New Kitchen - cabinets, countertop

Now that all the major, structural stuff was complete:

• New floor down to and including the joists


• New ceiling including new rafters


• New interior walls and exterior siding including studs, etc.


• All new plumbing & electrical

We were now ready for the cabinet maker to deliver and install the new cabinets. This is the one part of the job that I did not do. We had Yoder Cabinet Company make custom built solid wood (Hickory) cabinets. Our kitchen is roughly 9'x20' and we designed it so that we would have a "J" shaped kitchen where we had 20' of cabinets along the long wall, 9' along the short wall, and the 6' peninsula. The peninsula separated the dining room from the kitchen and provided barstool seating for 3-4 people. I also installed the new sink and new dishwasher and hooked up the plumbing.

For the countertop we chose laminate, which the cabinet maker also installed. Although it has held up just fine and there are no problems with it, I wish I had spent the extra $1k and gone with Corian. For the backsplash, I installed decorative ceramic tile which looks great. I also installed beautiful tile on the wall behind the stovetop and on the peninsula/counter. My wife chose all the tiles (floor, wall, countertop, etc, and they look great!). (Remember: I am just the handyman). Thankfully, she did the wall painting which required special effects (which are beyond my ability!). I did the priming, but the painting required an artist (my wife)to deal with the 3 stage finish painting/glazing, etc. I don't know what it is called: but it looks fantastic.

New Kitchen - continued

Before I continue I would like to say that if I had realized all the work that I was going to be getting myself into, I would have somehow talked myself out of this project using whatever excuses I could think up: "it is way beyond my capability & ability", "it will cost too much", etc, etc... There were alot of things that came up unexpectedly (known as mushroom factors: where you encounter an unexpected problem that you must deal with, and in dealing with that one, another 5 crop up).

But what I have discovered is that when you rise to the challenge, you will be amazed at what you can do. Sometimes, of course, it is a choice; other times it is a necessity. In our case we often had to go back to the "drawing board" to re-figure "custom" solutions to the "custom" problems.

So: I am very happy that I didn't give up. And 7 years later I still am delighted with the results and still amazed that I could possiblyhave built something so beautiful. So: don't underestimate yourself!

The Softer Side of Ceramic Tile Flooring

or

the Woman's Point of View

The Handyman did all the work, but I did the shopping:) Isn't that how it ought to be? I don't like shopping as a rule, but when I shop I am fiercely serious about it. I weigh the options, look at cost comparisons , do research on the choices available... all before I hit the stores... sometimes visiting over and over until the decision process winds down. Of course in my case I get the "what ever you want, Honey" from the Handyman. Yeah, right. Whatever I want as long as it fits his taste, his idea of the right cost, etc, etc.... Although I don't complain too much ( but some!) because he has a fairly good sense of taste and I am just way too eclectic. I like lots of things and styles... and don't mind mixing. But sometimes you need a sense of order and editing to get a good result: Handyman has that.

For the tiles I knew I wanted a certain look. I like organic, the more like real slate or stone, the better, for me. I like other things too, but I had reduced the look to this choice for the kitchen... if I had the money I might have tried those pretty Portuguese picture tiles in between Mexican quarry tile... but, um, where was I? Oh yes, the final choice turned out to be a stone-look 14" porcelain tile from Home Depot. It was terra-cotta color with sparkles of mica looking stuff subtly flecked in. I still love that choice. In fact, the refrigerator delivery guy commented on what a good-looking floor it is. And it is! :)

I have shattered a number of plates and glassware on it, though. It drops, it's gone. Unlike the cork flooring that we put into the remodeled back part of the house. The other day I accidentally dropped a ceramic incense burner, and it bounced! I was sort of surprised, but then I remembered that is one asset of cork flooring. Cork isn't highly recommended for the kitchen, like hardwood, though, because of all the moisture. Some people choose those types of floors, anyway; you just have to weigh the options for what you most want from the material.

