bathroom [tile]

Inching closer to the finish as tile begins...

First the shower tile:






Then the Nuheat mat goes down directly on the subfloor:


Schluter DITRA over that:


And finally, the floor tile:

bathroom [planning & material selection]

As you can see by looking at the Redux List on the sidebar, a complete bathroom remodel had been in the works since we purchased the house in 2008. And we had been saving links and pictures of ideas and inspiration along the way. Nonetheless, we still viewed the start date as a year or two away. However, there were two issues that drove this project to the forefront.

We believe the previous owners renovated the bathroom in the early-90s. That meant by the time we moved in, the toilet was approximately 16 years old. Almost from the start, it was apparent that the closet flange had rusted and the toilet was not securely fastened to the waste pipe. Two years later, the tank developed a leak. Although I could have replaced the gaskets and tank bolts, with a remodel down the road, I decided just to order another Toto Aquia. When I pulled the old toilet, the cast iron flange was completely toasted and I couldn't get a replacement ring fastened down because the subfloor did not hug the waste pipe -- so there was nothing solid to fasten it to. I tried my best with some blocking, and it held for a week (or two), but soon loosened again. Plus there were issues with the unique Toto flange adapter and the levelness of our floor such that I was honestly afraid that we would crack the porcelain on the toilet every time we gingerly sat down on it. When the plumber was there to finish the kitchen, he gave me an $800 quote to fix it. No way were we throwing that kind of money into a temporary fix when we knew we were close to a complete gut remodel.

The second issue involved the shower's water valve. It was approximately 16 years old as well and within the last 6 months, had become very temperamental in fully shutting off the water. And I'm not talking a drip (or even a fast drip). I'm talking a low flow stream of water coming from the spout when in the OFF position such that you'd have to turn it back on and off a few times in order to catch it just right. I feared that at any moment, we'd using the angle stop valve (accessible from a small access door in a bedroom closet) to turn the water on and off. Although I didn't get a quote on this repair, I assumed it would be a substantial undertaking and again, we didn't want to dump money into a short-term fix.

So as soon as the lower living room project wrapped up the end of November, we dove head first into planning the main bathroom. It was an intense time to plan a complete bathroom redux. A bullet list will make it easier to digest:

-Went through all our links -- kept the good ones, got rid of the bad ones
-Viewed our inspiration photos and jotted down our favorite ideas in a Word document
-Decided on a contractor (a process I explained in more detail here) and ensured that he was available and could complete the project on our tight timeline
-Visited R.F. Fager & Company, a local bathroom showroom/distributor our contractor works with and started building a materials quote list. Although I had already sourced many of our materials/fixtures, there were still some holes to fill, and I found that working with folks who do this for a living has advantages to simply researching and ordering everything online. In the end, I had a great experience working with Fager's.
-Visited every tile store within 10 miles of our home -- pulled samples from different ones and got prices while we were there
-Visited Fagers, Home Depot, Lowes and Just Cabinets to look at various cabinet options. Every store had something a little different to offer at different price ranges. Obviously some places (Fagers and Just Cabinets) were a bit more knowledgeable than others. Did layouts, got pricing and lead times (so important when you're on a tight timeline) at Home Depot, Fagers and Just Cabinets. Went through a number of redesigns at Fagers and Just Cabinets after meeting with our contractor.
-Visited nearly every countertop fabricator within 30 miles to hunt down a quartz remnant -- ultimately failed at this and ended up deciding on a new slab from Lesher Marble -- the fabricator that installed our kitchen quartz (and the first place we visited)
-Developed a specification list in Word that covered our desired materials, demo, rebuild and design choices. This spec list was heavily edited during the entire planning process and it was used as the main document when I did the walk-through with our contractor so he could develop a quote.
-Finalize material selections (cabinets, fixtures, tile, countertops) and get firm quotes to contractor.
-Review contractor's quote, let the initial shock wear off(!), get back with your contractor on questions/issues/possible cost cutting areas and then sign the contract and cough-up the down payment

Again, this is a bullet list. We hope to discuss more of these in detail in future posts. As we mentioned, the process started in late-November and we signed the contract in mid-January. Ideally, we would have loved to have taken three months to flesh out the details of this project, but the issues above and our second child due in early-March dictated otherwise.

