• Cyburbia is a friendly big tent, where we share our experiences and thoughts about urban planning practice, the built environment, planning adjacent topics, and anything else that comes to mind. No ads, no spam, and it's free. It's easy to join!

Home stuff šŸ” Home improvements

Big Owl said:
I replaced the floor in our guest bathroom with a waterproof vinyl plank flooring. In the process of doing so I discovered a small soft spot in the plywood overlay, needless to say, I ended up replacing the overlay and sub floor from the floor joist up. It what should have been a 1 day job, three days. While I was doing it, I decided to replace the toilet and install a new toilet flange. I was going back with a basic contractor's grade toilet but came home with an American Standard Champion series toilet that was advertised to be able to flush a bucket of golf balls and was easy to install. It was the easiest toilet installation that I have ever done, well worth the extra money.
Click to expand...
The toilet install is always so fun. You have to get on your knees and hug it. When I installed a tile floor over an old sheet vinyl one I discovered a hairline crack in original bowl.
Replacement brand was Toyo, which was hard to find but highest rated.
 
MD Planner said:
Helpful toilet replacement tip: When you're ready to put the toilet back on the flange take two straws and slide over the toilet bolts. It makes it a lot easier to line up the holes.
Click to expand...
Genius Reaction GIF
 
As I mentioned in the RTDNTOTO thread, we're getting ready to replace our original 1956 kitchen cabinets with IKEA cabinets. We've already installed IKEA on one wall (that previously had no cabinets), so I have some experience. Even though it came out well, it seemed like kind of a pain.

So naturally this time around I started looking at Youtube for help. I found this guy who's a contractor with an inclination toward IKEA kitchens, and he has it down to a science. The videos are probably the best I've seen for IKEA, and for self help contracting stuff in general. He does a lot of time lapse to speed through the repetitive stuff, but slows down when he's explaining something, especially if it's something different from IKEA's directions or isn't in the IKEA directions.

With the experience we had installing the first bank of cabinets I can already see how his methods are better than what I did. For instance, he suggests an improvised workbench of a door on two sawhorses so you're not constantly bending over to assemble stuff on the floor, and shows how to maneuver the cabinets into place with a furniture dolly, both of which are basically common sense once you've seen them, neither of which occurred to me. He also has some good methods for mounting the attachment rails on the walls. He identified two or three tools I'm going to pick up before starting the job.

And although it takes a bit to realize it; he's pretty funny in an understated/deadpan way. If you're doing an IKEA kitchen these are the videos. If you're doing anything around the house you might want to look at his videos and see if he has an instructional video for it. As he renovates homes he makes his videos.

 
I installed a lazy susan in the corner cabinet last night. My husband remains useless around the house, the 11 year old has shown some aptitude at helping put together things. I also installed three pull out shelves in another base cabinet which maximized what could be stored in it. All items were manufactured by Rev-A-Shelf and purchased at CabinetParts.com at a decent discount. Very pleased with the quality and pretty straightforward installation. My IG post of the lazy susan!

 
Very nice. IKEA has a corner cabinet articulating shelf that pulls all the way out, but the arrangement of my cabinets will not allow me to use it (won't fit under the sink on one side; too close to the range on the other.

I may try to put in two drawers, one just above the other, at 90 degrees to each other, that would let me pull one drawer out of the cabinet and the other one from the deep part of the cabinet to the accessible part... if that makes sense.
 
Doohickie said:
Very nice. IKEA has a corner cabinet articulating shelf that pulls all the way out, but the arrangement of my cabinets will not allow me to use it (won't fit under the sink on one side; too close to the range on the other.

I may try to put in two drawers, one just above the other, at 90 degrees to each other, that would let me pull one drawer out of the cabinet and the other one from the deep part of the cabinet to the accessible part... if that makes sense.
Click to expand...
Those are blind corner shelves and work well IF there aren't neighboring obstructions. I have another corner cabinet between the sink and the stove but the opening is just 9 inches on each side which really isn't enough to work with. It's another "black hole" but we don't keep much in there because the access is very constrained. I think that the prior owners adjusted the layout of the kitchen from its original design.
 
