You know the old phrase, “The cobbler’s wife has no shoes?” Well, I grew up with a landscaper for a father and am now married to a custom home builder. And the phrase seems to apply to these professions as well. It seems we always have projects going on around here that rarely get completed. My husband is amazing at his job – organized, professional, friendly, results-driven (I could go on), but when he gets home from his job, he wants to relax! And I can understand that.
Thankfully, we have made friends with a lot of the subcontractors that work for my husband and I have learned quite a lot from asking them questions and watching them work. So, I decided to start a new series on the blog called, “The Builder’s Wife Shares” to give tips, tricks, checklists, and guidelines for your home. These are from the mouths of the professionals that help my husband build some pretty amazing homes.
This series will help the typical homeowner cut costs, consider which projects require a professional, and encourage a little bit of DIY (where appropriate). I look forward to passing on information I have gleaned from the professionals.
I will be sharing things that I have learned as the builder’s wife; but if you have questions, I have connections. I would love to hear what you want to know, so I can get the answers for you. Please leave your questions in the comments section and I will give (or get) the answers for you.
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Alright, we have a question for you! We are looking into new flooring. We’re thinking tile for the kitchen, since it gets wet the most often. We’ve been hearing mixed reviews on wood vs. laminate. Personally, I have not seen any laminate that I really like (you can often tell it’s not real wood). Some people say their wood floors are all scratched up by their pets and kids, and others say their wood floors are great for pets and kids. What is the best flooring for high-traffic areas with four boys and a dog, and if it’s wood – how do you pick a good wood floor?
We have raised and are still raising 7 boys and a daughter and a small house dog. We put in hardwood floors 10 years ago. I love them. We did have to strip them down this year because of wear and tear in the kitchen (water spills from the sink and sand tracked in from outside), but that could have been prevented if it would have had several more layers of clear coating put on it. The man who did that work for us says if it is done right then you need only to buff the clear coat when scratched and reapply if it gets worn looking. ( A ton easier than sanding down the wood.) He uses something that gets super hard. We didn’t stain our floor because the dark color shows more dirt. We sweep with a dust mop daily and damp mop if there is a spill and once a week other than that. We mat under the sink-dishwasher and the fridge. I’ve had tile with kids and we broke a lot of glasses and plates. I also do not like cleaning grout and prefer the warmth of wood. Ours is natural oak. Anyway, that’s been our experience.
Thanks for sharing Heidi! I will be doing a post about this next week, but it is always great to hear from others and their experiences. My husband and I were talking a lot about how to take care of the floors and what type to choose if you are looking for durability. Lots to consider and share on the subject.
I wasn’t too clear on that… We’re pretty for sure on tile for the kitchen and eating area, but we need to choose an option for the living room, school room, office, and halls.
OK, Sarah, I will get back to you. We have lots of experience with tile and hardwood/laminate floors, but I will ask the experts and get a good answer for you. I was actually looking up hard wood flooring this morning (kind of dreaming of a different floor for our master closet).
It is so generous of you guys for sharing your knowledge to all of us. We are still in the process of buying our first home so I will come back here to ask questions related to home improvements and all.
Thank you for sharing at Pin It Monday Hop. New hop is now open, please stop by when you get the chance. See you there Leah!
Judy
pursuitoffunctionalhome.com
Had a question about the granite countertops . I will try the once a year cleaning which sounds great but I do have a spot next to the stove where someone spilled some cooking oil . What is the best thing to use for that . It is pretty stained up . Any advice , Thanks
I would definitely work a little bit more on the trouble spot with the acetone. This is what will strip away all the gunk. Be sure to use a nicely saturated cloth for that part of the process. I would “almost try pouring a SMALL amount of acetone directly on the spot you really need cleaned. I do not have this problem, and I am by no means an expert, but it is worth a shot!
Thanks for your question.