Current State of the Kitchen:
I didn't really intend to touch the kitchen for a long time. It's totally functional. I REALLY wanted to prioritize getting the enormous clawfoot tub working upstairs so we can shower/bathe up there first. But as each plumber had a different answer and the days went by...
It all started when I decided I couldn't wait on pulling up the carpet in the kitchen because of the smell, and my inability to clean up the 5 raw scrambled eggs/milk I spilled on it on Day 2.
So I decided to rip up the carpet and just paint the subfloor until I am ready to "do" the kitchen.
The girls loved helping me. It smells better. Great. Grab some no-VOC floor paint and good to go.
NOT.
1st trip to Ben Moore:
Gotta get rid of mold/mildew/stains first or it will show and even get worse. They say to replace the plywood.
Trip to Lowes:
Priced plywood, hardwood, laminate, pergo, hardwood, everything. Never mind, I'm just going to paint it. Lowes Paint Lady said you need to treat stains first so they don't grow (need toxic chemicals, respirators, gloves, and to not be pregnant with 3 kids), then use Kilz primer (need toxic chemicals, respirators, gloves, and to not be pregnant with 3 kids), then you can use whatever floor paint you want. Great. $50 and I'm in business.
Except I can't use this stuff. And I forgot the respirators/gloves for Excellent Strong Man. (If you haven't watched Courtship of Eddie's Father do so now.)
Discussing process with ESM (husband):
"You know you really should paint the walls before we do the floor."
REALLY? I have no idea even what color I want the kitchen.
Next trip to Ben Moore:
Choose and purchase wall paint and painting supplies. Good thing they have trains and dollhouses for kids. Forget putty and spackling.
Another Trip to Lowes:
They do NOT have toys for kids at Lowes. Decide I'd like a beadboard backsplash instead of the flat Formica to paint over. Only $50. Excellent.
Bring wood panels home to ESM. Not thrilled, but accepting.
This afternoon, we did this to the Formica. Backsplash to prepare for the wood panelling:
This is really hard. And sharp. But it seems to go well for a while.
Then it gets harder:
And Daddy (ESM) shows up and starts criticizing our work. "You're destroying the wall!"
Oh.
Then Miss Smarty Pants shown above on the counters says, "Mom, you're going to ruin this whole kitchen!"
Ok fine, we'll just go over what's there. Arch wants to put it up tonight, which means he starts sawing panelling and I tuck the little smarties in bed and head to Lowes.
I've lived here two weeks and the people at Lowes know me. One guy actually followed me around answered my questions as I went down the list, and the lumber guys (who had already answered like 5 questions for me) who were restocking came to check on me when they heard me drop a piece of 1x2. At 9:45pm.
I closed down Lowes. Arch was still sawing when I got home.
Looking forward to reinforcements coming tomorrow!!
Still no working tub.
1 comment:
I chuckled through this whole post. One year when Coty was on a long international trip, I ripped the carpet off my studio floor - could no longer stand the dark green, ugly, dirty carpet. It didn't have mold, so no bad chemicals, but I sanded and patched and sanded some more and then painted it with light gray porch floor paint. I loved it. Some bumps and rough spots showed but I didn't care. 6 months later it got covered over with hardwood. But for that 6 months, my no longer carpeted floor made me happy. I imagine you'll be very glad not to have carpet on the kitchen floor!
All the best with your renovations. I expect you'll get to know those Lowes folks very well in the next couple of years.
Love to all!
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