Going With the Grain

Nancy Curran moved into her parents’ Anaheim Hills home three years ago with her two children, Shannon, now 15, and Steven, now 12.

You can imagine the adjustment everyone had to make. But no one thought much of the floors until it became clear that cream-colored carpeting was not going to survive in this full house.

“My parents lived alone and took off their shoes each time they entered their home,” Curran said. “Trying to get the kids to do that was a challenge.”

What’s a mother to do?

Replace the carpet in heavy traffic areas--the kitchen, bathrooms and hall--with something more kid-friendly . . . and durable. Hardwood floors were the answer, Curran said.

“It’s been two years since we installed tongue-and-groove hardwood floors and it’s working out. Except we did have one small incident recently. A friend recommended that we use a particular vacuum cleaner, but it scratched the floor in some places. We had to have the entire area resanded and refinished to match.

“The original finish was a medium stain with a high-gloss finish. We decided to change the satin finish to hide more of the scratches and wear.

“Before we installed the new floor, the kitchen had a parquet hardwood floor. But dirt fell into the grooves and we were tracking that dirt onto the carpet. And if you spilled something, you couldn’t wipe it all up.

“Our new floor, however, looks great, and it’s easy to clean. My son slips around on the floor when he’s wearing his socks and that picks up a lot of the dust. But mostly I just use a dry mop to pick up the lint. Every two weeks in the kitchen--where more things get spilled--and once a month everywhere else, we spray on a hardwood floor cleaner, Bona Swedish Formula, and mop up.”

Your Chance to Brag

“Been There, Done That” is a recurring feature in Saturday’s Home Design section that highlights how our readers accomplish their home and garden projects. If you wish to share your experiences--or, even to brag a little--call (714) 966-7883. Or send photographs along with your name and phone number to Home Design, The Times’ Orange County edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626 or ocsocalliv@latimes.com.