Well, Valentines Day came early to our house. Last week our contractor called and asked if he could start our project sooner than we had planned. Originally he was to start on Monday, Feb 14th. That would allow us a week to clean and pack after the baby shower my wife was hosting. After talking to her, we decided why prolong the inevitable, so we decided that Monday Feb 7th would be D-Day. as soon as the party was over Saturday night, we frantically started packing up our kitchen. While plates, dishes and breakables were carefully wrapped and boxed, the kid’s plastic plates and Tupperware went flying.
We continued into Super bowl Sunday clearing things out (yes I did stop to watch the game) and by 10:00pm, my wife was done. Unfortunately we still had a lot left. By the end, I was done boxing things up as well and what was left ended up on the dining room table. We were proactive enough to set up a small temporary kitchen area to hold the essentials that we would need to feed our boys and ourselves. Cereal, plastic plates and cups, and the coffee maker. During our packing, we came across several items that will not make it back into the new kitchen. We found spices that had become petrified, pieces and parts to items we no longer have, and even 2 cigarette lighters (we don’t smoke).
Monday morning came with an urgency and rush to finish moving furniture out before the workers showed up. In the end, they helped me move out a few things, before really getting to work. Surprisingly, the demo happened quite fast. The cabinets and soffits were torn out first, and they were all out of the house before lunch, as was some of the drywall. After lunch the 2 layers of vinyl floor came up. That’s where the real gem was. Apparently the original floor in the kitchen was vinyl parquet flooring. I wonder why the previous owners had covered that up! Also in the outside wall was an old vent that had been covered in drywall. Other than that there weren’t too many surprises. By the end of day 1, everything had been stripped to the sub floor and studs. We put baby gates up to keep our boys out, and constantly gazed in amazement of what had been our kitchen the previous day. The only disappointment my wife has was she did not physically get to break up something herself, primarily the pantry door and laminate countertops. We did go out to eat Monday, as we still needed to finish organizing our mess and setting up a temporary eating place.
Tuesday brought more work, noise and dust. They cut into the kitchen wall and framed the new bar and pantry areas, and started laying the new hardwood floor. Water lines were run for the new under counter ice maker and oven (yes it has a steam feature built in). Tuesday night, my wife and I reviewed the electrical plans, and discussed the things we still need to decide on.
Wednesday came and more progress was made. The installation of the floor was finished, most tools cleaned up and drywall was stacked in a nice pile. The plumber came and did his thing, and all that was really left was the electrician, and then they could do the drywall and finish the floor. In talking with the contractor, it sounded like we were moving ahead pretty well, and we might be able to start setting cabinets sooner than we thought.
Thursday came, and those plans went out the window. After reviewing the work with the electrician, it would take more than a day to do everything (since he was there, we decided it made sense to have him address electrical issues in other rooms too). Unfortunately for us, he can’t get back to our house until next Monday (Valentines Day) and as a result that bumps everything else back a few days. Oh well, there isn’t anything we can do about that. In the end, it is probably good as we still need to pick out a faucet and light fixture over the window. I’ve got the paint, so as soon as the drywall is done, I am ready to go. The cabinets are in our warehouse in Baltimore, I have the sink, and I picked up the cook top, hood and microwave. The appliances have been paid for, as well as the cabinets, and deposits on several other things have been made.
While there is a level of stress associated with doing a project, I have to say I am also having fun. I love to see things built, and how all the pieces fit together. That’s probably one of the reasons I am in the building industry. My brother-in-law who is living with us is amazed at the transformation already. He’s a mechanical person, and seeing the remodeling from the inside has given him a new appreciation for what we do. Our 6 year old always makes sure he has his shoes on so he can “come into the kitchen”. He’s getting a crash course in construction, learning about studs, sub floors and ceiling joists. I am sure today he will have more questions about what the electrician has done. Our youngest just sees all the tools and supplies as new and exciting tracks to drive his trains on, and gets upset that I put up gates to keep him out. And for my wife, every day means she is closer to getting the new kitchen she has wanted since we bought the house. The few weeks of dirt, dust and upheaval we’re living through will be well worth it when the project is done. Stay tuned, and enjoy the attached pictures. We took some pictures of the kitchen Saturday night, and then Monday afternoon. We are taking them everyday, but haven’t downloaded them from the camera yet. We’ll try to do that soon for the next update.
Go to the photos...
-Andrew