What I like about ceramic tile is the that it is durable and good looking, it is cool in the summer, and easy to clean. The part near the heater retains heat in the winter- sort of a cozy place for the toes in the winter... but not that I stand in one place in the kitchen... it is just a pleasant sensation when passing through ;)
It is hard underfoot, but a kitchen rug in front of the sink ameliorates that. Overall, I am completely happy with the choice- as I say over and over- I just love my kitchen.

When my son lived in Phoenix his house was entirely tiled with ceramic floors, the smooth type (except for a carpeted living room). It was perfect for that climate and very easy to clean. I have just always liked tile, and I think it should be used more as it was in the Craftsman era. The artistic possibilities alone are amazing.

Cost is the only limitation. I fell in love with many beautiful tiles at the tile place where we purchased the counter tile, but, alas, the budget wasn't big enough. I did make a concession to my desire by buying enough Italian tiles to intersperse in the surround and above the stove. Their expense was totally worth it. A set of five different tiles all with pictures of different urns or containers. I will take a picture of that,because it is difficult to describe properly... and you know what they say about pictures and words!

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Kitchen Ceramic Floor Tiling

SubFloor (Structural):

In preparation for laying the new 12x12 glazed porcelain floor tiles (1/4" thick), I utilized the existing 24" on center 2x8 joists. To increase the structural capacity, I installed additional 2x8 joists to change it to 12" on center. To increase the support (due to the original oak joists not being exactly on center) I "sistered" additional 2x8 joists onto these.

SubFloor:

• Before installing the sub-floor, I ran all my plumbing/electrical/insulation while I had easy access to the crawlspace. One this was in place I used 3/4" T&G subfloor plywood - glued & screwed down. On top of this I placed 1/2" thick Hardy tile backer board (Durock could have been used also). This gave me a subfloor that was now 1-1/4" thick, supported by 2x8 joists spaced 12"o.c. Utilizing the original joists actually gave me a double joisted 2x8 every 24" (essentially becoming a 4x8). This has resulted in a floor that feels so solid it seems like a concrete slab.

Tiling:

• Now that the subfloor was in place I could begin prepping for laying the tile. My plan was to install the tile in the entire kitchen area BEFORE the cabinets were installed. This would result in a contiguous tile floor with no adjustments needing to made for dishwasher clearances, etc. Also, since the tile is also under the cabinets, etc., there was no need to custom cut the tile to fit against the cabinets, nor have to worry about moisture, etc., getting under the cabinets into the subfloor. Thus, my tile extends from wall to wall, and the cabinets/dishwasher, fridge, stove, etc. all sit on top of a uniform, contiguous floor.
• After laying out my lines, I used Thin-Set mortar to set the 12x12 tiles in place. For tiles over 6x6 thinset mortar is recommended instead of Type 1 adhesive. The thinset mortar is easy to use. You mix it with water in a bucket and trowel it out using the proper v-notch trowel just like you would the Type 1 adhesive. The main difference is that it sets like concrete, providing a very solid base, eliminating the likelihood of the larger tiles breaking.
• After the tile had set for 24 hours, it was now time for grouting. I used a tinted sanded grout with an additive. The additive gives the grout additional adhesive strength and seals it better. The downside is that it is harder to clean the grout off the tiles during the clean-up period. The porcelain tiles we chose were somewhat textured (but glazed) which made cleaning the grout off the tile surfaces somewhat more difficult. On a smooth tile it would have been less of an issue. You need to be careful when cleaning off the excess grout that you do not overdo the grout lines themselves. Otherwise, you will "leech out" the pigment in the grout. I consider the floor grouting (with sanded/additive added grout) the most stressful part of the job.

Results: We now have a beautiful, solid kitchen floor which will stand up to anything. The advantage of a ceramic tile floor is that it is very easy to maintain and there is no wear & tear on this type of floor. The only disadvantages are that if you drop something on it, that item (if breakable) will break, and (unless you have underfloor radiant heat) the floor retains the ambient heat - which to us has not been a problem.

