Hi Everyone,
First of all, thank you for so many darling comments on Sunday about the hardwood floors. The final coat of poly went on today.
Well, how do the floors look, Laurel?
I was afraid you were going to ask me that. ;]
To tell the truth…
Frankly…
In all sincerity…
To be honest…
.
.
.
They’re pretty awful in many respects.
However, I wasn’t going to talk about that, because I figure you’re all tired of my grousing.
In the end, I have only myself to blame.
The guy who did my floors wasn’t the right one for me. I wanted to try the Pallmann hard wax oil. In hindsight, I should’ve booked someone specializing in hard wax oil finishes. However, there’s only one that I know of, and when I asked him last June, he said he was booked until October. Knowing that Robert’s guy wasn’t going to work out, I should’ve lined someone up months earlier.
What are the problems?
Well, the new floor is glaringly new and much lighter, juxtaposed against the 144-year-old floor.
No attempt was made to get the floors to blend, even though I was told there would be.
The correct thing to do would be to take a couple of pieces of the new wood and experiment with some pre-coloring and light antiquing. That’s what should be happening to avoid the obvious repair job.
Incidentally, the so-called “low” VOC is not NO VOC; it’s just lower than the stuff they use to protect the floors that doubles as rocket fuel.
The problem is, the toxic stuff (AKA oil-based poly) is beautiful.
I have never seen a beautiful water-based poly. However, this formulation is the newest and is supposed to be excellent.
So far, this is a bloody disappointment. Yet, Bona makes a floor polish to go over their water-based two-component polyurethane after it’s fully cured. And, maybe the curing process will help it some. It’s just that the reflection from the windows looks milky instead of luminous.
Why weren’t these things addressed, Laurel?
They were, but I was shot down. I’m not going to get into it on the blog, and I’m going to assume that they were doing their best and are just not equipped to handle anything but the most mainstream jobs. That’s fine. It’s just that I wasn’t made aware of that and a lot of other things.
Now, sometimes one finds a hands-on GC who gets his client’s vision, and has the skills AND EXPERIENCE necessary to make it happen.
These folks are exceedingly rare and to be cherished if you have one.
This is a sweeping generalization, and by no means is everyone. However, here’s my take on most contractors and trades in the residential building industry.
Based on 14+ months into this renovation, my take is that most people in the building trades just want to get the job done and cram as many jobs as possible into their 8-hour workday. They don’t want to think, and they definitely don’t want to spend the time it takes to do things optimally.
To make matters worse, we must operate on THEIR schedule and are only one of many jobs they constantly juggle.
Early on, one of you lovelies sent me this hilarious cartoon.
hehehehe!!!
Oh, I see hundreds of you knowingly nodding your head. I know because you’ve already told me your horror stories of rude tradesmen doing an inferior job and who are charging you a fortune for the privilege. That is… When they show up.
Then, I see others shaking their head, not understanding how this is happening to ME.
Well, in the eyes of most contractors, I’m no different from anyone else, except possibly more:
- fussy
- nitpicking
- particular
- picky
- capricious
- choosy
- discriminating
- discontented
- unhappy
- dissatisfied
- critical
- exacting
- demanding
- finicky
- overly particular
- hard-to-please
- detailed
- perfectionist
- pain in the ass
DIFFICULT
Fine, they can think about me whatever they like. However, I don’t want my living room floor to resemble a patchwork quilt covered in plastic.
And, for whatever it’s worth, I heap praise on these guys, as much as possible when it’s deserved, which it frequently is.
Communication issues are commonplace and a source of immense frustration.
My point is that the building industry is fraught with landmines at every turn.
And to be crystal clear, the problems affect ALL OF US.
I mean EVERYONE.
Today, I read an interview with Mark D. Sikes in Architectural Digest.
I made a meme with Mark’s astute words.
And so it has gone with my job. While things have gone wrong, the worst have all been fixed.
However, Mark’s point about the people—you’ve seen them on Instagram—who make it appear that EVERYTHING is always perfect is absolutely, positively LYING.
Please forgive the blatant cynicism, but often, the more perfect something looks, the more likely it is to be all smoke and mirrors.
So, what else is going on with the renovation?
Today, the plumber returned to operate on the bathroom plumbing.
Yes, I know. I know!!! This is utterly ridiculous to be happening at this point.
Below, the surgery is complete and the pipes are now centered.
The patient is resting comfortably and is expected to make a full recovery.
The toilet pipes are hooked up and ready.
But first, the surgeons, Doctors Brendan and Eugene, will come and stitch up the patient and repair the mouldings.
Laurel, why wasn’t this done ages ago?
*No, no, no… we don’t do that. We don’t go backward. Yes, I’ve kindly requested that the pipes be fixed long before the mouldings went up.
There’s only so much nagging a girl can do!
Next week, we should be getting the new radiator and sink fully installed.
Painting will be resuming shortly.
Things are moving along.
I write these posts to share my experience and help us all understand the beast’s nature. Even with the most conscientious workers, things go wrong. What separates the great people from the ones I’d rather not see again is how they handle it.
*It’s a matter of moving forward, problem-solving, and trying not to stay stuck in the past.
That’s already happened. It’s over. It can’t be changed.
I think this lesson applies to just about everything life throws at us.
