Day #15

OK, it's actually #16 but I'm a day late posting this - I actually finished this bit of the project last night. To date -

• Removed drop ceiling
• Removed drywall with wallpaper that was at one with said wallpaper
• Removed remaining lath and plaster from walls where drop ceiling had been
• Did decide to remove original lath and plaster ceiling - that was tons o' fun
• Hung ceiling and most other drywall - won't hang it all until all electrical is updated
• Currently in the middle of updating the electrical - about half done - have the ceiling cans in and the pendant fixture wiring done and a couple of outlets updated

Tomorrow night I'll move the two cans I installed last night and add two more, then wire in th GFCI outlets and - if time allows - begin hardwiring the under-cabinet halogen puck lights. Then I get to remove the dishwasher so I can get at the wires behind it to mount an electrical box and splice into the circuit for my garbage disposal - assuming the 2006 Universal Code allows for a disposal to be on the same circuit as a dishwasher, and hardwired at that. Still have to check into that tomorrow evening after work.

This weekend then will all be about hanging the rest of the drywall and then starting to mud/tape - yea and more yea.

And I still have to decide what kind of baffles and how much wattage to go with on the recessed lights - that's why they look different right now (actually, the one on the left doesn't have the baffle I bought cos it was about 12:30am when I finished wiring the dimmers and I just wanted to see if the lights would work - thankfully, they did.

OK, so I just got an email from Kodak asking to take a survey about the relevance of film in the 21st century. Of course I had to take the opportunity to put my $0.02 in and play up that yes! film is way important still, particularly with larger formats and that digital, well, is still really only for snapshots.

OK, maybe that's a little harsh, but if you prefer using film or even just don't want to ever see film get obliterated, go ahead and put in your own $0.02 here.

cheers

Day #1

OK, so this is the 'official' start day of my kitchen remodel, er - face lift (the real remodel isn't for a few years down the road when I dismantel the back of my house to make a really big kitchen!). So, on the agenda for this little facelift -

• Remove drop ceiling
• Remove drywall with wallpaper that is at one with said drywall
• Remove remaining lath and plaster from walls above where drop ceiling had been
• Remove original lath and plaster ceiling?
• Hang drywall everywhere there isn't or I've had fun with my sawzall taking it down
• Remove old countertop laminate circa 1981
• Replace with, um, modern countertop laminate (Formica® Quartzstone or something like that)
• Refinish all crap golden oak cabinets with Benjamin Moore® revere pewter (from the 'Historic' collection - the only palette I'm using for my entire house) to make them look less crap
• Install new oil-rubbed bronze cabinet pull and hinge hardware on all cabinets
• Replace old sink and $20 faucet with new sink and $300 faucet (or so is the plan - budget may dictate ... )
• Wire new circuit for and install In-Sink-Erator Evolution® Compact garbage disposal (like my prolific use of the trademark sign - just figured it out the other day for something else I was doing)
• Update all electrical
• Remove high-gloss-sheen-to-die-for vinyl linoleum floor circa (again) 1981 (weren't the 80's just, um, lovely)
• Install new vinyl tile (i.e. fake slate - can't, um, quite afford the real stuff at this point - but these actually look really awesome, and I was only testing with one of them)
• Remove old In-Sink-Erator dishwasher (still) circa 1981 (I never knew those guys made anything besides garbage disposals, speaking of which - there's the 'neighborhood' hardware store, actually quite awesome if you actually need help/advice, that carries some garbage disposal brand called 'Badger' I think - I mean, come one - who buys anything besides In-Sink-Erator?)
• Install new Bosch Integra® dishwasher (OK, I admit - I didn't spend a grand on a dishwasher - got this off of craigslist, but I'm looking forward to hearing just how quiet those Germans can make a dishwasher)
• Install recessed light fixtures over sink and work area and oil-rubbed bronze pendant from Bellacor (can't quite afford the mission-style lighting from Rejuvenation I'd really like) over table
• Install range hood? (if I can find one I like)
• Install under-cabinet halogen lights for, um, mood :)

I think that about sums it up. I aim to have this finished by the end of August. Really.

After Day #1, I have the ceiling and drywall removed. If I do decide to drywall the ceiling, too - I'll have to remove all that lath and plaster which will take another day. Probably will, but I need to call a contractor I used to work with and find out how much it would be to hang that (despite wanting to do this entire remodel sans help, there's no way I can hang sheetrock on a ceiling by myself!). That'll pretty much decide for me. It would be a good thing to do, though. Bother.

But anyways, here is my shot after day #1 (OK, one of the shots - for the rest, I'm going to be blogging this on my Flickr 'Remodel' set here - unfortunately, these have privacy settings so unless you're a family or friend of mine on Flickr, you won't get much out of it - sorry - take care knowing it really isn't all that exciting).

So take that ugly wallpaper - I'll show you! (the drop ceiling some short people put in was just below where all that insulation is kind of hanging - no idea why it's there being that is an interior wall but that's just one question of many, many questions I'd have for the past owners of this house ... ) Oh, and that's my new DeWalt best friend lying on the floor ... :)

So there you have it - a snapshot of my exciting life!

Oh, and I almost forgot - if anyone's interested, I'm selling the original, one-of-a-kind, must-have built-in circa 1950 toaster (hey, at least the 50's were cool!) on ebay here.