Next: Kitchen Cabinets and Countertop

One Hardworking Man

When you live through all that there is much that you just take in stride (or suffer through- you pick), but when I read through Handyman's account I started to remember just how hard he worked... and keeps working. We can say we were nuts, that we would not do this again if we had known how much work we had let ourselves in for, but the truth is that the Handyman honed his skills and proved his mettle in the accomplishment of what is probably the work of two men... no, probably more like a team of men. He did get some help from our sons, but the elephant share was his own sweat equity (and blood sometimes... if you count scratches and whatall).

Thanks, Handyman... you have made things nice for us. and that kitchen is a constant pleasure:)
I'll try to get some pictures scanned in if I can find them...
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Totally renovated Kitchen

Back in 2000 we did a total kitchen renovation. By major I mean:

1. Totally gutted existing kitchen. Kitchen is 9x20.



2. Tore out existing floor down to the old 2x8 oak joists (below which is dirt crawl space). This enabled easier access to run underfloor plumbing/electrical and to insulate crawl space.



3. Tore out the existing ceiling including 2x6 oak joists. This exposed the 2x4 oak rafters supporting the metal shed roof. This area was at one time a porch. This enabled me to reinforce the roof by installing 2x8 rafters. The additional cavity here allowed for an air space and R19 insulation. I then installed full thickness (3/4") beaded porch ceiling lumber on the underside of the rafters following the shed roof slope. I stained this to complement the new hickory cabinets which we had made by an Amish cabinet maker (Yoder Cabinets).



4. 
   Tore out interior walls, exposing the old oak studs. These were rough sawn and there had been no evidence that plumb bobs, tape measures, etc., had been available during the original construction. The studs varied not only in thickness and width one from another, but also from end to end on each individual stud. IOW, some might be 3-1/2" wide at bottom and 4" at top. Some might be 4" wide, some 3-3/4, etc. None were on center. They might be 12" apart, or 17", etc. No pattern whatsoever. To rectify this, I also removed the outside siding and sheathing, this exposing the inside to the outside. I was then able to straighten the wall by adding additional studs as necessary (on center). Then I was able to properly insulate the area with R13, re-sheath, re-side as necessary. This also enabled me to relocate a large double casement window, remove the old kitchen exterior door and install a new single casement window. Since the walls were now proper, I was able to install drywall.



5. Opened up this area to the dining room. This meant tearing out what little remained of a bearing wall. I ordered a 20' 6x8 Douglas Fir beam and 6x6 posts to support it. This was also stained to match the hickory cabinets. Since this beam was so heavy, in addition to being unwieldy due to its length, I enlisted the help of a couple of my sons to set it in place. Now the west wall of the main house was properly supported structurally for the first time in I don't know how many years. This part of the house is over 100 years old and previous remodeling attempts by various previous owners left you wondering what kept it from collapsing. Various structural members had been removed, etc., but not replaced. This has now all been rectified. The rest of the house might collapse but: The Great Pyramids, Parthenon, Great Wall of China, my Kitchen are here for the ages.



6. In the dining room, we removed the 2 existing double hung windows and installed a French outswing double door. This now exits to a roofed 10x15 deck which I built about a year later. About a year after that, I screened this area in as a back porch.

Next post: Tiling the Kitchen Floor

New Refrigerator

We finally got our new refrigerator, after much painstaking research and shopping around. We finally opted for the Samsung RF265AA French Door model in the black color. I spent alot of time online doing research into the different brands and models and then my wife and I went to Home Depot, Best Buy, Sears, and Lowes to see what was out there.

