Uenth's Finally Getting Her New Kitchen!!!

[Uenth]

A pretty good day today. Finished tear out in the kitchen and put in new ceiling insulation. Still have tile in the entryway to rip out but that's a small area and won't take any time. Electrician won't be in to do rough until Monday. That's kind of a drag but it is what it is. Kinda chuckled tonight as I walked across the street and down 2 houses to one of our neighbors who has become a good friend. We had our leftover Godfather's to eat and I refuse to nuke it. No stove so I asked my neighbor/friend, which she was happy to do. That pizza with its green olives instead of green pepper was hard enough to stomach but soggy crust would have been the death knell for sure.

Anyway, I'm attaching the pictures of yesterday's tear out. Probably won't take any tonight or in the morning because it's not real exciting seeing what passes as the floor and ceiling insulation, MEH . Just necessary steps in the process. Without further ado, here are some tear out shots

 

[Chris]

looks like ours a couple of years ago - tear out took two days. Build took 4 months

 

[Uenth]

looks like ours a couple of years ago - tear out took two days. Build took 4 months

Yeah, they're done now until Monday. Need electrician to rough in his stuff and he won't be here until next week. Monday they will come and take out the windows that need to be removed and redo the siding where the windows were. All the floor tile is removed, they constructed a fake banister to keep the dogs from falling over the edge. Sure they did some other stuff but I was one most of the morning so don't know, Hub had a dr appt, then I was outside weeding and from there I hit the grocery store. Plumber is here now fixing some pipes - replacing galvanized with PVC, I believe.

I'm actually looking forward to 3 days with no construction noises. A necessary part of it but I don't like all the racket. Arlo really doesn't like it. He'll be all settled and as soon as one of the power tools get fired up, he starts going nuts!

 

[Uenth]

Today's fun was the removal of our windows facing east and west. The west window only showed the back of our refrigerator (LOL on that, I know). East window had to go because we needed a standard countertop there for food prep. I will miss that window but ya gotta be able to do food prep somewhere. So it goes!

Electrician will rough in the wiring and lighting tomorrow. Also, the contractor will be working down in Sew & Sew. Kitchen and living room are partially on crawl spaces. They extend level with our front porch. No insulation under the floorboards so it's pretty chilly when those north winds blow in Jan and Feb. They cutting holes in my sheetrock so they can get in and staple the insulation to the underside of the floorboards. Once their holes are patched, I'll get those areas repainted. Makes me not dread the though of winter being just around the corner.

 

[Uenth]

So we found out today that we have a solid cinder block wall behind the sheet rock in Sew & Sew and the store room. Prohibitively expensive to move that wall. So, contractor called a guy who does insulation. He can't spray it in from sew & sew and/or the store room so the plan is that holes will be cut in the sub flooring so the guy can lay in there and spray the insulation. Kitchen area is easy since sub flooring is currently exposed. Living room will be tricky but we're doing it where we always have a recliner and end table. Contractor doesn't think kt will be an issue and he believes he can do this without mucking up the flooring but if it isn't perfect, the chair/table should hide any imperfections. He also took pictures of the flooring and was off to Home Depot and Menards to see how close of a match he can come up with.

At any rate, insulation guy will be here bright and early on Thursday to do this. We cannot be in the house because of the chemicals used so hub will hang on the front porch and I'll alternate between the gliders on the front porch and the backyard with the dogs. I can mess around in the garden, trim the always 9 million runners in the strawberry patch, etc. Insulation dude said that it will take 2 hours tops and temps are forecast for low 80's on Thursday so we can't ask for a better day to do it.

Electrician was here, as scheduled, and rough in on electrical service is completed. Tomorrow, the kitchen will be framed and insulated and then turned over to the dude who will hang the sheet rock. Also, the siding sub, I think, is slated to come by tomorrow and get the siding put in place where we used to have windows. That will be great to have siding over the spots where the windows used to be. They're filled in but just with plywood on either side and insulation between the pieces of plywood. There will still be insulation on the kitchen side as well as the insulation the siders use so it should be nice and toasty in the winter and retain the air nicely during warmer weather.

At this point, I wouldn't be at all upset if our schedule was off a few days because we had a 2 day delay before the electrician could schedule us in and today was pretty much a waste as far as the contractor getting a lot done as they hit the wall pretty early as far as working in the basement. From that point on, they were mostly making phone calls to get these issues resolved and did a magnificent job as far as I'm concerned. Head contractor was all over these things, finding the best solution he could. I'm also very grateful that they made sure of what they were dealing with before cutting into my finished sheet rock in the 2 rooms in the basement. That's a whole lot of mess I don't have to deal with as far as cutting sheetrock, patching and sanding before turning it over to me to paint. Also means that I don't have to paint. Yeah!!!!

