Kitchen Remodeling

lindag · April 21, 2019

These are my favorite wine glasses. I seem to go through a lot of them because they're quite fragile.

I do wash them in the d/w but that's now where they get broken. They're more likely to get bumped or knocked off the counter;

CentralMA · April 23, 2021

During a recent kitchen remodel I picked and installed a Delta Touch2o for the kitchen. On / off by simply touching the faucet assembly just about anywhere. Both my wife and I have gotten so used to it we curse all the other faucets we meet.

https://www.deltafaucet.com/touch

Not the same as a foot operated, but close?

Another slight modification I made was to add a length of plastic tubing from the soap pump to a gallon (?) size Dawn dishwashing soap container. Saves the need to refill the fiddly little screw up container supplied with the pump assembly.

palo · April 23, 2021

5 hours ago, CentralMA said:

Another slight modification I made was to add a length of plastic tubing from the soap pump to a gallon (?) size Dawn dishwashing soap container. Saves the need to refill the fiddly little screw up container supplied with the pump assembly.

Great thinking!!!

p

dtremit · May 2, 2021

On 4/23/2021 at 7:31 AM, CentralMA said:

During a recent kitchen remodel I picked and installed a Delta Touch2o for the kitchen. On / off by simply touching the faucet assembly just about anywhere. Both my wife and I have gotten so used to it we curse all the other faucets we meet.

https://www.deltafaucet.com/touch

Not the same as a foot operated, but close?

Coincidentally, I saw this thread pop up in the forum, and came here to say almost exactly the same thing. We had to replace a leaking faucet when moving into our new place, and also ended up with a Delta Touch2O. Have been very happy with it (I have some minor quibbles with the spray head, but that is unrelated to the touch tech).

On 4/23/2021 at 7:31 AM, CentralMA said:

Another slight modification I made was to add a length of plastic tubing from the soap pump to a gallon (?) size Dawn dishwashing soap container. Saves the need to refill the fiddly little screw up container supplied with the pump assembly.

I tried this years ago (using a purpose-built extension kit), and could never get the soap pump to actually pull soap up from the bottle. Was there any trick in priming the pump to get it to work the first time?

CentralMA · May 2, 2021

6 hours ago, dtremit said:

I tried this years ago (using a purpose-built extension kit), and could never get the soap pump to actually pull soap up from the bottle. Was there any trick in priming the pump to get it to work the first time?

I took the soap dispenser head (pump) to a big box home improvement store, found where they sold the clear vinyl tubing, they sell in 10 foot length blister packs in the plumbing department. I do not remember the actual inside diameter I purchased, but I was able to test fit the intake on the pump to the tubing. It would not slip on, but it was close. Purchased, got home, placed end of tubing in just boiled water for 20 seconds or so then forced it on the pump. Cooled down it wouldn't budge, I figured that was a success.

Cut it to the needed length, drilled a hole in the top of the Dawn bottle to just fit the outside diameter of the tubing, dropped it to the bottom. Poked another 1/8" hole up very close to the threads on the Dawn bottle so that the pumps would not created a vacuum.

It does work for me, but I do not get a "force" of dishwashing liquid ejecting from the pump on each push. That's OK for me, a few pumps gives just enough, doesn't waste it like I would in the past.

I can also say that the pump I'm using is not a Delta product, it did not come with the faucet. It was also purchased for big box store.

But it works. I just looked at the soap container, it's been in use just about 6 months now, nearing half used. It's not quite a gallon container, maybe 40 ounces or so? It's probably saved me filling that tiny under counter bottle at least 4 or 5 times? Saved me a lot of soap too, I'd never take the bottle out from under, I'd try to fill from above with a funnel, guessing what looked about right. Always a flood of dish detergent wasted.

Edited May 2, 2021 by CentralMA
boiled, not spoiled. threads, not treads. under counter, not undercounted. I hate autocorrect. (log)

jaw · August 19, 2021

cool system, @CentralMA.

pics?

does pressure equalization happen somehow? i.e. is your jug of soap caved in, and does it become progressively harder/slower to dispense?

CentralMA · November 14, 2021

On 8/19/2021 at 10:19 AM, jaw said:

cool system, @CentralMA.

pics?

does pressure equalization happen somehow? i.e. is your jug of soap caved in, and does it become progressively harder/slower to dispense?

My apologies for the very delayed response.

From my post above:

Cut it to the needed length, drilled a hole in the top of the Dawn bottle to just fit the outside diameter of the tubing, dropped it to the bottom. Poked another 1/8" hole up very close to the threads on the Dawn bottle so that the pumps would not created a vacuum .

So far it's been working very well. Due to the distance and the resistance of the small diameter tubing you do get a bit less product on each pump, but I consider that a good thing. Just like laundry detergent, it's easy to use too much.

AlaMoi · November 14, 2021

did similar - but the counter pump 'leaked' air and the soap drained back . . .

CentralMA · November 14, 2021

1 hour ago, AlaMoi said:

did similar - but the counter pump 'leaked' air and the soap drained back . . .

