House Remodeling Thread (long)

[ny biker]

So, the new heat pump is installed and keeping me warm. It is so quiet. I have had a problem with the new humidifier leaking but I'm sure we'll get that solved as soon.

It was a bit of a scheduling mess getting the installation completed, due to massive snow in December, the holidays, and then 2 people at the HVAC company had deaths in the family in the same week. But they managed to get it done before the end of December. There were 2 guys working on it and they were here for something like 12 hours. They hardly even took a break for lunch.

Now I'm dealing with the aftermath -- while installing the new refrigerant pipe above the hall ceiling, they discovered 2 water pipes with kinks in them, so I'm working on getting a plumber in here to fix that. While the plumber is here I'm going to have a new toilet installed (a Toto Ultramax -- it gets great reviews and will use way less water than the crappy (pun intended) one that I have now). Then I need to have the big hole in the hall ceiling repaired.

Next I'm moving on to making improvements in the kitchen. There is an old '70s-style dropped ceiling in that room. In addition to it being ugly, there are gaps between the plastic panels and the frame that let the heated air out and my neighbor's cooking odors in. So I'm going to have the ceiling redone with drywall and canister lights (I might get LED lights if I can afford them).

I'll also be doing additional renovations in the kitchen, depending on how much the ceiling costs. At a minimum I want to paint the cabinets and walls and redo the floor. There are also some details I want changed like new moldings around the cabinets. I also want to replace the tile backsplash and counters, but that will probably have to wait until another year.

I am looking for opinions from you ladies -- what color should the new kitchen floor be? The cabinets will be white and the walls will be blue. Appliances are white. The new backsplash will also be white and although I haven't chosen a material for the counters yet I know they will be some kind of black/dark gray. I want the floor material to be something environmentally friendly, like cork or marmoleum. So what color should I go for?

If it helps, the kitchen is small. Not a really small galley kitchen, but also not large enough to have a table in it. The window faces south so the room gets lots of sunlight. I'm still deciding on a shade of blue for the walls, but it will probably be close to my periwinkle Fiesta ware dishes.

Thanks!

[Trek420]

I am looking for opinions from you ladies -- what color should the new kitchen floor be?

I love this. All the fun of remodeling but with your time, mess and money. Let's go girls (and some guys).

The new backsplash will also be white and although I haven't chosen a material for the counters yet I know they will be some kind of black/dark gray.

Consider the backsplash part of the counter. Depending on material choice it will be made of the same stuff. Having it be unified will also make your space seem bigger.

The ensuing debate on countertop materials will make the steel vs carbon discussions here seem tame.

Small space with a lot of light? You are lucky. Make any space seem bigger by "bouncing light".

You don't have a lot of shiny stuff: appliances are white. Consider that in countertop choices. Bring on the shiny stuff

I want the floor material to be something environmentally friendly, like cork or marmoleum. So what color should I go for?

Yum. Marmoleum colors range from more like cork than cork to a red so deep and rich you want to just lay on the floor with a spoon and slurp it up like tomato soup. Or go with one color throughout and go wild with a pattern around the boarder.

[tulip]

What is the floor material now? Any chance you could salvage it, or is there an original wood floor underneath?

Glass tile backsplash will reflect light. I still have not done my backsplash!

I have concrete counters, but I think they would be a pain to install in a small space, particularly if you are not on the ground level (stairs). Paperstone is made from recycled paper. It's very nice, rather pricey. What's your countertop budget?

Under counter lights are really nice to have. Don't forget those--they really make a huge difference.

You can really change the look of your cabinets by painting them and changing the hardware. That's relatively inexpensive and something that most semi-handy and patient people can do themselves. I got new cabinets because there were none to begin with, but I would go with new paint and hardware if I had a house that already had cabinets.

You can also make a difference by replacing the faucet and sink. Since you are going to replace the counters anyways, might as well do that, too. An undermount sink looks uncluttered.

Have fun!

[Trek420]

If you're thinking of granite, marble etc (which can be recycled if going green) and using the orriginal cabinets you'll need to consider if your cabinets can be reinforced. You may need to have the top of the cabinet strengthened to hold it. Often doable but then could impact distances and space below the window.