In closing, I am not worried about the living room floor. Overall, the color is pleasing, and there will probably be a large rug and, of course, furniture.
I will find a way to make the floor gleam, (see above) and if I can, I can pass that info on. In the meantime, if you have used Bona Traffic HD or a similar water-based poly, were put off by the plastic look, and used something to make the finish more lustrous, please let us know in the comments.
xo,
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61 Responses
That patch around the fireplace is unacceptable, sorry. In a 144-year-old house they should have used flooring milled from reclaimed lumber or at the very least sourced the new wood from a region close to your house – as that is what the original builder used(!). I’m having a hard to seeing if they even used White Oak. It looks like Red Oak in the photo. “Mainstream” is a polite term for their skillset.
Also, oil finishes are regressive. Don’t believe the hype unless you want to buff floors like they did fifty-plus years ago. Buffing maintenance is why with the advent of wall to wall carpet so many original wood floors got covered. Poly-urethane finishes – water or poly-oil based – helped bring back the resurgence of wood floors forty years ago. The oil finish manufacturers always somehow forget to be specific about future maintenance and that in the countries where it’s used most commonly they don’t wear their shoes indoors. (We have an inside joke about oil finishes – I’m in the custom manufacturing part of the wood flooring industry – everybody loves oil finishes until the first lawsuit).
You are correct – there is a flatness to poly-water finishes and a richness to poly-oil based finishes. Amberizers or toners can be added to water to mimic the poly-oil, but it’s not quite the same.
Hi George,
It was thought that the wood is white oak, but actually, it’s red. However, the original replacement was white oak and the job was horrifyingly bad. So, there were two reasons to replace the wood. What makes me ill is that they took out the old wood in the entry and dumped it! Between that and what was removed around the stair well, there was plenty of old wood to make the repairs.
The wood the installer got is quite nice in that the grain, itself, is a good match. However, you’re right on all other counts.
When they fix it, hopefully in about three weeks, they are going to finish it with oil-based poly, not the hardwax oil. Sorry if I wasn’t clear about that.
Laurel, you’ve really been through so many difficult situations with your renovations project. You have my prayers. I can totally relate to the difficulties you have faced throughout the process. I went through four (4) years of restoration of a home, historic as well, and dealt with craftsmen who caused irreparable damage to our home. Some things can’t be replicated that were made in early 1900’s and it’s such a disappointing situation. We just have to let it go and enjoy the beauty of what has turned out as we envisioned and be thankful we haven’t had a nervous breakdown. Your design work is magnificent and your home is going to be lovely.
Wow, it’s hard to believe all the problems you’ve encountered during this renovation!!! I am so sorry for your troubles, and hope that you can get past it all and enjoy your beautiful new apartment.
It’s made me realize just how lucky I have been in the past few years since I found not one but two amazingly talented and organized GCs. They are by no means inexpensive, but in the case of GCs, you get what you pay for. They’ve worked for me and my clients and have done a fantastic job on all our projects. That being said, I haven’t requested much in the way of challenging and out-of-the-box processes, procedures, or products. For the most part, I tend to go with what they feel comfortable doing, but they have met me halfway when I suggest something out of the ordinary.
Thanks for all the informative and amusing blog posts!
Laurel, I can’t imagine your frustration. Please don’t give in on the floor. It is as unacceptable as some of the other problems.
Once you move everything back in, you will dislike that you compromised on something so fundamental.
As far as the quality of work and single women dealing with contractors, well they are not only incompetent and don’t care, they simply don’t like single cat ladies.
Meanwhile, my home debacle is in its 8th month. My home insurance has now cancelled me because the cause of the water incursion is not yet fixed for two reasons: getting the legal authority to do it as it involves my neighbor’s yard and two getting her and her contractor to pay for the $120K damage to my house.
I have lost my mind for the most part although I cover it up much of the time. You can’t imagine how I have had to distract myself during all of this.
My retirement is probably ruined or at the very least, I’ve lost at least a year and a half of it living under intolerable conditions after which I will have to move out to repair (oh god, contractors) and move back in with every stick of what I own.
As to the lack of quality everywhere: our cultural standards for most things have fallen apart.
At the fancy health club I belong to: parents allow their kids to poop in the pool several times a week thereby causing the pool to close. The administration does not know how to handle this.
40 years ago at a similar pool, we had adult swim for 15 minutes out of every hour. No one complained. It was the right thing to do for the kids and for the adults.
Luckily, I only swim in the adult lap pool.
It is exhausting to act like a responsible adult under these circumstances. Scholars predicted this precise collapse before I was even born 76 years ago, but they were considered radical leftists whose work should be ignored. At least people like me have learned from their work.
None of this is by accident or without explanation.
Be strong. Get the floors into acceptable shape. They can be imperfect, but not that imperfect. White wash would have come out better, I think.
I do like the low gloss natural look of your newly refinished floors, but your contractor should have done a better job matching the color. If it bothers you a lot, I would make them redo it. I had to replace larger sections of my existing white oak floors twice due to water damage. Both times the contractor sanded all of the existing floors and was able to match the new to the old floor perfectly. The first time we used Bona Satin and the second time Loba Satin. Water based polyurethane and hard wax oils are low gloss or no gloss finishes compared to an oil based finish. It might just take a little time to get used to a low gloss surface.
