https://youtu.be/UIboHu2pVAU

Some of them are in good shape! You’re lucky (mine wasn’t, having mud underneath etc.). Where is yours?

I am producing a new TV series following people who have taken unconventional buildings and turned them into gorgeous homes.

I would love to chat and possibly feature your home.

Hope to hear soon,
Eva.

I love that painting too. I know how you feel. In order to sand my floor I pulled over 2000 rusty carpet staples out of the wood. I would work on it every night after work. What they don’t show in the Caillebotte painting is the amount of wine you have to drink to survive those jobs. And I blasted music to keep myself awake. As for your questions, wood will always darken differently under a carpet but I find that if you bleach the floor enough, all areas remain light enough that the distinction between the protected and unprotected areas is less noticeable. Also, I used a water-based finish on the floor and those can lighten rather than darken in sunlight over time, so the areas under my carpet are not that far off the colour of the uncarpeted areas. The only problem you may encounter with bleach is that you could get some rust rings around the nail heads (this could happen with a water-based finish as well), but that could look cool, sort of vintage/heritage. Or you could seal the nail heads somehow, after bleaching. There’s only one bleach to use: proper 2-part wood bleach. In Vancouver it’s distributed by Mohawk Finishing. You can change the strength of the mix by changing the mixing ratio of Parts A and B. I used a strong mix on my ceiling because I knew the wood would darken again over time, and it really did. I bleached it until it was almost a white-green. I was a bit panicked about that at first, thinking I’d actually gone too far, but after a year it has oxidized to a really golden pine colour with a touch of orange. 2 or 3 shades darker at least. Just beautiful. So don’t be afraid to go too far with fir (watch it with maple and other hardwoods though). I did the same with the fir floor, which is under a water-based finish (the ceiling is completely unsealed. Yet they match). I’m really happy with it. I now bleach all wood that comes in here – it’s like a compulsion, but I’ve never regretted it. The honey colour is much better and more cheerful than the dark muddy red of Douglas fir.

Those boys seemed pretty happy with the payment (and it was in cash) and in addition I fed them lunch and dinner. Not sure they would have stayed around for that job otherwise. Despite working overhead we actually had quite a good time, listening to spanish language radio on the local co op radio station and practicing Spanish and English respectively. They worked way harder than the local teens I’ve hired. They said that in Mexico and Guatemala the homeowner never works alongside labourers (probably not common here either) and they preferred that. I was trying to save money by working with them but they appreciated it, which seemed odd at the time but I guess I get it. Frankly many of them were middle class kids just trying to raise some dough. Maybe having a woman on the job raises morale too. Carlos, their foreman, came in one day and said “you handle that belt sander very well – one hand!” But of course they were all working at least twice as fast as I was. We all got very strong doing that job, but they had ridiculous stamina. Sadly for everyone, Canada’s revolting new visa policy for Mexican citizens has made it impossible for any of those guys to work in Canada anymore.

thanks, noah

p.s. hope you compensated those boys well.

Thanks, and thanks for the tip on Design Traveller. How can I never have heard of it before? And how can this blog be on it? Details?
PS Sure, come by anytime! I’ll email you.