I guess I had good luck. Got the pump at Home Depot (or maybe Lowes....who can remember). I do remember that the manufacturer was Glacier Bay. Yes, a cheap knockoff to the better units. But it has served me well.

I did have to soak the tubing in boiling water in order to get it to go on the pump, even then it needed a bit of force. Maybe that was the trick? Getting a smaller diameter tubing?

On the same idea, just picked up a Fomoto valve for my automobile drainpan. No more wrenching the drain plug out and getting oil splashed everywhere. Place the vinyl hose on the outlet, flip the valve, oil is managed well into a drain pan. Should take 5 minutes off of future changes.

gfweb · November 14, 2021

@CentralMAwhat do you do with the used oil?

CentralMA · November 15, 2021

30 minutes ago, gfweb said:

@CentralMAwhat do you do with the used oil?

Used oil goes back into the new oil empty containers....then off to my mechanic that does the stuff I'm not comfortable doing, or have the time to do. He has a heating furnace for his shop that burns crankcase oil, transmission oil, brake fluid, etc.

Any WalMart will take used oil, whether you bought it from them or not. Also most of the big home stores (Costco, BJs, Sam's) will accept it also. They also burn the oil for heat.

And that's why our world is on it's way out.

CentralMA · November 15, 2021

45 minutes ago, gfweb said:

@CentralMAwhat do you do with the used oil?

But you know I wanted to say "french fries", don't you?

heidih · June 19, 2023

1 minute ago, wibago said:

Hello. We're going to be doing a complete kitchen remodel. The plan is to gut the room and completely redo it. How difficult is it to live in the house while something like this is happening? Since both work and school are remote, should we just go rent a beach house for a week or something?

I have worked in commercial interior construction and have remodeled 3 personal kitchens. A week? In your dreams. Especially a complete gut. Are you working with a designer or architect? There are issues might not think of and cost over runs can be quite distressing. Pictures and a description of your goals would help.

heidih · June 20, 2023

PS to @wibago An example of a during and after. Not pretty. And these people worked in picky places

Edited June 20, 2023 by heidih (log)

gfweb · June 20, 2023

59 minutes ago, wibago said:

Hello. We're going to be doing a complete kitchen remodel. The plan is to gut the room and completely redo it. How difficult is it to live in the house while something like this is happening? Since both work and school are remote, should we just go rent a beach house for a week or something?

I found our reno to be a very trying 6 weeks and we had a great contractor.

There's at least a few days of demolition, then electrical and plumbing, then flooring...then finishing the flooring...then cabinets, then countertops.

Weeks.

Having said all that, you'll be glad you did. We'd love to follow along with the project

Edited June 20, 2023 by gfweb (log)

**Smithy** · June 20, 2023

12 hours ago, wibago said:

Hello. We're going to be doing a complete kitchen remodel. The plan is to gut the room and completely redo it. How difficult is it to live in the house while something like this is happening? Since both work and school are remote, should we just go rent a beach house for a week or something?

12 hours ago, heidih said:

I have worked in commercial interior construction and have remodeled 3 personal kitchens. A week? In your dreams. Especially a complete gut. Are you working with a designer or architect? There are issues might not think of and cost over runs can be quite distressing. Pictures and a description of your goals would help.

11 hours ago, gfweb said:

I found our reno to be a very trying 6 weeks and we had a great contractor.

There's at least a few days of demolition, then electrical and plumbing, then flooring...then finishing the flooring...then cabinets, then countertops.

Weeks.

Having said all that, you'll be glad you did. We'd love to follow along with the project

I agree, both from direct experience and from watching topics here and in real life, that 1 week is wildly improbable. You really are looking at weeks. Many weeks. (An old engineering joke notes that you should take any project schedule and multiply it by pi...and that seems to run pretty true.)

Whether you vacate the premises or stay in the house depends on several things I can think of: how much other room you have, your options for setting up another place to eat, your tolerance for chaos, your need to check in or at least be available to answer questions. (We caught a few mistakes just before they happened, so the counter actually ended up where it was supposed to instead of where the contractor thought the drawings said when he misread the plan.)

Strategies for staying home can, and often do, include setting up an "outdoor" or temporary kitchen, whether on the patio or in the garage or another bedroom, with a microwave, a small refrigerator or freezer, and a hotplate or electric kettle. You can make a lot of meals in advance and freeze them. Another idea is to have everything premeasured and packaged, then throw it into a slow cooker. Remember also that you'll need to wash dishes (where?) or else plan to eat out of disposable containers.

There are a number of topics here documenting the planning and remodeling process. We'd love it if you do the same when the time comes!

Darienne · June 20, 2023

38 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Whether you vacate the premises or stay in the house depends on several things I can think of: how much other room you have, your options for setting up another place to eat, your tolerance for chaos, your need to check in or at least be available to answer questions. (We caught a few mistakes just before they happened, so the counter actually ended up where it was supposed to instead of where the contractor thought the drawings said when he misread the plan.)