For what it is worth, following the economic downturn in 2008, I decided to do a couple of projects around our house. I contacted vendors – like the paint store for recommendations for painters – and did my own subcontracting. Since the subs didn’t have much work, they were all very available, and they took their time to do a good job.
Fast forward to today. During the 2020 Covid shutdowns, people spent more time in their homes and the projects they had been putting off for years became a thorn in their side. The renovation market boomed, resulting in a shortage of both supplies and labor.
I also learned that fewer and fewer young men are going into the trades these days – thus as the older subs retire, there are not enough new subs coming up to replace them.
We learned from a realtor about the “80% rule”. Once the sub has completed 80% of the job, he gets paid for at least most of his work, and then he moves on to the next job, thus maximizing his profit – and leaving the homeowner with either a poorly done job, or – worst case scenario – an incomplete one. And since there is a shortage of subs, there is plenty of work out there for the subs.
Home renovation TV shows, as well as some blogs and some Instagram postings, give the impression that a renovation can be done in a short period of time and that it will be perfect. That is not the way it really is.
When considering building a new home or renovating an old one, it is important to understand what the market it like today.
What you just said is the reason why I sold my family farm from 1834 including the frame farmhouse that our late restoration contractor had worked on for over 20 years. We lived four hours away and he died suddenly. I knew we would never find another person like him, who one day admitted, “I just love it,” as we were discussing the house. I miss him and the house every day but knew my life would take a sharp downward turn without him living close by and taking care of it. His special skills and slow careful work died with him.
You have probably heard horrible contractor stories from hundreds of readers. How about this one? In the middle of a large renovation that was not going well, our general contractor left to go home to Albania for 2 weeks for a hair transplant. Yep.
Please don’t fret, Laurel, my husband and I are probably the most difficult clients in the world, probably checking all the boxes listed above, but then again, it’s our home and our investment, we have all right to demand good work!! I don’t know if the Bona HD Traffic is the culprit in the milkiness…maybe the mixing of different brands, the stain being of a different maker and the Bona on top maybe didn’t mix that well? Or maybe they used a matte/flat shine with the Bona HD Traffic? Hopefully it cures a few days and the milkiness subsides. But I am upset to see how they did not match the floors well around the fireplace, they should have done a better job there! You perhaps recall my new house had all dark espresso floors, and your opinion was to lighten it, which I am glad you said because we ended up redoing all the floors. We have white and red oak, so we did 1x Bona Red Out, 2x Bona Nordic and 2x Bona HD Traffic Satin finish. We picked Nordic because it has white pigments and it toned down the red, it came out quite nice and I don’t think it looks plasticky/milky, but it is a very light colored base, so it’s hard to tell. I would have perhaps liked more shine, the Bona satin is quite flat honestly, a bit rustic, but all in all I’m very happy because it lightened the whole house tremendously, so thank you for the advice! I don’t know what you can do to fix it, I say sleep on it for a few days and see how it does. The color looks very nice though! Also, maybe try finding another ‘professional’ for a second opinion. I know it’s hard finding the right people…isn’t it sad, in a big place like Boston?
Hi Laurel, What about taking some old flooring from the den in a non conspicuous area and change out those light new boards by the fire place. That way you will have a beautiful even looking floor and not that patch work look. Even if its not the same wood, the patina should match a lot better.
Hi Teri,
It’s not a bad thought, however, the floor in the den isn’t old and it isn’t red oak, either; It’s white oak. So, it wouldn’t be a lot better as the color is also off and the quality of the wood isn’t as good as in the living room. As far as the grain and quality of the new LR wood, that part couldn’t have been better.
The frustrating thing is, a year ago, we had a whole mess of original old wood in the 4′-6″ x nearly seven foot entry. The old wood was changed when the kitchen floor got changed. Robert should’ve been on top of that one. They immediately threw it out. I recall feeling quite ill when I found out.
Laurel, so sorry you are having to go through this month. I have had a few renovations done and I have been very unhappy with all of them. The contractors and their subs treated me horribly. Threatening to leave if my tiles didn’t arrive on time and they didn’t. I was so afraid they wouldn’t come back, I went to a local tile place and purchased tile and it was delivered the next day. Of course, it wasn’t what I wanted. Fifteen years later I still regret my last-minute decision. A couple of contractors who are my friends told
me if you are single and don’t have a husband, contractors will run all over you. The biggest thing with my reno was that a lot of the time I was told “it can’t be done.” Once your reno is completely over, I’d be interested in you doing a post on who “pays” for all the mistakes and to make them right.
Laurel I don’t really have any strong opinion on your wood floor but that bathroom tile floor looks so flawless and pretty 🤩
Laurel, I’m so sorry. Ugh! I have a ridiculous suggestion – would shoe polish work? I know it’s for leather, but sometimes the weird suggestions actually work. It just seems like it’s worth a try – could be buffed. I know it’s a crazy idea, but…
Hang in there!!!
My field is historic preservation and I own two old, not especially fancy, houses. I feel your pain and have followed you every step of the way!
It is my theory that the 2008 economic downturn caused a lot of “old-timers” to get out of the business. Maybe some held on, but those with any type of “old-timey” basic skills like how to hang a door or glaze a window started their work life in maybe the 1970s or 80s, and are heading to retirement by now, or only work part-time on selected jobs found word-of-mouth. There are some younger folks who are craftsmen, but you are effectively paying for their on-the-job training if you do anything that isn’t standard.
