We'll Just Have To Move.

The main reason it's taking so long to actually put some floor down, I mean once we started, is because it's so difficult to get the long pieces to line up. They make it look so easy on TV. Just put a block of wood against it and bang it in. I guess they edit out all the times that they bang one end and the other pops back out.

When we opened the first few boxes of wood, they were all full lenghth. We assumed that the whole load was that way. Then about three or four boxes in, we found random length smaller pieces. That turned out to be a godsend.

The subfloor is so uneven down the hallway that we positively could not have forced long pieces of flooring to fit together. So, over the hump, the smaller pieces kept us going. I can only hope that the dining room will go smoother. (and son2's bedroom...)

The Porter Cable floor nailer has worked well. I experienced my first jam after only laying about six planks. It was confusing because I didn't know what was wrong. The nailer "cocked" and acted like it wanted to go on, but refused to do anything other than let out a slight sigh every time I hit it.

I checked to make sure my air pressure was still up to snuff. It was. I checked to see if the nails were in it. They were. I took the nails out and everything seemed fine. I hit it harder. The little bride gasped and said, "don't break it!" Last resort? I checked the owners manual.

It said that several possibilities existed. I didn't lubricate it properly. I had. Use the wrong nails? They always want you to believe that their brand is the only acceptable one, but no the nails were okay. A nail was jammed. I took it apart by the directions and sure enough, there was an errant nail stuck right where it shouldn't be. I popped it out, put it all back together again and it worked fine after that.

It was fairly easy to deal with after I understood the directions, so next time it will be a snap. Though I hope it doesn't happen often because it does take about five minutes or so. But then, maybe I need a break?

The doors were a different story. I don't see how anybody can get one to hang straight. I could get the door straight and swinging properly, but the gap around the jamb wouldn't even out to save my life. I gave up after about an hour on each one and pronounced them "Good Enough" in a pontifical sort of way that made a believer out of my little bride. Hey, they open and close and if that's not good enough then we'll just have to move.