Home Decorating, Renovations & Remodeling

[Grand Potentate]

So The Great Satan has bought a 30 year old place here in Del Boca Vista and it needs some work. A lot of work, actually. And I'm deep in the weeds with this thing. We need to do:

Kitchen - full cabinet tear down and all new appliances.
Whole House - All New Flooring & Painting
Bathroom - All new tile floor and wall work, new vanity and wall.

Everyone I've talked to so far has had a different opinion on what needs to be done and why. So I thought I'd post this to see if anyone had any suggestions on what to do, why, where, etc..

Pics forthcoming.

 

[Grand Potentate]

If possible do it all yourself. You'll save thousands of dollars and learn good skills that you can carry with you. New appliances, refinishing floors, painting are all things you CAN do yourself.

Appliances all come with installation, so that's no biggy. I don't have the tools to take up a whole tile floor (jackhammer, etc.). And I SUCK at painting. So those are non-starters.

 

[Grand Potentate]

You don't need a jackhammer to take up a tile floor. And painting is easy.

Do you want me to chisel it by hand?

 

[Grand Potentate]

Interesting. I thought it was a LOT more complicated than that.

 

[Grand Potentate]

Keep thinking Butch, that's what you're good at.

I already know I'm no good Harv. I don't need a reminder.

 

[MFDoom]

why new kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanity? are they non - functional or just dated?

 

[MFDoom]

the trick to painting is 1)good prep and b. go slowly

 

[Grand Potentate]

why new kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanity? are they non - functional or just dated?

Dated. And some have water damage.

the trick to painting is 1)good prep and b. go slowly

I absolutely suck at painting. The thing that I have to worry about is getting all the wallpaper off and this mirrored wall down. They wallpapered over EVERY surface of this one room, even the door frames!

 

[Grand Potentate]

Carefull Rambozey, when I wallpapered it was to cover horrible shit. Hopefully that's not the reason the previous owner did.

Nah. This was built in the 80's. Its very 'of the time'. Old people's development.

Anyone have experience with removing kitchen cabinets? I haven't really gotten into it, but the backsplash and floor level cabinets seem to be tougher than I originally planned.

 

[doghouse]

Wallpaper is the debil. I actually repainted what I thought was a painted wall in my house, and it started to bubble up. Turns out the homeowner before me had covered textured plaster with skim coat, wallpaper, then painted over the wallpaper. Brutal. I actually used it as an excuse to rip a wall out.

You can see the line where the wall was on the ceiling, and fresh sheetrock in the den, plus bare floor where we chiseled up tile.

And my dog.

 

[Grand Potentate]

Smart dog, trying to get free like that.

 

[MFDoom]

Wallpaper is the debil. I actually repainted what I thought was a painted wall in my house, and it started to bubble up. Turns out the homeowner before me had covered textured plaster with skim coat, wallpaper, then painted over the wallpaper. Brutal. I actually used it as an excuse to rip a wall out.

You can see the line where the wall was on the ceiling, and fresh sheetrock in the den, plus bare floor where we chiseled up tile.

And my dog.

I have a private dungeon on Doom Isle for the previous owners of our abode, who used a lot of wallpaper in the house.

 

[MFDoom]

Okay, here's a big question: WATER DAMAGE. Was it internal, or external? In other words, does the house also have a roof or siding issue? No point in replacing the cabinets now if you're going to have the same issue after the next big rain.

 

[doghouse]

Smart dog, trying to get free like that.

He's obviously pining for freedom.

I have a private dungeon on Doom Isle for the previous owners of our abode, who used a lot of wallpaper in the house.

I have some people to send your way.

 

[Grand Potentate]

Anyone have experience with removing kitchen cabinets? I haven't really gotten into it, but the backsplash and floor level cabinets seem to be tougher than I originally planned.

Bueller?

Okay, here's a big question: WATER DAMAGE. Was it internal, or external? In other words, does the house also have a roof or siding issue? No point in replacing the cabinets now if you're going to have the same issue after the next big rain.

No, thankfully. Passed inspection ok. Only a little drywall in the laundry room has a damp spot.

 

[Grand Potentate]

Tomorrow I'm going to attack the baseboards and the rest of the cabinets.

I'm also thinking about renting a power hammer to get up all the tile and underwater at once.

 

[Grand Potentate]

That's the water line attachment to the fridge, and it has a leak. I've never dealt with this old type of hookup before. Anyone with a suggestion on how to fix/replace this thing?

