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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend April 27, 2006 Some home jobs seem to require male expertise Despite a desire to do projects on our own, we may need our husbands' help Being the sort of woman I am, I almost hate to say it: Sometimes you just need a man. This oft-denied truth was made patently obvious this week as I attempted to chip in at my soon-to-be finished home near the Rogue River. My husband, Will, and I had planned to take an hour or so on Sunday to install a mere 100 square feet of cork flooring. The salesman at a local hardwood supply store assured me the process was simple, a perfect project for do-it-yourselfers. No adhesives or underlayment were necessary. The 3-by-1-foot panels apparently snapped together as easily as Legos. With its smooth, nonabsorbent surface and slight give, cork seemed appropriate for a small room where I hoped to do crafts and practice yoga. I also had heard cork touted for its insulating properties, necessary in this somewhat drafty space above the garage. The flooring remains warm to the touch, industry sources say, even when placed over a cement sub-floor. Although finished cork repels liquid, manufacturers say it should not be mopped. A barely damp cloth can be used to wipe up stubborn stains. As with hardwood floors, frequent vacuuming and sweeping of cork is recommended to remove abrasive particles. Advertisement Because cork is made from regenerative tree bark, it also is an environmentally friendly option. Yet it's been used as floors for at least the past century, particularly in banks, universities and government buildings like the U.S. Library of Congress. A co-worker told me her sister was so wild about cork that she had been installing it for friends. Although I don't know this woman, the fact that she could lay cork unassisted instilled me with enough confidence to try it while Will was at work. I hoped to save him some time and show him I could tackle a project on my own with just a few pointers delivered over the telephone. The first row went together with hardly a hitch and even fit under the baseboard, which had been prematurely installed in that room. But when I tried to add the second row, seams refused to fit tightly. I suspected the baseboard would have to be taken off and didn't have a clue about how to do this without damage to my new paint. Weary from an hour spent wrestling with the cork panels, I gave up. I wasn't surprised to see Will experiencing the same frustrations the next morning before he pried off the baseboard. But he quickly mastered the floor's quirks, liberally employing a rubber mallet to force the pieces tight together and to pound down the corners. The previous evening, he had urged me to do the same. But I was afraid of hitting the panels too hard. At about $3.40 per square foot, they didn't come cheap. Cutting shorter lengths with a table saw and staggering them like hardwood flooring, Will managed to lay the entire section in about 45 minutes. I was reduced to my usual role of passing him tools and floor panels and standing on the surface to keep it flat while he hammered away. Being the sort of woman I am, I never wanted to be a cheerleader. But it's the only occupation that's kept me from being superfluous throughout much of the work on our house. When I asked Will how this unfamiliar task was so easy for him, I still had to smile at the answer. "Sarah, it's just a man thing." Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487 or at [email protected] Main Headline The project so far Reporter Sarah Lemon and her husband are nearly 11 months into a custom home-building project. Here's how the project progressed over the past week: Installed granite countertops. Laid cork flooring. Continued laying wood floor and tile. Continued installing and painting trim and baseboard. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers Southern Oregon Loans California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy Advertisement s Advertisement