Kitchen / laundry remodel

[B1Toad]

Started demolition today for a total kitchen and laundry remodel. Taking it down to the studs including ceilings, it's all 1" thick plaster over gypsum board with metal lathe at the corners and seams. Having all cabinets custom made and getting a column fridge and a column freezer. I'll be doing all the demo, all the electric, some framing and some of the plumbing. I won't be doing cabinets, flooring or sheetrock.

I temporarily set the washer up in the garage and the dryer on the back porch and will be moving the fridge and micro into the dining room for the duration. Covered our wood floors with 4x8 sheets of corrugated cardboard and will seal off the work areas from the rest of the house.

I have a venting question that I'm hoping Andy or an HVAC guy can answer. I am installing an Advantium over the range microwave/convection oven. It comes with the standard 10" X 3.5" vent opening on the back which I will dump into a 12" X 3.5" sheet metal sleeve in the wall which I will have access to in the attic as it comes thru the top plate on it's way to the roof. Centered right where the vent comes up is a 4" X 9" rectangular T top roof vent already in place, and since we have a clay tile roof it would be a real hassle to change that roof vent. So I want to have the sheet metal shop make an adapter to go from the 12 x 3.5 to 8 x 3.8 to fit up inside the existing T top. Will this be sufficient? I tried to find the CFM specs on the Advantium with no luck. Remember the vent on the Advantium is 10" X 3.5" so the reduction will only be 2" in the total of the long dimension and the short dimension will be unchanged. I could even go 3.75 x 8.75 and squeeze it in there but It would have to be absolutely centered in that case which I don't think will be a problem, I have about an inch of wiggle room down below.

Hoping @AndyG stops in.

 

[AndyG]

Started demolition today for a total kitchen and laundry remodel. Taking it down to the studs including ceilings, it's all 1" thick plaster over gypsum board with metal lathe at the corners and seams. Having all cabinets custom made and getting a column fridge and a column freezer. I'll be doing all the demo, all the electric, some framing and some of the plumbing. I won't be doing cabinets, flooring or sheetrock.

I temporarily set the washer up in the garage and the dryer on the back porch and will be moving the fridge and micro into the dining room for the duration. Covered our wood floors with 4x8 sheets of corrugated cardboard and will seal off the work areas from the rest of the house.

I have a venting question that I'm hoping Andy or an HVAC guy can answer. I am installing an Advantium over the range microwave/convection oven. It comes with the standard 10" X 3.5" vent opening on the back which I will dump into a 12" X 3.5" sheet metal sleeve in the wall which I will have access to in the attic as it comes thru the top plate on it's way to the roof. Centered right where the vent comes up is a 4" X 9" rectangular T top roof vent already in place, and since we have a clay tile roof it would be a real hassle to change that roof vent. So I want to have the sheet metal shop make an adapter to go from the 12 x 3.5 to 8 x 3.8 to fit up inside the existing T top. Will this be sufficient? I tried to find the CFM specs on the Advantium with no luck. Remember the vent on the Advantium is 10" X 3.5" so the reduction will only be 2" in the total of the long dimension and the short dimension will be unchanged. I could even go 3.75 x 8.75 and squeeze it in there but It would have to be absolutely centered in that case which I don't think will be a problem, I have about an inch of wiggle room down below.

Hoping @AndyG stops in.

If it is a single motor unit it most likely falls in the 400-600 cfm range and it should work well- the mfrs. tech line is the place to call, have your unit model number ready, duct and outlet size and total run.


Remember this one rule- from the unit out each sleeve of pipe needs to be INSIDE the next so airborne grease is not forced out. Use red label Nashua tape generously and securely on every seam and joint - clean with denatured alcohol before you apply the tape to get rid of shop lubricants used in bending metal. You want smooth airflow, and no leaks.

Most of these units require a 110 plug nowadays, not just a lead.

Your refrigerator needs to be on a dedicated circuit.



Really on a kitchen remodel one of your main players is level base cabinets- A good quality perimeter laser can give you an idea of your floor system and how to plan. Basically if you get that right everything else is going to work out pretty good.

