Follow Up

Finally finished with the front yard!

Even after several deluges, nothing budged!  

Success!

Next on list . . . getting grass to grow instead of weeds!

Have I Told You Lately . . .

Have I Told You Lately . . . 

THAT I HATE CARPET?

This project is definitely NOT paired with a Rod Stewart soundtrack.  More like a power ballad Journey soundtrack to get you through the tough parts & a Beck (Guero) track or two for the times where you're grooving & making progress.  So, what is the project? 

Well, with the pros tackling the ceiling issues (soon) I needed a new project to focus on that was not too destructive, messy or inconvenient & the staircase was screaming for help with all of it's stains & crud.  So today, in a fit of rage, I decided to rip the carpet off.  At first, when I pulled the carpet back & it EASILY came up I felt pure JOY.  I may have even high-fived myself.  But, after 2 steps, I wanted to pull my hair out!  There were 2 tack strips on each step & someone was a little too ambitious with the staple gun!

Motivation was quickly restored when I realized that the carpet was ORIGINAL to the house & was quite possibly a health hazard - YUCK!  30-year-old carpet, on a high traffic surface quite frankly is disgusting.  I don't get grossed out easily, but I tell ya, this was nasty business!

The basement stairs, which were finished & stained 30 years ago, was a good indication that the main staircase would be decent & partially finished under all of the 80's carpeted funk.  Luckily, the treads are in good shape & already bull-nosed. I was so afraid new treads would have to be installed.  Why would anyone go to the trouble of building a beautiful set of stairs then cover them with funky, white carpet?  We'll never fully understand the 80's mentality of carpeted stairs (& wallpaper).  I digress . . . There are small gaps to fill, lots of paint overspray to sand away, not to mention about 5000 staple & carpet tack holes.  I see using Soy Stripper in my future & lots of wood putty!  

Our house is pretty basic.  A simple, brick clad, "5-4 & a door", with a fantastic open floor plan thanks to the previous owners hard work.   Although there have been some questionable choices made in this home's past the potential is there & it's future is bright.  So I figure what other place to add some pizazz than the main staircase.  After all it is the first thing you see when you walk in the door.  

This project will have it's ups, downs, good, bad, ugly & even uglier moments.  Hopefully it will be a huge pay off & become a show piece that this 80's track house desperately needs to stand out.

Finished product pics soon, complete with ending soundtrack, too (maybe some Queen, OutKast, Black Keys, Gogol Bordello . . .).