Let's Talk Remodeling

[Galahad]

Thanks! I am happy with how it is all turning out. It's difficult to visualize when you are picking everying out.

No we didn't paint behind the cabinets. In fact that is the soon-to-be-former paint as a new gold color is going up tomorrow (thanks to DH).

Absolutely great!!!

I know what you mean about visualizing it. DW designed our whole project and drew it out with design software and everything and there was still so much I couldn't "see" until it was done.

 

[BillSears]

I just got my new stove...and of course it doesn't fit.

I knew I would need to get a gas line installed to the area before I could use the range but I thought I would be able to plug the electric in and use the oven. But the electric plug on the wall is in a bad position for this stove and the stove won't slide all the way back flush with the wall until I move the plug to a different spot. I guess now I need a plumber for the gas line and an electrician to slide the plug over 4 inches.

Are you guys sure this is worth it?

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Miss Jasmine, your backsplash looks wonderful! You're almost done!

Can't wait to see the after-paint pictures!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I just got my new stove...and of course it doesn't fit.

Oh, no!

I knew I would need to get a gas line installed to the area before I could use the range but I thought I would be able to plug the electric in and use the oven. But the electric plug on the wall is in a bad position for this stove and the stove won't slide all the way back flush with the wall until I move the plug to a different spot. I guess now I need a plumber for the gas line and an electrician to slide the plug over 4 inches.

Are you guys sure this is worth it?

It really is! You'll see!

 

[BillSears]

Oh, no!

Maybe it's not as bad as I thought! I took a look at the plug box and since it's just mounted on the wall and not screwed into a stud I decided to move it myself. So I took care of it and now the stove fits...mostly. The drawer right not to the stove only opens when the stove door is open now. I guess it's time to get new cabinets!!!!

Actually cabinets and countertops were next on my list and I'll probably get them right after I get back from WDW in September.

So, any recommendations on places for cabinets and countertops? I was thinking of doing Home Depot or Lowes but the contractor I'm currently working with also does cabinets.

 

[mickeysgal]

Has anyone done travertine in a bathroom - on the floor and on the walls of the tub? Do you think its too slippery when wet? It has a nice smooth matte finish. Is it too delicate and would it crack easily? I know it has to be sealed. As pretty as it is, is it a realistic product for a bathroom?

We looked at some yesterday in 12 inch squares and I do like it. I also found some 1x1's on a mesh backing that we can use to create a feature strip around the tub. We'd like to use the 1/16th spacers so there is very little grout involved.

The guy at the store said that it can be used on both the floor and the wall.

 

[FroggyinArk]

Maybe it's not as bad as I thought! I took a look at the plug box and since it's just mounted on the wall and not screwed into a stud I decided to move it myself. So I took care of it and now the stove fits...mostly. The drawer right not to the stove only opens when the stove door is open now. I guess it's time to get new cabinets!!!!

Actually cabinets and countertops were next on my list and I'll probably get them right after I get back from WDW in September.

So, any recommendations on places for cabinets and countertops? I was thinking of doing Home Depot or Lowes but the contractor I'm currently working with also does cabinets.

ok to avoid confliuct between me (lowes specialist) and the home depot specialist moderator here (obi wan) i'll say that 90 % of the time site built makes for a smoother job, easier to adjust to your space...

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Has anyone done travertine in a bathroom - on the floor and on the walls of the tub? Do you think its too slippery when wet? It has a nice smooth matte finish. Is it too delicate and would it crack easily? I know it has to be sealed. As pretty as it is, is it a realistic product for a bathroom?

We looked at some yesterday in 12 inch squares and I do like it. I also found some 1x1's on a mesh backing that we can use to create a feature strip around the tub. We'd like to use the 1/16th spacers so there is very little grout involved.

The guy at the store said that it can be used on both the floor and the wall.

I have it on the floors and the shower walls of my secondary bathroom, as well as in the hallway, around my fireplace, and edging the wood in my entryway. I made sure to put two rugs down on the floor, and one happens to be right outside of the tub.

