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The whole history of this house was under that carpet. Or, at least, the ground floor story.

Let me first say how much I dislike carpet. Anyone who has actually picked up old carpet to see what nasties lie beneath knows exactly what I’m talking about.

We weren’t able to totally empty the two rooms so we worked in sections, first peeling the carpet and pad back, then pulling up the tack strips, then twisting a million and one staples out. Each section held much anticipation as we knew there was a good chance the floor wouldn’t be in great condition.

The first thing we noticed was the “soot line”. For the first 70 years the house had the same floor rugs in place. Beneath those is untreated oak, mostly blemish free. The edge though is a “frame” of discolored wood with a greasy soot line from years of wood and coal smoke. Murphy’s Oil Soap far and away removed most of this.

After that family moved out it became church property. They remodeled it; we found the evidence of where the old stair rail used to be and to our absolute horror, where they put in the duct system for central heat and air. It’s particle board! One corner, in the living room. Fortunately, our area rug will cover it.

We scrubbed on hands and knees the entirety. The hope was to have floors in good enough condition to live with for a while, with the hopes of refinishing them next spring. We got it!

After the church’s remodeling project they rented it out. One lady became the “villiage humane society” and took in every stray that got dumped off. From the way the neighbors tell it, the house was so trashed after her that they had to gut the house. Thus, the “salvaged parts, 80’s apartment chic” that was put in after they stripped all the period detail the house had. Fortunately the floors show no evidence of Cat Woman and her brood but it does tell the tales of the last remodel. Someone’s skill saw cut a gash about a foot and half long. Someone dropped culk. It was obvious that where they put tile grout down near the stove first, they slopped it around, feelin’ generous, but when they got to the front door entry, they were running low and skimped.

I’ve learned that on renovation projects: you can always tell where the last guy (even if it was yourself!) skipped step.

The best part of the day was working together. The kids took turns on baby duty and staple pulling, ran the shop vac, and even the baby got in on the scrubbing. If I’d had the time I’d have taken pictures but we were really racing against the clock.

We got the furniture all put back, the rug placed, the books back on the shelves. There’s still plenty of clean up to do but our old bodies ache and it’s time for a cozy bed and a cup of hot tea. We may not be able to move a muscle by morning.

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