Let's Talk Remodeling

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Syrreal, looks beautiful! I love the slate!

Shovan, congrats! You're due for some smooth sailing!

Bill, can't wait to see the pictures! We'll all be impatiently waiting.

 

[mickeysgal]

We've been switching out all the brass to brushed nickel and I think it's going to look tacky if we have brushed nickel hardware, and then the brass. It doesn't look like it's something that will come up easily without damaging the travertine in the entryway.

So... due to this, we have all brushed nickel hardware in the interior, and brass still on all exterior doors. We're styling.

Ok - this is just a question and it may be a very dumb one at that. It wouldn't be my first one and it certainly won't be the last. When you sprayed your lights in your bathroom to change them from brass to nickle, couldn't you do the same with this threshhold without having to tear it up and possibly damaging the travertine? Or will it take too much wear and tear that you think it will peel away?

We've been busy changing hardware also. I didn't know I could change doorknobs - I have a new talent! I call myself the Doorknob Queen.

When you changed your knobs from the brass, did you change the hinges also? What about the door stops? I think we may try to live with the hinges since most of them are so worn that they don't look bright brass anyway. The doorstops are another matter... I think we're going to have to change them.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Ok - this is just a question and it may be a very dumb one at that. It wouldn't be my first one and it certainly won't be the last. When you sprayed your lights in your bathroom to change them from brass to nickle, couldn't you do the same with this threshhold without having to tear it up and possibly damaging the travertine? Or will it take too much wear and tear that you think it will peel away?

We've been busy changing hardware also. I didn't know I could change doorknobs - I have a new talent! I call myself the Doorknob Queen.

When you changed your knobs from the brass, did you change the hinges also? What about the door stops? I think we may try to live with the hinges since most of them are so worn that they don't look bright brass anyway. The doorstops are another matter... I think we're going to have to change them.

Oh, trust me, it's crossed my mind!

I do worry that it would take too much abuse though. I know it can handle being pulled on, but I don't know if it could take getting walked on.

 

[binny]

I thought about the spraying too but I am concerned of the rubbing off from the door. I tried to stain the transition piece between the dining room and kitchen on the new pergo-esque floor and it peeled off from the pocket door. Looks terrible now. Metal might be different though

We are going to go look at doors again today but I think we have settled on this one.

but in a maroon colour. When we paint the house it will be a khaki with black shutters and maroon trim.

 

[shovan]

We have a final planning meeting with the contractor tonight! He is going to start the day we leave for WDW!!! Hopefully get all of the demo done while we're gone. Really hoping he can get to the breaking up of the concrete slab while we are away! Tomorrow we have an appt to finalize the ordering of the vanity.

Bill, I know it doesn't seem like it to you, but that really was a quick remodel. But No Fair teasing us, WE WANT PICTURES!!!!

Syrreal, that looks pretty!

Am I There Yet, I have those brass thresholds too. I really don't think painting them would hold up. If they are real brass the color can be changed with those special chemical solutions.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

We have a final planning meeting with the contractor tonight! He is going to start the day we leave for WDW!!! Hopefully get all of the demo done while we're gone. Really hoping he can get to the breaking up of the concrete slab while we are away! Tomorrow we have an appt to finalize the ordering of the vanity.

Wouldn't that be great?? That's wonderful news! You must be super-excited!

Am I There Yet, I have those brass thresholds too. I really don't think painting them would hold up. If they are real brass the color can be changed with those special chemical solutions.

What chemical solutions?

 

[shovan]

I haven't tried this yet, but I was googling a while back & found this one. I found a lot of more complicated procedures with different steps too. One procedure I was going to try on a spare kitchen cabinet pull was using paint remover (to remove the sealer on newer brass & then placing in a bag with ammonia).

But here's one of the solutions I found online.

http://www.rockler.com/findit.cfm?page=978&cookietest=1

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I haven't tried this yet, but I was googling a while back & found this one. I found a lot of more complicated procedures with different steps too. One procedure I was going to try on a spare kitchen cabinet pull was using paint remover (to remove the sealer on newer brass & then placing in a bag with ammonia).

But here's one of the solutions I found online.

http://www.rockler.com/findit.cfm?page=978&cookietest=1

Cool! I'm going to check that out! My husband will love you for that link.

 

[shovan]

Cool! I'm going to check that out! My husband will love you for that link.

If it works well, you could change the whole house with this stuff!

