Kitchen Remodel - Day 49 to 64 February 20th to March 6th

It's been weeks of spackling and sanding.  Even at this very moment Bruce is still sanding. Here's how the time has gone:

Saturday, February 20th

We actually took a day off and went to Pasadena to Quilt Con.  I have the best hubby in the world that he takes me to these things.  I'm still not good at driving too far towards LA.  The show is put on by The Modern Quilt Guild.  Unlike local guilds they are nationwide; this year their show was here, next it will be in Georgia.  They have a local chapter here in Ventura; I'm going to try to go to a meeting tomorrow night.  Bruce liked it better than most shows just because the quilts were very modern and artistic.  

Sunday, February 21st

Rain's coming so Bruce spend the morning spraying weeds in the backyard.  It's mostly weeds now.

Got the first layer of patch over the protruding drain pipe in the wall.  As I told you previously, the drain pipe was not centered in the stud space.  "Their" original fix was small pipes and a lot of duct tape.  Without tearing up the slab, breaking into the exterior wall all that could be down is to let the pipe protrude into the drywall. 

Monday, February 22nd to Friday 26th

Bruce just worked on layers of spackle.  After reading and watching a lot on the Internet he decided to try the premixed spackle.  It takes a LOT longer to dry than the 40 minute powered stuff he usually uses.   In one of our many trips to the hardware store we found a new fiberglass tape for the sheet rock seams.  He said it goes on much better than the mess or the paper BUT it's fiberglass and he ended up with all those little fibers in his hands.  And it's not a job you can do with gloves on.

We shopped around and picked out a faucet we like.  Not an easy thing to do.  Most of the new ones have the hand on the right side of the faucet.  If you have a dish in your right hand and want to scrap food off it into the garbage disposal on the left, you have to reach over with your left hand and end up getting your left arm wet.  People just don't think these things through.  Most would say, I'm right handed so that works.  Having the handle on the top of the faucet lets you turn it on with either hand and not reach through the running water.

Friday night we babysat for Molly while Alissa had a Thirty-One Gifts party.  Did you know she was selling this stuff.  Great bags and other stuff.  I'm really loving all my things.  Check it out:  https://www.mythirtyone.com/AlissaStrouse 

Saturday, February 27th

Bruce got the electrical outlets wired and in.  Of course, more spackling and sanding.

Cabinet sample color

Met with Ronni at the Kitchen Places where we ordered our cabinets.  They're right on schedule and the cabinets will arrive on March 16th; bar any snow storms on the east coast. She had a set of schematics for the cabinet installation.  Bruce was thrilled that they offered the help.  Pretty much the way he was going to do things, but there were a few things that will help.

Stopped by a tile place looking for back splash and flooring tiles.  Really need a sample of the cabinets and picking a counter top before we choose the other.

Sunday, February 28th and the Morning of February 29th

Spackling and sanding.  Add to this me scrapping mastic off the concrete.  Trying to get rid of all the old stuff so the new will lay down smoothly.

Monday, February 29th to Wednesday, March 2nd

Picked up Molly from daycare at noon.  She's going to be spending 3 days with us, while Nick collects on his Christmas present from Alissa and they go to Monterey.

We had a great time.  Molly's a great kid, but she is 4 and so full of energy.  Tuesday, her day without school, we went to the Fun Zone.  What a great place!  Lots of kids and things to play with and climb on.  You just pay for the kids and the adults get in for free and you can stay as long as you like.  Even bring food in.  There's tables and chairs plus Wi-fi and couches for the adults.  Molly and I played air hockey.

Needless to say, there was not much done on the kitchen during these 3 days.  Bruce did get more spackling and sanding done while she was at school on Wednesday.

Thursday, March 3rd and Friday 4th

Today is my brother's 71st birthday.  Happy Birthday, Jack.  It's also our niece's "Gotcha Day".  That was the day they left Warsaw with their adopted 4 year old Veronika Rose. She's been a delightful addition to the family ever since.

More spackling and sanding.  Or sanding and spackling. Layer after layer.  We did mark out where the cabinets go, so he's not wasting time making those area perfect.  The biggest and hardest area is the ceiling.  He hates when you can see where the ridge is if you don't get it feathered out just right.

Saturday, March 5th

I missed the fun while I was getting my hair cut.  Bruce took down the "wall" of plastic. Before he had it completely down Nick and Molly showed up to help.  He had promised Molly she could help.  And apparently she did.  Once the 1X3's were on the floor she used a crowbar to pull the base from the uprights.  Wish I had pictures.  Then she spent time in the garage hammer the nails down so the points were protruding.  She was just putting away her hammer in her own little tool box when I got home.  Such a cutie!

Bruce and I set up a mock up dining area to see how things will lay out.  He needs to get the dining room lights in so we can paint from the kitchen ceiling out into the dining area. Lots of decisions to make. The biggest is what about Dad's dining table (at Alissa's temporarily).  And actually it was Dad's grandmothers.  It's a beautiful table and they just don't make them that well anymore.  But it's no one's style.  Plus I've never EVER had my own dining table.  Just hand me downs. I'm ready. Since we brought out the kitchen into the dining area, we need a narrower table anyway.

Having the "wall" down, we can better visualize everything. Really pleased at how the change in the entry wall turned out.  We took out about 10" of the upper part of the wall and brought the lower out another 12"  making a "cutout" of about 24" for the eating counter. You can see on the picture on the right where the entry tile and wood from the dining area meet, that's where the wall used to stop.

Sunday, March 6th

Finished up with a little sanding.  Mopped the walls to get all the dust off.  First coat of primary on 3 1/2 walls and the ceiling.  We ran out before finishing.  New sheet rock really soaks up the paint.  

Nine days before the cabinets arrive.  YEA!!!  Another coat of primer and then a first coat of color.  There really isn't going to much wall color.  A bit around and above the window, the edges where the cabinets end at the end of the two side walls and the dining room side of the bar wall around to the entry.  Oh, and behind where the refrigerator.  Just painting it the Antique White that's in the rest of the front of the house.  It has a light yellow appearance to it.  Going to tile from the counter up to the top of the cabinets.