Had to have them reinstall the floor header (perpendicular to flooring strips) around the fireplace where the hearth will go. I had laid it out at 12" x 5', and it didn't look right. By the time I returned after lunch, they had this done, but no worries. They ripped it up, pulled out one strip and relaid the hearth frame at 18" x 6 ft. This way we can use full 18" square tiles on the hearth and allow the fireplace mantle to rest on wood or tile. In reality, the mantle and hearth should be in, then they could just put the flooring around them. Mistake diverted, but just barely.
By Thursday afternoon, they had laid all the wood that was delivered, but were still about 75 sq. ft short. This is a sign of the times; wasted wood (or any product) comes off the bottom line (profit) for them. So he ordered enough red birch to finish the job after Thanksgiving. No hurry on our part since we had lots to do before the door frames go in. Before we hang the doors, we'll need to have all the flooring in place; that includes the wood and ceramic tiles. Since we haven't even shopped for tile, we're at least a month out on doors. In the den, we won't have a hearth since it would eat up a fair bit of the room. These gas fireplaces don't require a hearth, so Mike just picture framed around the fireplace to finish off the flooring (second photo).The floor looks great. Went with a no. 1 (not select) product, which shows more grain and notes than the select grade. Saved a few bucks and it gives the floor more character. The select grade was nice, but a little monotonous when laid out in big sections. They won't do the floor sanding until all the trim work and painting is done. We'll have them apply a satin finish (either polyurethane or an oil-based product) at the end; a first coat after sanding then a final coat just before we move in, which is looking like about Day 940 (May 1, 2010). However, eagle-eye Nancy noticed that there is a $6500 IRS credit for move-up house buyers (owner builders included) if you occupy by April 10, 2010, so there may be a pretty good reason ($$$) to occupy the house by this date. More on this later.
