I finally finished that 800 square foot herringbone job in the old house on Maple Street

The homeowner was this older lady who watched me work every day. On the last day, she brought me a glass of lemonade and said, 'My husband laid the original floor 40 years ago. Seeing someone care about it this much again... it's like you gave the house a piece of its heart back.' She got a little choked up. It happened right there in her dusty living room, surrounded by my tools and knee pads. I've done a lot of floors, but that one stuck with me. It wasn't just about the pattern or the cut list. It was about the history in the boards. Anyone else ever get a comment from a client that just hit different?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantt112mo ago

Man, that's the stuff that makes this job worth it.

margaret_chen2mo ago

Wait, that makes your job worth it?

adam_robinson14d ago

Seeing someone care about it this much again" - that's the part that got me. Did she tell you more about the original install, like what her husband did for a living or why he picked that pattern? Seems like there's a whole story in that floor beyond just the wood.