Kitchen renovation by hook or crook

[Species8472]

Any flooring guys on here?

We put 3/4 inch white birch in the kitchen 27 years ago. 27 years, four kids and now grand kids and it is just getting to the stage where it looks like it could use re-finishing - probably wait a few years yet as our 4 year grand daughter is living with us until my daughter finishes her nursing degree in 2 years.

[410001661]

If it’s in the budget get in floor heating under the tile. The stuff we used was like a thin mat we rolled out over the thin set. Then tile over. Makes a big difference in the cooler months. Especially when most of the time is spent in the kitchen and dining area.

Sorry for the delay I have been swamped - the drywallers have an opening and are starting on Wednesday so I have been roughing in all the electrical!

I have heated floors on all 3 bathrooms and they are a MUST have - well with the money and nothing you can do afterwards. Whenever I am doing wirk for someone I almost insist on a heated floors in the bathroom(s). I once installed one at a guys's back patio door because that is where his dog slept - my kinda guy! My quote is buy once cry once.......I have NEVER heard of anyone regret putting in a heated floor.

[410001661]

We put 3/4 inch white birch in the kitchen 27 years ago. 27 years, four kids and now grand kids and it is just getting to the stage where it looks like it could use re-finishing - probably wait a few years yet as our 4 year grand daughter is living with us until my daughter finishes her nursing degree in 2 years.

My main floor is 3/4" maple with the exception of the 180 Sq Feet of ceramic in the space that was once was my kitchen. If I had to do it again I would not use Maple as it is on the softer side of hard woods and the dog had reeked havoc on it. Now that there is no walls, or beam and it is one big open 34' x 23' room my wife likes the look of wood throughout the entire level but I am skeptical of having hardwood in the kitchen (water and the odd dropped knife and pot). I have a guy coming in to see if he can match the width of my existing hardwood and then refinish the entire main floor to match.

Let's see what happens. Cabinets are 10 weeks out so I have nothing but time. I am just glad the drywallers will have it sealed in time for turkey opener. All I have to do is prime it and then the dust will die down - until the flooring guy starts.

Renovations are so much more exciting when it is at someone else's house and you are using someone else's money. But I am glad I get to call in all those favors I have done over the years!!

[johnjyb]

1 thing I have started doing with renos in my own home is after sanding drywall I prime the subfloor as well as the walls and ceiling as well, it really helps to seal the dust issue as I HATE having that fine dust show up months after the job is done and it adds nothing to the overall costs or time needed to do the job.
John

[Species8472]

My main floor is 3/4" maple with the exception of the 180 Sq Feet of ceramic in the space that was once was my kitchen. If I had to do it again I would not use Maple as it is on the softer side of hard woods and the dog had reeked havoc on it. Now that there is no walls, or beam and it is one big open 34' x 23' room my wife likes the look of wood throughout the entire level but I am skeptical of having hardwood in the kitchen (water and the odd dropped knife and pot). I have a guy coming in to see if he can match the width of my existing hardwood and then refinish the entire main floor to match.

Let's see what happens. Cabinets are 10 weeks out so I have nothing but time. I am just glad the drywallers will have it sealed in time for turkey opener. All I have to do is prime it and then the dust will die down - until the flooring guy starts.

Renovations are so much more exciting when it is at someone else's house and you are using someone else's money. But I am glad I get to call in all those favors I have done over the years!!

We never had any problems with the wood in the kitchen. Just clean up the spills right away. The one place where we find it wears the fastest is around the kitchen table. The constant movement of chairs in and out at the table seems to do the most damage - more than our dogs and there has been 4 of them. Not enormous dogs but decent size - 2 labs, a walker and a malamute. Also should edit to add our floors are actually yellow birch not white.

[sawbill]

1 thing I have started doing with home renos is after sanding drywall I prime the subfloor as well as the walls and ceiling as well, it really helps to seal the dust issue as I HATE having that fine dust show up months after the job is done and it adds nothing to the overall costs or time needed to do the job.
John

If theres one thing that most people should do is spring for a pro to do their finishing work on drywall. Used to be a time when I'd put on 40 pounds of mud and sand off 35 pounds. I've gotten a lot better over time but am still amazed to watch a pro sand an entire room and end up with less than a cup of dust.

[MarkB]

Wow, you can gain probably 7 to 8" of ceiling height if you remove the 2x6 (the 2x6 looks like it has a few inches gap above it) and put in some 1x1 strapping ... lots of work, probably not worth it, but now is the time to think about it.

[Birdbuff]

If theres one thing that most people should do is spring for a pro to do their finishing work on drywall. Used to be a time when I'd put on 40 pounds of mud and sand off 35 pounds. I've gotten a lot better over time but am still amazed to watch a pro sand an entire room and end up with less than a cup of dust.

Couldn’t agree more. I’m as handy as the next guy, but I lack the finesse of a pro mudder.

[410001661]

Wow, you can gain probably 7 to 8" of ceiling height if you remove the 2x6 (the 2x6 looks like it has a few inches gap above it) and put in some 1x1 strapping ... lots of work, probably not worth it, but now is the time to think about it.

I can but there is another 27' of ceiling to the front of my house and I want everything to tie in and that would mean removing the whole thing and I know for a fact my plumber snuck our master bathroom drain down between two of the engineered beams down to a wall and then down so I would have to re-configure that if I went up to the bottom of the engineered beams. That would be a whole other reno if I did that - plus I would have to patch that gap on the walls to get me under the beams.

I am handy but know my limitations. I will hire drywallers and flooring professionals for my main floor - well worth the money. I can work a couple of side jobs doing electrical and then pay them to do what they do best.

[impact]

We had porcelain in the kitchen and with a reno the wife wanted slate.
Well, with uneven surface and rocking chairs I took a hammer to it and ripped it all out.
Currently have wide plank 5" oak but when a pot or a pan is dropped well, you end up with a ding in the floor.
I hear that distressed wood is the style these days...lol

Just curious, why was your accidental fire not an insurance job?