New Floor...er.... old floor

As reported here earlier, our water heater sprung a leak this week. The previous owners, or maybe the ones previous to them, didn't want to drain the water heater the last time a kitchen floor was laid. (We don't have basements in our part of the country. Waterheaters are sometimes outside; sometimes those short stubby ones under the house; sometimes hidden in a closet; ours is in the kitchen next to the washing machine.)

So the previous owners have the water heater directly on the particle board subfloor and cut the vinyl flooring around the water heater. Thus when the water leaks-as it did, the water goes under the vinyl, and of course the particle board sucks it up like a sponge. Time for a new floor.

So, Mrs. Curley gets the new kitchen floor she's always wanted, (I usually don't put in floors until forced to when selling a house.) Although, as I dug down through the floors, the last floor is a wooden floor-it seems in good condition for the most part. Thus the new floor may be an old floor-which means labor is all it will cost. (Oh yes, we may have to polyeurathane it, but no major expenses.)

Of course, that labor is not so cheap. I am not as young as I used to be, and my back not as strong. But between me and the boys, I am hoping Mrs. Curley can at least have a vision of her new floor by mid-week. Which is imperative anyway, because without hot water and a washing machine (also in the kitchen), we can't survive too long anyway. (Cold showers may be fine for Lent, but this is ordinary time....)

I am just taking a break right now. It isn't going as fast as I hoped. But having the right tools helps. We would be almost done if they hadn't put so many nails in the floor. I don't do enough physical labor I fear. So this will be good for me. And, with any luck, Mrs. Curley will have a beautiful kitchen floor with barely any expense except for a thinner and meaner Mr. Curley.