Apropos Smithy's remark about being there. We weren't and we didn't. The windows in our new living room were installed 10" above where they were planned to be. (We had them at Rottie-looking-out height.) We had to have them redone at our own cost alas. Not to mention my outbursts of unacceptable language when I saw what had happened.

lindag · June 20, 2023

Our kitchen and bath remodel of our Portland house was a bitch.

Many delays and errors.

Contractor actually mis-measured (too small) the updated kitchen replacement window and then tried to convince the sub to install it anyway!

That was just the last, of many, straws.

Be mentally prepared for a lot of shit.

gfweb · June 20, 2023

42 minutes ago, lindag said:

Be mentally prepared for a lot of shit.

Well-said.

**JAZ** · June 20, 2023

14 hours ago, wibago said:

Hello. We're going to be doing a complete kitchen remodel. The plan is to gut the room and completely redo it. How difficult is it to live in the house while something like this is happening? Since both work and school are remote, should we just go rent a beach house for a week or something?

We stayed in our place during our renovation, but a couple of things made this tolerable for us. First, we didn't change the location of any appliances or the sink, so there was minimal plumbing work. We had some electrical work done, but it was pretty minor and we were able to get that done ahead of time. The actual renovation involved a new floor, new cabinets and counters, and new appliances. Once the floor and cabinet bases went in, we set up a few pieces of plywood on a couple of the cabinet bases and cooked for a couple of weeks with an induction burner, Breville countertop oven, an Instant Pot, and a microwave (we moved the old fridge out into the hallway so we could still use it until the new one arrived). The main problem was the lack of a sink and dishwasher; we used a lot of disposable plates and utensils since we were doing dishes in the bathroom sink. As I recall, that stage lasted for about 2 weeks, so it wasn't terrible.

Second, we didn't run into any big snags with anything major -- our appliances arrived and were installed on time, the countertops fit, etc. We had a lot of finishing work that didn't get done for months, but we could live with that.

C. sapidus · July 16, 2023

8 hours ago, wibago said:

Hi. This looks stunning. where i can buy this?

Thanks! What were you looking to buy?

bokeg · November 23, 2023

On 8/17/2006 at 7:25 PM, Dave Hatfield said:

Kitchen remodeling is something that most of us have either done or at least seriously contemplated. It’s an agonizing process and a strain on any relationship. The thought behind this thread is that the more practical help we can get on kitchen remodeling the better.

The inspiration for this thread was when I realized that I know of 5 kitchens that have recently had complete remodels; each is very nice & each is very different. So, I talked to our friends & got their permission to photograph their kitchens and for them to answer a series of questions. I also have their agreement to answer any questions that you may have. (The answers will come through me as I want to maintain privacy for my friends.)

In each post there will be a complete description of the kitchen along with lots of photos.

In addition here is a list of standard questions I intend to ask.

Q. What was your kitchen before it was a kitchen?

Q. How large is the kitchen?

Q. What kind of cooking do you do? Family? Dinner parties? Ethnic? Gourmet?

Q. What were the 3 top goals for your new kitchen?

Q. What was the biggest problem that had to be over come?

In the design phase ? During actual construction ?

Q. What are you most pleased about in your new kitchen?

Q. Least pleased about?

Q. If you were doing your kitchen again what would you change?

What I’m looking for with this initial thread starting post is feedback. How much interest is there in the topic? Are there other questions I should be asking? Would anybody else like to write up their kitchen once they’ve seen these write ups?

I’ll be starting with our own kitchen so here’s a teaser picture.

check this site for the best services kitchen remodeling potomac md

We're going to be doing a complete kitchen remodel. The plan is to gut the room and completely redo it. How difficult is it to live in the house while something like this is happening? Since both work and school are remote, should we just go rent a beach house for a week or something?

Jacksoup · November 23, 2023

@bokeg I did a kitchen remodel a few years back and documented in the thread below. Kitchen was totally gutted. Looking at the dates in the thread, it took about two months. There were some minor delays. @gfwebalso added some pictures of their remodel. We stayed in the house, used a microwave, Cuisinart toaster oven and paper plates. Moved the old refrigerator to the dining room. It was a pain, but I didn’t work remotely at the time so I was out while most of the work was done.

https://forums.egullet.org/topic/154014-kitchen-remodel-starting-now/#comments

Edited November 23, 2023 by Jacksoup
Added more info (log)

heidih · November 23, 2023

2 hours ago, bokeg said:

We're going to be doing a complete kitchen remodel. The plan is to gut the room and completely redo it. How difficult is it to live in the house while something like this is happening? Since both work and school are remote, should we just go rent a beach house for a week or something?

You jest - a week ! What magician workers and city inspectors do you have in pocket

**curls** · November 23, 2023

12 hours ago, bokeg said:

We're going to be doing a complete kitchen remodel. The plan is to gut the room and completely redo it. How difficult is it to live in the house while something like this is happening? Since both work and school are remote, should we just go rent a beach house for a week or something?

It is doable. It will be much more pleasant if you can live somewhere else while your kitchen is being remodeled.

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