The saga of The Kitchen Remodel from Hell could fill about 800 pages (I’m happy to provide more info upon request :). Boiled down, I ripped kitchen down to studs about three years ago, did some work, then stalled out due to injury/finances/blecchy life stuff, etc.
Now I’m ready to start again. Finances are sucky, but I do own a lot of nice construction tools and much of the wood/hardware materials that are needed to get going. I possess good-to-very-good DIY skills. Input is very much appreciated!
The house is about 90 years old. The kitchen is an add-on, about 12’ x 9’ and probably 50-65 years-old. What needs to be done:
-New ceiling
-Two wall replacements
-Electrical
-New subfloor and flooring
-New cabinets, countertops, and sink
**Is this the best order in which to proceed?
Ceiling: a high ceiling, plaster, a 5’ x 5’ piece is starting to come down. Remainder is in poor condition, but not sagging. My thinking is to go one of these ways:
1). Knock out just the sagging area of ceiling. Hang 2x4s about 5" lower from existing ceiling, then install beadboard stripping that matches the house’s wainscotting.
2). Knock out just the sagging chunk. Install plywood over the plaster, then hire an expert to drywall the ceiling. However, the plaster is uneven (because it’s plaster) and the rafters have some wood rot (and the whole house is out of whack, plumb and level-wise). Therefore, either the plywood or drywall layer would have to be leveled out (?)
3) Knock entire plaster ceiling out, then proceed with installing new substrate over the old rafters. (This is a hideous, filthy job that I’m not keen about doing).
Walls: Of the two walls that were okay, on one I installed beadboard paneling from floor to 4’, keeping theold plaster from the chair-rail to ceiling and then beadboarded the other wall, which had been plywooded underneath, from floor to ceiling. My thinking on the remaining problem walls (both of which will eventually be the wall/base cupboards and worktops areas):
1). Install plywood, then beadboard panel from floor-to-ceiling.
How do I keep the two wall outlets I want to retain? Do I take out the old box, pull the wiring forward, install a new box flush with the plywood and paneling, then let the electrician finish? Or do I cut out a window in the wall layers and let the expert worry about it?
Electrical: (See question above as well). I need safer and more convenient outlets throughout the kitchen and a few outlets need to go away. Am I thinking correctly here?:
1). Take unwanted plugs and boxes, then cap the wires (I know how to do this) before I fix the two remaining walls. Electrician will run new wiring from basement (easy access/all house’s wiring runs from basement) and cut through new walls to sink boxes (?).
Floor: original floor was hardwood and has been covered in three layers of crappy linoleum throughout the years (the asbestos kind that is glued down and nearly impossible to pry off). The floor is not level, though I’ve seen far worse in old houses. My idea is to:
- Lay down plywood subfloor over existing flooring(s), levelling it as best I can (I’ve done this project in a past house). Then, I will bribe my professional tiler brother to pour leveler liquid over the plywood and lay ceramic tile.
**How important is it to have the subfloor absolutely level for this method? Brother says the leveling compound method is very forgiving . . .
Cabinets, countertops, and sink: I’m going to buy from a discount warehouse; I know how to hang the cabinets and install the bases. I’ll pay experts to do countertops and plumb in the sink.
