You may have noticed that I used the Roman Numeral for the number 3, only because I didn’t know what the numeral was for somewhat finished. That’s right SOMEWHAT! The floor is done and there were lessons to be learned.

I think we might have chosen one of the most competent handymen in the area so confident are we in his work and attitude that we will be using him again on various projects as we turn this 30+ year old house into something more modern. Don’t get me wrong, we are not looking for something young and hip (do they say that anymore) but into something my wife and I can look upon with pride.

Back to the floor. Handyman arrived right on schedule…First good sign. After surveying the job, he indicated that the side we were working from was the wrong side. OK, I feel kinda dumb, but there is one correct way to lay laminate flooring and it was not the direction that I had torn out in an attempt to make repairs. OOOPS! What he had estimated in time was based on having the extra laminate we needed, under layment in place, and going the right direction. OK…two out of three isn’t bad, but it can cost you money. His patience was impressive, he neither threw anything, nor did he become abusive with language.

He took a few minutes and explained the problem and began working. I brought in more laminate and it appeared that they would come in at the half day mark as estimated. Noon came and went and the job was not completed due to a problem brought on by both of us. We knew we had several boxes of laminate (left by the previous owner) the problem was that some of the wood grain would not match, so here we are sorting and trying to get things looking like a million bucks…and all the time, I’m thinking “What’s this gonna cost” and “Why did I ever tear out that durn divider”?

My lovely wife made a couple of trips out for things that were needed and I continued to supervise a job I apparently knew nothing about. Three o’clock came and we suddenly realized that we needed a threshold for a sliding door. Didn’t have one, so trip was in order. With threshold in hand, our handyman began making the final cuts and adjustments and by five we were settling the bill. His apology for the additional time was accepted as he reduced his bill from what it would have been to a lower figure, one that I felt really good about.

I guess there are several lessons to be learned from the project. First, it might be better to be informed as to what type of task you have ahead of you before you began taking things down and then question your own carpentry skills. Second, just because the internet is full of good advice on most DIY projects, check with a pro, someone at one of the home improvement centers and attempt to fill in the blanks where you have a short fall. Third, make sure you have a loving and understanding wife. Of the three the latter might just be the most important.

While this sounds like the end of this DIY story, it is continuing. We have walls to texture, some repair to do and a lot of time to spend with the Professionals at a home improvement center.

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