We've had our 2 cats for 8 and 6 years.  In June they felt it necessary to start using our dining room carpet for a litter box!  They don't generally do that...except for the time we left overnight and somehow the door to their litter box closed and they couldn't get in.  But anyway, we cleaned and cleaned and cleaned but couldn't quite get the smell to stay away permanently.  It went away after the first time.  That was over a year ago.  But this time it wasn't staying out.   

 

About 2 1/2 weeks ago we had a HUGE tree removed from our yard.  We have lots of big old nut bearing trees in our yard.  They pretty much shade our entire lot...and we have a big one!  We take up a little over 1/3 of the block.  Anyway, cutting down that tree let in a lot more light in the dining room.  I'm thinking that the combo of the stains deep in the carpet padding and the sun, that's what was causing the smell to resurface. 

 

So last week, my hubby and I started talking about pulling up the carpet and considering what to replace it with.  We live in a 96 year old house.  Under the carpet is original hardwood.  We thought it would be really pretty to refinish it.  So we pulled up each corner to check out the wood and it was beautiful!  So on Wednesday last week he woke up and said..."I'm ripping it out!"  So we moved all the dining furniture into the kitchen and living room.  It's a lot of furniture.  We're talking a 240 sq. ft. room.  We pulled up the carpet and to our surprise part of the floor had been replaced, but it was still pretty enough to refinish. 

 

So we started sanding off the old varnish...that took 2 days.  Hubby had to work over the weekend so we didn't do anything.  I take that back, we had some stains that needed removed after the sanding so we did that.  Then yesterday we finished up the rest of the sanding.  And last night after tons and tons of sweeping/vaccuming/sweeping/vaccuming...we stained the floor a pretty walnut color.  It's so pretty!  We still need to seal it and I think we're gonna try that tonight.  But I'm so sore!!!  And exhausted!  And the smell of the varnish is making my stomach hurt whenever I have to pass through the room.  (Thanks to mother nature's gift arriving last night...sorry guys!)  And I think I pinched a nerve somewhere because my middle and ring finger on my right hand are a bit numb! 

 

I've been taking pictures though!  I'll post them on the Yahoo site so you all can see!  Not bad for a couple do-it-yourselfers!  It's far from finished and will be a work in progress for a while, but eventually I'll post the finished product!  Hopefully its not too long!

 

Michelle