Pining for the floors

Hello all. With the passage of enough time since our last floor installation, we jumped back into the breech. After many months we returned to one of the first rooms we painted, one of the upstairs bedrooms (see the first photos in this post). 

Here is where things stood. The previous owners had painted the plywood subfloor, which meant we had a clean surface as our base, akin to the other upstairs bedroom.

We laid the red rosin paper for squeaks and then proceeded to lay flooring. Getting the first boards in place is crucial because we needed them to be straight since everything else would build off them. We also knew from experience that hammering boards into place can shift them around. How to guard against that?

We screwed a number of braces in place to give us a rock-solid foundation as we installed up to the near wall, including filling in the little closet.

After that it was lather, rinse, repeat across the wider part of the room.

We had moved a number of floor boards and the miter saw up to the room to minimize the amount of travel up and down the stairs. Aside from ensuring that you don't end up with seams that are too close together (don't ask how we know this), the edges are always a bit slow as you customize pieces to fit. 

For example, around and between the little doors to the storage cubbies (typical of every cape cod) we had to get out the jigsaw.

The result, still awaiting polyurethane finish, always is worth the effort. At least we think so. We don't want to speak for you.

In case the subject line of this entry was unfamiliar or only vaguely familiar, let us offer a refresher on an all-time classic. Enjoy.

Until next time.

Oh cabinet, my cabinet

Hello all. With our now well known affinity for transforming furniture (in the bathroom here, and the living room here and here) you won't be the least surprised that we went back to this well.

We had purchased another kitchen cabinet that was intended to be the vanity for the small, third bathroom. That entailed a few modifications. First we had to put in something to turn the working drawer into a false one because the sink would make it impossible to house a drawer.

 

Then we needed to trim several inches off the depth to convert it from a standard kitchen cabinet size to a standard bathroom size. This was old hat to us by now. Find the line, use a straight edge (in this case a long clamp) and cut.

 

 

Then we attached a simple back of pegboard we had handy, leaving open a gap big enough to accommodate the drain pipe and water supply lines. So far, so good.

 

 

Our decision to make this bathroom into our laundry room made our work on this cabinet moot. There is sat in the garage until we decided its fate. We opted to make it an additional piece for the kitchen. Even with all the cabinet space and the island in there, we thought this might make a nice buffet. We replaced the back with some better plywood and painted it to match the rest of the kitchen.

 

 

Then we decided reintroduce a drawer to make the piece more useful. The dimensions and process were pretty simple. Make a box and put a bottom on it.

 

 

We added drawer slides, hardware, and a butcher block top to complete the look. You'd hardly be able to tell is wasn't conceived alongside the rest of the kitchen because it blends in so well.

 

Until next time.