If you've read along this far, we believe you deserve a peek at our final material selections. Shower tile on left. Countertop on left. Floor tile on right. Cabinet (Java Stain on Cherry wood) in back. Along with the various paint options.

bathroom [paint]

Sherwin-Williams 7506 Loggia on the roller.
Dubstep on the Pandora.
And we're good to go for a one-man painting party!

My "sword"


Zinsser Smart Prime


Third (and final) topcoat

bathroom [drywall & kerdi]

Progress on the bathroom remains on schedule. Drywall was hanged and taped on the final day of the first week. The KERDI-BOARD went up the first day of the second week, as did the first coat of drywall mud. Here's what it looks like:





Little foreman on the job (note the OSHA-approved footwear):




Cool to see the shower niche take shape:


KERDI sealed (middle of second week):




True Confession: I miss the open walls. I know drywall = progress (and gets us closer to having a shower again!), but there's nothing to look at anymore. With the open walls, I would go in there when I got home from work and just take it all in. Making mental notes that I hope will come in handy someday.

bathroom [demo & rebuilding]

After nearly two months of intense planning and material selection, the main bathroom renovation is underway! Although we've had a major hand in selecting every last detail down to the angle stop valve, this renovation is being handled by a general contractor, William Kenny, Inc, who I can't recommend highly enough.

With our second child due at the beginning of March, combined with the fact that this is our only full bathroom in the house, there was no way for us to undertake a full (or even partial) DIY renovation. As it is, we are going to be without a shower for all but three weeks, so we figured it would have taken us at least twice that long to complete, probably longer.

Choosing the contractor was actually the easiest part of the entire process. Will had originally been recommended to us by a guy who works for my Dad. Will's crew replaced both our front and back enterance doors (a project I've yet to post about) and did a great job -- they are excellent craftsmen, not simply just contractors. So it just made sense not to waste time going around with two or three contractors to get quotes -- the peace of mind that comes from knowing a job will be done right the first time outweighs a couple thousand bucks in the greater scheme of home ownership.

I'll be back (hopefully soon) with a post summarizing our planning and material selections. And with that, a few pics to document our progress...

Medicine cab mock-up


Plumbing rough-in at vanity


New tub installed


Electrical rough-in


Shower niche framing


Recessed lights installed


Medicine cab framing

kitchen [countertops]

A number of readers have asked about our Cambria White Cliff countertops. We really like them! It's exactly what we were going for -- as pure white as you can get with quartz. However, there are two issues related to markings that need to be shared -- black spots and edge markings.

Black Spots
White Cliff has the potential to show black spots (but we knew that before-hand) -- ours has two.

Here's the background -- The following notice is found on Cambria's website and the back of the sample: "White Cliff™ is a unique, pure white color and can show markings caused during normal use."

I remember reading this just before we signed the contract with our fabricator/installer. Naturally, I needed to know more. Here's the email trail between me and the local fabricator/installer I was working with:

Me: Can you or your Cambria rep give any further insight on this statement -- its rather vague. I understand its a very pure looking color, with hardly any flecks/specks, but the finish itself is the same (as the Whitehall, for instance) and I'm not following how it will mark -- scuff? chips?

Local Fabricator/Installer: The further insight that I can offer you is what Cambri notes on our price list and I have copied and inserted below for you. The White Cliff is just as hard and “scuff proof” as any of the other colors in the line and equally as with the Caesarstone. BUT, we nor Cambria will address any dissatisfaction with regard to their precautions noted below.

White Cliff is an extremely pure bright white that will show markings during normal use. It may contain some small black or other color variations or spots and these should be considered during your layout process and worked around if possible. During the manufacturing process every effort is made to minimize these issues but they can not be totally eliminated. Please take extra care during your inspection and layout process to identify and address these issues.

