Another long floor day. I will be so glad when the floors are done. I was thinking yesterday that they were hard. I think my comprehensive exams for my doctorate were harder but I am sure my dissertation was easier. At least I had more confidence in what I am doing.

Today was the first “sealer” day. I fought that stuff to a standstill but I won. I could see the advantages for each of the five methods I tried but only one works for us. The paintbrush. I used a 30″ bigfoot T-bar applicator and it would have been perfect if we had smooth, level, gapless floors. We don’t, we have wide board pine. We have it because it is not smooth, level and gapless. I tried an 8 inch pad on a standing height handle and that worked pretty well. I discovered it did not work as well as I thought when I realized I created all sorts of little bubbles trying to scrub in the liquid that was pooling in the low areas and rolling off the high.

So, the paint brush. More knee time. My knees are so sore that I cannot convince myself to get on them very easily. I don’t have to go to yoga class since I have found all sorts of ways to be on the floor level, eye on the sheen on the floor while I work. A particulate favorite is perched on one knee (gel pad0 with the other leg out behind me, one hand on sander, and elbow on the floor so I can get eye level to double check where I have and have not sanded.

This evening I espied my little black stool I made before we moved here. I thought perhaps I could sit on it sometimes to take the pressure off of my knees now and again. I ended up on my knees with my chest resting on the stool so I could still see the floor at floor level. Balancing a larger part of my body on something solid rather than precariously arranged on one hand pressed to the floor made a remarkable difference. I thought about a mechanic on one of those trollies that allow them to slide under a car to work. I am that only upside down.

The sealed floors look nice. The color is perfect. The finish adequate. I brushed them to an old looking sheen tonight and that helped a lot. They were brash high-gloss with every flaw showing. After brushing them with my orbital polisher they look old but not beaten up. The wood looks like it has patina. We discussed stopping at sealer for now. Sometimes people put just sealer on a floor. I am going to give the polyurethane a go but I am guessing that we are going to be happy with the sealer for now. It protects the floor and we like how it looks.

I had thought the house would feel finished when the floors were done. I cannot quite tell if I feel that way. The entire upstairs is now finished except the baseboards which we are going to ignore for now. I stood there tonight trying to think of it being done and it was escaping me. I guess the floors being finished is not the trigger for me. Maybe curtains will be. Being able to drive into the garage will be for my spouse.

Regardless of what announces we are finished, I am glad to be living here and to know that this is home even if there are more floors to do.