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Kitchen remodel

866K views 251 replies 17 participants last post by  DoyleSumrall 
#1 ·
I am about to begin a diy kitchen remodel and...well heres the ugly kitchen i have to work with...
along with the beautiful new slabs of wood i just bought to start on the island.
 

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#248 ·
got the garden planted and the pond pretty well done ,but nothing done on the kitchen yet except a little of the floor ripped up.
Sucky job but we discovered that if you run a hair dryer over the section of vinal you are trying to rip up, it comes up really easy. that softens the glue i guess.
here's a pic of my turtle. we put him in saturday and he is still there!
 

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#123 ·
The countertops will be here in 12 days...meanwhile i must build the cabinet, build the base for my island and I'm STILL waiting for my handyman electrician to show up and move plugs...that's why I haven't gotten anything done...besides the fact that I've been snowed in for 5 days with no materials lol..but he's supposed to be here tomorrow then its on with it, finally!
 
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#131 ·
If I was going to do it that way I would make sure the edge is cut square and then I would use biscuits at the very least to hold it. You can get cleats that are specifically made for connecting countertops, but they need to be cut specifically for the connectors to be used. I am not sure if you have the tools needed to do that.
 
#145 ·
Leiona, what about using some of that wood for your pass through. If you have some live edge that would look great having live edge on both sides, just a thought. You could also use that same kind of wood for your shelving beside your stove. Anyways it all looks great and I am looking forward to seeing more pics as you progress. Not to sound sexist, but I think it is great to see a woman taking on a job like this.
 
#147 ·
one more day and my electricals done...got the cuts measured for the cabinets, and my countertops are in!! Lets get this kitchen remodel thing back on a roll, right?! I studied snavs thread and i think the cabinets are gonna be a breeze, and thank goodness its only one...and shelves to boot, no door no drawer :wink:

I should have known when the handyman told me he would move a few plugs around for me it would turn into an entire kitchen rewire!! but it needed it i guess, and he's charging me next to nothing thank goodness.
 
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#154 ·
Ok folks, that is if you are still out there...I know this renno is boring as five but its about to take off again here today.
I read and read a thousand articles on finishing these countertops in a dark stain or finish and the best i can come up with is strongly brewed coffee to stain them. it is food safe and can be mineral oiled or varnished with waterlox. After trying to visualize extremely light colored countertops in my kitchen and the colors i would would pick to coordinate with them, i decided i definetly dont like light color counters, and i just know that in this house, light countertops will look bad really quick.
the countertops are getting cut to size today and i will begin distressing them and staining them today as well. i cant wait to see what they look like with a coffee stain on them! i may skip the distressing but i think that if i distress them that any dents or marks i make on them in the future will blend better if they are already distressed.

Let me know what you think or if anyone has ever stained anything with coffee. thanks guys!
 
#188 ·
terracotta

Great work.

I have a little concern about this statement:

...handyman's gonna raise the back door for me so i can lay luan over the existing vinyl and set my terra cotta tiles on that...


Am I understanding that you intend to put 1/4" luan down over existing vinyl that is over more vinyl? And then you are going to thinset terracotta tiles overtop?

Concerns are the original vinyl could have asbestos? If not I would tear that up taking the newer with it. Otherwise you may consider a floating type floor install instead. Luan isn't really suitable for underlayment except maybe under vinyl. Luan is going to give too much and crack your tiles or grout lines.

If you want terracotta you should remove all vinyl, check your subfloor and joists for strength, add appropriate plywood no less than 1/2" thick, then ceramic backer board or Ditra, then your tiles.
 
#189 ·
Thank you yogi and mathx for your helpful advice...like i said, i need all i can get of that! I decided to go with mineral oil on the butcher block followed by a conditioner with a mineral oil and beeswax mixture for the final coat. they are soft warm and beautiful now! i will post a pic in a day or two when i finally install them. my cabinets are just waiting for one more coat of paint and then they will go on.
I decided to do a dark dark brown cork or bamboo floating... or possibly glue down, floor instead of terra cotta, even though i still love the T/C the best. Its just going to be more work and cost than i'm able to do right now.
I was able to find a reasonably priced sink with a drainboard side at Ikea, btw...i love ikea! but it will be a couple weeks before that goes in..i gotta go out of town for ten days next week so that will cut into the remodel. but i did manage to get all the glue off the wall, over SEVERAL days..sore muscles...headaches... ugh never again!!! i plastered up the wrecked wall and it looks fine...good enough till i get a backsplash that is :wink:

I havent had anything interesting to post lately since its all painting and plaster work right now but i will get a pic up soon because it looks completely diffrent than before ..amazing really!
 
#194 ·
Thank you Ironlight! I am getting close to the end! I bought all my shelf brackets and my sink. I decided to keep it white so i painted the kitchen cotton. Its so bright and clean looking i just couldnt think of a better color. I'm finally back in the game here and all i need now is my faucet and my flooring which Louie has agreed to buy so yeah!
I'm gonna go with a glue down rubber floor in the kitchen. it dosent require a subfloor, will stick to anything and has a 15 year gaurantee so it will work. heres the sink i got...this sucker is nearly four feet long !
 

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#215 ·
leiona, there is another reason that you don't want to use brackets...they're not as strong.

Wall cabinets, because they have a back and are boxes, transfer the force into a largely straight up and down force, along the wall. Shelves with brackets, on the other hand, place a lever force on the shelf, trying to bend it down. You would need some serious, serious brackets (more like big triangles, actually) to hold a shelf full of heavy plates and be confident it would last.

