ONCE OVER THE INITIAL SHOCK
After the shock of losing my darling husband Randy, (although it had been a long two years coming with his brave cancer battle), I knew I needed to deal with my post-flood home which had happened only two weeks prior to his passing. Well, at this point, it’s taken me over four years to ‘deal’, as I work to put the huge amount that was destroyed repaired, and still going . . . DIY Remodel Style! And keepin’ it GREEN as I can.
MY HAND PAINTED FLOORS:
So long . . . . . 
My home, like myself, wasn’t quite feeling herself and needed a major makeover! 
Much was ruined, but let’s start with my floors. Shortly after I helped to build this house over thirty years ago, I decided I wanted to do something rather different for the main living area.
So I hand painted large particle board squares we had cut and put down to appear as black marble. (Not a great material choice in hindsight! Wish we’d used plywood, but were trying to save $. It looked beautiful for many years, but water wasn’t its friend.) Then I cut out my own stencils and using multiple layers, created some interesting effects on the Dining Room floor. Then I created a Greek Key stencil to go around the perimeter of the Family Room. (More about how I did all that soon, on my DIY page!)
SO LONG . . . Time to say, “Good bye, old floor friend.”
I thought sure I’d shed a tear when the time came, but I didn’t. Time for my under-foot grieving to come to an end. I felt my Randy was looking down and giving me a pat of encouragement and a nudge, knowing my adventure was just beginning.
Besides, not much choice
Floor buckled. Yikes. (In hindsight, the particle board not a brilliant idea! Trying to save money. But I’m pretty sure the extent of the flooding would have damaged whatever available in the day beyond repair.)
And generally just not fixable.
Nope. Nada.
Ta Ta Tile: Kitchen tile floor had to go, too. So sad. But I wasn’t sure what dark/damp-created monsters might be lurking under there . . .
The whole kitchen, for that matter, had to go as well. (But that’s another story coming soon.)
And Thus It Began . . . Good times ahead on our DIY Remodel!
My son, Gavin, was handy with that pry bar and mallet. Who knew (remembered) we glued those suckers down like crazy around the edges. With most, we did tongue and groove on the large squares we had cut and fit together.
Whelp . . . Thar she blows! NO turning back now.
Just trying to keep that smile going, find the humor as I go. And . . .
REMEMBER HOW BLESSED I AM to have a home at all to fix.
Read about MY MOLD REMEDIATION STORY!
SO, what’s next? Plenty. (And I’m going in a VERY different design direction.) 😉
8/5/17 UPDATE! COMING SOON… Finishing touches in KITCHEN, DINING, FAMILY ROOM & Working on new BATHROOM! 
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Thank you so kindly. ♥ ~ Deborah ~ Deba Do 
Nice to see you coping so well. Best of luck!
Thank you for your kind words, Paul. Coping is a process, for sure. There are so many going through hard ‘stuff’. My luck is coming as I work hard to make this house thing happen. 🙂 Hope you’ll stay tuned!
The fact that you hand painted those tiles is amazing! I know it’s all coming up now, but what a unique idea. It really did look like marble! That requires definite skill and patience. Interested to see what you do next.
Danielle, I do so much appreciate your praise! It took a long time to create that floor (I will write about that more in my DIY section, before long) and it was hard to let it go! But I’m grateful to still have a home and excited to show what I’m doing now. Quite a different look! Coming soon! 😀 Thanks so much for taking the time to write and your kind words.
Coping with loss is hard. Projects can help a lot. My heart goes out to you Deborah. And you’re doing a fantastic job by the way! You’re very talented! Looks amazing!
How very thoughtful, Larry. Thank you so much on everything you’ve said. 🙂
What a beautiful floor that was destroyed! 😮 I’m excited to see what your remodel will look like 😀
Thank you, Hotrod. I will always miss it in a certain way, but excited to share with you all what I’ve been doing and my new home look! 😀
As beautiful as the hand painted floors were, I imagine there is a bit of catharsis in tearing everything out and having all new. So much healing happens from being torn down to the foundation and rebuilt – whether it’s a house, or whether it’s a soul.
Can’t wait to see the new pictures!
True, losing much makes us truly appreciate the new. I surely am. Excited you are anxious to see the new look! After five years my son actually just put into place the last piece of flooring on the upper flooring, yesterday!
Have lost many close friends and seems you dealt with this blow pretty well. It is very tough. Glad to see you are moving past this unfortunate trauma. Time can heal or break down but I think you will heal.
Thank you, Sanders, for your kind words. I concentrate on Healing in many ways, every day. <3
I lost my husband July 2010, sudden heart attack. It’s no fun joining the young widow’s club! Flooding is an endless possibility as a home owner, even in the desert due to plumbing disasters! Hope your insurance covered some of the cost. Just as well you didn’t lose hardwood floors!