Tomorrow should be another crazy day with people coming in and out and lots of noises. That's the only rub in all this, all the commotion and coming and going. Arlo is pretty used to the contractors now since we're starting our second week of construction but Arlo is way too protective of us. I've started gating the kitchen off completely which helps considerably but today I had the dogs out for a pee break and the electrician's people kept coming out and Arlo does get pretty vocal. One guy was worried Arlo was going to bite him which I don't believe he was. Too busy barking to bite and anyone who has been bitten will tell you that, as a rule, dogs don't bark. They are deathly quiet before they spring through the air in your direction with fangs showing. Regardless, I don't want to take chances so I'm keeping my guy on a short leash (figuratively). I can get across that yard pretty darn quick if I hear the screen door open and latch onto Arlo's collar.

 

[Uenth]

Nothing I'm going to take to the bank but Contractor said this morning that once walls are mud and taped; then sanded, he'll start setting cabinets. That's just exciting as all get-out as once cabinets are set, flooring, paint and somewhere along the line final electric work is done. If we're not done in 3 weeks, seems like it will only be a day or two later and that is just not a big deal to me since we did have a couple day delay waiting for the electrician to come and rough in and then a lot of yesterday morning was tied up with insulation issues concerning the frigid air that comes up over through the crawl spaces.

I really am getting fired up to see the finished kitchen though. We've been in this house for a little over 21 years and I've wanted to do something, anything to this kitchen for a little over 1 years. The first year we were here, we did have wiring worked on, new countertops , better lighting and fresh paint in the kitchen. As I told one of my friends, it's like putting lipstick on a pig ... might look a little nicer but it's still a pig. That summed up our kitchen. It looked nicer but all of the underlying issues still needed to be addressed. Finally, all of those issues have been addressed.

Really looking forward to Holiday baking this year!!! It's one of my favorite times of year since I make goodie trays to take around our neighborhood. Will be way more fun spending a lot of time in the kitchen this year. We both thoroughly enjoyed watching the contractor insulate the exterior walls this morning. I know our heating bills will be a little lower this winter as well. I don't care about that near as much as knowing that we'll be substantially ore comfortable when the cold winds of winter come calling in January and February. A great decision, all in all!

 

[Uenth]

An interesting day today. All exterior walls have been insulated. Sheetrock dude will be here Monday morning which kind of sucks a little but, as they say, it is what it is. We are getting really close regardless.

After lunch, they were very busy cutting holes for the insulation dude to climb in so he can spray the foam. Kitchen was really easy as subfloor was already exposed. Contractor cut a nice sized hole so the guy will have room to maneuver. Living room was a bit trickier but went well enough, I think. They popped the quarter rounds off and then were able to carefully lift the laminate strips out. One got a little chip on it but the flooring stores sell those pens that cover scratches. We'll get one of those and fill that baby in. The chair will go back over that spot and no one will ever be the wiser. Meanwhile when cold weather gets here, we will be way more comfortable than the last 20 years. Almost has me excited for winter (notice I said almost). At least I won't be dreading it so much.

 

[Uenth]

An absolutely amazing morning. I was not convinced this whole foam spraying adventure would be straightforward. I was hoping it would not end up a cluster you know what but I was wonderfully wrong!!!

Guy was supposed to be here at 9 and actually pulled up by our house about 8:45. So that earned him props in my book.

I already had dog food dishes and dogs out by then and scurried out myself. Hub hung out on our porch furniture. We had wonderful weather as it was probably not even 75 degrees outside. Took forever to get the living room sprayed but it's a big room, plus they had to set all their equipment up. I knew when they started the kitchen because I had been out talking to the contractor and the siding contractor when the exhaust tube was pushed out one of the kitchen windows. I don't think it took more than 20 minutes tops to spray the kitchen. They got their equipment packed up, talked to Hub and I about a couple things the contractor needs to do and were out here about 10:45 so 2 hours start to finish, just as he had said when he looked at our job on Tuesday. Hub and I are very pleased with this gentleman and his work ethic!

Tomorrow will be a slow day. Contractor's will be back over to get the holes in the sub flooring fixed and that's all they can do until the sheet rocking is finished. We're both well pleased with how this renovation job is going.

 

[Uenth]

And I'm taking back everything nice I posted about this guy. Went down to mop the floor in what I call my multi-purpose room. It has the changing area for my customers, laundry area and bathroom. Anyway, went to get my mop wet and there were what looked like little white beads all over my faucet and the sink. Also running down the side of the cabinet the sink rests in. Tried to clean it off and it is stubborn as hell. Mostly I got a horrible backache from scrubbing so hard. Figured out that, obviously, it is the foam insulation they sprayed in the crawl spaces. All over the washer and dryer, tub, toilet, sink, floor, some porcelain bride dolls that I display in that room since I have a lot of brides and bridesmaids in for alterations.