Even if you can find a craftman, you are lucky, and they might not do things the way you specify, even if you are on site, because “no one does it that way anymore.” Heaven help you if you are female, then you “don’t know how to be practical.”
In addition, today’s materials are made to be replaced, not repaired, and to minimize labor. Labor back in the day used to be cheap and the materials were expensive, now that is reversed. Workers are often hired for just a season and given a nail gun or whatever. They often don’t know more than their specific task and are not taught the why on how things are done. And a lot of materials, especially on the exterior, are made straight to simplify joinery, even if that means that horizontal surfaces will hold, not shed, water, and they are made out of synthetic materials so they don’t rot. But synthetics can still sag or have surface mold or fade or crack. But those materials look fake, so manufacturers add fake texture and woodgrain to make them look less plastic, and pay no attention to proportion or traditional molding detail. People are so used to fake, pasted-on details that they don’t know the difference from the real thing, or even prefer it.
Both of my homes have seen some decent and some not-so-good remodeling in their 100-plus years in their existence. I have tried my best to do right by them, but It gets harder and more expensive each year, and hardly anything comes out as specified, despite staying on-site to supervise. I sure wish I or my husband had the skills to do it ourselves!
Yes, it’s obvious, but like someone else said, “At least its even on both sides of the fireplace”
Recalling your designs for your clients, how about two large pots of greenery on either side of the fireplace?
It is just too bad; as you worked so hard yourself to make sure it was done right. B
You are not picky, or difficult, or…. It is simply about having high standards. Unfortunately, there are very few artisans/craft persons left who share those standards. I think you have done a marvelous job of being kind, sympathetic and, in the words of Garth Stein, “driving the race in front of you.”
Laurel, I feel your pain! My son has been going through a major renovation for a small ranch home after his whole house had water damage from a roofing company that was replacing his roof when a major thunderstorm hit. He has finally fired his contractor and is finding specific companies on his own to finish the job. If you think you are picky, you should meet my son! He wants everything perfect and I guess I don’t blame him. His home is almost finished.
I don’t think you are being too picky. You are paying a lot of money for your renovation and you should get what you pay for. The floor definitely needs to be fixed!!!
All in all though, I love everything you have done so far, especially your beautiful kitchen!!!
Love watching your beautiful revo and am so sorry for the multiple issues. I’ve been through 7 renovations in different houses and it is pretty much the same in every one…. Only you can decide on how much time and money can be spent on fixing each issue. The floor probably should be sanded and started from scratch, BUT can you handle it or can you accept less.
We’ve always only done oil based wood finishing on floors. Love the look and even as it wears it just looks great with more character. Take a deep breath and eat chocolate, ha.
You absolutely are NOT being too picky, critical, fussy, nitpicking, etc . It is ridiculous for those boards to stand out that much. I’m sure you can ask a hardwood floor craftsman to simply sand those boards down, adjust the stain and re-coat them was polyurethane. I would insist on it.
You may want to ask a few Realtors in the area if they know someone who could do this; I am a Realtor and I frequently have needs for people to repair small areas of floors like this and I know many of my fellow agents do too. (I know my guy could do it, but unfortunately, he’s here in Portland, Oregon.)
I would call a few Realtors and see if you can get a recommendation for someone like this who knows how to blend things in.
It would be so nice if contractors were craftsmen, but most are not. I would love to see one who cares how the work will hold up after 5 years! I have been through the wringer with renovations. I too, am considered too knowledgeable for my own (the contractor’s) good, and persnickety. Imagine wanting a contractor to do the job right for the price they promised. What gall! The most common thing I hear is, “I’m not making any money on this job, it’s really more of a favor/good deed, etc.”
Anyway, I live in an old victorian and we had a floor repair done 18 years ago by an older guy who was good. We were disappointed at first because ours was a large patch to be woven in and it stood out like a big white thumb in the middle of the room next to the old wood. He told us the repair would even out given some time, and it actually did. I’m not sure how many years it took, but by 15 years later I could hardly remember where the patch was when I looked for it. It would be nice not to have to wait, but eventually it will blend in and still show character that you just can’t get with an all new floor.
The Bona high gloss maintenance polish is tacky and plastic-shiny at first, but after time it gets less sticky and leaves a bit of decent luster.
Dear, those floors will always bug you…get them redone while you still can! Do not “settle.” So many things have come together as you hung in there. Focus on the great work with the painters and use that as a model. Persist…you won’t regret it.
Meanwhile, I have oak flooring from 1978 & 1995. I have had them redone 2X, each by a wonderful guy who did dustless work AND used oil-based finish. He has retired and I now need to have the floors done again. Your experience has left me very discouraged. I will keep an eye on your continuing saga and your readers to see if there are ANY decent floor people in the Boston area.
You have shown a lot of grit and grace throughout this project. I do appreciate that you acknowledge the special difficulties that occur with renovating an older home. In some cases, perfection cannot be achieved and you’ve demonstrated your capacity to accept that. While I know you can decorate your heart out and distract the eye from the flooring by the fireplace, I would encourage you to explore some options to make it more acceptable.