It is extremely important that you educate your customers and set the correct expectations prior to starting any fabrication! Variation in the natural quartz in all Cambria color, pattern, size, shape and shade are inherent and unique characteristics are to be expected with the product. These variations do not affect product performance. Please be sure to thoroughly inspect all Cambria slabs prior to starting any fabrication. Thank You.

Edge Markings

After using the countertops for a week, we noticed that the edges show markings from where a belt buckle or jeans button would contact it. This is mainly apparent at the sink, where we do most of our leaning against the edge of the counter; but it also appears at any place where we do any amount of prolonged work. The good news is that we are able to wipe off these marks with a Magic Eraser.

Bottom Line
We'd make the same decision again!

Update: Having now lived with the counters for ~5 years, we would not make the same decision. If you'd like more info, drop us an email.

interesting super bowl sunday was had here at kingswood redux
no parties to speak of, as house is in full redux swing
this was supposed to be a day of rest
but it turned out to be a major work day

story begins a week before, when the old maytag dryer stops working mid-cycle
appliance repairman says the motor is blown -- too much to fix

lots of internet research ensued
leading to the purchase of a new matching set

old dryer -- scrap it (via free stuff on craigslist)
old washer -- sold on craigslist
we're big fan of craigslist here

saturday -- the day before the delivery
paint and clean laundry closet
old water valves corroded and must be replaced
big thanks to the inventors of SharkBite
saved me the hassle of soldering
also put down a click-n-lock floor from IKEA that we originally picked up to put down in two closets

super bowl sunday -- delivery day
notice "corner of concern" (seen above) and wonder if the door to the new, front-load washer will open when pushed over against that wall
new set is delivered and the guys couldn't be happier to tell me the door won't open, which means they get to leave everything sit right where it is and hightail it out the door (so they can get home to watch the super bowl, of course)

two options: stack them or remove the corner
after a bit of thinking and a call to my "general contractor" (i.e. dad) the decision is made to remove the corner-- no problem, right?
yeah...except that when I removed the drywall, it became apparent that this corner was actually a load bearing post

4:30 -- two hours to kick-off
quick run to the home depot to get a basement jack
[as a side, let me just add that if you want home depot all to yourself, 4:30 on super bowl sunday is the time to go]
install basement jack

6:00 -- half-hour till kick-off
sawzall support post in middle and use leverage as your friend
pull the bottom of post, realize it was set directly into dirt (some 54 years ago) and has since rotted out -- so it wasn't actually even sitting on anything (or bearing any load)
remove some more drywall so I can cleanly rebuild the opening
grab a bite to eat at some point early in the second quarter

clean up
install new washer and dryer

run a load of towels (!)
rewind to halftime
enjoyed an entertaining halftime show (madonna + lmfao = good fun) and a great second half of football


plan going forward is to build a new corner post in the remaining section of wall that remains

kitchen [counters + running water]

Backtracking a few weeks...

The week between Christmas and New Year's proved to be very productive, as we had our counters installed and welcomed back running water to the kitchen.

We hired out the finish plumbing. Again, not because I couldn't do it, but mainly because I certainly couldn't have done it as well as this:

I almost hate to put doors on the sink cab and cover this beautiful set up!

Finishing work continues on the kitchen; although we've had a bit of a diversion in dealing with the removal of our tile floor in the lower living room. More details to come...when we have a moment to jump on here again!

kitchen [countertop decision]

Cambria's White Cliff (image via Cambria's website)

We started talking kitchen renovation some two years ago. At the time, we were going to use IKEA's black brown cabinets. After deciding on cabs, we went out and looked at a number of countertop options. Two contenders emerged -- Corian and Quartz. Before I could even do any true research on either, my wife fell in love with Caesarstone's Blizzard. And that was it...our decision was made! And the decision was made that easy for the very reason that my wife never has strong preferences in any of the decisions we make for the house renovations. The fact that it was the perfect white for the dark cabs didn't hurt either. So we got a couple quotes and put them in our pocket for when we'd be ready for counters.

