New walls and floors

The project for the past couple of weeks has been a new closet for the master bedroom.  The old closet was about 2 1/2' wide, and while we have downsized, that just wasn't going to make it.  So Paul cut openings into the next bedroom, removed the windows, and built a new wall to enclose the closet.  The other half of the room now also has a doorway cut into it from the kitchen on the other side. The new wall has been drywalled as well as the old closet doorway.  Then Paul spent a week repairing the drywall in all the walls downstairs.

 One of two piles of wood needing all the nails removed before scraping and sanding to be reused.

Meanwhile, I tore up all the tile and linoleum in the kitchen to expose the wood floor.  The real task will be removing all the glue that held the linoleum down.  Looks like hot water, more scraping and then sanding should do the trick.  I also spent a day washing the walls and floors upstairs.  One of the upstairs bedrooms had so much cigarette tar, it took several buckets and three washings to get it clean.  I think we got most of it but what a mess.  An internet search revealed a smoke smell removal mixture of hot water, ammonia, vinegar and washing soda.  Looks like it may have worked - the room smells a lot better.  A little febreeze canister didn't hurt either.  The whole house is feeling and smelling much cleaner.

                                                          The kitchen floor in process