From: fanning@NMC.ED.RAY.COM (Robert Fanning)
Subject: Kitchen Remodeling tips - summary of responses
Reply-To: fanning@iatc.ed.ray.com
Organization: Equipment Division, Raytheon Company
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 93 20:09:14 GMT


  I posted a request for kitchen remodeling tips a little while ago and 
  got some great ideas.  So I have paraphrased and quoted directly from
  the e-mail I received.

       Thanks folks!

> I'm about to remodel the kitchen in my 1895 New England Colonial.
>
> I'm removing a non-load bearing wall, installing new cabinets, sink,
> dishwasher, garbage disposal, counter top, and floor.  I'll also
> be changing around the lighting, skim coating the old horse hair
> plaster, and putting up wall board in a previously unfinished
> addition.

>
>  1. What little things, that might be easily overlooked, should
>     I consider adding to my design?
>  2. A kitchen designer who I talked with said her services were
>     free if I buy cabinets from her (she sells Quacker Made) but
>     would cost me $500 if I wanted to take her designs to another
>     supplier.  Does $500 sound reasonable?


  Home Depot (and other home centers) do design for free
  Assembling your own cabinets can save a lot of $$$  
       (Kraft Maid got a good review)
  Get high quality hindges
  If you are going to lay ceremic tile, be patient.

  Use dedicated circuits for Garbage Disposal, Dishwasher, and Refrigerator.
  Read the Electrical FAQ
  Put in plenty of electrical outlets - along the counter top, 
   over the stove, under the sink, even in the cabinets.

  Plumbing considerations - Add separate cut-off valves to the
  dishwasher and to the kitchen faucet. 
  Think of all the options you want for your sink - soap dispenser, hot water 
  dispenser, vegetable sprayer, etc. - they'll want a "hole count" when they 
  order your sink.
  Faucets - avoid the cheap ones - 


There's a product called "PlasterWeld" that makes the new skimcoat of plaster
adhere to the old plaster.  It's a pink liquid that you roll on and let dry for
a day.  It also acts as a vapor barrier.  You'll still need to remove any old
wallpaper before skimcoating, but I think it works over paint.

We used the standard double and single-bowl models in cast iron.  That gave us 
excellent quality but without the high price of the designer models.

Whatever you do, don't use a non-venting hood.  It won't take moisture and 
fumes out of your house.

We used commercial sheet vinyl for the floor.  It will last forever, and looks
great.  (It *isn't* immitation tile, immitation brick, or immitation anything
else, just a good honest material.)  Because of the simple random patterns,
it's just as cheap as domestic floors that won't last nearly as long.


Enclose the space above the cabinets, up to the ceiling, with sliding doors.  
Most kitchens waste this space.  I had this done to the kitchen in my first 
house, and I'm happy that my current house has this.  You get an unbelievable 
amount of extra storage space.
 
Someone else noted that she uses the extra space above her cabinets for
a display area for decorative baskets.

>  3. I'm going to be stripping paint from 4 window frames.  The paint
>     probably had lead in it and there are two coats.  But I have no 
>     kids, so...
>
>      What is the general wisdom on heat guns vs chemicals.


Heat guns are slow and tedious, and work best (in my experience) on wood
that was originally varnished, then painted over.  I stripped doors and
windows in my first house (built in 1925) and found that the varnish would
boil, then the paint would come off in big sheets.  After doing a couple
of window sashes, I gave up stripping them and hauled the rest of the sashes
to a commercial paint stripper who dipped them.   The heat gun would crack
the glass if I wasn't careful enough.

If you use chemical, get a good non-flammable caustic stripper, and DO NOT
buy that "safest stripper" stuff.  I tried it.  The label says you have to
leave it on for three hours, and even then it didn't do a good job.  Get
some rubber gloves and get the serious stuff.

If you think there's lead in the paint, get a real good respirator mask
before you do any stripping, chemical or heat gun. 

We used long sheet-rock screws to attach the cupboards to the studs.
I worried about load, but have loaded up all the upper cupboards full
of cans and heavy things and nothing's happened.  There's certainly
been plenty of time. 
I didn't skrimp on the lazy-susan in the corner and bought the best.  I can 
load it with heavy stuff and it spins wonderfully and the levels turn 
independently from the other so I can get things off the bottom shelf without 
problems.

Rob Fanning
fanning@iatc.ed.ray.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house