To give you some perspective, I’m dealing with some issues with my loved one’s cancer treatment. I, too, try to be nice and heap praise. I find it ridiculous, however, that I should need to dig in my feet when people should just do their jobs. In some instances, we’ve also decided not to look back. We’re going forward.
I can only imagine you are experiencing renovation fatigue! I’m sending you strength and encouragement to fight one more fight regarding the color of the hardwood flooring installed around the fireplace. You, my virtual friend, are a perfectionist! When you are finally sitting in your beautifully renovated space, and you glance at your magnificent fireplace..will the mix-matched stain color floor bother you?
So excited for you to soon be living in the home you’ve been dreaming of !!!
You could possibly hire a decorative artist that could go in with paint and match the colors of the floor and then varnish over the paint. Japan oil paints are amazing.
I agree the color matching should have been better. When everything else is in the room, your eye won’t go to those areas.
To add to my previous comment, I never get tired of your “grousing”! I have experienced similar angst and difficulties in maintaining and updating my home. As I have grown older and wiser, I stand my ground with contractors, no matter how unpleasant the process. I encourage you to be strong and also stand your ground with these contractors. I try to be courteous and friendly with whomever does work for me, but I never let contractors run over me. I too have made workmen rip out substandard work and have never regretted making them do it right because I have to live with the results. I think you are a nice person and try to get along with contractors and workmen, and I also see that you also have high standards and cannot live with substandard results. I find that very admirable. It takes true grit to get through a renovation like this. There are SO many of us rooting for you and encouraging you during these final stages, because we understand what you are going through. Also, if you decide to rectify the living room wood floor issue it may be better to get someone else to do the work. Your floor guy reminds me of the horrible painter you had to fire. I doubt if he is capable of correcting his mistake. Maybe a craftsman who has worked on historic preservation projects in your area would be someone to consult. I am confident there is a solution for the floor issue that will give you satisfaction. Stay the course and carry on. So much has already been magnificently accomplished.
I hate to say this, but I would make the floor guys come back and darken the boards around the fireplace to better blend in. It would be worth the trouble.
Well, at least the “patching” matches on both sides of the gorgeous fireplace, they did a good job on that, right? After reading all the posts and knowing what you’ve gone through I feel pretty lucky that my little house turned out pretty much exactly as I designed and envisioned (except for the garage ceiling paint they messed up – but a minor detail in the big scheme of things).
How about we just say the floor has “character”? Just maybe in a bad mood…
Just kidding of course. I understand your frustration. I would probably have thrown the towel a long time ago. It seems like a war of attrition: you want the project completed, so they’ll wear you down…
Your renovations look amazing already, but once complete to your satisfaction, it is going to look classically awesome.
I am right there with you and I am only trying to replace my laminate kitchen countertops! I have a weird angle on one portion of the countertop and I am on my 4th attempt to install that piece. This has been going on for over 3 months now. Now they want to rip out everything and start over but refuse to pay for the plumber to reattach the under the sink plumbing that I had to pay $300 for just two months ago. I love the material I chose, just hate the place that is fabricating the pieces.
We survived a total kitchen redo a few years ago. Lucky for us, the designer and his crew were great; they were excellent craftsmen, polite and as tidy as possible. (One even offered me good money for my old cabinets which I accepted!) We survived with a gas grill, induction burner, small extra fridge, and the microwave. The worst part was leaning over the laundry tub to wash dishes.
OMG: I am new to your blog but recently thought it was just me, did I have a dark cloud over my head.
After 51 years I decided to remodel my small galley kitchen and everything was going well and the last day my Kohler undermount sink was installed which I did not use that day. Next day I turn on the water and a large piece falls off. I text contractor who says we can fix with some epoxy process because we can’t remove sink as it will damage slab countertop and he accuses me of dropping something on it!
I know I didn’t and if his guy didn’t then there is a problem with the sink. Long story short I was finally able to get to right Kohler people who tell me the sink is defective, it’s called a “popoff” and it happens during the firing process and they will send me a new sink free of charge as long as I don’t alter the old sink which cancels the lifetime warranty.
What to do, what to do? I finally decide to bite the bullet and remove old sink and pay for new slab for new countertop. Yesterday I received news the fabricator/installer of slab top thinks he can get the old sink out without damaging the countertop. Now I wait to see if this will happen.
Honestly, I think this whole thing could have been handled better with a little more “bedside manner” from my contractor. Just saying.
Your post and the Sikes quote reminded me of something that has stayed with me. When several years ago we visited John Adam’s house in Quincy, MA, we saw the library that his grandson added later. It has a beautiful tile floor inspired by traditional quilting patterns, except that here and there you’d notice mistakes in the repeats. The guide said the mistakes were intentional, intended as a reminder that only God’s work is perfect and human work is always imperfect. It’s hard to believe that someone actually planned to make mistakes in order to be kept humble!
