Not Quite Done But...

...you get the idea.

The flooring project is largely complete at this point.  We still have the entry ways to attend to and some baseboard moulding to attach but we have been able to place the rugs and move the furniture into place making things a lot less cluttered.

We started by laying the rough cut planks in place and screwing them down as you can see in the picture at the left.The patina that developed through the outdoor air drying really added a nice touch. Even though some of the coloration was lost in the sanding process the results were just what we had hoped for.  In this style of flooring application there are notable gaps, not large but the planks, because they are rough cut, are intended to maintain a certain rustic appearance, a look we enjoy.

Once that was accomplished we set to staining and oiling.  We ended up using the same stain that we used on the exterior of the house, the Ready Seal stain I've really come to like. For the finish we used Boiled Linseed oil cut 50/50 with paint thinner for ease of rolling.  I just used a standard 3/8" roller cover and applied three coats, allowing for 24 hours of drying time between the coats and another 3 days before setting the rugs and furniture in place.  This meant moving the furniture from one side of the house to another (a couple of times) as well as filling the spare bedroom (what our grandson calls the Bible Study) with cabinets and a whole assortment of things). The final look was a matte finish which while providing less protection will allow the floor to age more quickly.  Since we used White Pine, the flooring will scuff, mar, divot and otherwise appear more rustic sooner.  (Some folks actually take hammers and chains to mark the floor before staining!)

 

 (click on pictures to enlarge)

But the final look works.  Again, our hope is to provide a more primitive or rustic cabin type appearance and I think we've done it. 

Now back to the kitchen shelving...