So glad I have a cell now as I snapped pictures of the toilet lid and side of the toilet as well as some stuff that did come off but I could get it on my finger and texted them to our contractor. He, in turn, texted those pics to the insulation contractor and he'll be over "first thing" in the morning. I did check the other room, which is basically a store room with nice shelving in it, and no sign of any foam insulation there so dunno why it's all over my multi-purpose room and not that one. This stuff did NOT make Uenth happy. If there was any chance of stuff leaking, it would have been nice to have been told so that I could have moved my porcelain dolls and covered fixtures, appliances, etc. So, we'll see what the insulation dude has to say for himself in the morning. Ugh!

 

[ATX_Husker]

Hope they make it right!

 

[Uenth]

Hope they make it right!

I'm still pretty p*ssed about it. Insulation guy was over this morning and used some chemicals on it. Did a lousy job and there's still a ton of insulation on the sink and toilet surfaces. Then told me he thought I was responsible for everything because I had a can of oven cleaner down there, that I use to clean my oven racks. He finally agreed to take $500 off his bill. I just don't want to have to deal with him any longer. I did tell him that I have zero respect for him after his innuendo and bs. Probably in time that stuff will wear off since I do clean all the surfaces on my fixtures weekly, more often if I come down covered in mud and dirt from the garden and make a little piggy mess down there.

Really the only down part of this project so I'm going to try and shove this in the deep dark recesses of my mind, where it belongs and focus on having a great new kitchen.

 

[Hsker Fanatic]

Uenth - thanks for the updates. I enjoy restoration/renovation projects so I like reading your updates. Judging by the knob and tube in your pictures our homes are probably the same age. We too used some spray foam insulation and it does migrate around quite a bit. Fortunately we were outside and the only thing that it damaged was a neighbors car. In fairness to the contractor, they did tell him he should move it. To me the journey is as much fun as the end.

 

[Uenth]

Uenth - thanks for the updates. I enjoy restoration/renovation projects so I like reading your updates. Judging by the knob and tube in your pictures our homes are probably the same age. We too used some spray foam insulation and it does migrate around quite a bit. Fortunately we were outside and the only thing that it damaged was a neighbors car. In fairness to the contractor, they did tell him he should move it. To me the journey is as much fun as the end.

That's my biggest beef is the damage. He had brought a large roll of plastic but left it on the front porch. Never said anything to us that it could explode. I don't really understand that as he sprayed behind a concrete wall and the fixtures, etc were on the other side of the wall. When I mentioned to him that he said nothing about exploding into other areas, he said "It's in the contract" - we never saw, read or signed a contract so I reminded him of that. He screwed up and he knows it. I was horrified because I have worked so hard to keep those bathroom fixtures looking as close to new as 12 or 13 year old fixtures can look. Life goes on and I'm sure I'll chill out as time goes on and I'm busy enjoying my new kitchen.

Our house was built by the Mennonites in either 1932 or 1936. I always forget which because our house in KS is one of those years and our current house is the other and I can never keep it straight. I think '36 because Hub always tells people that we bought a newer house. LOL - he's such a joker!

 

[Uenth]

Meant to post this yesterday but got distracted by the foam explosion. Here is a shot of the hole the contractor accessed the crawl space through. We had one hole in the kitchen and one in the living room. Living room was trickier because they had to remove our flooring carefully so it could be reinstalled. Our contractors did a fabulous job. There was one tiny spot where there was a small damage spot but the couch sits over that area and it's colored over with one of those flooring pens so it's all good. I was impressed as all get out with the job they did on our living room flooring!

 

[Husker99]

Congrats on the new kitchen, Uenth!!!!

I'll drop this here because it doesn't warrant a thread of its own: I'm having landscaping done around my house. I had concrete poured to extend my back patio and there are now concrete walkways on the sides of the house. In the front I am getting the desert landscape removed and rocks with a weed barrier installed. In the back I am getting red bricks installed from the patio edge to the back yard wall and the rest of the yard will be artificial turf. All in all, it's going to cost me ~10K but it will be worth it to not to have to pull weeds anymore. And plus it will dramatically increase the "curb appeal." I may post pics here when everything is completed.

 

[Uenth]

Congrats on the new kitchen, Uenth!!!!

I'll drop this here because it doesn't warrant a thread of its own: I'm having landscaping done around my house. I had concrete poured to extend my back patio and there are now concrete walkways on the sides of the house. In the front I am getting the desert landscape removed and rocks with a weed barrier installed. In the back I am getting red bricks installed from the patio edge to the back yard wall and the rest of the yard will be artificial turf. All in all, it's going to cost me ~10K but it will be worth it to not to have to pull weeds anymore. And plus it will dramatically increase the "curb appeal." I may post pics here when everything is completed.

