Kitchen Project -- Take Eight: a.k.a. Making Progress

Things are coming along slowly but surely for our kitchen.

The cabinets have been installed. The molding is almost finished. The countertops are in. The electrical is done. The sink is hooked up and the dishwasher is, too. We even have a working microwave again.

Still to do: finish the backsplash, add bottom molding, find window treatments...

We've come a long way from the demolition days that started about a month ago. We lived with boxes of kitchen utensils in the dining room. We ate off paper plates and made far too many drive-thru stops. We washed baby bottles in the bath tub.

It wasn't easy, but it was kind of fun. Here's a peek at the progress:

Why do it yourself?

Success and failure in the area of home improvement.

 "You can fix that, right? It's not that hard." My wife's often saying things like that, but I'm always thinking it, too. So I'm also to blame for many of the projects/ideas we get ourselves into around the house.

I think:

"I could save lots of money and then amass an arsenal of tools while making countless trips to the home goods store."

"I could make that bookshelf. Why should I pay an arm and a leg for a train table made of particleboard that most likely will fall apart faster than the time it takes my crackers and milk to go soggy?"

"Busting up that floor? No problem."

It's also just what you do, right? Try to fix things, even when they're not really broken. My 3-year-old son caught that bug -- the one that gets you thinking you need to redo, fix or modify something, anything or just take it apart. All valid ways to spend time.

The good thing is that with the exception of personal safely while using power tools, sharp knives and working with electrical and some plumbing, there's no harm done. It's a house or a table, it’s OK if it’s not perfect. Tearing up a bathroom can be a bit scary but the worst thing to happen is you have to call in a contractor. Even I know my limits -- I don't do structural changes to the house without help.

So, then, why do it yourself? The answer for me is because I enjoy doing the work, working with the tools and materials. And when the project is done I get that sense of accomplishment. I also couldn't afford to get some of the work done and we own an old house that need lots of care and upkeep. We also really enjoy the design aspect of upgrading the house, imagining and planning are a big part of the fun. And now that we have it the way we like it, we'll never move. (Fingers crossed!)

What I have learned is that if the only goal was to save money by doing the work myself, it might not be worth it in some cases. Professionals offer speed and quality gained from experience. I always have to know my limits and skill level. Some projects take a lot of time -- time away from family. It works best when I want to do it for the experience and what I can learn and sometimes, yes, save money.

Kitchen Project -- Take Seven: We're Making Progress!

The cabinets are in, although the finishing work and countertops will take at least another week. And we decided on a floor. We went with a simple hardwood that matches the hardwood in the rest of our house.

We're making progress. I stayed up until 3:30 a.m. installing as much as I could -- at a certain point, I put away the power tools and opted for a handsaw and hammer so I wouldn't disturb the neighbors. There's still some work to be done, and I still need to finish the backsplash this week before the counters are installed, but I'm happy with the way the kitchen is coming together.

Here's the latest look:

A professional-grade staple gun gets it done.

Kitchen Project -- Take Six: a.k.a. Not All Ideas Are Good Ones

For our new cabinets, the refrigerator will be pushed in about a four inches. No big deal, except that meant I would have to fill in that space with new tile. So I pushed it back and noticed the wood planking underneath. My wife and I started talking and...well, you know how it goes. The next thing you know, I'm tearing out porcelain tile with the idea that we would refinish the planking.

Which wasn't a half bad idea, only:

1. It's pine, meaning it's soft. (Not great for a busy kitchen like ours.)
2. It had gobs of glue on it. (Messy. Dusty. Been there before.)
3. The nails were visible on top.

So...

With the new cabinets arriving in a few days, we're scrambling to figure out what we'll do for flooring. Hardwood, like we have in the rest of the house? Tile, again? (Not a fan of tile right now.) Cork, perhaps?

We will see. In the meantime, here's a photo showing what we're dealing with.



What a mess.

Kitchen Project -- Take Five: Removing the Cabinets

Taking out the cabinets isn't an easy job, but doing the demo ourselves is saving us a little bit of money.

The upper cabinets came out surprisingly well. It was just a matter of unscrewing them and carrying them out. 

But, as you can see, the job is far from over. We have a lot to finish in the next several days. 

My building assistant and me

That hardware store smell

You know what I’m talking about. It’s that special smell that greets you every time you walk into a hardware store. I’ll just list the ingredients along with the recipe. Blend slowly and let your nose go wild. 

Hardware smell (six servings)

A pinch of mulch
A few pounds grass seed
Dash of fertilizer
Handful of pipe shavings with oil (from the pipe threader)
Squirt or two of WD-40
Half a dozen rolls of solder (lead-free!)
A spoonful of Quikrete
A pinch of fresh paint vapor
A variety of nails (by the pound)
Shingles (best when hot)
Half a pot of coffee (No flavored or decaf)
Several over-enthusiastic problem solvers
PVC and rubber hose to taste
Copper, galvanized and black pipe
At least one pocket protector

Mix all ingredients, then add in over-enthusiastic problem solvers slowly. Let stand in a cool place for 20 minutes. Make a pass through the tool aisle and it should be ready.

Note: Some like more mulch and less paint vapor; you also can substitute the shingles with some tar cement crack filler.

If I had a hammer

“I want my red hammer, Dad, and please put Mr. Flintstone on the computer.”

OK, why my 3-year-old has to indicate the “red hammer” is because, yes, he has multiple hammers -- made of plastic, of course. And why not? One must have multiple versions of such a tool that’s a cornerstone of any good tool box.

Hammers come in many types and sizes: the tack, ball-peen, sledge, framing and claw. Stone hammers date back to 2,600,000 B.C.

Today, the make or brand is just as important as the style, size and -- yes -- the color. I should mention that “Bob the Builder has a “red hammer.”

Now you have Estwing, Vaughan Mfg., , Hardcore Hammers, S-K Handtool , Snap-on Tools and Craftsman, just a few brands made in the U.S.A. The type of work you need to do will determine what kind of hammer to buy. Most utility or catch-all work can be done with the claw hammer. The claw hammer is the most commonly used hammer, and it's what I use most. I bought mine at a secondhand store and replaced the handle. Buying used tools is great because they are cheap and many times made in the U.S.A. because they're older -- and the money often goes to a good cause.

For rough carpentry or light to medium demo work a framing hammer is great, for big demo work, yes the sledge hammer is needed. The ball-peen is for shaping metal and the tack is for small projects.

The other thing to consider is the type of handle. You’ve got wood, fiberglass and metal with a rubber or leather grip. Yes, like coffee, too many choices.

Find one that feels comfortable in your hand and that is the right weight for you. A hammer is like a ball glove: You can’t buy one without putting it on or picking it up to see how it feels. And remember you can always add to the collection.

As for the red hammer, it’s a plastic claw or it might be a framing hammer, not sure, but it's made some good dents in our wood banister. We can’t seem to find it anywhere. (Hmmm.) As for Mr. Flintstone, I think he uses a stone hammer?