Kitchen Remodel begins...***Finished!!***

Greg Cook

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Tokiwadai, Japan
As part of our home renovation, we're installing granite counter tops, new sink, new faucets, new cook top and refinishing the hardwood floors.

First step is the counter top demolition. I was quoted $4500 by a contractor, including installing the new cook top and sink....:eek: I decided to do it myself. (It was also a good reason to get some new tools...):D

Here's the kitchen with the current tile top.










I've put up a plastic barrier and will have a drop cloth on the floor. The tile will be removed, the plywood top removed and then additional framing around the top of the cabinet carcass. We have a new JenAir top coming on Monday and I'll do the initial install. A new stainless sink and faucet will be pre-installed too, but not permanently in place. The granite people will be coming on Wednesday for final measurements and to make the template for the slab.

Here are the 3 slabs they have reserved for us.

 
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Tools will consist of a RotoZip with grout removing bit (connected to my Festool CT22, chisels, hammer, prybars.. and my Triton powered respirator. The CT22 will do double duty to remove dust/small pieces of grout and general cleanup.

I have a sheet of plastic taped up for a bit of "containment"...









I picked up a dust collection accessory for the RotoZip, but the OD is the same as the OD of the Festool AS hose. So...off to Ace hardware where I found some clear hose with the perfect ID to fit the CT22 hose and the RotoZip accessory.







(BTW, the hose would be a good fix for Frank Pellows problem keeping his hose on his Festool sanders. I put a pipe clamp on the RotoZip accessory, but none was needed (yet) on the hose. It is a very nice snug fit)

I begin this adventure tomorrow morning (actually this morning now..) and hope to finish by the end of the day.
 
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Looks like you're in for some work, Greg. That's some nice-looking granite you've got coming. Out of curiosity, why the grout remover? Are you planning to salvage the tiles? :huh:
 
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(BTW, the hose would be a good fix for Frank Pellows problem keeping his hose on his Festool sanders. I put a pipe clamp on the RotoZip accessory, but none was needed (yet) on the hose. It is a very nice snug fit)
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Thanks for the tip Greg. The glued on sandpaper trick that I finally settled upon seems to be working well, but I will keep this in mind and, if I can find some similiar hose, try it out too.
 
Vaughn,

The grout remover is good when the grout is wide, and I can "open up" a place to start prying tile up... (I was also a good excuse...er reason to get my first Festools... Heh..heh..heh! The CT22 does work really well...and the RO 150 sander lets me smooth out the cabinet carcass so the granite slab will sit flat. It will also work well as another tool when I refinish the hardwood floor.

Frank,

You could put a 3~4" or so section of the clear tubing on your sander (over the sandpaper) and then "plug in" your CT22 hose into the other end. The tube/hose connection is really good, and it won't scratch up the inside of your AS hose.

The tile top is 18 years old, and really needs an upgrade. The granite will add value and be much easier to maintain also.
 
Progress continued...and the tile was removed. There were 2 layers of 5/8" plywood, overlapped, so an easy removal of the plywood and tile together was not possible in all places. The bottom layer of plywood was nailed, and in some places screwed to the carcass, and then the top layer was screwed and glued to the first....:eek:







 
With the tops finally off, the measuring and template making took place. Randy was a granite sawer first, then installer and now is involved exclusively in template making.







 
We went to the granite "factory" and layed the templates out on the slabs we chose to select the placement before cutting.

Installation will occur on Tuesday, and the plumbing can be finished on Wednesday. Then we can finally stop "Camping" and have our kitchen back...:thumb:
 
Back in '82 when we bought our first house and I ripped into the kitchen that July 4 weekend, we didn't camp out much...it was more like on vacation. We ate out a lot!!! Actually, we didn't eat out all the time. In fact it was during these 4 months that Glenna (LOML) learned to use the microwave for more than just heating up stuff. Her folks were coming for Thanksgiving Dinner, our first time to host, and we got the countertops on Wed, the day before!!! She was sweating it, and holding a gun to my head!:rofl: Jim.
 
Tom, the installer, came today and with his team began the installation.



They had the longest of 3 slabs and were moving it in place....



Opps....



It twisted where the sink cutoff was at, and even the imbedded rods couldn't keep it straight. Oh well, on the phone to get another one cut asap! They have the outline in the computer control for the water cutter.

On the truck to haul back. This piece will be stored for a while for a customer's small job, but then dumped if it doesn't sell. They just don't have space.



New piece should be ready Friday or Monday.
 
Tom and crew did get the vanity tops in for the Master, Guest and Powder rooms..

Powder room...



I'll be building a wood frame that will go around the full mirror. We chose a bamboo style faucet.



The Master bath:





We decided we didn't like the white granite we chose originally, so we changed to this for the Guest:





Here is the smallest slab in the kitchen. It was layed down before the oooops...


We'll sure be glad with this is done.....
 
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Thanks, Don

Still so much to do....plumbing hookup, paint, wallpaper, chair rails, tile floor, new lights, frame for mirror... in each bathroom room! :eek: :doh:

Plumbing, 2nd coat of paint, install cooktop, new stainless steel appliances, refinish hardwood floor in the kitchen.

And then the rest of the house....:dunno:
 
Man, that must have sucked to see that one break like that! :doh:

Sure hope they can get it all done soon!

So you have "His & Hers" sinks in the master bath? Cool, or are those "Hers & Hers" :D

That house is going to look great!

Cheers!
 
4 guys, 5 hours..... It was a long day, but the kitchen is done!







Still have to hook up the plumbing



We like the new faucet...



New Jenn-air Cooktop

 
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