Monday, September 14, 2015

The great scrapbook space reno update #2 - FYI I'm nuts!

Do you remember my rather ambitious to do list from just a few days ago? Well, here's an update for any of you keeping track.

Here are the next items on my to do list for my scrapbook reno:
1. Finish trim painting (Saturday + Sunday if needed) {Yay! I did it}
2. Scrub floor (Saturday) 
3. Touch up paint any gray areas that need it (Sunday) {Yay! I did it}
4. Replace heat/air register,  wall switch plate and electrical switch plates throughout room (Sunday) 
5. Decide on furniture placement (Sunday)
6. Have Jake + friends move giant armoire into room (Sunday)
7. Arrange rest of furniture to my satisfaction (Sunday)
8. Have tabletops cut at Home Depot and stain them to match armoire (Monday)
9. Stain table legs to match armoire and repaint tabletop (Monday)
10. Hang window coverings - not sure if I'll do curtains or blinds yet  (Monday)

Yeah. That's tight. I only accomplished 2 of the 10 items I'd planned. Loser. 

I did something else instead. Something crazy. Something ridiculous. Something I didn't totally think through at the time. Something I pretty much regret at this point. I started ripping up (and I use the word rip on purpose) the linoleum tile that was on top of the original hardwood. (Long story - lets just blame it on my ex husband, shall we?) After I finished the trim paint, I prepared to scrub the floor and noticed one tile was curling up a bit. Then I really looked at the tile and cringed. Everything else looked so good. Shouldn't I pull up that hideous linoleum? Shouldn't I try to embrace the imperfections of the old wood floor until I'm ready to refinish it? Shouldn't I quit being lazy and just go for it? 

So I pulled up that first tile. It cooperated. It seemed easy. I felt full of confidence and energy. The next tile was a little harder, but I didn't worry. Two hours later. Twenty tiles pulled up. Hands red and sweaty and aching. Sweat dripping from my forehead. Back screaming in pain. What the hell was I thinking? Not only were these tiles attached with the strongest glue even NASA could create, but the adhesive was still on the wood floor. What to do? What to do? I know: I'll go to Home Depot.




After quickly showering, some measuring in my room, and some list making, I bopped over to Michael's for a couple of 50% off drawers I wanted and then to Home Depot. I bought all kinds of stuff - a floor register, switch plates, outlet plates, spackle, sanding block, lightbulbs. I wanted to have my tabletops cut out of mdf while there, but the lumber dude insisted he could not just let the pieces stick out of the sunroof of my VW Bug. Bummer. Before I left, I got some help to find an adhesive stripper for this NASA grade glue. On their recommendation, I went with Goof Off in the giant gallon size. I really didn't want anything that would strip the hardwood if I could help it. I alo checked out some gorgeous wood blinds, but, dang, they were expensive. At that price, I might just be leaving the windows bare. Nobody can tell from the road if I'm wearing a bra strap my desk or not...

Anyway, I came back home full of hope and promise. Per the instructions, I doused the wood floor with Goof Off and let it set a while. Like half an hour at least. I washed rushes and find a load of laundry in the interim. (My entire house is out of control thanks to this project!) Entering my room, I almost broke my neck. Unbeknownst to me, Goof Off is oily, so my floor was basically a skating rink. Let's just say my toes have amazing gripping power! I wiped. It didn't work. My towels stuck to the floor. Literally. So I got my mop and hot, soapy water. And I mopped. And I wiped. And I mopped. And I wiped. And it's still sticky.


Hanging my head in frustration, my confidence lagging, I decided to tackle it with a scraper. I scraped the 1/3 of the room I've stripped. Lots of adhesive came up, but it's. Still. Sticky. Like sticky enough to rip your shoes off your feet. And where it isn't sticky, it's like walking on a block of oily ice. At one point, I literally caught myself by my fingertips on the window sash as my legs slid out from under me in a horrific move reminiscent of the splits. 

Finally, I gave up and turned out the lights and shut the door. I will have to fight the demonic glue  another day. After a 10 hour day working in this room, I've managed to move backward on my to do list. I spent two hours finishing the trim paint. Two more hours moving furniture, measuring, cleaning up, and standing in the room looking around. Another two hours pulling up 25 floor tiles, only 105 more to go. (KMN!) and two hours trying to remove adhesive, mop, scrape, and for the splits. Now, im sticky too. I can't even  get the sticky off my right forearm and elbow bc it's too close to my slide 
burn from last weekend. Oy! And best yet, I read on the Goof Off label that you aren't supposed to get it on your skin...after I'd basically bathed in it while working all afternoon. Oops - waiting for the hives to start at any moment. (Hope not!) Last but not least, I think I've pulled my shoulders out of socket and bruised my palms in the process - long story. Sounds like I'll feel great tomorrow, eh? 

The good news is that the leaves have started to fall, so I'll have that to keep me busy once I finish the studio Reno. Here's what my patio looked like when I woke up yesterday. Smh! 


Sorry for the rant - it's been kind of a hard day. Guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow night: pulling up tile and scraping up glue. Again.


9 comments:

  1. OH NO! Feeling for you Tiffany! One of those things that starts small and turns into a big drama - hopefully you'll break the back of it (and it not break your back) soon!!
    Debra

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  2. Oh man. So sorry the room reno is turning into an epic adventure. Maybe the leaves might be another hire the daughter and fiancé job? Hang in there. I'm sure there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it isn't a train!

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  3. I am speechless. I wish I had a suggestion or solution.

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  4. That floor looks beautiful. You did a great job even if it is still sticky.

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  5. The floor will look great! As with all home projects it takes 4 times as long and 3x as much money! My guess is that you won't be doing a major redo for some time so take your time and get it exactly how you want it.

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  6. Oh my goodness. I have to say this sounds horrible but it looks amazing already! This is going to be worth all that hard work for sure. Hope you have figured out a way to get the sticky off.

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  7. Wow, you poor thing! I would have been looking around for the hidden cameras and wondering when the joke would be over! I think it will be totally worth it if you can get all the tiles and residue off.

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  8. that floor is so much prettier than the tile. you'll get there - one day :)

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  9. Hoping that things have gotten better with the floor removal. That hardwood looks amazing!

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