Plumb Jamb

Everything but the Kitchen Sink

2009-07-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

The kitchen renovation is done. It took almost eight weeks and a lot of effort by many people. The floor, cabinets, counter top, appliances and pretty much everything else is new except, as the saying goes, the kitchen sink. We reused our old white cast iron sink.

It's taking a lot of getting used to having a new kitchen. I still feel like I'm cooking at someone else's house. Gary and I noticed that we can both be working in the kitchen without bumping into each other. Now it's more like dancing around each other.

I've been adding a few personal touches to make the kitchen feel more like ours. Three quick apple studies (delicious), a couple of garage sale vases, and my tea pot wearing a newly knitted tea cozy.

Oh, and I finally got that grilled cheese sandwich that I was craving.

Bow Wow Pizazz

2009-07-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

Ginger came to visit. She walked in the front door and made herself at home. She drank water, ate some cat food, chewed up one of Alfie's old toys and a stick from the garden. I called the phone number on her tag and her people promptly fetched her.

Craige installed the gray glass tile backsplash. He had to make quite a few cuts to have it all fit nicely. He was unsure of our choice of white grout. He said it would look 'pizazzy'. That sounded fine to me. When he completed the grouting, he admitted to liking the choice. I love. It does look pizazzy. What do you think?

Rock and Roller

2009-07-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

On the July 4th holiday weekend, we painted the studio ceiling and walls. It didn't look right to have the new kitchen stop in mid-room. It was 95 degrees on Friday, so we tried out the new cooling system. It works great for cooling. Hopefully, the heating will be just as efficient.

We finally took a break on Saturday to visit Island Park for the festivities. Local bands Mystery Train and the Hi-Tones played first and second. Last on stage was Peter Noone with Herman's Hermits. Peter sang some of his old songs, but also mimicked other singers including Mick Jagger,whom he claims is his father. His voice is still holding on. He was quite a comedian, even had Gary laughing. The fireworks were short and sweet.

Ready, Set, Cook

2009-06-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

The appliances are in and it's starting to feel like a kitchen again. We took the dishwasher for a trial run. It works fine. I baked a Dutch Pancake on Sunday morning and have used the cooktop a couple of times. Today, I officially moved the kitchen out of the bathroom and back to its original site.

The tile is still pending and the vent hood is waiting for me to finish the patch on the wall where it will be located. A misplaced outlet and necessary bracing, both for the fan, led to more holes in the wall.

The guys from Home Comfort Heating are installing the mini-split heat pump system. Even more holes in the walls.

Gallery III

2009-06-24T19:45:00.001-07:00

Food and Fun

2009-06-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

Sunday, Father's Day, Summer Solstice. Three good reasons to get out of bed at 5:30am and eat at The Original Pancake House. The fresh fruit crepes are delicious.

This weekend, TV provided an escape from the kitchen project. Sometimes my brain needs comic, nonsensical relief. 'Grandma's Boy' is a funny film about a nerdy guy who moves in with his grandmother and her roommates. I had to laugh when he was vacuuming the carpet and lifted the sofa to find three mummified cats underneath. I know my house needs a thorough cleaning. Good thing we don't have any missing pets. 'Beer Fest' was more of Gary's type of dumb movie. It's about German and American beer makers. Lots of drinking games and boobs. It must remind him of his army days in Germany. 'Idiocracy' is the story of a man who travels 500 years into the future where everyone is stupid. They think that this newcomer is a genius and will solve all their problems. The world is not really so different. Everything is based on advertising. They even believe that Gatorade is good for the plants. Lots of fun poked at the corporate world.

Oh, we did manage to get the shelves and paneling up this weekend.

Plumbed

2009-06-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

Brothers Aaron and Jeff, from Gary's Rooter and Plumbing Service, installed the new faucet in our sink. They hooked up water to the new dishwasher and refrigerator. They explained how copper pipe connected directly to galvanized pipe creates rust through electrolysis. The rust particles ruin fixtures and appliances attached to the pipe. Hopefully, all the new connections won't cause problems. Seems we had a rusty nipple. Sounds painful. Especially when a sawzall was needed to remove it.

The filtered water tastes wonderful. Finally, I can enjoy a cup of Earl Grey tea without an unpleasant aftertaste. We tested the icemaker. It works fine. The water from the fridge is so cold that we probably won't need too much ice and we'll keep it shut off most of the time.