Sounds really cool and absolutely post pictures when finished. I love seeing what other people are doing and am always looking for ways to make our outdoor space look nicer!!!

 

[Uenth]

I am so relieved to be able to post that after a long afternoon, I've gotten rid of about 95% of the gunk on my bathroom fixtures. Our contractor had mentioned that acetate might possibly remove that foam insulation all over everywhere. I have nail polish remover laying around here, why I don't know because I haven't used nail polish since long before we moved back from KS. I bought a bottle for some reason or another. Anyway, acetate is the active ingredient in nail polish remover. So, I pulled that bad boy out from under the downstairs bathroom sink and went to town with it. The sink is perfect but this was my 4th go around with it. The toilet is clean where I had worked on one side of it. The other side had not gotten any attention and there's some gunk on it. Tub I'm sure idiot who did this did not do anything to so there's still some remnants on it. I told hub I'm going to let it ride for a couple of weeks and see what normal bathroom cleaning will do. If it's still there, I'll did out my nail polish remover and see if I can't get the last vestiges of that crap off my tub and toilet but I feel so much better.

That sub contractor is still a tool. His first comment to me Friday morning was that it was specified in his contract that "explosions may occur" -- well we were neither given to read nor signed his bloody contract and since he couldn't be bothered to mention it, my ESP let me down. Then during the course of a text convo, he told me that he wasn't sure this was his mess. He said that because I had a can of oven cleaner in the bathroom. Not because I clean my fixtures with it, but because the oven racks were grody and my owner's manual on the stove specifically said not to leave the racks in the oven when I'm cleaning it. So, I soaked the racks for a couple of hours in my tub with the oven cleaner and then put a little comet on my scrubber and voila, all the baked on crud from hub's polish dogs is gone and those racks look like they've never been used. I sent him a p*ssy response back and gave him the dollar amount I felt he should take off our bill and got an immediate acceptance. That told me that he knew he had really screwed up and we had him by the short hairs. He's lucky that's not how I operate. I felt entitled to reasonable compensation and what he's taking off our bill is reasonable IMO. Probably could have gotten more off but I honestly didn't feel entitled to any more so I'm good with it all.

I will not be leaving him positive reviews on yelp, etc. Once I've regained my cool, I will leave a yelp cautioning people to be sure and make sure stuff is covered with plastic before letting that tool anywhere near their house. Now we just have to hope this clown does know what he's doing. Contractor had never worked with him before. Just had googled foam insulation and he popped up along with about 3 other contractors.

Spent most of the morning cleaning the construction crud from upstairs. Swept floors thoroughly and cleaned my kitchen appliances that are upstairs and were covered with dust and grime. I feel so much better with all that dust and grime out of the house. This week will be another messy one since the drywall sub will be in most of the week. Thinking it will be Thursday before our contractor can get back in here and start working on the floor, painting, etc. I'm guessing middle to the end of the week after next, we'll be back in the kitchen and restoring order. So, we'll be about a week over target, but we didn't anticipate losing most of a day for the insulation, electrician was on another job so that was a couple days delay and now 3 days for dry wall stuff. I'm good with it because when contractor can get in and do his thing, he and his partner really whale and TCOB. As it stands now, I would give contractor a 5 star rating. He's been everything I hoped he would be and working with a new contractor is a crap shoot. You can read their reviews, etc but you just never know until you get in the job so I'm relieved that we lucked out and found such a great contractor. I've already given his contact information to one of my customers.

I am more than ready for dry wall dude to arrive on Monday, for sure!

 

[Uenth]

Sheet rock hung yesterday. Drywall crew just got here about 15 minutes ago to start the mud/tape process. This is putting us.behind schedule but they're bouncing between our job and another job. It is what it is. Hopefully, I have enough food frozen to get us through this delay. Plus, I have pork chops and steak I can cook in the electric skillet and if I get real brave, I can fry hamburger in that baby and make tacos one night. At any rate, we'll get through it. We're both ready for peace and quiet and, more importantly, our new and improved, functional, kitchen. I probably need to take a walk out to the garage and visit my gorgeous cabinets. That always grounds me when I get frustrated with delays. Yesterday's progress in the picture.

 

[Doc Fumble]

A delay? B-B-But you said...

 

[Uenth]

A delay? B-B-But you said...

I've been waiting for you to try and rattle my chain, you turd you. I'm not thrilled trust me. We already hit snags because it took 2 days for electrician to fit us in and then the whole debacle with the foam insulation versus stapling insulation under the floor boards. Took all that mostly in stride, though if I ever see that foam dude again, he'd best run real fast. This one again is scheduling. Job they were rocking took longer and now they're spending half days on that site and half days here. Our Leavenworth contractor really spoiled us. He always kept his subs on schedule. Don't know how he did it but he did.