House Remodeling Thread (long)

[Trek420]

Wait, these are bamboo? Beautiful and sustainable? Be still my beating heart

[tulip]

Wait, these are bamboo? Beautiful and sustainable? Be still my beating heart

Yes, I tried to be as sustainable as possible with the renovation. Bamboo cabinets and concrete or paperstone counters were a given. The on-demand hot water heater was too expensive, as was the 15 SEER heat pump. But I got the most efficient tank water heater that I could manage, and a 13 SEER heat pump that is pretty darned efficient (my house is 900 SF; one story). Additional work to be done is improving the insulation, building storm windows and screens, installing the wood/coal stove, and opening up one more interior wall to improve circulation (air, person, dog). Every room has a ceiling fan, which helps in all seasons. I have big trees all around and the house is pretty cool in warmer weather as far as I can tell (I moved there in August before the A/C was installed and only the hottest days were uncomfortable).

Oh, and my contractor recycles or salvages all the construction waste.

It'll be a while until it's all done, but I actually am enjoying the process and learning alot.

[Zen]

I have cherry cabinets.
They are old and dirty and too dark.
Do you think I could lightly sand them to clean and lighten the color?

[Aggie_Ama]

That's a toughy Zen. If they are stained it does just that, stain. If you wanted to soften to like an oak I would think yes. Maybe an expert can chime in, I am working with limited knowledge from days spent mixing paint after class in college.

[tulip]

I have cherry cabinets.
They are old and dirty and too dark.
Do you think I could lightly sand them to clean and lighten the color?

Try sanding in an inconspicuous place and see what it looks like. Cherry is a darker wood, but often the stains make them really dark. I was surprised when I had my floor (dark stain) repaired and sanded where the former wall was--it sanded right back to the light oak.

With my mother's cabinets, we had great luck cleaning them really well and changing out the hardware. Eventually I'll get around to sanding and staining them (they are pickled, which is light already, but old and rather scrappy-looking), but that'll have to wait.

Repainting is also another option, but if yours are real cherry wood, you might not want to paint because cherry is a nice wood.

[tulip]

Can you believe...the electrian put the outlet RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of the bamboo panels. The plans called for the outlet to be on the end of the peninsula, so they have no excuse. The GC should have caught it. I came home from a week's business trip, happy to have my appliances in (it does look pretty good, except for the outlet), but horrified at the outlet. It ruins the whole peninsula, and it's not acceptable.

So tomorrow I fight that battle. Replacing the panel (custom made bamboo) will be expensive, and I'm certainly not going to pay for it, but someone will and it will get done.

Lesson learned: Work only gets done when I'm home to observe and make sure it's done right. This is not rocket science.

Still to do: outlet thing, pendant lights, plumbing hookups, countertop, tile backsplash (that's my job), stain the new back door (that's my job, too).

[Zen]

That has to be the best example of jackassery I've seen for a while.

I bet you were enraged for hours and probably still are

'Hey! Let's put a clown nose on this Mona Lisa thing here!"

[snapdragen]

After seeing some of the stuff our contractor tried to do, your outlet doesn't surprise me. Aside from that, the kitchen looks great!

[Aggie_Ama]

That has to be the best example of jackassery I've seen for a while.

My friend was having a home built and the contractor put a socket in the shower. Seriously. Because I like the blow dry my hair in the shower, it is shockingly fun.

Tulip- I am so sorry! They should make it right because I really don't see how that is a practical place. Sure it will work but not in a manner that is useful to you the home owner.