New Reno, Old Idea

We've been talking about doing it for at least a decade, long before we decided to renovate our kitchen. And for years, the cats have been helping out by starting on the work, themselves.

When DW and I bought our house, while it was still under construction, we debated about whether to have wall-to-wall carpeting or to have hardwood laid throughout the house. But we were relatively poor when we bought the house and we thought that, with the prospect of having kids, we were best to have soft flooring in areas where the kids would be and to have stairs that provided some grip and protection.

And so our family room, stairs, and entire top floor (except for the bathrooms, of course) were covered in a beige carpet. It was simple and timeless.

And prone to stains and ground-in dirt.

We've almost always had a cat in the house, and over time the carpet was put under grueling tests. The cat—or cats, as it later became—would sharpen their claws on the staircase. They also hated to be shut out of rooms and would try to dig themselves under the door space. In the nearly 24 years and with seven cats living in this house, every bedroom door has been shredded nearly to the underfloor.

The handiwork of seven cats over 24 years.

Years ago we didn't complain because we thought we'd rip the carpet up and replace it with flooring, as soon as the kids were older and less likely to knock their heads on hardwood, or slip down the stairs.

But other expenses crept up and we decided that the kitchen and family room were a priority, so we renovated our cooking space and put hardwood throughout the main floor (the carpet in the family room looked far worse and was more noticeable to guests).

With three cats in the house (sometimes, four), the upstairs is looking awful and even becoming hazardous in some spaces. We figured that now's the time to get it done.

We contacted the folks who laid the hardwood in our kitchen/family room area, as they did an expert job of matching the colour of the original hardwood, in the living/dining rooms (they had originally installed that flooring). You really have to look hard to see where the original hardwood ends and the new hardwood begins.

They came over and measured our bedrooms, hallway, and staircase, and their estimate made our jaws hit the torn-up carpet. We decided that we would explore doing the bedrooms and hallway, ourselves, and getting them to do the stairs when we were more financially ready.

DW has watched countless videos and talked to friends who have laid their own flooring. We even have a friend who used to own a kitchen renovation company, who has also laid hardwood many times. He even has tools to lend us and will come by to offer assistance, when and if needed.

He'll probably be needed.

We've ordered the wood, which has filled our living room. This weekend, we'll start ripping up the carpet. We'll tackle the hallway first, then our study, and then the two bedrooms (Kid 2's bedroom was converted to a study after Kid 1 moved back home).

DW wants this project completed before Christmas. If things go well, that shouldn't be a problem.

But as we've learned from past renovations, not everything always goes according to plan.

Our old idea of having hardwood throughout the house is finally becoming a reality. The new reno is just getting underway.

Wish us luck, and stay tuned.