So, a couple of weeks ago, I noticed this bump in my laundry room floor. Funny, I’d never noticed a bump before so I just checked it off as one of those things about my house that was quirky, like how one day my silverware drawer didn’t slide right or the day my ice maker broke. Things happen from one instance to the next and we don’t know why or how, right.
Life carried on. These two somehow found a way to get along.
Chandler had his casts removed.
I moved another gorgeous refinished dresser to Antique Plaza. I love how this one turned out.
And our little dancer Canyon started spinning.
A few days later, I practically tripped into the laundry room.
The barely noticeable bump had grown like a small cough to full blown phenomena.
What was going on? Not just a bump, but a mound 1 foot deep by 4 feet long. I called a friend who is a contractor and he came over and did some investigative work.
He speculated on what this could possibly be - a slab crack, termites, a cracked pipe – all worst case scenarios? I held on and didn’t let the unknown drive me down that deep dark pit of despair. Whatever it was, we could handle it. Within a couple of days, we discovered a leak in the drip system of a front yard flower bed, sealed it off and now, are in the process of replacing the wood floor.
In the meantime, the contractor pulled up a sample of flooring to find out how much it would cost to replace it. Turns out, I have real wood floors; expensive wood floors. I didn’t know that.
The counselor and purchased our home 8 years ago. It was a foreclosure, so we purchased the home as-is. It was in great shape. Other than a good bug service (it had been vacant for two years), it only needed a fresh coat of paint and a fence around the pool. The floors in the home consist of marble in the living room and hallways, wood in the kitchen, laundry room and great room and carpet in the bedrooms. All the flooring in my home has been easy to maintain and I haven’t sweated the small stuff, but when I found out I have real wood floors “One of the most expensive wood floors to replace,” my contractor said, I just had to laugh under my breath. Thank goodness, I never knew.
Real wood floors could have made me crazy, like in-sane! I’ve known “real wood floor” mom’s, you mom’s who cry out when the smallest bit of water is spilled on your floors. You’ve yelled at a two-year old's holding sippy cups, I’ve seen it. I’ve witnessed “real wood” home owner's hiss and moan over moving a piece of furniture. “Don’t scratch the floors,” and it’s more a death threat than a polite suggestion. Because I never knew my floors were real wood, I avoided dramatic aging and worry lines. This has probably saved family relationships and granted me the freedom to have countless parties. I’ve never asked people to remove their shoes before entering my home or forbidden the small towel-less dripping wet child who just exited the pool entry into my home. When my new refrigerator was moved into my home, I didn’t monitor the movers like a drill sergeant. I didn’t bite my nails or hem and haw. I just let them do their thing. To my floors defense, I did do my best. I knew wood floors or fake wood floors needed a bit of baby-ing, like using wood cleaner and polish when mopping, but I because I wasn’t invested in the floors, the wood floor didn’t “own” me.
Now that I know how expensive they are, how special they are, I have a bit more pride in them, but it’s a bit too late. Unfortunately, they are coming up and being replaced. I will miss them, mainly because they have been great floors - never a worry, easy clean-up and super stylish. Bye-bye, wood floors, thanks for being my friend and not my enemy.
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