The human spirit is truly inspiring. Even in the face of tragedy, we’re able to pick ourselves up and make the best of what we have.

After losing their home in a 2012 fire, this family decided to start rebuilding. They’ve since been documenting their build on a blog called A Building We Shall Go. They share DIY tips, tricks, and methods they’ve used to make a home they can be proud to call their own.

For this particular project, they wanted to install new hardwood floors for their living room. But rather than going to the lumber yard, buying new lumber, or hiring a contractor, they decided to do things a little bit differently…

They found some old wood pallets…

And began taking them apart.

Then it was time to make them more “floor appropriate.”

So they ran the boards through a planer.

Then it was time to start installing the boards! Plywood served as the foundation for the flooring.

Next was the slow and steady process of nailing the pallets to the floor.

Looking pretty good!

They applied a coat of mineral spirits, which cleans the wood and preps it for a finish.

A coat of finish (similar to that used on basketball courts) was added.

And the floors were done!

The furniture really complements the beautiful floorboards.

(source A Building We Shall Go)

It really is inspiring to see how this family is turning everything around after such a tragedy. If you’d like to see more of their cool projects, check out their Twitter, Facebook, and website for updates.