Oops! Granite's Here

2009-06-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

A quarter 'til nine in the morning the doorbell rang. The granite installers from Eugene Tile & Marble were here unexpectedly, but welcome. A little mix up about a phone call to let us know they were coming. They took a fifteen minute coffee break, which gave me time to clear off the counters. You might question the wisdom of putting a counter top on a counter top. We had come to consider the plywood base for the granite as our counter top. The microwave, coffee canister, cereal boxes and various tools covered it.

Davy and Eddie got to work right away measuring, leveling and cutting. Every time I see that Verde Bamboo I like it more. It is beautiful. The piece that went by the window was challenging to install. It took three people to get it in. Dana stopped by just for that purpose. These guys were perfectionists to the sixteenth of an inch. I don't know that I'd have the patience. They cut out the sink opening under a plastic tent to contain the dust. Davy remarked that Verde Bamboo was one of the hardest stones he's cut. Quartzite from Brazil is the most information I've come across.

Speedy Delivery

2009-06-12T13:08:00.000-07:00

The appliances came today. Two young gentlemen with strong backs carried them in using straps hung over their shoulders. I didn't time them, but they couldn't have been here more than ten or fifteen minutes. The fridge had to go around the back and through the patio doors the same way chubby lazy susan went. Waiting now to hear from the granite folks. I'm hoping it will be all finished this coming week. The kitchen is crowded with boxed dishwasher, cooktop and oven. Two refrigerators grace my kitchen with their purring. We'll see if Gary remembers his promise to clean the stainless steel appliances. The delivery men had sweaty fingers.

2009-06-12T13:07:00.001-07:00

Floored

2009-06-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

Hooray! The floor is in. Now, we await the arrival of the appliances on Friday. They were originally scheduled to be here last Thursday, but the flooring didn't go in until today. So, I had to reschedule. The marmoleum is basically old fashioned linoleum with a new name. We chose a style called 'Signo'. I love its matt finish. And the gray color grounds the room.

There was a miscalculation on the number of knobs needed. We missed by four. It really is difficult to count virtual doors. Rejuvenation speedily sent them down from Portland.

I've put some of the kitchen's belongings away in the new cabinets. I once heard that it takes forty days to form a habit. It took less than three weeks with us. Gary and I still go into the bathroom (kitchen side) dish rack to get a spoon. Now all the utensils have a nice new drawer to live in.

Before the appliances come, I have to do some patching, painting, build two shelves, install moulding, oh, I'm getting tireee....

Gallery II

2009-06-02T09:18:00.001-07:00

Let's Play Kitchen

2009-06-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

Tonight I'm pretending to have a kitchen. The cabinets are finally getting installed. Tim and his helper, Hans, worked most of the day lifting, shimming, drilling and sawing. It's been a bit noisy, but a constructive and not a destructive noise. They did have one small issue. Lazy susan was too wide to fit through the kitchen door, so they carried her around the back and brought her through the patio door.

I have no sink, no stove or oven, not even a counter top, but it feels like a kitchen. I'll pretend to cook a meal tonight and Gary and I can pretend to eat.

Work Triangle

2009-05-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

Kitchen experts talk about the work triangle. This is the distance from the refrigerator to the sink and the stove. It is a 28 ft. hike from the fridge to the sink. Then back past the fridge another 10 ft. to the microwave. I don't know which geometric figure this is. Certainly not a triangle.

Meals are a challenge. The first week we ate out quite a bit. That started to get spendy and we didn't always feel like going out. We've been experimenting with Trader Joe's frozen entrees. We're not big eaters, but some of those meals are too small, even for us. I had one that was mostly sauce.

I'm not a big fan of microwave cooking. Usually I use it for reheating leftovers or precooking potatoes. I did scramble some eggs in the microwave and they came out pretty good. Ending with strawberry shortcake always makes the meal worthwhile. Looks like another week, maybe two, before I can cook on a stove. Oh, a homemade grilled cheese sandwich sounds like a gourmet treat right now. Any offers?

It's Not Easy Being Green

2009-05-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

Deciding to paint the kitchen green was the easy part. Deciding which green was more difficult. Spring Lawn, Key Lime, Fresh Pear, and Grasshopper were a few of the choices. There is, no joke, a color named Lettuce Alone. I've always wondered how paint colors are named. Maybe two buckets. One with adjectives and one with nouns, each chosen randomly, and combined to create a unique name for green.

