Time Out: Kitchen Remodel

We've been taking the year off to do a remodel, and here are some pictures of the kitchen, which we just finished. It isn't officially part of the Owner Built project, but at least it shows what we've done with our time. Stephen moved a door frame and I assembled the cabinets before we started the remodel, which started with a complete tear-out of the existing kitchen on a Saturday, and the work was done the next Saturday, except the floor, which I did during the next week while the owners were at work during the day. Stephen took a week off from work to do the project.

Awesome Tools for the Ladies

I do not have a long history with tools, and largely find power tools to be a little frightening after some experience with table saw kickbacks and arc welding fiascos. That being said, I have a number of tools that I find particularly easy to use, and not at all frightening. They are:

November 20th, 2012

Stephen got in the stove on Thursday. One of the ovens needs a screw to shut all of the way, but otherwise, it's awesome. Everything works. Notice in the photo that I put the microwave under the washtub - I've had enough microwave for a long, long time.

3rd Week November, Wood Stove

I tiled the stove pad over vacation before we put in the wood floor. Then Stephen made some trim for around the tile a couple of weeks later. I cut the trim with the miter saw and installed it, then taped it up and grouted the marble tiles. Why doesn't a miter saw ever cut angles precisely? After I took off the tape and sanded, I carefully stained and polyurethaned the trim with a little brush.  Then I sealed the tiles and we moved the stove onto the pad. We had the stove pipe professionally installed last Thursday, and we used it on Tuesday.

3rd Week November, Kitchen

Sink wall, before

I thought I was going to get better about posting when we got back, but I haven't gotten back into the habit yet.

2nd Week of October, 2012

Fence on right and left

As the fence did not get finished either over the vacation or the weekend after, I stretched the last 1/3 of the welded wire myself. Used some straps and a come-along. Why is it that all outside tools are made for strong people with calloused hands? Then this weekend I made a picket gate and hung it all by myself. Amazing.

2012 Vacation

In three weeks of Stephen's vacation, we painted the interior of the apartment, put in oak floors, and started the dog fence. I usually do all of our painting, but we used a paint gun this time, and I don't know how to do that very well.