Jul. 5, 2005 - Boys and REAL work
Today my 9 year old son is laying hardwood floor upstairs. All by himself! My husband is tired... his knees need a break so he is taking today off.
You might wonder how this all began...
We have an unfinished Cape Cod style home. The upstairs has been waiting to be finished for the past 5 years. It is *almost* there! We decided to get the floor laid and just wait on the bathroom. Jim had done all the insulation, drywall, electrical, etc. over the past 2 years. The only real thing standing in the way of the boys' new bedroom was the flooring decision.
Once we decided on the hardwood floor (we've enjoyed real wood floors in previous homes) Jim picked up the bundles of wood from Home Depot.
He was told by the guys at Home Depot that hardwood floors are installed witha pneumatic staple gun that rents for $35 a day. I don't know what inspired me to say it, but I suggested just nailing the floor and then sinking the nails with a punch. He actually took my advice... I'm not sure why. ;-)
Well, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
OnceJim started on the floor, all the boys that were home wanted to help... and the youngest ones got involved first. (My oldest 15 year old, Ben, is in Wyoming right now on a hiking/climbing trip.)
At first my husband let them help by banging the planks into each of the previous plank's grooves. Jim was pre-drilling holes into the oak planks so that the nails would go in easily. Then Valentine (almost 5) began setting the nails into the holes. Eventually Gabriel (7.5) started doing the nailing and then sinking the nails with the punch. Angelo (9.5) even did some drilling! After awhile, Carman (13), took a turn at some of the jobs. It took awhile before he was curious enough to go upstairs!
The floor is halfway done... and it is a beautiful, professional job! All my husband is doing is sawing the end pieces... and drilling. But he couldn't keep up with the boys anymore so he ended up just doing the drilling after the boards were laid on the floor. He pieces it out... the boys move the pieces into the right places, pound them together, place the nails, hammer in the nails, and sink the nails with a punch. What a team!
I love how my husband is relaxed enough to let the boys work side-by-side with him. It will be quite a sense of accomplishment for them when it is all done. He and the boys worked together to build all the bookshelves for my store, too!
Jim remembers his father saying that he and a cousin had laid a hardwood floor when my father-in-law was only 12 years old. Now my boys will be able to tell their children one day what they did when they were young.
If we had rented the "modern" pneumatic staple gun, it would have been a shame. The boys would have missed out on most of the fun, "old-fashioned" hard work with the most basic of tools. And all the "sweat equity" will provide wonderful memories!
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About Me
Heather Idoni of Beloved Books, editor of "The Homeschooler's Notebook" ezine and founder of HomeschoolingBOYS.com, mom to 5 boys (and a new baby due in February '08!), married 20.5 years to the love of her life in the wilds of Michigan.
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