hello y'all, to get rid of a horrible cheap blue carpet in the kitchen and eating area (and to save a little money) we are thinking of going down to the sub-flooring and re-finishing that if it looks decent enough. In any event it will save on the installation of real lino which is our other choice... We believe the sub-flooring is a soft wood, probably fir. We don't mind a rustic look. In fact the walls will be painted with home made milk paint. Does the floor have to be sanded? What do you all reccomend for finishing the floor? We would like the boards to be a dark color to contrast with existing oak flooring in the rest of the house. I would be curious if anyone out there has any experience, tips, horror stories, etc about working with a soft wood floor. best regards Scott Gibbs

I have hardwood floors under my carpet. I would like to remove the carpet in my living room, dining room, and hallway. This is my concern; there are many staples and I don't know how to remove them without damaging the floor. Also what would I use to fill in the holes? If you have any other information on how to get started and what I might expect to find (any hidden problems that I might encounter)It would be appreciated. [email protected]