Bubba said:
We're a couple of weeks or so away from a contractor we hired breaking ground (literally) on a massive hardscaping project - two new retaining walls to terrace the east side of the backyard that's currently an eroding steep slope, a new retaining wall on the west side of the backyard to extend the usable area of that (slightly less) steeply sloped yard, replacing several existing wood retaining walls with masonry walls, replacing the wood steps with stone, replacing the backyard fence, and I'm probably missing a couple of things.

Me, thinking about this here project:

200w.gif
Click to expand...
I'm having trouble locating the before pics, but here are a few after pics:

20230211_121053.jpg


20230211_121156.jpg


20230211_121200.jpg


20230211_121203.jpg
 
estromberg said:
That looks great. Quite the project, too.
Click to expand...
Thanks! The seemingly non-stop rain added weeks to the project.

Doohickie said:
Amazing.
Click to expand...
Thanks!

fringe said:
Looks great. Where the stone steps pass under deck structure that bottom riser should be extended into a landing. Hopefully that flight will be lit after dark.
Click to expand...
Thanks! It's hard to see in the picture since they blend in color-wise with the mulch, but we do have solar lights along that flight as a stopgap measure - the next step (no pun intended) is addressing the lighting for that whole build. The transition from that bottom riser to the gravel is pretty smooth; if anything (at this point) I'll add some pavers from there over to the lower screened porch.
 
Bubba said:
Thanks! The seemingly non-stop rain added weeks to the project.


Thanks!


Thanks! It's hard to see in the picture since they blend in color-wise with the mulch, but we do have solar lights along that flight as a stopgap measure - the next step (no pun intended) is addressing the lighting for that whole build. The transition from that bottom riser to the gravel is pretty smooth; if anything (at this point) I'll add some pavers from there over to the lower screened porch.
Click to expand...
Pardon my picky, but as a former AHJ inspector and as a current home inspector I see things in a slanted light. Only because I am friends with a few landscape architects, I'd like to ask if a designer was involved.
The question about the riser comes from code requirements for a landing equal in length to a stairway's width. Illumination is also building code.
 
fringe said:
I'd like to ask if a designer was involved.
Click to expand...
Yes, but not to the point of stamped plans.

fringe said:
The question about the riser comes from code requirements for a landing equal in length to a stairway's width.
Click to expand...
So the stairs they replaced weren't to code...huh. Anyhoo, I can address that pretty easily.

fringe said:
Illumination is also building code.
Click to expand...
As noted, there's a temporary solution in place. WE'RE NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC YET!!1!
 
bureaucrat#3 said:
Those walls are impressive. Reminds me of the star fort in the other thread. You could repel invaders from Alpharetta with those ramparts.
Click to expand...
I rely on my Roswell allies to keep the barbarian hordes of Alpharetta from crossing the river.
 
Bubba said:
Yes, but not to the point of stamped plans.


So the stairs they replaced weren't to code...huh. Anyhoo, I can address that pretty easily.


As noted, there's a temporary solution in place. WE'RE NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC YET!!1!
Click to expand...
As an AHJ in a rural setting I made a hard sale effort to sell developers the value of landscape design, which, in GA, includes landscape architects.
 
Bubba said:
Yes, but not to the point of stamped plans.


So the stairs they replaced weren't to code...huh. Anyhoo, I can address that pretty easily.


As noted, there's a temporary solution in place. WE'RE NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC YET!!1!
Click to expand...
We could say those steps are not part of the house and free of meeting codes.
 
This is my last hardscape adventure, with 180 Holland pavers and a lot of #7 Elberton crushed stone. Shovel and wheelbarrow placed, design inspired by a UGA landscape professor, who told me gravel can work in parking space, but it has to be contained. I installed it in winter and got sick as a dog, but it has kept it's integrity.
IMG_20220202_151443.jpg
 
Bubba said:
That's probably how our home inspector when we purchased this house viewed the existing hardscaping.
Click to expand...
I just reviewed a franchise inspection report that a realtor arranged. A re- fi wanted an update, and my review of the prior found a laughing disaster and big time waste of money...In building GA is still the wild west at best.
 
