Home Improvements

Ever since we found and purchased our home in mid 2009, we have been remodeling something in or outside of it.  The person we bought it from was the original owner (the house was built in 1975) and although he kept it up, he and his wife never improved it cosmetically (or so we thought until yesterday).  Once I figure out how to add pictures, I will post some of the place-- you will be instantly transported into the 70's.  We aren't afraid to get our hands dirty and enjoy making it our own, while still making it desirable for resale one day, so nearly every surface has been altered.  I have to give pretty much all the credit to Mark for his hard work and willingness to realize my vision for each project.  We also have gotten a lot of help from friends and family that have know-how and time to help out.  Thanks to you all-- you know who you are!

Well, after much deliberation (mostly on my part), we decided to install laminate wood floor in the entry, the basement landing, and the tiny room that was originally intended to be a bathroom, but since we haven't gotten to that yet, it is just an office for now.  Those are the only untouched floors left in the home and to say they are an eye sore is an understatement.  Again, pictures to come.  Now, most of the home improvements in our house have been my brainchild and my husband's handiwork.  On this occasion, however, I decided to jump in and do some of the work myself while he was at work.  I probably looked silly with my make-shift safety goggles (ie. sunglasses), skinny jeans, sweater, fashion boots and hammer, pounding away at the tiles like a madwoman for half an hour.  Follow that with me putting on the only gloves I could find to pick up said tile, my husband's winter ski gloves.  It must have been a sight to see.  BUT, I was so proud of my work!  I got all of the tiles up myself!  Only to find that the original homeowner had, in fact, done a "cosmetic" update.  Those ugly tiles were covering up... the original, hideous tiles.  These gems are so ugly, they would have been one of the first things to go had I seen them at purchase.  No problem, right?  I just pounded out the other tile, why not start on this stuff?  Turns out those suckers didn't want to give up without a fight.  I tried myself for a bit and decided to let Mark take care of it.  He had to get a cat's claw chisel and hit it with the hammer and after working on it for over an hour and only completing 75% of it, he called it quits for the night.  We will conquer you, tile!  I can't wait to see how the wood look will warm up that area!

Do you have any experience with laminate wood flooring?  It's not my favorite, but we were encouraged to get it because we have kids and a cat and it is more durable than what we were looking at, which was an engineered wood floor.  I hope we made the right choice.

What about you?  Are there any home improvement projects you have been working on or would like to start?