From floors to walls

Well, it turned out that I really did take the whole day off.

NOT!

Instead, I finished all the sanding. All of it, the never-ending, bloody sanding. It's clean, wall-to-wall. Bill confirms that the hardwoods are oak, possibly white oak, and they turn slightly more golden in color with every passing hour. This photo isn't terribly good, because it makes the floor look darker, grayer and bluer than it is (i.e., the white balance is off, and hence the photo "temperature"). In reality, it's a very nice white with some gold in it.

The next shot gives a better sense of the hardwood color, and you can see that the sanding is completely finished, wall to wall, corner to corner (actually the corners are sort of impossible, and can't be done with any of the machines. I bought a scraper, and I might use it tomorrow to see if it does anything). You can also see in this shot that there is a dark blue strip of painter's tape running along the baseboard. You know what that means!

Spackling! Yes, all those hole and cracks that have been bugging you for years get to be filled at least. Nails that have protruded meaninglessly for a decade are now gone. And I say "good riddance!"

The color(s) I picked out are pretty cool. Here's the design I'm going to use:

Yes, those are Disney princesses in each of the little circles.

Actually, one of the biggest item on today's agenda was the trip to Home Depot, where I bought many things, from paper towels to polyurethane for the floor. I also picked up special little felt and fur booties that you slip on the feet of your piano—and then you can slide it across the wood floor without destroying it! The guy from my tool rental place (called Sunbelt Rentals in Champaign, where they are super nice, and keep finding ways to charge me less) suggested them, and I found them. Everybody is getting the felt bootie treatment tonight! (Hrm. That sounded better in my head...)

Replies to comments from last time:

Lilya: Oh, jeez, I forgot my feet were going to be outed by Jim's scandalous photo. Fine, I'll go find the old running shoes, filled with spiders and mouse droppings and wear those instead.

Bill: Wow, Bill—those inlays look great, and some are even not too expensive (some are outrageous). These holes are normally covered by electric plates, and then by a carpet and an armchair, so I think the inlay treatment is too good for them. Today I took about a dozen of the free sample composite floorings that are pretty close to these hardwoods in color and texture—my hope is to fill in the holes with a block of wood help in place with wood putty, and leaving enough room for a near match on top. Which will then be covered by a rug. But in any event, to get a level floor there, and not that weird bump under the carpet that's been there for ten years.