While poor workmanship is a real problem and you’d be fully justified in trying to do everything you can to blend the flooring better, I like your attitude towards the things that don’t go as planned/desired. And architecturally the apartment is very very beautiful, no matter what 🙂
Ugh — always one step forward two steps back. As for the floors: we have Bona HD Traffic and I still hate it 6 years on. We had the house empty for weeks before needing to move in, so we could have done the oil-based finish (or the hard wax oil, but we didn’t know about that back then!). But the floor guy was supposed to be a big expert so we let him talk us into the water-based Bona. It doesn’t help that the “expert’s” crew left drum circles and skip marks in the stain, applied the topcoat so unevenly that it pooled in doorways and left visibly different sheens across the rooms, and — my personal favorite — left shoeprints in the stain. Yes, shoeprints. But even if they had done a perfect job, I would still hate the water-based finish. It lacks warmth, it lacks depth, it feels awful on my feet, it doesn’t clean easily. It’s like the difference between human hair and a mass-produced doll’s hair. Only later did I realize the real problem: the floor guys who sell you this crap aren’t craftsmen and don’t care about your vision for your home. They’re salesmen. They’ll brag about being “certified” to specialize in Bona products, as if that’s some exclusive appeal for us. But in reality, they’re not making their money from doing the actual floor work — they’re making it off commissions from Bona. Their ONLY motivation is to sell and upsell you as many and/or as expensive product as they can. There are actual Bona Certified Craftsmen Conventions. At this point, I figure I’ve got 4 years left before I can justify the expense of refinishing all the floors again — using oil-based product this time. At least by then my son will be grown and flown, my husband and I will be retired, and we can clear out of the house for a few weeks to let it all cure.
My only remodel was about 25 years ago when I built an addition onto our home and wanted the new wood floors to match the existing ones. I selected my floor guy because he said he could do the matching and we discussed stains, etc. to be sure we were on the same page. Imagine my surprise to come home and find a young worker doing my new floors who told me they would be a “natural” finish, no stain at all. I asked him to halt all work until he could contact his boss and discuss it with him. I left to pick up my child and came home 20 minutes later to a “finished” floor. Talk about angry – I called the wood finisher and let him have it. He had to redo the floors from scratch which took about 2 weeks, but he did it because we had an agreement which may even have been in writing. It was a lesson I have never forgotten. So I suggest that you bite the bullet and insist it be redone. And anyone else doing a remodel, be sure you put everything in writing including all the details discussed!!
I do have to wonder if we had more women GC’s if things would be different 🙂 As a woman designer, I’ve had so many comments from GC’s and subs that range from snippy, all the way to threats. And I’m NICE to them. I treasure and coddle the good ones! Do you think women would be as resentful as men working with a woman? We may never know…….
Hi Laurel,
I’m writing from Guyana, South America. I’ve been following your blog for several years now, and I’m surprised by how relatable your experiences are. We face the same issues here when it comes to finding reliable tradesmen. I always assumed that things would be much better in the U.S., but it seems that these challenges are universal.
I’m currently in the process of building a home in Guyana, and it’s been incredibly frustrating. Like you, I’m a bit of a perfectionist—or maybe even a little OCD, lol.
I actually like the new overall wood floor color better than the previous color in the “before” photo, but I agree that the patch is not blending in at the moment. Are you sure they actually put the pecan stain on the new boards? They almost look like they didn’t get any stain at all and just have the sealer on top. Since the room is still empty, could they sand that patch and stain then reseal? Maybe get a second opinion from another floor person? This may be a common problem with old and new boards, but I also thought they interwove old and new. Or…maybe stencil a design around the fireplace hearth? I can’t remember if your checkerboard floor is on top of the Bona finish, but maybe that’s an option. However, when everything is back in the room, it will recede!
I feel you will regret not fixing the mismatched floor coloring (especially next to the fireplace). You have fought hard to get exactly what you wanted in more private areas of your home. Cannot quit now in the most public of areas of your home.
Oh My. This has been quite a journey and an eye opener seeing how your project has had these ups and downs. I always thought the contractor problems were infrequent and the complaints exaggerated, now seeing is believing. Because we could not afford our projects hired out as young homeowners, my husband taught himself to do everything by way of the public library and watching PBS This Old House. Many times it took way too long, was messy and did not always turn out as expected. Over the years he has been patient, a perfectionist and dedicated to making our visions come to life. Not to mention the price was right. I hope you can find the completion of this rehab to meet your expectations and find a way to congratulate yourself on such a beautiful Reno in a lovely building, in a prefect location, in a wonderful city!!
Laurel,
I feel your pain – so hard to renovate!! I’m almost finished with having my primary bath, laundry and powder room remodeled. I spent 8 months working with a designer that is a renovation specialist ( worth every penny )in order to have everything ordered, in my garage and ready to go – only to have the custom cabinet people delay my project!! And I started my project around ” their ” schedule. I’ve realized that ” custom” is not really custom. Especially if it is a bit difficult to do. Note to people considering a remodel, please hire a designer that specializes in renovations, as the contractor only wants to execute your vision ( the way he/she sees it). They mean well, but they do not get into the small details that matter, but the designer does!! Years ago I used Bona Traffic water based satin on my floors and love the finish. It does not look plastic, but a soft old looking finish. I was lucky to have a craftsman that knew what he was doing. I’m so sorry the old and new wood is not coming together correctly. Wishing you the best as you finish your project – it’s going to be gorgeous and I for one can’t wait to see the final results!!
Of course the worst of it has to be right in front of the fireplace where you can’t cover it up! Ugh. Hopefully they can at least fix that part and, as you say, rugs and furniture will probably camoflauge the rest of it. Still, how disappointing!