My research found that the Samsung has been the JD Power best rated refrigerator for 2 years in a row. It is considered state-of-the-art, and really looks good, too. (I don't know if my wife considers it "sexy" looking or not). I would consider it a top end refrigerator at a middle range price. The regular price was $1498, and they had a Labor Day sale of 10% off of that, on a 12 month/no interest deal. When we asked the salesman "what if we pay cash", he gave us another 10% off. Bottom line: we paid $1213 plus sales tax. Delivery and installation was included (fully rebated back). So: it pays to ask about getting further discount by paying cash, etc. Worst thing that can happen is that they will say no. In our case, we got an additional 10%. They also use their own trained people to deliver/install/set-up for you - which is a plus, additionally they took our old fridge away at no charge. Some of the stores we shopped said they sub-contract out the delivery - leaving you at the mercy of whoever is delivering (does the deliverer care? does he know what he is doing, etc?)

Another great thing about the Samsung is that it is twin-cooled. The freezer compartment has its own cooling unit, as does the refrigerator. That means no exchange of odors, etc, between the freezer/fridge. It is also EnergyStar rated with an average annual electric usage bill 0f $41. And this is a 25 cf unit. You can store up to 8 gallons of milk in the door compartments (which are designed for this). It also has a slide out deli compartment which has its own temp control for deli trays, fruits/veggies, meats, pizza, etc.

Often, when buying high ticket items (and for me that means over $500), I second guess myself wondering whether I made the right choice, should I have chosen B instead of A, etc. Although we have only had our new fridge for 48 hours, I feel assured we made the right choice. I give this unit five stars (out of 5).

Mission 'New Cooler' Accomplished

Today we were out there in the store wilderness and we bagged our new refrigerator. It was a challenge, but we prevailed. We started out with the idea of the Kenmore or the Whirlpool, but after much tracking of consumer research sites, following the in-store guides and scouts through trails of appliances and learning all the habits of our quarry, we decided to take home a Samsung brand, French door style, black color refrigerator. Black, since the Stainless won't hold magnets. And we all know how important refrigerator magnets are to the well organized family.

The factor that tipped the scale for us was the "twin cooling" feature of the Samsung. It means that there are two separate cooling systems for the freezer and the refrigerated part. Now we are doing the second guessing that comes with big ticket decisions and waiting for tomorrows delivery call.

...a done deal, and we are hoping we are going to be happy with it!

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Kitchen Appliance : Refrigerator

We need a new refrigerator...badly. We looked around and were just poised to buy one, but held back. Now I have read in the article posted at aol from consumer reports that my best bet might be Kenmore or Whirlpool brand. I am strongly in the market for a French door type of configuration. Maybe we will get the new refrigerator this month- now that we have some working advice on making the brand choice.

I am so ready for my new refrigerator.

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Kitchen Saga: Appliances

Our project that we are most happy with has always been the Kitchen remodeling. One way we managed the financial budgeting of that rather expensive undertaking was to retain the old appliances for as long as possible. Well. The time has arrived when we must purchase a new refrigerator, the stove came due two years ago- so this is the last big replacement ( knock on wood ) for awhile. We don't buy new unless the old has totally run its course- seriously flawed in its operation.

The stove was an easy choice. The first new one I had ever bought was a Jenn Air brand and I was very happy with that. I loved the indoor grilling (before the time of George Foreman's popular item), so we simply went with the updated version of the stove I originally had. The refrigerator is not going to be as easy a choice. For one thing they have changed the design quite a bit, I am not sure whether to get a side by side or to choose the French door type. We have looked at Home Depot and Lowes mainly. The last fridge we bought had been from Sears, I think. One thing I don't like is the flimsy plastic that is found on some of the median priced ones, my family needs Fisher Price-toy strong plastics. You have to check little things like the strainer for the in door ice and water server, or the compartments inside the appliance. Of the different brands, LD , GE, and Kitchen Aid are my favorites. We are thinking about a GE Adora ( made for Home Depot).

I am always happiest after the purchasing is over. Refrigerators aren't sexy. At least not the ones I buy.

