Poly Want a Cracker?

The polyurethane is on the floors, and boy do they look shiny! And boy does the house STINK! I don't know how the floor guy stands working in that stuff. We weren't in the house more than five minutes and our eyes were already starting to burn. Once these floors dry, we are going to need to open the windows and air out the house ASAP!

Take a peek at the new poly covered floors...

We definitely had something darker than this in mind when we first envisioned staining the floors, but we couldn't find anything darker that didn't look black. And I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and now I know why we couldn't find a good dark stain: after seeing the natural characteristics in the bare floors, I did not want to hide them with a dark stain. These cherry floors are absolutely beautiful, and they blend so nicely with our cabinetry as well!

Tomorrrow morning, one more coat of poly will go on the floors for a total of three coats. After that, the floors are finished! We've been given important instructions to tread very lightly on these new floors for the next week. We aren't supposed to set anything on them, not even a rug by the door! No rosin paper either, so that pretty much means the next week will be work-free at the house, unless we are doing something in the basement. After that, we can start getting busy with the trimwork and doors!

We are quickly approaching the end of the West 18th Street flip! I am looking forward to being finished and having a nice break, but I'm also going to be sad to see the house go. I only hope the family who ends up moving into it will recognize the time and hard work we have all contributed to this huge project. We have had many fun times working on this house as a family and sharing it with the rest of our family and friends. It will definitely be a great memory for all us!