I so appreciate your sharing this journey of determination, patience and tenacity. There’s no doubt that you’ll look back and say it was worth the frustrations and disappointments, all of which were resolved eventually. You did it with all of those things you mentioned, “nitpicking, demanding” etc., with a dash of humour. There is no other way. Hopefully, some of those contractors learned something they can take to another project but that might be expecting too much. It’s going to be fabulous and as perfect as it could possibly be.
Can you have them strip just the new part and then treat with whatever the other parts of the floor have on them? In my house there are obvious patches in the old pine, all over, but somehow they blended in…
I used the Bona HD on my new heart pine floors in my kitchen and I love it. (The contractor’s floor guy was not happy about it but oh well.) It gets tons of compliments and it didn’t make me sick when it was put in (unlike the oil-based poly last time around that almost killed me).
However, the entire floor was new. There was no patching.
If my floor hadn’t been put in and needed finishing before lots of work still had to be done involving cabinets, appliances, and so on, I would have done something completely different, and would have done it if it was a case of patching or refinishing:
I would have used tung oil (from the Milk Paint Co). In 1860 (the year of my house) there was no poly. We all love the finish of those old floors. And they could be refinished as needed by simply adding more tung oil to the spots that are worn, vs. having to strip/sand and redo the whole thing, VOCs poisoning and all.
However, it really does take 30 days of walking in socks to cure, and I didn’t have that.
If I ever have to refinish, I will strip and use the tung oil. Basically you have to ask what they did back when the house was built and then do that, if possible.
HI,
If they used an oil based finish the UV light (sun) on the ‘newish’ wood will even it out within 6 months. I know, a long time to wait but they will even out eventually. Sorry you had to go through all of this.
No on anything Bona! I had dark floors in TX that were beautiful as they could still use the oil based stains and poly finish. In CT, had a song and dance that it can’t be used and used Bona. Within a year, my floors were dull and peeling. They came and refinished with a new and improved Bona…..horrible. They look so fake. I would have loved to use a wax finish, but that was shot down. Consequently, I have sisal rugs everywhere! I have a beach house in NY and a place in NH. Both of these floors are beautifully finished and oil based products were used. I just don’t get it.
I recently completed a full rehab on a 120 year-old three story two-family with, I swear, the most incompetent general contractor on the planet. The list of other adjectives that apply to the GC is too long to list here. I’m old enough (79) to know it wasn’t always this way as I have worked with a lot of contractors and sub-contractors in my day. (Many of them are now deceased or retired.) There are some very good people in the business and, understandably, they are all booked months out. You did everything you could to oversee the project and because of that a lot of mistakes were avoided or corrected. The end result is a huge improvement to what was and it is beautiful. Over time those few things that don’t quite measure up to your standards (which I admire BTW) will not seem so important.
And a huge shout out to you for having those bathroom sink plumbing pipes centered properly! I can’t even find the right words to comment on what was discovered behind that wall…
Oh Laurel! I had such high hopes regarding your flooring guy. I’m so surprised he left the floors in their current state. That is unacceptable. Now is the time to address it. While your furniture is out of the room.
Yes, rugs & furniture will cover some areas. But not in front of the fireplace. I pray you find the perfect contractor that can resolve this.
I have So. Many. Stories. Perhaps the best is when a contractor dumped a large load of gravel in front of my driveway after I fired him. He’d refused to speak to anyone but my husband (who had nothing to do with the project) and had told me I was crazy for asking why they weren’t using a crushed gravel base under a new patio. If so wasn’t middle aged I’d launch a new career as an exacting, patient contractor who only does one job at a time.
I think it helps if you aren’t alone in your opinions – that patch job is unacceptable. Tell the floor guy you can’t live with it and remind him there was to be an attempt to blend the colors. If he gets his back up, let him know you’ll provide pictures of that job on Next Door / Yelp so others can view his handiwork when they are shopping for a flooring contractor. Shouldn’t be a problem if he’s proud of his work lol.
I have Bona HD on my refinished + new red oak floors. I love it, but you are right, it is milky, and the satin is very…satin. If it were paint it may be more like eggshell. I wanted a light floor (only a natural sealer) so it’s a good match for me. If I wanted a “rich” look, I would caution others not use it – there’s no depth to the finish.
I usually have to find the product/stain myself and test it on the wood. I would never leave it up to a contractor. I always have to come up with my own solutions. I’m having a difficult time having new thermostats (Nest) installed in my home so that they are aesthetically pleasing. Nest thermostats are very small and they do not cover the previous opening. I have to use a a back plate to blend in with my wall that was already painted and wallpapered.
I needed to read your comment that” Its a matter of moving forward, trying not to get stuck in the past, that’s already happened, it’s over and cannot be changed.”I have been struggling with our build since hiring our contractor in April,2022.It was not a pleasant experience and yet it continues BUT I’m hoping soon, I will never have to see him again.I kept wishing and wishing it would be different[much like a child].Hence the reminder, can’t go back, but in my head, I just wanted the experience to be different.We paid for a custom house, with what we thought was a custom builder but what we got was so much worse.Anyhow, Laurel, thank you for the post, I’m hoping your thoughts will keep me in the present or at least help as a gentle reminder. I love your place and it’s going to look beautiful when you do the finishing touches.Thank you. Evelyn
We did a Matt finish Bona poly on red oak in our previous house and loved it. Loved the color and the finish. Refinished white oak in our current house with the Bona vegetable oil flat finish. We did that as the finisher indicated it could be patched whereas poly you typically have to refinish all. This is very prettty but lacks the depth we had in another house. We are going to add another coat from another company to attempt to get a richer look. Overall they are pretty but I loved the previous finish.