You do have to be very, very careful to keep it sealed, and you also have to be careful not to buy inexpensive travertine that has a lot of fillers in it. The fillers can come out under heavy foot traffic, and will become the perfect breeding ground.

We actually wipe down the shower stall after each use to avoid any issues. I also make sure the kids do this, since we have Absolute Black granite inserts, and I don't want water stains on them. It's been up for over a year, and still looks great.

Here is an album of the remodel. I forgot to start taking pictures until the tile was up on the shower wall, but there is a close-up of it in there: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/smbno...://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/smbnobles/my_photos

 

[mickeysgal]

I have it on the floors and the shower walls of my secondary bathroom, as well as in the hallway, around my fireplace, and edging the wood in my entryway. I made sure to put two rugs down on the floor, and one happens to be right outside of the tub.

You do have to be very, very careful to keep it sealed, and you also have to be careful not to buy inexpensive travertine that has a lot of fillers in it. The fillers can come out under heavy foot traffic, and will become the perfect breeding ground.

We actually wipe down the shower stall after each use to avoid any issues. I also make sure the kids do this, since we have Absolute Black granite inserts, and I don't want water stains on them. It's been up for over a year, and still looks great.

Here is an album of the remodel. I forgot to start taking pictures until the tile was up on the shower wall, but there is a close-up of it in there: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/smbno...://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/smbnobles/my_photos

Beautiful! You know I love that bathroom - especially that vanity.

I guess I didn't remember that it was travertine. On your wall tile with the granite inserts, did the tile come with the clipped edges or did your contractor clip them himself? I hesitate to try it ourselves as I'd want to make sure that the clips are exactly the same otherwise you'd have more grout on one side of the insert than the other. That would drive me nuts.

Also, how did you end the travertine where the tub tile area stops and your regular painted wall starts? So far I haven't seen travertile bullnose. The travertine we're looking at has a raw edge to the tile. I can't look at that unfinished like that.

Thanks for the tip about the fillers. I would have never known that.

 

[Syrreal]

I'm joining this thread. We just bought a house and will def be doing some remodeling since a good chunk of the stuff in it is original (1979)

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Beautiful! You know I love that bathroom - especially that vanity.

I guess I didn't remember that it was travertine. On your wall tile with the granite inserts, did the tile come with the clipped edges or did your contractor clip them himself? I hesitate to try it ourselves as I'd want to make sure that the clips are exactly the same otherwise you'd have more grout on one side of the insert than the other. That would drive me nuts.

Also, how did you end the travertine where the tub tile area stops and your regular painted wall starts? So far I haven't seen travertile bullnose. The travertine we're looking at has a raw edge to the tile. I can't look at that unfinished like that.

Thanks for the tip about the fillers. I would have never known that.

The tiler did the cuts for the inserts. They also honed the edges, so that they looked bull-nosed. I still have to find the name of that tile guy for you, on Gardenweb!

I'm pretty sure the guys who did the travertine (which is more difficult to lay than ceramic or porcelain tile because of its irregular thickness), are the same ones who installed my granite. These guys are good.

And... I found out about the fillers after I'd purchased my travertine. We have had a few pit on us, but they're on the floor of the hallway that goes into my office. It's a heavily traveled area, so it figures it'd happen there. I need to buy the filler and it's something on my to-do list, but my to-do list is very neglected lately!

ETA: This is what it looks like when it pits out. Notice the hole a little left of the center; it looks gray. It doesn't go all the way through, but it's where the filler is gone. I've heard of some people who've tiled their whole homes, and it's looked like termites have gotten to it! Can you imagine???!!!!???? Can you imagine the grime that could grow in one of those holes if it happened in the shower? Ugh.

 

[shovan]

Okay here are the latest. Tomorrow it will be done (except for a small hole in the ceiling from the old light fixture).

New light fixture!

And now the bar stools and backsplash (you can also sorta see the cabinet hardware, you can't really see the design running through the knobs and handles, I'll have to take better):

Tomorrow DH paints!

MissJasmine, That looks wonderful!!! Love those lights, can you tell me about them? Is it track lighting? Where did you find them?