Also your wall flatness is pretty critical if you’re doing a tile backsplash because you don’t need a lot of variation- Not only for quality of work but just simply because of the tile will come down over the back edge of the countertop every where.

If you have a window behind the sink you have to think about outlet placement.

Undercabinet lights are nice and need to be planned carefully.

There are rubber mats designed to under a dishwasher that are affordable and can vent drip damage.

You’re more than welcome to post room pictures - glad to share ideas.

I have several pretty involved kitchens in the build stage now-

All the best

Andy

 

[B1Toad]

Thanks Andy, I knew you were the one who'd know. The level part I get. I've wired a couple hundred kitchens and use a laser on a tripod to get all the boxes exact at the top screw hole, then when the cabinet guy gets his cabinets perfectly level everything is even with the grout lines. That said, we are probably going with a solid surface backsplash this time but I still want everything perfectly level.

We do have a window, it is almost the whole wall. The sink has never been centered on it and it's not noticeable since the whole wall over the counters is glass save for 32" at each end. (The window is 9' long). I'll see if I can get ahold of GE tech support. Meanwhile I'll attempt to attach some pics of the existing kitchen which I installed in 2000 using Home Depot stuff. I did it all myself except the counter top but this time will be using cabinet people and drywall people plus some help from my plumber. (Note the crappy ceiling which is coming out)

Here's the South facing window wall. Will snap more later.

 

[AndyG]

That will make for a nice job

You may want to run an air switch for a disposal if ya plan on one

Feel free to text too- 256-990-4394

Keep me posted how it goes

 

[B1Toad]

That will make for a nice job

You may want to run an air switch for a disposal if ya plan on one

Feel free to text too- 256-990-4394

Keep me posted how it goes

Thanks. We both agreed no disposal. There is one there now that we never use. A plumber once told me "Why install something that uses electricity, takes up space under the sink and plugs up your drains?" 24 years not using one I think we'll be OK and I could care less about a future buyer. I learned pretty quick to remove them from my rentals.

 

[cliffish]

Thanks. We both agreed no disposal. There is one there now that we never use. A plumber once told me "Why install something that uses electricity, takes up space under the sink and plugs up your drains?" 24 years not using one I think we'll be OK and I could care less about a future buyer. I learned pretty quick to remove them from my rentals.

yeah i never use the one in pa, Here in NY we just did a major kitchen remodel including busting down a wall, an experience I do not want to go through again. Wife wanted a disposal, but they are against code here as we have individual cesspools and not county sewers.

 

[B1Toad]

Here's the column fridge and freezer the wife wants. They are 2 separate pieces. We are not going to do the trim kit though that makes them look like a built in, our cabinet maker is going to make something floor to ceiling on that wall that will surround the two. Each one gets a dedicated circuit and a water line. They are a fraction of the price of Subzero and the compressors are on the bottom so no need for a ventilated trim kit.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Thanks. We both agreed no disposal. There is one there now that we never use. A plumber once told me "Why install something that uses electricity, takes up space under the sink and plugs up your drains?" 24 years not using one I think we'll be OK and I could care less about a future buyer. I learned pretty quick to remove them from my rentals.

That's the right throught process. The only time I turn mine on is about once a week when the tiny food bits that do end up going down the drain finally accumulate enough that the drain gets slow when I'm washing dishes. Nothing too big to go down a regular drain goes down it.



On your ducting question - I agree with Andy but to zoom out and take it more generally - None of this stuff is really black and white. The fan will provide more flow with less pressure to work against. The larger duct will have less pressure drop than a smaller one, for a given length. So as long as you're not going crazy and cutting the duct cross section in half, a short run of 20% reduction isn't going to hurt you much, and it may even wash out with the extra 20% you're giving it for the rest of the run.

 

[AndyG]

A disposal says “lets dump crap in the drain”.


On appliances- even if you need to vent from the back wall, remember heat kills them. They need air to escape if possible, and a fresh air draw is good.