We taped the samples to the wall and observed them whenever we walked past. Lush Meadow was the final winner.One small problem. Lush Meadow was not the paint brand we prefer. We took the sample to the paint department and the store clerk matched it and mixed the exact color.

We looked at the low VOC paints. The colors were limited and too muted for our taste. Sorry, Al Gore. Maybe there's a cap and trade program for households?

Funny thing. While painting, I got a strong urge for pistachio ice cream.

Garden Gifts

2009-05-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

While I'm inside breathing dust, tearing up flooring, and trying to make a decent cup of tea in the microwave oven, my garden is doing quite well without me. The peas are poppin'. So are the poppies, just in time for Memorial Day. The clematis are beautiful as always and the roses are just starting their show. Everything is growing healthy and strong, including the weeds.

Cackle and Spackle

2009-05-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

Alfie has been an outdoor cat for five days now. He doesn't like the noise and the plastic sheeting hanging from the ceiling freaks him out. I feed him outside and leave a bowl of dry kibble on the sunroom floor. A young scrubjay found the food, but once in the sunroom, he can't find his way out. Two days in a row I had to rescue the poor bird.

Steve wore stilts today to work on the upper walls and ceiling. It reminded me of the crude stilts we made as kids using 2x4's and blocks of wood. He left for a while to work on another job while the kitchen dried. Tuesday, after the long weekend, he'll sand and texture spray. I plan on a thorough house cleaning afterwords. Hopefully, by then, the worst of the dust and dirt problem will be done.

Gallery I

2009-05-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

These are a few of the images that I found interesting.

Wired

2009-05-21T15:39:00.000-07:00

Mick, from Think Electric, spent most of the day cutting holes in the walls and pulling wires through them. He did run into a couple of issues, but was able to solve them quickly.

Large pieces of scrap sheetrock were discovered in the interior wall. It seems some construction workers stash their trash behind walls. Steve stopped by to see how things were progressing. He confessed to having stuffed sheetrock in walls as an apprentice, Of course, he says, he doesn't do that now.

It's the next morning and I'm awaiting the inspector's visit. Nothing can proceed without his OK. Guy, the electrical inspector, was in and out in ten minutes. No complaints about Mick's work. This afternoon, Steve is back to patch all the holes in the walls and ceiling. He works fast. All these guys work fast. We started four days ago. If I was doing the job, I'd still be tearing out cabinets.

Dust to Dust

2009-05-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

As I sit here, writing, it is pouring down rain. Why couldn't Steve, the drywaller work here yesterday when it was 80 degrees? The kitchen is closed off. Sealed off with plastic and tape like the scene of some biological weapon explosion. In order for me to do laundry, I have to go out the front door, around the house, in the garage, and finally to the laundry room. I should've done laundry yesterday when it was warm and sunny and the clothes could dry outside on the line.

Steve is making a big mess with the soffit removal. Old insulation and white dust covers everything in the kitchen. I cringe when I hear him cough. Did I really think that Gary and I could handle that job ourselves? The dust has seeped out into the rest of the house. It's a pain to have to vacuum the dining and living rooms every night. I'll save the dusting until after Steve is done with the drywall.

Out with the Old

2009-05-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Potential energy in the kitchen has been extremely high lately. So much so that I felt the need to remove all the cabinet doors. Unfortunately, the doors were mostly removed when I remembered that I promised someone that I would take before and after pictures. Apologies to you, Sam. Tim, from Built To Last Woodworking, came by and, with much effort, tore out the rest of the well-nailed cabinets.

Gary and I have differing ideas as to how we'll adjust to having no stove, oven, or kitchen sink. The weather's turned warm, so I won't mind eating lots of salads, sandwiches, yogurt and fresh fruit. Gary's visions may include restaurant pizza, burritos and burgers. I'm sure we'll work it out.

Now, we have a cooktop, a fan hood, an antique dishwasher and oven to get rid of. Craigslist, anyone?

Happiness is Glass Knobs

2009-05-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

Another trip to Portland. This time we visited Rejuvenation, purchasing lighting, cabinet knobs, and drawer pulls. All the fixtures we got are retro style new products. Rejuvenation specializes in home parts, old and imitation old. Mid-century, Arts and Crafts, Victorian, they have it all.