I'm holding off on trying it until I pick out the pulls & plumbing fixtures for the bathroom. I really wanted to change the kitchen pulls to a brushed nickel. But when I decided to match the master bath vanity to the antique bedroom furniture I realized that those pulls are a truly aged brass, really dark brass similar to what's being called Venetian Bronze, now. So if I can find all the plumbing fixtures in the Venetian Bronze I will probably go with that in the bathroom. So I'll try to either chemically change the rest of the house's hardware or slowly start buying new stuff!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

If it works well, you could change the whole house with this stuff!

I'm holding off on trying it until I pick out the pulls & plumbing fixtures for the bathroom. I really wanted to change the kitchen pulls to a brushed nickel. But when I decided to match the master bath vanity to the antique bedroom furniture I realized that those pulls are a truly aged brass, really dark brass similar to what's being called Venetian Bronze, now. So if I can find all the plumbing fixtures in the Venetian Bronze I will probably go with that in the bathroom. So I'll try to either chemically change the rest of the house's hardware or slowly start buying new stuff!

Better you than me!

 

[Syrreal]

Can someone explain to me how a tub faucet can cost almost 500 bucks??
I need that fainting smily right here!!!

 

[BillSears]

My Kitchen/Dining Room remodel, install all new windows, fix the leak in the wall and replace all of the damaged studs is done! Total time was 2 weeks 5 days from demolition to completion.

Some of you might remember that this all started when I decided I wanted a project to work on. I thought I could tear out the old carpeting in my dining room and replace it with laminate flooring all by myself...I was wrong.

Here is the old carpet.

I pulled all of the carpet, padding, tacking strips, etc. up and found out I had a major leak in my wall during a rainstorm. The carpeting and the furniture in that area had soaked up all of the water previously so I didn't know that I had a leak in that wall that was probably leaking for 10 years. Here's the damage to the studs:

After seeing all of the damage I decided to call in a professional. After debating for a bit I thought I might as well get the whole area redone while I'm at it.

So here are the befores and afters:

Kitchen view from my living room:

Dining room view from the kitchen:

Kitchen view from the dining room:

New Dining room view from the living room side:

The old woodstove in my kitchen, that I never used, was torn out:

My Kitchen workspace area:

My stove is wonderful now! It's a gas stovetop, electric convention oven with a range hood added, previously I had no range hood.

Overall I'm very happy with the work done. I've been planning on redoing my bathroom too and while talking to the contractor foreman about it he mentioned that they could squeeze me into the schedule right now if I want it done...I have an appointment Thursday to get an estimate.

 

[Hixski]

Bill: Everything looks beautiful. I am sure you are very happy to be done. I must say that your remodel has got to be one of the fastest I have ever heard about.

Of course now you have to pay for it all.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Bill, those changes are absolutely gorgeous. And I am in love with your stove!

 

[mickeysgal]

My Kitchen/Dining Room remodel, install all new windows, fix the leak in the wall and replace all of the damaged studs is done! Total time was 2 weeks 5 days from demolition to completion.
...
Overall I'm very happy with the work done. I've been planning on redoing my bathroom too and while talking to the contractor foreman about it he mentioned that they could squeeze me into the schedule right now if I want it done...I have an appointment Thursday to get an estimate.

All that work in only two weeks! Send them over here.

Beautiful coloring choices. You did good!

Have fun moving onto the next project. Once you start, its hard to stop (unless the checkbook is bone dry!).

 

[SplshMtn99]

NICE JOB!!!! I like everything you picked out. And that hardware color is the color I'm leaning towards if I can just find it somewhere. lol

Can you send them over here too when done?

 

[binny]

beautiful choices Bill! Well done!

 

[BillSears]

Thanks guys! I like it alot

All that work in only two weeks! Send them over here.

I was just looking at my calendar and it was actually 3 weeks and 5 days. No wonder I'm tired of having the construction guys over!

NICE JOB!!!! I like everything you picked out. And that hardware color is the color I'm leaning towards if I can just find it somewhere. lol

Are you talking about the knobs on the cabinets? If so I bought them at Home Depot. I didn't have time to do a custom order so I looked in the aisle with the standard fixtures and found these. They're black porcelain and were I think $1.87 per knob. But they look fantastic on the cabinets. They have a nice feel to them, they're very solid feeling with a smooth surface plus they are far enough from the cabinet surface that you can easily grab them.

 

[Syrreal]

Bill, it's absolutely beautiful!!!!! I love it!

 

[perdidobay]

Great remodel Bill! It all looks so good. The appliances are awesome.