Just Call Me American Cherry

So I'm shopping for hardwood flooring for the new condo. And so I bopped over to a wholesale hardware flooring warehouse at lunch to check out the samples so I can let my contractor know which hardwood I want.

And all was going well .... la la la, la la la .... until tall, dark, handsome (single? ... no wedding ring) workerbee approached me.

He was Mr Information, answering all my questions with the ease of ... well ... someone that works in hardwoods and knows what he's talking about.

We get to the point in which we're discussing the differences between prefinished hardwood floors (not laminates or engineered ... actual real hardwood simply prefinished) and hardwoods which are installed, sanded and then finished in place. And the only difference that is a minor concern to me is that the prefinished supposedly have a microscopically beveled edge and so you kinda see the groove between boards. (don't fall asleep yet, people .... stay with me now. I'm just giving you the setup here).

So the samples at this showroom are maybe 3' x 2'. Ya know, kinda difficult to really see if the difference between the prefinished and the non-prefinished is going to be an issue for me when all they have to look at are tiny samples.

And so I ask, innocently enough: "Do you know of any public location in the Portland area which has the prefinished so that I can really get a feel for what they look like?" (thinking that maybe he knows of a furniture store or a museum or something which has these prefinished hardwoods so I can compare to what I know hardwoods installed, sanded and finished in place look like)

And Cutie-Patootey replies:"You mean ones which are already laid or just some really good samples? Because I know some great showrooms.."

And I said, "Oh no, I wanna see something LAID!"

Which I thought sounded innocent enough in my head, even with the added emphasis on the word "laid" ....

........until I saw the twinkle in his eyes, that is.

So I quickly added, "ya know, hardwood" in an attempt to keep the conversation on track and cover my mild embarrassment.

Uh yeah. "hard wood". "laid". Yeah, I won't be going back. That that man was able to stifle his laughter still amazes me. Though I think he only managed until me and my American Cherry red face mumbled an exit line and quickly skeddadled outta there!

.....

Now I'm thinkin' tile* flooring might be a nice option instead, dontcha think?! :)

*I was going to say "carpet" until I realized the troubles I could get into with that wording as well!! ;)