The knobs and pulls are emerald green glass. You remember those six-sided glass cupboard knobs? If you do you're at least my age. We thought they would complement the white painted maple cabinets.

One of the light fixtures is called Chase. Hand painted glass cover, kiwi on white. The Cove is a cool looking metal shade to go over the sink. It's a new model so they have to manufacture one for us. It should be here in two weeks. We still need to decide on under cabinet lighting. We're leaning towards xenon. They are cooler and more energy efficient than halogen. Not as energy 'green' as fluorescent, but we've heard from several people that fluorescent light of any color makes granite look bad.

Shiny and New

2009-04-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

Our new faucet came via UPS and the range hood by FedEx. I feel like a bird lining my nest with shiny, new things.
Gary found the stainless steel faucet for a great price because it is a discontinued model. It was shipped from the CSN Store in Boston (small world). This on-line store has an immense number of wonderful, mostly expensive products. There are the occasional good deals for the eagle eyed, like Gary.
There is one faucet I liked better, by the same company, Danze, but it cost a small fortune. Check out the 'Sirius' model for yourself. The model we bought, Parma, will fit our kitchen better. It's 10.5" high and reaches just to the bottom of the window moulding. It really is a thing of beauty. And skookum, too, at 14 pounds.
We weren't sure if the wall mounted, chimney type range hood would work with our low ceilings. After measuring it on the wall, we figure it will look balanced. Gary found the range hood at Euro Kitchen.

Verde Bamboo

2009-04-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

We visited Ele Mar, a granite warehouse in the Portland area. It was like viewing a solidified rainbow. Cobalt blue, brick red, salmon pink, sparkling white and ebony black. If we hadn't been set on green, we would have been overwhelmed. Green Peace, Rainforest, and Turtle Green were a few of the greens we considered, but we fell in love with Verde Bamboo before we ever went to Ele Mar. And you know how it is when you fall in love. Our hearts were with Verde Bamboo. Especially after seeing a full size slab. We had only seen it as a small sample in Eugene. I would describe Verde Bamboo's color as mellow celedon and soft charcoal, with small veins of emerald.

It was interesting to watch how the slabs were moved. A clamp hung from a fork lift was put on to the top of the slab. One man guided the slab along as the fork lift driver moved it away from the stack. They separated a few of the slabs so we could inspect each one. Having been cut from the same piece, they were all similar and at the same time amazingly different.

Ahhhh, Appliances

2009-03-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

There are so many brands and styles of appliances to choose from. Our present refrigerator is a white, standard top freezer model. We bought it at Sears only a year or so ago when our previous one died. Every time we've bought a fridge, it has been out of desperation. I really do miss our old fridge with its enameled metal veggie bins and easy to reach shelves. This new one has thick doors that cause us to bump our heads on the freezer door when we come up from looking in the fridge. I'm sure the designer thought they had remedied this problem by providing pull out shelves. I've had jars fall down in back more than once, so I don't pull them out anymore. Back to head bumps.

I tend toward all white appliances. Gary has different ideas. He wants stainless steel. I caved in and said he could get stainless if he keeps them clean. We'll see how long this agreement lasts. I must get that in writing.

Important to me are appliances that function well, operate quietly (this present fridge has a high pitched whine that unnerves me) and look good. Gary's main focus is looks. He even thought about getting a gas stove because they look nice. I'm the cook and I've been using electric stoves for close to 40 years. Plus our house is not hooked up to gas. But then I guess it's good to consider all possibilities. Anything will be better than a brown 1960 oven, an avocado dishwasher, and a frustrating fridge.

Kitchen Clutter

2009-03-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

Gone are a useless peninsular and hanging cabinet that stuck out limiting our access through the kitchen. If the refrigerator door was open, no one could pass by. Since we had talked about the removal, it was no surprise to Gary when he came home from work and saw the the cabinet sitting on the peninsular countertop. It was a surprise to me that I was able to pry it off the wall and ceiling. Back in 1960, it was nailed up there with huge nails. Prying the cabinet free caused damage to the soffit and wall. Gary helped me detach the countertop and lower cabinet. A craigslist user happily took them off our hands. Now, with the counter gone, Alfie hangs out in front of the microwave. The more cabinetry we remove, the more cluttered the kitchen gets. I've put lots of dishes and other kitchen items in plastic bins. Hopefully, I won't need any of these things for a while. At least until we figure out this kitchen remodel.