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I'm joining this thread. We just bought a house and will def be doing some remodeling since a good chunk of the stuff in it is original (1979)

Welcome!

 

[shovan]

I have it on the floors and the shower walls of my secondary bathroom, as well as in the hallway, around my fireplace, and edging the wood in my entryway. I made sure to put two rugs down on the floor, and one happens to be right outside of the tub.

You do have to be very, very careful to keep it sealed, and you also have to be careful not to buy inexpensive travertine that has a lot of fillers in it. The fillers can come out under heavy foot traffic, and will become the perfect breeding ground.

We actually wipe down the shower stall after each use to avoid any issues. I also make sure the kids do this, since we have Absolute Black granite inserts, and I don't want water stains on them. It's been up for over a year, and still looks great.

Here is an album of the remodel. I forgot to start taking pictures until the tile was up on the shower wall, but there is a close-up of it in there: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/smbno...://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/smbnobles/my_photos

I'm wondering now, if travertine might not be the best choice for us in the bathroom. Since we'll have so much tiled & it we'll be a wet room type floor plan. I sure don't want to have to be drying the whole room every time it gets wet. My contractor had mentioned travertine for the bathroom though, so I'll talk to him about it.

We went to the cabinet shop on Friday & they did a quickie computer sketch of the vanity. He is going to talk with their builder to decide if we'll be able to do it semi-custom or if we'll have to do it totally custom built. It sounds like custom built will almost double the cost! We want to make the sink area handicap accessible but not have it look like it. We're planning on a cabinet under the sink with doors that will open wide allowing DH to pull under the sink.

There sure are a lot of choices of finishes available. I think we are going to go with either a dark cherry with a black glaze or an aged black finish. We are going to try to somewhat replicate the antique bedroom set that we have. It's a dark cherry but I think the black is really pretty and would
also look nice. Anyway, it's fun to be able to start making these decisions!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I'm wondering now, if travertine might not be the best choice for us in the bathroom. Since we'll have so much tiled & it we'll be a wet room type floor plan. I sure don't want to have to be drying the whole room every time it gets wet. My contractor had mentioned travertine for the bathroom though, so I'll talk to him about it.

My contractor told me to just make sure that it always has a good coat of sealant on it, because it is porous. I do periodic checks (it's not our main bathroom, but my girls shower in there) to make sure that the shower tile doesn't have any pitting on it.

I think the only reason that happened where it happened, because that is one of the most traveled walkways in our home. I would just make sure not to go the cheap route buying the tile, and keep it sealed if there is going to be water involved. And of course, listen to your contractor, and not me.

We went to the cabinet shop on Friday & they did a quickie computer sketch of the vanity. He is going to talk with their builder to decide if we'll be able to do it semi-custom or if we'll have to do it totally custom built. It sounds like custom built will almost double the cost! We want to make the sink area handicap accessible but not have it look like it. We're planning on a cabinet under the sink with doors that will open wide allowing DH to pull under the sink.

That's a cool idea! It seems like they'd just be able to remove the shelving and maybe have doors that slide inside of the cabinet?

There sure are a lot of choices of finishes available. I think we are going to go with either a dark cherry with a black glaze or an aged black finish. We are going to try to somewhat replicate the antique bedroom set that we have. It's a dark cherry but I think the black is really pretty and would
also look nice. Anyway, it's fun to be able to start making these decisions!

I think both finishes sound like they'd be beautiful! I love black furniture (you've seen my vanity!), and I also have two pieces in my living room. One has a red undercoat, and the other has a gold undercoat. You can see hints of the color where the black is rubbed off. I love that look!

 

[shovan]

My contractor told me to just make sure that it always has a good coat of sealant on it, because it is porous. I do periodic checks (it's not our main bathroom, but my girls shower in there) to make sure that the shower tile doesn't have any pitting on it.

I think the only reason that happened where it happened, because that is one of the most traveled walkways in our home. I would just make sure not to go the cheap route buying the tile, and keep it sealed if there is going to be water involved. And of course, listen to your contractor, and not me.



That's a cool idea! It seems like they'd just be able to remove the shelving and maybe have doors that slide inside of the cabinet?



