For a Closer Look…
Choosing a Hardwood Floor
I always planned on installing a hardwood floor in the kitchen. I knew that I wanted a 2 1/4″ wide maple floor. I also assumed I would install an unfinished floor and that I would sand and finish it myself. But as I thought more about my unique situation and how I was phasing the [...]
Dealing With a Problem Plaster Ceiling
I’ve been attempting to finish up the drywall and painting that I can in my first phase work and every time I think I’m finished I discover I’m not. Finished is a relative term since there are still sections of ceiling and wall without drywall awaiting the plumbing vent and inspection. Still, since I thought [...]
IKEA drawers available direct from Blum
Although there are many drawbacks to using IKEA cabinets in historically sympathetic kitchens (see “Compromising on Cabinets to Save Money“), there are workarounds that can make them a cost-effective solution. I have been impressed with the way their high-tech drawers work as well as the drawer dividers. It now appears that IKEA drawers, or at [...]
The Downside of Phasing Construction
I’m nearly finished with the drywall, or at least as much as I can install as part of my initial phase. One downside of phasing construction as I’m doing is that all the framing must be exposed on one side since the framing inspection hasn’t been done yet. Phasing typically also takes longer and adds [...]
The Importance of Kitchen Design
When most people think about remodeling their kitchen their focus is on products and features but not on design. Design can be the difference needed to make a kitchen special or solve a problem. Certainly aspects of design such as layout are essential to creating a successful kitchen. This week I started working on building-out [...]
Reusing Drywall Presents Few Problems
Seems like it’s taken way too long to get to the point where I’ve finally started installing drywall but it feels good to have started this week. I’ve been reusing drywall salvaged from the wall I dismantled. And although reusing the original woods studs have presented some challenges and given me some second thoughts, reusing [...]
Problems Using Salvaged Lumber
Now that I’ve finished my first phase demolition I can begin to put things back together again. My immediate agenda was to frame the partition wall and insulate the section of exterior wall that I previously opened up. I hoped to be finished framing the wall in a couple of hours but hadn’t counted on [...]
Removing Lath and Plaster with Minimum Fuss
This week I finished my first phase demolition. I had already removed the first partition wall but I still had to remove lath and plaster from a section of exterior wall and part of the ceiling. Anyone who has torn out lath and plaster knows that it is a very dusty job. And if the [...]
Fixing a Common Old-House Problem
My finished kitchen will not look good unless I focus now on fixing a common old-house problem. Like most old homes my floors aren’t level. Like most old-home owners I don’t expect level floors and in most rooms I haven’t even noticed if my floors are level or not. But things are different in a [...]
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