Steav Ota

Steav Ota Log Cabin House Building.

Is this solid or engineered wood or something else?Recently purchased a home and the inspector told me the flooring was ...
05/13/2026

Is this solid or engineered wood or something else?
Recently purchased a home and the inspector told me the flooring was laminate. After closing on the home I kept staring at a section of the floor that had water damage and since laminate is plastic, I made the assumption that this is some sort of wood as the top layer is faded and it looks like dried wood I’ve seen on the beach. I measured the plank and it is 3” wide, the guy at the flooring store told me I measured wrong and that it was probably 3 1/4” wide since engineered wood doesn’t come in 3”. Well I checked the sample today and the plank is absolutely 3”. Since the wood is already damaged, I took a 5 in 1 tool and dug into it today to try to pop up a plank, but the plank crumbled. I’m not sure if it’s solid wood since I don’t see any nails or staples anywhere. Can anyone help me ID this?

Is this Acacia? Bought the house via estate sell. No info.
05/13/2026

Is this Acacia? Bought the house via estate sell. No info.

Pad from Swiffer mop seems to have reacted with wood. Any fix I can try before calling a pro?
05/13/2026

Pad from Swiffer mop seems to have reacted with wood. Any fix I can try before calling a pro?

Just bought this home, built in 1998. Best products for cleaning?
05/13/2026

Just bought this home, built in 1998. Best products for cleaning?

Ash Floors Refinished blotchy and weird stain patternsHi,I just joined the group and have a question about Ash floors.Ba...
05/13/2026

Ash Floors Refinished blotchy and weird stain patterns
Hi,

I just joined the group and have a question about Ash floors.

Back story, floors were refinished in November of 2024 due to water damage. New boards put in some places. My question is should they look like this? There are areas of streaks in the wood and uneven stain. I know wood can stain uneven because of the density of the wood. They never looked like this before.

Can someone help clarify if this is what they should look like?

Thanks in advance!

Blood Stain on Hardwood StairsDog had an accident. Any tricks to try to get this out? Real oak stained hardwoods
05/13/2026

Blood Stain on Hardwood Stairs
Dog had an accident. Any tricks to try to get this out? Real oak stained hardwoods

Please tell me this is unacceptable and I shouldn’t pay for this 😫Shower tile job was acceptable, but was done by a tile...
05/13/2026

Please tell me this is unacceptable and I shouldn’t pay for this 😫
Shower tile job was acceptable, but was done by a tile person. My GC then said he was going to do the tile floor himself. Like a fool, I assumed he would know what he’s doing. Instead, I walk in to this disaster: First of all, note the small pieces of the 12 x 24 tile inserted into the center of the room as if it’s a nice feature. (He claims he had to do this in order to avoid small pieces on the ends.) Next, there are grout lines ranging from 1/8” to 1/2” throughout. Where the vanity goes, he just put down some random broken pieces, because “you just need something for the vanity to sit on…”. Well, funny thing, the vanity I ordered sits up on legs, so this obviously won’t fly. Last but not least, around the toilet there are a couple of tiles sticking up about 1/4”.

He claims he will fix everything other than the smaller tile pieces tomorrow. The only way to fix this is to rip it all out and hire someone who knows what they’re doing.

Any thoughts or advice would be much

Baseboards behind appliances?Hi all,I have a contractor coming in the morning to install baseboards over my LVP. My ques...
05/13/2026

Baseboards behind appliances?
Hi all,

I have a contractor coming in the morning to install baseboards over my LVP. My question is, do I have him install them behind my appliances? The baseboards are 7/16 thick and 4” tall. I’ve read mixed opinions about it, and I want to make the right decision! I feel it would make sense to install at least behind the fridge, as it can be easily pulled out for cleaning, but I don’t want to cause any of the appliances to bump out and not be able to be pushed into place. Fridge goes in at the left, then dishwasher, then the range will go in over on the right. Any knowledge on this is helpful, TIA!

Red oak?Are these red oak floors? Having them sanded then sealed wondering what im going to be looking at as an end resu...
05/13/2026

Red oak?
Are these red oak floors? Having them sanded then sealed wondering what im going to be looking at as an end result colorwise.

Applied Weiman Hardwood Floor Polish to my entire lounge without buffing. Now it’s dried into thick patches everywhere. ...
05/13/2026

Applied Weiman Hardwood Floor Polish to my entire lounge without buffing. Now it’s dried into thick patches everywhere. Tried Bona Polish Remover, Weiman Cleaner, vinegar — nothing works. HELP
Made the mistake of applying Weiman Hardwood Floor Polish to my entire lounge floor and forgot to buff it in time. It dried into thick raised patches all over the floor with footprints embedded in it.
I’ve tried:
• Weiman Hardwood Floor Cleaner
• Bona Polish Remover
• White vinegar solution
• Scrubbing by hand
Nothing is working. The floor looks absolutely awful. Has anyone dealt with this before? Is renting a floor buffer from Home Depot my only option at this point?

Bona Traffic HD Anti-slip on red oak lighter than expectedI just made some stair treds from raw red oak and finished the...
05/13/2026

Bona Traffic HD Anti-slip on red oak lighter than expected
I just made some stair treds from raw red oak and finished them with Bona Clear Seal and 2 coats of Bona Traffic HD anti-slip. The wood is very light right now, but I expect they will mellow with age. I am thinking on refinishing the downstairs and the landing with the same perhaps - the anti-slip. I was wondering if anyone has photos of Bona HD on red oak after a year. I expect they will warm over time but I am not sure what to expect. The downstairs floors are 20 years old so they are in bad shape and very yellow with the oil finish.

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Chicago, IL

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