Let's just say those quotes stayed in our pockets through many washes! As I've mentioned before, our first child came along and put the brakes on a major kitchen renovation -- kinda hard to fiddle around in your house when you have a small little human who needs all of your attention, which was happily given, I'll add. 

So when we finally got the little man somewhat figured out and started to focus on the renovation again, a few things changed -- namely the cabinets, as we decided to go with IKEA's high-gloss gray and white (ABSTRAKT). When the time came to consider counters again, I simply sent out a few requests on the Caesarstone Blizzard, in order to get some updated numbers. As a side, I was amazed by the differences in the quotes I got back, as there was a $2,300 margin between the highest and lowest quotes, with the rest falling somewhere in between. Even more puzzling was that the two lowest quotes were actually given by the companies who I knew would produce the highest quality install, which is just as important as the counter material chosen.

After choosing a company to work with, I started to review their proposal and it occured to me that we should probably visit the showroom again (duh!), with our new doors and backsplash intact, and take a look at the Blizzard against them. Well...let's just say Blizzard was the first color we eliminated. In sum, it wasn't the perfect white for the high-gloss whites and grays. We went through all of the quartz samples (from the various companies) and had a hard time deciding between Caesarstone's Pure White and Cambria's White Cliff, which was the whitest of the two. So I asked for prices on both. Turns out the Cambria product is all but a $1,000 less than the Caesarstone Pure White. And Cambria is manufactured in the United States (maybe the overseas shipping accounts for the price difference between the two?), so it has that added "green" value to it.

So the decison was made -- White Cliff.    

kitchen [starting to feel real]

The kitchen has been a mess ever since I removed the old railing almost two years ago. We delayed the kitchen renovation last year this time to focus on the birth of our first child. At some point after everyone put up the new 2011 calenders, I got the redux bug again. Sometime in early-Spring, I worked up a design board and presented our initial design here. That design went through a number of changes and we finally got the kitchen ordered in late-Summer and delivered in early-Fall. About half of them are built and waiting patiently in our garage for the big install -- but that's still a few weeks off.

Even with all of that activity, it wasn't until this past Saturday, when my dad and I removed one of the existing wall cabinets (for the new window install) and then started to rework a bunch of the electric, that this feeling came over me that this whole kitchen redux is actually going to happen. At some point this week, Angie and I both said: "Wow...this feels real!"  

And that feeling was only intensified today when I arrived home from work to this:

That's a newly installed Pella 350 Series casement window, for those following along at home.

We hope to finish the new electrical this weekend, begin some drywall demo and then take a serious look at the remainder of the DIY work schedule to put in place a plan that will keep us in a somewhat working kitchen until all the little pieces can fall into place so that we're ready for the new cabinet install. My plan is to blog as many of the little steps along the way as I have time to. Stay tuned...

[modern] cornhole

So the kid is turning one and we needed another yard game for his party. Wanted to go with a classic -- cornhole. Located a detailed set of DIY instructions and went to work! Everything except the hardware was sourced from my garage -- leftover birch plywood from a nursery project and 2x4s that were actually left behind by the previous owner.


I wanted to go with a classic, modern look for the board -- using walnut stain on the birch (finished with a water-based, semi-gloss poly) and high-gloss white paint on the frame and legs. I considered making it primary red or blue for the kids, but something inside me yearned for a more modern and timeless cornhole board!

I was planning on making two boards, as the instructions call for, but decided that we really had no need for two -- we'll simply have a foul line marked by a stick (or some other item laying around the backporch), make the tosses, retrieve the cornhole bags and then make the long (27 foot) walk back to the foul line. [Cornhole purists around the world shudder.] Official rules here.

My wife was tasked with making the cornhole bags...but life took over, the party date was nearing and we decided just to order them. We're very impressed with the color and quality of the ones we purchased.

