Linoleum

Removing it to expose hardwood floors represents a major investment in time. The local hardware store attendant asked me the color of the glue under the linoleum, and I responded "black"--she paused and breathed, "Oh". Not a good sign.

Happily, our next-door neighbor and a handyman and his daughter from the apartment complex near-by chipped-in, and the atmosphere felt light. He returned the next morning and finished the job--removing the tiles seems to inspire compulsion to complete the task.

The man responsible for sanding and sealing the floors arrived today (Friday) and began sanding away the glue, but it turns out the glue gets the last laugh--it completely gummed up his sander, and so he ended up spending the day scraping the glue from the boards anyway. He returns tomorrow to sand again. It will look fantastic when he finishes.