, you’ll discover any number of items you’d either forgotten you owned, or can’t remember why you had them. You may also decide that it’s past time to get your home set up in a way that makes sense. If you’re three weeks away from a major event (like Christmas), try to resist the temptation.
6. Edited to add: Installing hardwood floors requires an abrupt, and somewhat uninspiring but necessary, focus on the feet of all your furniture. I recommend the felt investment before, rather than after, since it’s pretty frustrating to get the first major scratch before the last board is laid. (Guess how I know this…)
We’re putting up decorations (and hopefully a tree!!) tonight. I’ll post a pretty picture tomorrow.