Fix the Floors….Then Leave Town

A while back I asked my very handy father to please help us re-do the landing for our banister. The previous homeowners had the bottom posts anchored in the hickory wood floors. I decision of theirs I hated from the very first day we moved into this house. So 6 months ago my Dad removed the posts and raised them up to the bottom stair—which is where they should’ve been all along. The problem this created was 2 bare wood spots where the posts had been. This 12 inch nightmare would lead to 560 square feet of nightmare.
We had no idea what stain color had been used on the floor either. Dang. Mental dollar signs are increasing.
So I had someone from Pioneer Hardwood Floors come out and give me a bid. (And another company I wasn’t impressed with.) He said he could try to match the floor but there would always be a slight difference in the new color. Dang. I’m not a perfectionist, I didn’t care too much, so I said, no big deal, the floors need a good buff anyway. Mr. Pioneer Hardwood Flooring guy then asked what I used to clean my floor. I replied, “Orange Glow or Murphy’s Oil.” To which he then said, “Your floors have been ruined with those kinds of waxy products. I can’t do your floors—any polyurethane I apply will bubble up because of the oily floors.” After choking down tears, I said, “Huh? Those products are for floors. How could they ruin my floors.” To make a long story short, lots of internet research, and a letter written to the evil Murphy’s Oil company, I found out oil based products do indeed ruin wood floors. Let me repeat that for all you wood floor owners out there…..
Murphy’s Oil and Orange Glow and any other oil based products ruin wood floors. Shun them. Avoid them for all their evilness.  The only remedy is to strip the wood floors down to the bare wood and start over.
Yup, my mental dollar signs went way, way up.
So what’s a girl to do when her floors need a 3-day refinishing process and you are told your family can’t walk on them?

Yup, you leave town for spring break and take a 3 hour drive to Arches National Park. And stay 4 days while your floors are being done.

That’s me on the left waving to Paul. Then my kids, then my sis Patty. Try not to freak out as much as did if you do the Delicate Arch hike. Your kids could but probably won’t fall off the cliffs on this hike. I kept thinking they should put a railing. I know, that would ruin the absolute splendor, but my arm pits would’ve been drier and my heart not pounding as much.

This is Double Arch. Majestic. Literally, majestic. I’m truly embarrassed I’ve lived in Utah 18 years (half my life…weird) and had never been to Arches. A crime. I will go again and again now that I know how amazing it all is.





























How sweet is my daughter exploring in the background here at Double Arch? How old do I look with out make-up. I do believe in make up. I do….I do….

Then we came home to see our new (albeit smelly) floors all redone. Wait a few more days, eat a lot of meals standing up at the counter, then put your furniture back.

The moral of the story is two fold:
1-Don’t ruin your wood floors with Murphy’s Oil or Orange Glow and
2-Don’t wait 18 years of Utah living before going to Arches National Park.