Floored!

Sanding floors is never a pleasant job - it is very noisy, messy and difficult, and involves hiring heavy machinery. Of course for us, it also means getting little children out of the house.

We're nearing the end in Teeny's room and the day came when the floor needed to be sanded - Our landing needed done too - which was not great, but there is never a good time to do a hallway floor, never..... no really..... NEVER.

We hired 2 Big Bad-Ass Floor Sanders from HSS. We tidied the house, put dust sheets over everything, sealed doorways and put some plastic sheeting around the stairway. Except bedrooms, our home is open-plan, so dust was going to get everywhere anyway, but it is always best to try.

Me and the kids packed up and went to stay with family for the weekend - between my injuries and a clingy toddler it was best that I went with the kids rather than stay and achem... 'help'

John got to work on the sanding - 2 backbreaking days of sanding - and he got it all done!!

On my return we quickly dusted and hoovered everything in sight and covered the landing with clean dust sheets until we could find the time to do the varnishing. Don't be tempted to walk on a naked floor - except when you are varnishing it, then wear only clean socks, well, not ONLY socks obviously... I mean, if you want to, you can I guess, but don't tell me about it.... ewww.

Now usually, anything that involves a paintbrush lands on my 'to-do' list so over the next 2 weeks between nap times and home-schooling,  the 2 floors eventually got their 4 coats of varnish (3 coats, then sand, then final coat) and now they look flipping gorgeous.

And I have a lovely big lump on my head from when I whacked it off the coombed ceiling. OUCH! No really, I still have bruising....

When we first researched how to treat our floors I found it really hard to decide between varnish, wax or oil - gloss or satin?? I was rightly confused by the myriad of options. I asked a friend what they had used on their beautiful floors 'I don't know, cuprinol or something maybe?' was the answer I got... brilliant... So 5 years ago we basically took a gamble and used Ronseal Diamond Hard Floor Varnish - Clear Satin in our shower-room, kitchen, livingroom and Small's bedroom. Despite the first attempt turning out a bit crappy over time (due entirely to inadequate preparation and number of coats - practice makes perfect) Ultimately it all worked out for us. So this is what we have used throughout the house.

I'm so pleased with the results and getting really excited that the room is nearly done - Remember where we started? I know it is taking an age but the finish line is in sight!!!

The Nitty Gritty:

• Our floor is reclaimed junkers beech sports flooring from Mackay Flooring in Glasgow - Ours was not pretty enough to leave unsanded. It is the structural floor throughout the house. 
• To hire both sanding machines from HSS over a weekend cost us under £75 and we were able to fit them in the back of our hatchback car. The staff at HSS Kingston Bridge were very friendly and helpful - we recommend them.
• We used Ronseal Diamond Hard Floor Varnish in clear satin from screwfix. It doesn't get the best reviews but I have found if you apply it correctly, and clean the floor gently (no steam mops) it looks beautiful for years.

I was listening to

• A 20 year old Del Amitri Album - and I was singing my little heart out too :)