I think both finishes sound like they'd be beautiful! I love black furniture (you've seen my vanity!), and I also have two pieces in my living room. One has a red undercoat, and the other has a gold undercoat. You can see hints of the color where the black is rubbed off. I love that look!

Well, even though my contractor is a "tile guy", there is no better test than someone who has put it in their own home! So it wouldn't be very smart to not think about what you've said about it!

You know, I saw a pic of a cabinet like that with the doors that slid in, and we forgot to mention it! I have to call them with exact measurements so I'll discuss that. Thanks for thinking of it!!!

Those furniture pieces sound really pretty, I'd love that with the red underneath. But talk about custom! I can't imagine what a finish like that would cost.


Miss Jasmine, I had also wanted to ask if you had any other source of general lighting in your kitchen? Can you share some details about the lighting in there?

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Well, even though my contractor is a "tile guy", there is no better test than someone who has put it in their own home! So it wouldn't be very smart to not think about what you've said about it!

You know, I saw a pic of a cabinet like that with the doors that slid in, and we forgot to mention it! I have to call them with exact measurements so I'll discuss that. Thanks for thinking of it!!!

Every now and then I'll come up with a good idea. They're scary though. They usually end up costing me money!

Those furniture pieces sound really pretty, I'd love that with the red underneath. But talk about custom! I can't imagine what a finish like that would cost.

I can't imagine that it would cost any more than a glaze, because it's sort of the opposite, I think. I think the piece is painted one color (brick red, in my case), then the main color is applied over it, and rubbed off in areas.

But what do I know... I'm not good with paint techniques of any kind. My kitchen was originally supposed to be glazed. I tried it on one door and gave up.

 

[shovan]

Every now and then I'll come up with a good idea. They're scary though. They usually end up costing me money!



I can't imagine that it would cost any more than a glaze, because it's sort of the opposite, I think. I think the piece is painted one color (brick red, in my case), then the main color is applied over it, and rubbed off in areas.

But what do I know... I'm not good with paint techniques of any kind. My kitchen was originally supposed to be glazed. I tried it on one door and gave up.

Yes, my ideas usually do the same thing, cost even more money! My DH is always saying that no matter what it is, cars, floors or even food, that I have some kind of radar that sends me straight to the most expensive stuff!

 

[ColoradoBuffaloMom]

I have to join this thread also. We bought our house new in 1989 and have done very little to update it. now I'm on a redecorating tear and have talked to an interior decorator, hardwood floor people and to a painter. Ugh this is overwhelming!

 

[mickeysgal]

The tiler did the cuts for the inserts. They also honed the edges, so that they looked bull-nosed. I still have to find the name of that tile guy for you, on Gardenweb!

I'm pretty sure the guys who did the travertine (which is more difficult to lay than ceramic or porcelain tile because of its irregular thickness), are the same ones who installed my granite. These guys are good.

And... I found out about the fillers after I'd purchased my travertine. We have had a few pit on us, but they're on the floor of the hallway that goes into my office. It's a heavily traveled area, so it figures it'd happen there. I need to buy the filler and it's something on my to-do list, but my to-do list is very neglected lately!

ETA: This is what it looks like when it pits out. Notice the hole a little left of the center; it looks gray. It doesn't go all the way through, but it's where the filler is gone. I've heard of some people who've tiled their whole homes, and it's looked like termites have gotten to it! Can you imagine???!!!!???? Can you imagine the grime that could grow in one of those holes if it happened in the shower? Ugh.

We were going to lay this tile ourselves but DH definitely has never polished the edges of tile to make it look like bullnose. And I also didn't notice an irregular thickness to the box of sample tile we brought home.

No, I can't imagine having a house full of tile where so much filler has come out that it looks like termite damage!! You'd find me in a corner crying if that was the case.

You've got me rethinking this whole travertine idea now. It is in the basement bathroom. I doubt we'll ever use the tub/shower much, but still...

I'm so glad you've responded with all these tips about travertine. Thank you! Its beautiful, but I also have to wonder if it is really worth it. Would you have done it the same way if given the chance?