So we dropped $5k at IKEA yesterday; the stuff will be delivered this week.

So over the next few weeks I'll be working on
  • Demolition- removing the old cabinets and backsplash tile
  • Redoing the floors under the cabinets. (I put down new plank flooring in the kitchen when we bought the house; I'm going to finish putting it under the new cabinets.)
  • Painting/touch ups
  • Moving the switch for the disposal, which is currently on the front of the sink cabinet (a truly awful idea).
  • Installing the new cabinets and counter tops
  • Putting up a new backsplash. I think we've settled on this pattern
1676830569547.png


How it's going so far...
1676830816416.png

You gotta start somewhere, I guess.

EDIT: That plug will be partially behind the floor-to-ceiling cabinet we're putting there so I have to move that plug, too.

End of Day One:
1676846010305.png
 
Last edited:
Doohickie said:
So we dropped $5k at IKEA yesterday; the stuff will be delivered this week.

So over the next few weeks I'll be working on
  • Demolition- removing the old cabinets and backsplash tile
  • Redoing the floors under the cabinets. (I put down new plank flooring in the kitchen when we bought the house; I'm going to finish putting it under the new cabinets.)
  • Painting/touch ups
  • Moving the switch for the disposal, which is currently on the front of the sink cabinet (a truly awful idea).
  • Installing the new cabinets and counter tops
  • Putting up a new backsplash. I think we've settled on this pattern
View attachment 59663

How it's going so far...
View attachment 59664
You gotta start somewhere, I guess.

EDIT: That plug will be partially behind the floor-to-ceiling cabinet we're putting there so I have to move that plug, too.

End of Day One:
View attachment 59665
Click to expand...
If you're going to replace the cabinets as well, I'd give some thought to removing the cabinets first, then remove the drywall behind the backsplash in a 4' strip and not try to remove the tile cleanly. Then just replace the drywall which will give you a nice smooth intact surface to put up the new tile and most of the seams will be behind the cabinet and won't need to be pretty. Additionally, since you'll have to rework some electric as well, it's MUCH easier to do with just studs.
 
estromberg said:
If you're going to replace the cabinets as well, I'd give some thought to removing the cabinets first, then remove the drywall behind the backsplash in a 4' strip and not try to remove the tile cleanly. Then just replace the drywall which will give you a nice smooth intact surface to put up the new tile and most of the seams will be behind the cabinet and won't need to be pretty. Additionally, since you'll have to rework some electric as well, it's MUCH easier to do with just studs.
Click to expand...

I've considered that. I still plan to chip the tiles off first, if only because it's one thing I can do before the other stuff is available. If the surface just too rough or has too much damage from chipping the tile off, I will do new sheetrock.

I think you've talked me into it. I can do it with only two sheets of sheetrock. The whole run is less than 24 feet, but most of the backsplash will be less than 20 inches high (20 in nominal gap between upper and lower cabinets, not counting the countertop which is between an inch and an inch and a half), except for the area above the range which goes up more. So I can figure out where the mounting rail goes, stay just a bit above that (in fact, it will allow me to back up the rail with a horizontal 2x4 all along its length for the base cabinets) and then go up 24 inches from there. You never know, it could work. I could even use the 2x4 as a mount for the bottom of sheetrock as well.

Walls I can deal with. What keeps me up at night is the subfloor. When I put my dishwasher in the subfloor under that was pretty chewed up and had some rot. I kind of expect to find the same under the sink. I'm hoping that doesn't turn into a big job.
 
Last edited:
Doohickie said:
I've considered that. I still plan to chip the tiles off first, if only because it's one thing I can do before the other stuff is available. If the surface just too rough or has too much damage from chipping the tile off, I will do new sheetrock.

