Astraea - I can't see a lot of your front garden but from what I can see a make over would be in order, particularly when there seems to always be so much emphasis on kerb appeal. Just looking at the judy and creative gardens photos posted - there is so much that could be done for easy maintenance as much as eye candy. I think you said you have a nice view - to level an area on the right for a little sitting area would be a lovely start and putting ground cover over the bald patches will reduce rainwater run off that would be washing good topsoil away. Get some landscapers in, talk options with them, get some ballpark figures and give yourself 12 months to really think about it all. See if you can get some gardening books or magazines from your local library to give you ideas. Look at it this way, if you had purchased a house with perfect gardens but lacking in design, you wouldn't be hesitating to renovate, extend or do whatever you had to do to make the house perfect for you, would you?? The gardens are every bit as important in the big picture of things - look at this as renovating and redesigning an outdoor room.

Good afternoon. I am Shawn with Wildrose Hardwood Refinishing Ltd. In Alberta Canada. Over 20 years we have used most brands of both Oil and Water based finishes. Once you start to apply an oil based finish, you would not want to utilize water based. The two different finishes are created to bond to hardwood in a very different manner. Oil tends to dry and cure to the surface of hardwood, whereby water penetrates the surface of the grain, increasing adhesion with the hardwood, and dries and cures much faster. Oil can be applied after a waterborne finish has completely dried, though I am sure you will be giving up warranty for doing so. Water should not be applied onto oil finish as it will not create a proper bond and will most likely "flake" or peel, as we call it aj "orange peel" effect.

We need to establish a few things here. First: what is the species of your floor? Is it a natural finish (no stain added) or is it stained/coloured? What was the product used? A few basics. The "first coat" is almost always a sealer. This is normally a slightly less expensive product which is put down to allow the next layers to "grab" as well as to stop the grain from soaking up too much product. The sealer is then lightly roughed up (not always...but a well rounded professional will do this automatically...'cause it looks better) and the first of TWO coats are then applied. The "expensive" product is the polyurethane. The first coat is put down and allowed to "dry" (can be few hours to "over night"). A light sanding/roughing can be done but if the sanding job has been done well enough it isn't always needed. Some products are very specific and others don't list this as "required". The final coat of polyurethane is then applied (third coat of "product" but only second coat of "poly"). This is a routine application. Semi-gloss products can differ in appearance depending on species of wood, sanding grit used and what sealer was used and if stain was applied. A poor sanding job will never look right no matter how much product you apply. A great sanding job can look amazing after just the sealant. Each company has their own definition of "gloss, semi-gloss, satin, matte, extra matte". If you do not feel the "sheen" is high enough, you can add (at your own expense) a single coat of THE SAME PRODUCT but at the higher gloss level (ex. Dura Seal "gloss" instead of semi-gloss). To do this, you will pay someone to come in, lightly rough the surface (a very light sanding/buffing) and then they will apply a single coat. The "cure time" will then be observed once more. NEVER MIX oil and water base!!!!! Never! Bubbling and peeling WILL FOLLOW!!! Your floor will look like an orange peel. I've even heard of floors "smoking" when two finishes have been mixed (scares the snot out of homeowners). If you are unhappy with the finish and you feel there are 'rough spots' then it sounds like the sanding job was not quite up to snuff. IF THIS IS A RESULT OF POOR SANDING then the company is responsible for fixing it. If this is to do with the "wrong gloss" level being chosen (homeowner choice = homeowner disappointment) then the cost of the "fix" will be on the homeowner. It is possible the sanding job didn't go as planned (rough spots). I would investigate this first...if it is the cause of all your woes then have them fix it. If this is a simply a level of gloss, pay someone to come in and add a single coat of THE SAME PRODUCT at a higher gloss level (in your case "gloss"). Photos would be AWESOME!

How do I know if my oak floors are white or red oak ? Sorry if it’s a silly question. Mine are from the late 60’s They have oranges a lot over the years. We want to have them sanded down just to a more natural state .