 

[MFDoom]

^ shouldn't it connect at the cut-off valve? That doesn't look like 1/2" copper pipe so there should be some sort of junction. Is the water off to the entire house or did you cut that off separately? Failing that you could attach a compression coupling.

re: kitchen cabinets - I know they generally are screwed into the studs through the backs, fairly high up in the box.

 

[doghouse]

Is it just leaking out the end? I can't tell from the pic. If so, I'd check the shutoff valve as Mr. Doom says. Failing that, just get a copper line crimper.

 

[Grand Potentate]

Valve is closed. Dripping out the end.

The cabinets I think are glued at the backsplash level. The upper level cabinets all came down easily.

 

[doghouse]

crimping tool will stop it.

 

[Grand Potentate]

Replace that, get a shark clamp from Home Depot for $7.

How do you replace the whole line? I've only ever dealt with normal in wall valve screw-on hookups.

 

[MFDoom]

wait - can you take a picture of the valve? I'm totally confuzzled here

 

[MFDoom]

short answer is that you cut the line and install a sharkbite connector - but you have to get to rigid 1/2" or larger tubing to make the cut.

 

[Grand Potentate]

wait - can you take a picture of the valve? I'm totally confuzzled here

There's no valve on the wall behind where the fridge was. Just that thin hose looking thing coming out. The water line to the dishwasher cut the water to the fridge as well. I suspect they branched them off somehow but I've never seen anything like that before. That's what's got me thrown. l

 

[doghouse]

They have just soldered together a bunch of copper obviously.

 

[MFDoom]

time to pull some drywall out. I can't think of an easy way to replace the line, unless you want to add a compression fitting to the tube. That might work.

 

[doghouse]

^ It would.

Like I said, I'd crimp it off for the duration of construction.

 

[Grand Potentate]

I'm going to head to the hardware store today to see.

I got through a good chunk of the cabinetry last night. What a horrendous fucking pain in the ass those were. Screws everywhere, most not holding their place any longer. Just a mess.

 

[Grand Potentate]

So I dropped into Lowes and the guy in plumbing said the sharkbite wouldn't work because he only had a 1/2" and the copper running from the wall was 1/4" or less. No one had any idea how a dishwasher water connection ended up on a fridge. Another idea was to put one of those pre-done in-wall boxes that has the water valve already in it. I can't find a picture of the fucking thing at the moment. Tonight - baseboard removal.

 

[MFDoom]

somewhere, it connects to the 1/2" pipe. find the connection, find your answer

 

[Grand Potentate]

somewhere, it connects to the 1/2" pipe. find the connection, find your answer

This is a pic of the wall behind where the fridge was:

Notice the wire runs out the wall through the small hole. I think they ran the copper up through the ceiling from somewhere.

 

[MFDoom]

Jeeeez that is bizarre. Personally I would poke out a little of the drywall to see if there's a valve behind that. Or go into the attic and see if you can find the pipe that goes down behind the wall (that might be more hassle though)

 

[doghouse]

I second opening some drywall.

 

[Grand Potentate]

Dammit.

Baseboard removal went pretty well. Got through about 2/3's of the house. I need to get out some of the tiles to finish the rest and it was getting late. Don't want to piss off the neighbors before The Great Satan even moves in. Found some moldy drywall in the laundry room area and some rotted drywall in one of the closets. Hopefully it amounts to nothing.

 

[Grand Potentate]

Ok gentlemen. I need to undo all this to get the cabinet off, then put it back on but keep it valved off, so I can turn the water to the house back on. Suggestions?

 

[Grand Potentate]

Also, it's getting time to start picking out the flooring and cabinet options. Any suggestions on options for the kitchen and floor? I was thinking an engineered hardwood floor.

 

[Grand Potentate]

All the tile's up. Everything hurts and I want to die.

 

[Grand Potentate]

You'll be ok, Billy.

Thanks Doc.

Now how about those plumbing connections under the kitchen sink?

 

[MFDoom]

Ok gentlemen. I need to undo all this to get the cabinet off, then put it back on but keep it valved off, so I can turn the water to the house back on. Suggestions?

View attachment 1848

you should turn off the main supply valves that go into the wall, plus the two valves that appear to T off the main supply lines and feed the filter cannister(s). Everything else feeds from those. fwiw the refrigerator line should also be connected to a valve like that.