Hardwood Removal Day 1

I got a big settlement check for the hardwood floor fiasco so now it is time to replace the damaged floors. First, the damaged flooring must be removed. Then the slab must be dried off from any residual dampness from Le Deluge. There were dehumidifiers in the house for four weeks but that must not have been enough.

The original plan was for them to pull up the old floor last weekend, but since I was out of town, I nixed that.

The next plan was for them to pull up the floor today (Friday) and Saturday, let the slab dry off for a week, and put down the new floor Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Thanksgiving Week. My sister usually comes down to Atlanta and cooks Thanksgiving dinner and we have Michael, Cindy, and her parents over. After my mother died, Cindy or her parents always had me over for Thanksgiving so, with my sister's help (she does most of the work), I've been repaying the favor. Cindy says she feels guilty about my sister doing the work and we could all come to her house. My sister assured her she enjoyed doing Thanksgiving.

I nixed that plan. I wondered how they could do the job in three days since the original job took three and a half days and I'm having them do two more rooms. They told me they would have a larger crew do the work.

The next plan was they would tear up the floor Friday and Saturday, run dehumidifiers to dry up the slab, and lay the new floor Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week. I agreed to that plan.

The floor company called yesterday evening and told me the crew to tear up the floor would arrive at my house between 8:00 and 9:00 AM this morning. I got up early to make sure I would be awake when they got here. At 10:00 they were still not here. I got a call at 10:10 saying they were on their way but were stuck in traffic on I-285. Stuck in Atlanta traffic on I-285? I'm shocked.

Three guys show up and I verify with them what needs to be done. I repair back to my bedroom with Scooter and Ashley; Scooter in the closet, Ashley in the bed with me. I read the paper and then read How To Talk to a Liberal, by Ann Coulter. Summary: Talking to liberals is a waste of time.

So they chipped and chipped away on the old floor. When they broke for lunch, I took a nap. I have a cold and need my rest. They continued to chip away the rest of the day.

About 5:45 I went out to ask them what time they were knocking off. Originally there were three of them. Now there were two and guess what? Neither of them spoke English. I guess I forgot to mention that they were Mexicans.

I pointed to my watch and the door and they got the point and started cleaning up. I then pointed at my watch and said, "Manana?". One of them said, "Nine". I imagine that means 11:00.

Two of them working from 10:30 to 6:00 removed the floor from half the foyer. They still have the other half of the foyer, a half bath, a closet, two halls, and the great room. At the rate they're going, they'll still be pulling up the floor on Thanksgiving and since Mexicans don't celebrate Thanksgiving, they can work that day also.

I better tell Cindy to start polishing the silver 'cause I think we'll be eating Thanksgiving dinner at her house.

Update: Vicki asked who Scooter and Ashley are? They are my cats. Pictures are in this post.

Posted by denny at November 11, 2005 08:22 PM