I think you've talked me into it. I can do it with only two sheets of sheetrock. The whole run is less than 24 feet, but most of the backsplash will be less than 20 inches high (20 in nominal gap between upper and lower cabinets, not counting the countertop which is between an inch and an inch and a half), except for the area above the range which goes up more. So I can figure out where the mounting rail goes, stay just a bit above that (in fact, it will allow me to back up the rail with a horizontal 2x4 all along its length for the base cabinets) and then go up 24 inches from there. You never know, it could work. I could even use the 2x4 as a mount for the bottom of sheetrock as well.

Walls I can deal with. What keeps me up at night is the subfloor. When I put my dishwasher in the subfloor under that was pretty chewed up and had some rot. I kind of expect to find the same under the sink. I'm hoping that doesn't turn into a big job.
Click to expand...
If those are 1956 cabinets you might want to add some duplex outlets. Modern codes want to see an outlet within 24" of any point of length of countertop. IOW, reachable from any point with a 3' appliance cord. Microwave circuit should be "dedicated", not shared by other appliances.
 
fringe said:
If those are 1956 cabinets you might want to add some duplex outlets. Modern codes want to see an outlet within 24" of any point of length of countertop. IOW, reachable from any point with a 3' appliance cord. Microwave circuit should be "dedicated", not shared by other appliances.
Click to expand...
We had the house rewired when we moved in, although there is one section that might not meet the 24" rule... and I plan to add a plug there. And I think the microwave is on a dedicated circuit.
 
fringe said:
...citing 25 yr old rules, so you're good I'm sure.
Click to expand...
There's a space between the fridge and the sink, about 4 feet of countertop, that has no plug. (It's where the dirty dishes generally sit so it doesn't much matter, but I will be putting a plug in there, and also moving the disposal switch from the front of the sink cabinet to the wall there. I'm tired of bumping the switch and accidentally turning on the disposal.
 
kjel said:
I installed a lazy susan in the corner cabinet last night. My husband remains useless around the house, the 11 year old has shown some aptitude at helping put together things. I also installed three pull out shelves in another base cabinet which maximized what could be stored in it. All items were manufactured by Rev-A-Shelf and purchased at CabinetParts.com at a decent discount. Very pleased with the quality and pretty straightforward installation. My IG post of the lazy susan!

Click to expand...
And I found a solution that will work on the weirdly sized second corner cabinet. It will be getting a 20" D shelf lazy susan from Rev-A-Shelf with the same heavy duty wire shelf design. I also found some wedge shaped plastic bins that will fit into it to contain a lot of our baking stuff. Stay tuned.
 
I just noticed two mistakes on my IKEA order. In one case, the IKEA associate put in the wrong cabinet size for the cabinet frame. The other items are not compatible with what she put in. The other thing is it still has the zip code for the house we moved away from 5 years ago. I've changed that several times but it still keeps reverting back.

I talked to them via chat this morning and they said the only way to fix the order would be to cancel and reorder the whole thing. This is obviously BS; they could also ship the missing part separately and take a return on the incorrect part. I asked if they could send the new part without the shipping fee and he said I had to talk to a live person on the phone; that phone line opens... now. Wish me luck.
 
Doohickie said:
.....busy signal.....
Click to expand...
...sorry to hear your story of a lost path in the corporate jungle. My daughter ordered custom built-in cabinet work for her 12th floor condo, that was not installed to her specs. One item left off was shoe mold. Her contact person told her that shoe mold was not the right department. She should bring up that item with the flooring people.
 
Took me almost 4 hours (on and off) to get that right. Although to be fair to IKEA, three hours of that was me, dialing the wrong number!

It did take three calls to get it right though.

1. A call were I was literally connected to someone with a Swedish accent so strong I could barely understand him. He supposedly fixed the problem but said he couldn't take payment for the difference on the new item compared to the old. So he gave me a reference number and a phone number to call to the accounts receivable gang.

2. A call to IKEA Accounts Receivable who said they didn't know what the reference number meant and that I would have to go to the store to pay or something.

