The flooring odyssey continues...

So after putting it off for quite awhile (mostly at my request), we finally are heading towards the finish line with the bamboo flooring project. Today we got about half the living room done, and just have the other half to do, then we're done! Yay! I was a bit less involved in the actual labor this time (for some obvious reasons), but did most of the packing and moving of furniture and belongings. The living room was beastly because all the books on the bookshelves had to be moved, and the bookshelves had to be disassembled (that's what I spent most of Friday working on). The other half should be easier...I just have to move my school stuff out of the way, and a few chairs.

Things I have learned from this project:

1. Tools are your friend. One of the best tools for this project was the simple unassuming rubber mallet. The saw of course, was also very necessary. A crowbar is a surprisingly handy thing to have as well.

2. It always takes way longer than you think to install flooring because you obsess about getting the pieces to fit together, and some of them just WON'T cooperate. Then you have to learn to get over it and move on with your life.

3. Our walls are not straight! Nothing reveals that quite like a flooring project. The living room is real bad and we had to shim everything. Oh lordy, what a pain in the butt! At least the floor itself is somewhat level.

4. I love the way wood smells. Bamboo smells even better!

5. Vents and grates are a pain in the rear to work around.

6. Trim is totally annoying.