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Kitchen Preliminaries

We lived with our old and inefficient kitchen for quite awhile before we remodeled it. Too long, we both think. There were fits and starts of taking care of some of the more offensive features: like the bathroom sink located at the far end of the kitchen...what was up with that? The window was nailed shut, and being a kitchen without air conditioning and facing west... well, it was Hell's Kitchen before they coined the name for the show. A new window was first on the nag request list. We opted for a large Marvin casement window. Summer relief!

Winter was something entirely different in this porch-turned-kitchen area. It was drafty and freezing cold- the pipes were threaded through openings cut into the insides of the cabinets- and they tended to freeze. This place had lots of the "what not to do" list of the D-I-Y trade ....

When we finally scrambled enough money together we started the project.

The first thing was the planning... after fortifying with many issues of Kitchen Remodeling magazines and books... my part was to draw up the plan. My husband made a template of the space as it presently was and I began to draw out different ideas that we discussed and scrapped. We finally came upon a plan that involved closing off the back door, moving it to where the windows in the dining room were and moving the basement door, while concealing the bathroom door from the kitchen dining area.Whew! This is the condensed version! About the only thing that stayed the same was the new window and the sink plumbing connection below it. And it was time to fill in the cistern that was half inside and underneath the kitchen and half outside. Mosquitoes in the dead of winter, I kid you not. Funky smells, too.

Some of the challenges included the fact that previous owners had removed lots of the bearing wall- and you could see the roofline was showing results of that fiasco. We wanted a more open design then it had, so took out most of the remaining wall- we put in structural beams and supports - big, thick, specially ordered cedar. My husband totally rebuilt from the inside once we had taken out the old failing particle board walls and whatnot the ingenious former owners had slapped up. We joke now that if a tornado hits everything except this kitchen will go... the studs alone are a backbone few winds will prevail against.

We knew it was bad- we had lived with this kitchen for about seven years, but once you start tearing into the insides of the walls and floors...you get to see just how bad.

So we had a plan, we had the demolition.... next were the innumerable trips to the stores.


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Small Projects::Big Returns

According to CNN Money the D-I-Y person can make upgrades in these areas: tile, cabinets, bookcases, lighting, and shower doors.

Most of us know that certain projects have more value than others, like kitchen and bathroom remodels, but we oftentimes don't account for some of the smaller projects.

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Here's A Project to Talk About: The Kitchen Re-do

I think both the Handyman and myself would agree that the most rewarding project was the Kitchen remodeling. It was more than remodeling, really, it was a complete, from the studs, changing doors, totally re-built project. But it turned out to be one that our family has most benefited from and with which we are most satisfied.

I'm happy that the DH (AKA "Handyman"...and I have to explain DH to him here...it stands for "Dear Husband"...that is right "dear" ;)- because he will ask. He isn't really techy online, although he is very techy with the Handyman D-I-Y stuff. Anyway, as I was saying, I am glad He is here on the blog because he can tell you what this involved from his perspective.

From mine, I did the easy part: helped plan it out and did cooking and dishes out back in a storage room for the duration. Remember those days? And the house was open to the outdoors for awhile when the door was removed and the sliding doors in the dining room put in. We made lots of visits to Lowes and to the ceramic tile outlets. Lots of them. The floor choice ended up being tiles that looked liked stone with a terracotta color and glints like granite. I am very happy with it. The drawback is the fact that tile gets cold and everything breakable that drops on it will break. Shatter is more the word..into myriad teeny-tiny pieces. It is death to dishes. But easy to clean, undamaged by the wet conditions of a kitchen, and beautiful.

We used 4x4 tiles on part of the counter and above the stove- it continues as a border across the top of the formica countertop. DH isn't sure he liked the choice of formica, but we had to cut costs somewhere. I am very happy with it- it is in a harmonizing color with the tiles and blends really well. We bought some Italian art tiles to intersperse and create interest above the stove. I love them- they fulfill my desire for something of art in the kitchen.

I'll write more on this topic later.... after I let Handyman know about the topic and give him a chance to tell you more of the nuts and bolts of the project.



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