3. A call to a very helpful young lady who untangled the first guy's... whatever he did, ordered the part I needed (without additional delivery charge) and who sent me a link via email to make the payment. I paid for the full part; should get my money back on the wrong part when I return it (which is fine by me; I will need to make another trip or two there anyway).
 
Neighborhood was devastated by the ice storm Wednesday. Downed trees and powerlines everywhere. We lost power for a little over a day, but portions of the city are not slated to get their power back on in over a week.

A large tree branch landed on one of my raised garden beds. While it took out the fence, at least there were no plants to worry about.
 
You're not suggesting I'm criticizing you, are you?

Anyway. Here's my new kitchen. Do you like it?
1677304155641.png


After some assembly it should look something like this:
1677304118792.png
 
So I had to take a day off from kitchen work. I spent Saturday doing cabinet demo. The old cabinets were built in place so they have to be disassembled piece by piece to get them out. It was slow going and along the way I apparently pulled some muscles in my lower back. Sunday was a day of rest as the good Lord intended. Still a little stiff today but much better than yesterday when I could barely get out of bed.
 
Doohickie said:
So I had to take a day off from kitchen work. I spent Saturday doing cabinet demo. The old cabinets were built in place so they have to be disassembled piece by piece to get them out. It was slow going and along the way I apparently pulled some muscles in my lower back. Sunday was a day of rest as the good Lord intended. Still a little stiff today but much better than yesterday when I could barely get out of bed.
Click to expand...
Pre-emptive Advil and a hot water bottle is your friend.

RT wants to redo the kitchen in the Newark house. Told her I did not have $$$$$ for that and there was nothing wrong with it. She came back with a reasonable budget for a tile backsplash, painting the cabinets, replacing the crappy laminate counters with butcher block, and a new sink/faucet. Sounds like a summer project to me,
 
kjel said:
Pre-emptive Advil and a hot water bottle is your friend.

RT wants to redo the kitchen in the Newark house. Told her I did not have $$$$$ for that and there was nothing wrong with it. She came back with a reasonable budget for a tile backsplash, painting the cabinets, replacing the crappy laminate counters with butcher block, and a new sink/faucet. Sounds like a summer project to me,
Click to expand...
Have you ever had butcher block counters before? I like they way they look, but worry we'd do a bad job maintaining them. I've either had laminate or quartz, except for an architecture professor's rental I was in for 6 months that had concrete counters.
 
bureaucrat#3 said:
Have you ever had butcher block counters before? I like they way they look, but worry we'd do a bad job maintaining them. I've either had laminate or quartz, except for an architecture professor's rental I was in for 6 months that had concrete counters.
Click to expand...
Yes, I don't think they are that high maintenance but it depends on how you use your kitchen. Obviously no cutting directly on top of them or setting hot items directly on them and avoid standing water. The main thing is really oiling the wood thoroughly, I like tung oil. It's a process up front but once done it you really only need to oil the slabs once or twice a year because the oil deeply penetrates into the wood.

The choice of wood also matters. Go for a hardwood.
 
kjel said:
Yes, I don't think they are that high maintenance but it depends on how you use your kitchen. Obviously no cutting directly on top of them or setting hot items directly on them and avoid standing water. The main thing is really oiling the wood thoroughly, I like tung oil. It's a process up front but once done it you really only need to oil the slabs once or twice a year because the oil deeply penetrates into the wood.

The choice of wood also matters. Go for a hardwood.
Click to expand...
I like laminate. Cheap, durable, cannot stand granite, which is very popular here. It is so hard that lots of things get broken on it. I inspected a house with a central island of granite that was about 5x14 feet, almost enough weight to call for a beefed up floor system.
 
fringe said:
I like laminate. Cheap, durable, cannot stand granite, which is very popular here. It is so hard that lots of things get broken on it. I inspected a house with a central island of granite that was about 5x14 feet, almost enough weight to call for a beefed up floor system.
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with laminate, it's right for a lot of homes.
 
Back
Top