[tulip]

I am the proud owner of a New Roof! Ridge vents, edge vents, 50-year dimensional shingles...bring on those rains!

The old roof was in such bad shape that when they took the old shingles off, there were big gaping holes in some of the boards. Like really big, cat-sized gaping holes. Some of the boards had to be replaced.

But. It. Is. Done.

It looks very nice, and as in all things house-repair, it begs for something else now. Like a new paint job. Will it ever end?

[Blueberry]

Congratulations, Tulip!!! And no, it doesn't end But that's the fun of home ownership, right

[ny biker]

I am the proud owner of a New Roof! Ridge vents, edge vents, 50-year dimensional shingles...bring on those rains!

The old roof was in such bad shape that when they took the old shingles off, there were big gaping holes in some of the boards. Like really big, cat-sized gaping holes. Some of the boards had to be replaced.

But. It. Is. Done.

It looks very nice, and as in all things house-repair, it begs for something else now. Like a new paint job. Will it ever end?

Good for you!

I'm still finishing up the last items related to the new heat pump. I finally had a handyman repair the hole they cut in the ceiling and put mortar around the hole they drilled in the exterior brick. (The same guy also fixed a broken kitchen drawer and installed a new light fixture while he was here.) But I still need to address the humidifier leak, which we think is due to the drain pipe freezing when it gets really cold outside.

And then I get to move into the kitchen...

But you're right, it is great to get these things done. Even if they don't add to the look of the house, you can enjoy living there more.

[MommyBird]

ny biker-
Have you thought about distressing your cabinets?
I have done this finish many times. The existing blemishes in old pieces just enhance the effect. It also takes a beating better than plain paint.
The photo is from our pool house. The cabinets were salvaged from a real estate office and the island from a hospital.
The island in my regular kitchen is done in black. It is more formal.
The pool house is designed to be fun for our teen sons and their friends. Here they are playing Apples to Apples in the second photo.
You mentioned that you have Fiesta Ware so I assume you like a relaxed somewhat vintage look. Distressing fits the bill. It is easy and can be addicting.

[indysteel]

I am the proud owner of a New Roof! Ridge vents, edge vents, 50-year dimensional shingles...bring on those rains!

The old roof was in such bad shape that when they took the old shingles off, there were big gaping holes in some of the boards. Like really big, cat-sized gaping holes. Some of the boards had to be replaced.

But. It. Is. Done.

They found the same thing when they replaced my roof at my former house. It's a wonder my roof hadn't cave in. The decking, which was rotted in spots, dated back to the late 1800s. My home inspector absolutely should have caught it, but didn't. A week after I had the roof replaced, we had a horrible hail storm with softball-sized hail. It ruined many a roof, and I'm sure it would have ruined mine and a good portion of my house had I not replaced it when I did. So, it was money was spent. I felt SO much better despite the cost.

We're now dealing with equally frustrating problems at the new house, which will likely cost us some $. When the house was first built, the garage was in what is now the basement. In the 1950, the garage was converted to a basement and the area was presumably filled in with dirt such that the driveway and detached garage are essentially level with our first floor. Well, we noticed last summer that some small holes were starting to develop along the edge of the driveway as it abuts a flower bed that, in turn, abuts our house. The holes have since gotten bigger, so we're fearful that we have a sink hole of sorts developing under the drivway. So, we're trying to get a handle on who to call and what to do. My guess is that we're going to have to tear up at least part of the driveway. I have no idea what will happen from there. What a mess.

[withm]

They found the same thing when they replaced my roof at my former house. It's a wonder my roof hadn't cave in. The decking, which was rotted in spots, dated back to the late 1800s. My home inspector absolutely should have caught it, but didn't. .

In fairness to the inspector, he can only inspect what he can see. If there was no access to the attic, or if the attic was finished, there is no way he could see the holes in the sheathing underneath the shingles. He MIGHT have been able to tell if there was one or two layers of shingles on the roof, but frankly the only way to find these holes is to remove the shingles, or to see them from below. If you couldn't see them, neither could he.

If he had walked the roof and noted spongy spots, that's a clue, as is any evidence of leaks - water spots in your ceilings. Any of those conditions would be a red flag.