We ordered these floors from Carlisle a couple years ago now, believe it or not. They were held in the warehouse for a year, waiting for the concrete floor, sleepers and heating to get put in, not in that order. We selected eastern white pine for the very wide planks, and the hit or miss distressing to get a rustic look. While the unfinished floors looked like what we wanted and anticipated, we've been anxious that they were going to turn out with the stain as we had hoped.
Once the floors were delivered, they were installed but we didn't finish them due to all the additional work that had to be done on the house. The concern was that the finish would be damaged with all the activity, dirt, and scaffolding that would be set up and rolled over the top. So the floors were covered with hard cardboard mats to protect them. Once those were pulled off, there were a lot of marks, pits and scrapes evident. It probably was the right call to hold off on the finish, or refinishing with sanding would have been required. The cleaning process involved a lot of vacuuming, some scrubbing and even sanding (which put a lot of new sawdust floating around and settling on everything all over again). The floors are not supposed to be sanded to preserve the look of the saw cuts, knots etc that will come out with the stain, and the floor installers did a great job being careful with that. The clean up looked great.
Picking the stain was no easy task either. Most of the stain in the woodwork of the custom cabinets, doors and baseboards is fruitwood, but we wanted a lighter ceiling stain for the great room and the fireplace columns. The ceiling is pine tongue in groove wood, but a 25% dilution of the fruitwood so that it matched the coloring but lighter. The floors are also pine, but a different type and different milling, and even a 25% dilution was too dark as it sucked it right up, and a sealer went over the top of the stain, tung oil. We wanted the floors to match the ceiling coloration. We decided on a 15% dilution.
Clean up took a couple days earlier this week, stain on Thursday, and coating with the tung oil the last 3 days, Thursday, Friday, and today, with 1 more coat to go.
From what we could see, it's turned out great. The boards are a lighter shade of the fruitwood but the rough cut aspects soaked up more stain and gave the variability that we were hoping for.
The study really looks warm and comfy. I can't wait to add the desk and a big cushy reading chair and ottoman.
The lighting in the foyer gives a better view of the coloring. We wanted lighter to match the ceiling, with the added benefit that it will show less dust, and dog hair, we hope.
The dining room likewise looks very warm and comfortable, with the right touch of rustic but nice finishes with the woodwork.
The kitchen didn't offer a good vantage, but looks good from what we could see.
The driveways were done a while ago, but I didn't really have a good shot up. The finisher who did the basement stain will also do the front porch outside. He offered to do all the driveway for cost, as an advertisement in the area. We are tempted, but it still is a big cost even if it is a deal.
The middle island will have flowers and a strategic tree or two to block out some of the houses across the way.
Getting the paper in the morning should be enough of a daily walk for the dogs.
Starting the drive to work with this view will be a bonus.
Mom has enjoyed the great weather we've been having. Most of the week has had temperatures in the 70's. Pretty soon we won't have the grassy back yard and trees to enjoy, at least until we can get that all started up in the new back yard.
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