Enjoy your posts! In the last year we have renovated a kitchen, laundry room, added builtins and a kitchenette. I love our contractor. Everything has turned out great. He does not leave a job and juggle multiple jobs. He completes them before starting another. We were new to the area and found him thru Next Door. It helped that we both work from home and could communicate during the day. We were so lucky to find him!!!
At 4:30 AM I awoke stressed. My kitchen renovation began on Monday. It was not planned, but instead a forced issue due to a leaking pipe. On day one the work stopped due to much more extensive leaking discovered. You get the picture.
I am still awake at 5:38 because of the endorphin release from laughing so hard at the cartoon you included. The image of it is one that will stay with me throughout this process. I am trying to focus on the outcome, desired as joyful, versus the ugly process.
Without following you, I know I would be much more of a mess than I am. I continue to learn so much from you, including to accept work as is, or not, as the case may be with the variety of players, in what feels at present like a theatrical debacle. .
Time equates to money on the part of insurers, Contractors, and the like. And certainly to me as insurance is covering less than 10% of what will need to be done. A horrible lesson learned. Although your job did not involve a claim, I cannot encourage people enough to check their policies. If I could scream that through a post I would.
I digress.
Instead, I will thank you profusely for your willingness to share, and not only the technical, but the humane.
Before cutting/sizing the strips of wood flooring, they should have experimented with oil-based stain colors to match/blend with existing floor, then stain each board before laying them down. Not that I have stained wood floors though! It’s going to be beautiful!
I feel your pain Laurel. I have moved out of my home 4 times to refinish my floors for various reasons or acts of God. The 3rd time I did use the Bona you are referring to. Jump TWO years later, I am remodeling my kitchen with a den addition. I use the same man’s company for my tile work and when he arrives I show him my floors that had been a thorn in my side for too long. The floors were peeling every time I moved my furniture in all rooms. It was like polish coming off a fingernail. The Bona just never adhered to the wood. It was like it floated. He immediately said it shouldn’t have done that and called the other floor sub to come over and take a look. Two weeks later, I moved all furniture out again and they refinished my floors with another finish. They have no idea why the floor did that unless they did not use a Bona floor stain and there was a chemical reaction We just don’t know – it was a fluke and he said he never had it happen and I do know he uses other floor stains and Bona finish. I did use the Bona HD Traffic at my cabin years ago and so far it has been wonderful and it has a soft buttery finish. Not to shiny and not flat. Maybe I selected satin but I cannot remember.
As for the uneven stain — I have 30 year old red oak floors EXCEPT where it had some patch work done around removed builtins and the new red oak had to go in two bedrooms that were formerly carpeted. What I learned is that this newer red oak floor is so inferior to what was used 30 years ago. You sand it twice and you hit the sub floor so you have to be very careful when refinishing. We found this out when refinishing the 4th time when they so graciously offered to do at no expense to me. The new red oak grain is very different and so BUSY that the 2 bedrooms look completely different than the rest of house. I was so over the remodeling and all the other issues (too many to mention) that I encountered that I just have had to let it go. Jump 3 years and now we need to to completely gut our Master Bathroom but I just have not been able to pull that trigger yet. Remodeling is painful! By the way I have enjoyed following you for years and I cannot wait to see the final results.
For “luminous” similar to your old floor, I believe you need a gloss finish, but didn’t get it. Only one Bona finish is available in gloss – the floor guys should have left you stain and poly for touchups, so you can check. Gloss can go over any other finish, but have them put on two coats, not just one. Scratches will show badly with just one (ask me how I know…sigh). Also, I wouldn’t pay for that patch job. It’s completely unacceptable.
I agree with Janet C. You are amazing and talented. Your home is wonderful. I don’t know if you realize, being in the middle of the whole process, that quite often we don’t see the issues you see at all. Every time you point something put, I learn something new.
I agree, too, with her optimism. This will work out, you will move on, and I cannot say more better that she said. Cannot wait to see the last item go in.
I know you want to get everything finished as soon as possible and not have any more workers in your home. Insisting on getting things done right is exhausting and takes a lot of stamina. It’s possible at a later date when you have recovered sufficiently, you might find an experienced wood floor restorer person who could carefully hand sand the individual boards that are too light and stain them darker and reapply the sealant. All things are possible.
Today I was looking at some of your posts made during the early planning stages of the remodel, and it is truly amazing to see how the final results came into focus to transform your home so beautifully. Yes, extremely challenging, but oh so worth it!!! You are exceptionally talented. Tenacity is good. Demanding excellence is good. Finding craftspeople who strive for and achieve excellence is difficult.
I admire you for undertaking this project and sharing it with others. I have learned so much from your journey. You are an inspiration to so many. All the “lose ends” will eventually be resolved to your satisfaction. I am so looking forward to seeing the ongoing transformation as the walls are painted, furnishings placed, wall murals installed, lighting fixtures, etc.