And the best part...

The newly-minted one-year-old approves! Good times.

Modern Stairs

Modern stairs come in a wide array of shapes, materials and designs. And I've seen some amazing ones out there on the interwebs -- too many to even think about listing. The photos below happen to be our inspiration shots for stairs that we believe look beautiful, are designed well and work within our modest modern renovation scheme. 

Unfortunately, I don't have credits or sources for either of these photos. We're leaning toward the bottom design and I have requests for estimates out now -- one using walnut, another using oak (that would be stained a walnut or ebony color).

Before I go, I should also mention the finish of the wall around the stairs, as seen above. It brings the wall flush (or almost flush) with the stair casing. Here's a better detail shot of that, and another great set of stairs, from the guys over at BUILD Blog:

This look is achieved using a shadow bead or "Z" reveal mold on the edge of your drywall. I'm planning to use this molding throughout the kitchen redux and hope to provide more detail -- from a DIY perspective, of course -- once the project gets underway.

Modern Guardrails

The latest on the kitchen redux is that we are still in the planning stages. The good news is that I received an email from IKEA yesterday announcing a new kitchen sale that runs through August 21, 2011 -- so I'm confident we'll make that deadline.

The backstory on our lack of progress is that after posting our initial design on the IKEAFANS site, I only received one response. However, it proved to be a very important one. A kind FAN suggested that we move a window to achieve a more beneficial layout. I agreed and went to work to see how realistic it would be to complete. Moving a window is something that I have no time or desire to complete myself, so I need to call in a few contractors for quotes. We're also thinking about having a short run of stairs up to the kitchen rebuilt, so I'd like the contractor to include that in the quote as well. Finally, we need to come up with a modern guardrail solution for the kitchen, and I'd like to float those ideas past the contractors as well.

So that required us to sit down and come up with an idea of the look we're hoping to achieve with the new guardrail. Although I've been collecting inspiration shots over the past couple of years, there are pros and cons to all of them, especially when you throw in an extremely mobile 10 month old (who will only grow older and more mobile).

Here's our current space:
For those looking to get your bearings, you're standing in our "lower living room" looking up to the kitchen. The short run of three stairs is to your left and the lower living room's drop ceiling is visible at the top of the picture. The wood paneling will be replaced with drywall during the kitchen remodel. At some point, I hope to build a floating desk on that short wall.

Here are some inspiration shots that we're considering, along with our thoughts on each:

Glass w/ Stainless or Aluminum Hardware
Pros: Will create sense of openness between kitchen and living room, making the small kitchen feel larger; love the look of the exposed hardware
Cons: Glass + Toddler(s) = Never Clean; although I haven't priced this out yet, I get the sense that this is one of the more expensive routes to take

Plexiglass or 3form 
Pros: Creates sense of openness; still a big fan of the exposed hardware; depending on finish, easier to keep clean than glass; suspect plexi is cheaper than glass
Cons: Although not fully researched, I suspect these materials are more susceptible to scratching, 3form is expensive and not easily sourced

Cable w/ Stainless or Aluminum Hardware
Pros: Nice, clean, modern look; creates sense of openness; easy to clean, may be more economical than glass
Cons: Horizontal Rails + Toddler(s) = Climbing Hazard (although I have some ideas for temporary covers/guards to thwart any climbing)

Aluminum Fence-like Divider
Pros: Modern look; safe; probably the most economical choice
Cons: Not as clean looking as other options; creates a more closed-in feeling

Aluminum, Steel or either material combined with wood

Pros: Vertical balusters are possible, which eliminates the climbing hazard; clean, simple look that creates openness between the rooms 

Cons: I suspect custom fabrication would be required here -- run for the hills (unless you know someone or are willing to learn to weld yourself!)

I'll be back at some point with some inspiration shots for the stairs. In the meantime, drop a comment with your thoughts, ideas, resources and links on modern guardrail solutions.