I would definately take Keith's advice on the box idea.

And I would go ahead and do the nail stuff on the wall. After all, it's going to be covered with backsplash shortly. So what if it has a few pinholes in it.
 
#216 ·
leiona, there is another reason that you don't want to use brackets...they're not as strong.

Wall cabinets, because they have a back and are boxes, transfer the force into a largely straight up and down force, along the wall. Shelves with brackets, on the other hand, place a lever force on the shelf, trying to bend it down. You would need some serious, serious brackets (more like big triangles, actually) to hold a shelf full of heavy plates and be confident it would last.

I would definitely take Keith's advice on the box idea.

And I would go ahead and do the nail stuff on the wall. After all, it's going to be covered with backsplash shortly. So what if it has a few pinholes in it.
That is so true. It is very easy to get an awful lot of weight sitting on those shelves.
 
#227 ·
no Im not going to remove the brackets lol, just the wood, which i havent screwed in yet..this was just a dry fit to make sure it was all gonna look how i want. the brackets are there for good. i sat dishes on there for the picture so i could see how roomy the shelves would be. roomy enough for me! but thanks for your concern, sometimes i do overlook that kind of stuff.
 
#3 ·
I am new to carpentry and I've only built a few things before so this remodel should be interesting..
if all goes well I will end up with a rustic, cottage style country kitchen.
will post pics as i go but, the real reason i started a thread is to get all the advice everyones willing to give..
thanks ahead for all your help!:thumbsup:
 

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#4 · (Edited)
ugly..the kitchen that is, not my Chloe!!
so now i need to seal and stain? (not sure).. these slabs. but with what and what to fill the holes in with. epoxy? the guy who sold me the slabs said tongue oil instead of stain, and my genius local (to the site) mentor, cocobolo is going to let me know what he thinks once he finds out the type of wood i'm using here
...which is yellow poplar btw:)
 

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#5 ·
Hi there...figured I better drop by and say hello at least.

I just posted a reply - of sorts - on my thread, so you might want to read that first. I'll be happy to walk you through any questions on your thread...it's what we do here.

I must say again how much I really do like those slabs. :thumbup:

Can I ask you how thick they are, and the width and length? Thanks.
 
#6 · (Edited)
oops ..i just posted a reply on your thread because i checked it first.. i wasnt sure if youd come to my party lol :wink:
the slabs..all four..are 2 1/2 in thick..5 feet long..and 32 in wide together at the widest part. they weigh about 50-60 lb apiece, each set has two pieces. ill use one set for a table and one for the island.
I will keep my rambling on this thread now that i know your visiting, i promise !
 
#12 ·
Of course I'll come to your party! :)

You don't have a big budget for the kitchen, but it should be adequate given that you are going to do the work yourself. The two most expensive rooms in any house are always the kitchen and the bathroom...and you have picked the most expensive of the two!

Is it possible to find out when these trees were cut down that the slabs come from, and can you check the present moisture content?

One thing I might suggest is that you get the slabs inside the house (preferably in the kitchen) so that they become acclimatized to the inside environment.

Here's another suggestion. Weigh each of the slabs on your bathroom scale and keep a note of the weight. Perhaps attach a piece of paper to the back of each slab. Check the weight every two weeks or so to see if they are getting lighter.

You don't want to be getting the wood sealed prematurely, it needs to be dry first.
 
#7 ·
Good luck!

I gutted my kitchen 2 weeks ago. I'm doing wood countertops, just regular butcherblock ones though. I'm treating them w/ Waterlox in my basement right now, hopefully I can get coat #4 on by Thursday night so I can install them this weekend.

Looking forward to some updates!
 
#8 ·
I was gonna go with butcherblock but my budget for this entire kitchen is 2000.00 ! so i guess i'm stuck making them myself...it will be awhile for those though..i gotta get the island and lower cabinets built..then the scary task of finishing the slab..hope i dont mess THAT up!
 
#9 · (Edited)
Before i continue, I guess some may want to know a little about me so I'm not a blank....
I'm a 35 year old mom of three boys, three cats, two dogs, and 2 turtles, and a fiancee.
I'm a dog groomer by trade, and a carpenter by the skin of my teeth. I wish i knew more about it.
I paint canvas and murals, play guitar, and i love my gardens and yardwork.
I'm taking on this project because feeding five people in that horrid kitchen has become unbearable...even my shoddy cabinetmaking would be better, not that i've ever made a cabinet mind you..
I will have no helpers above 13 years old and the only thing ive ever built so far is my sons bed frame.
So...like i said. this should be interesting :yes:
 

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#10 · (Edited)
I admire you taking on this task. Where is your fridge, and is your
fiancee handy? I hope so. :) what are your plans for table legs?
(or are you using your current table base?)
and the Island bottom?

Your table looks nice, does it have a leaf? If you put in the leaf,
wouldn't that be big enough for five people?
you also could pick up 2 more chairs...I picked up great looking
chairs at our local good-will store.
 
#11 · (Edited)
right now my fridge is in the dining room..it will go in the corner where the kitchen table is after we cut that doorway out 36 in wider.
I plan to make a simple base like the one in this pic for the island.
together the slabs only weigh about 110 lb
unfortunately..my fiancee is either out of town or he's working on our basement remodel...which i will post pics of when we start on it again
 

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