 

[B1Toad]

A disposal says “lets dump crap in the drain”.


On appliances- even if you need to vent from the back wall, remember heat kills them. They need air to escape if possible, and a fresh air draw is good.

We just met with the cabinet builder and he's the one who doesn't like trim kits, he was wanting to build around it with no gaps. I did finally get access to the installation manual which requires 1" on the back and on top so I'm now leaning toward a trim kit to allow that 1" on top. They have one that's not so big and has the 1" slot

 

[lBasket]

Thanks Andy, I knew you were the one who'd know. The level part I get. I've wired a couple hundred kitchens and use a laser on a tripod to get all the boxes exact at the top screw hole, then when the cabinet guy gets his cabinets perfectly level everything is even with the grout lines. That said, we are probably going with a solid surface backsplash this time but I still want everything perfectly level.

We do have a window, it is almost the whole wall. The sink has never been centered on it and it's not noticeable since the whole wall over the counters is glass save for 32" at each end. (The window is 9' long). I'll see if I can get ahold of GE tech support. Meanwhile I'll attempt to attach some pics of the existing kitchen which I installed in 2000 using Home Depot stuff. I did it all myself except the counter top but this time will be using cabinet people and drywall people plus some help from my plumber. (Note the crappy ceiling which is coming out)

Here's the South facing window wall. Will snap more later.View attachment 562883View attachment 562884View attachment 562885

This is already quite nice looking

 

[B1Toad]

This is already quite nice looking

It is, If I was single I'd fix the ceiling and call it a day....but I'm not

 

[AndyG]

It is, If I was single I'd fix the ceiling and call it a day....but I'm not

If we were single we would have TJ’s in the living room.

 

[TJ4Jim]

Per the GE site the Advantium over the range microwave/convection oven is equipped with a 3 speed 300 cfm blower so your sizing should be fine.

 

[B1Toad]

here's the East and West walls, 41" dual fuel will be going away replaced with a 30" dual fuel more centered in the space. Bottom freezer fridge goes away replaced by the two column units.

 

[B1Toad]

This is the North wall which opens into the LR. Originally when the house was built in 1952 that was a solid wall of cabinets. When we bought it someone had removed the wall down to 18", removed 4 feet of floor, put in a sliding glass door and made it into a big planter. (There's a skylight above). It was gross. We hauled out all the dirt and put joists in and put the floor back and removed the pony wall and installed the French doors.

On the left is a built in I made and on the right is the back of a corner fireplace which opens to the LR on one side and dining on the other.
The FP walls will get covered with a brick veneer and the built in and French doors will remain.

Our floors are original Oak from 1952 and I'm in the process of covering them with cardboard for protection during demo and construction.

 

[cliffish]

This is the North wall which opens into the LR. Originally when the house was built in 1952 that was a solid wall of cabinets. When we bought it someone had removed the wall down to 18", removed 4 feet of floor, put in a sliding glass door and made it into a big planter. (There's a skylight above). It was gross. We hauled out all the dirt and put joists in and put the floor back and removed the pony wall and installed the French doors. View attachment 562996View attachment 562997 On the left is a built in I made and on the right is the back of a corner fireplace which opens to the LR on one side and dining on the other.
The FP walls will get covered with a brick veneer and the built in and French doors will remain.

Our floors are original Oak from 1952 and I'm in the process of covering them with cardboard for protection during demo and construction.

protect those floors, if AZ is anywhere like NY ( I doubt it) they killed all the durability of new floor refinishing materials.

 

[B1Toad]

Started demo in the laundry, this wall has the washer, dryer and sub panel on it and the other side will have the range and OTR vent so the wall will be very busy. The old sub panel to the left of the new one is abandoned as well as all that old cloth covered wiring and will all come out. Also need to deal with that old Asbestos dryer vent. Planning to get it good and wet then remove and bag. May put some spray paint on it first for encapsulation purposes.

 

[B1Toad]

protect those floors, if AZ is anywhere like NY ( I doubt it) they killed all the durability of new floor refinishing materials.

We refinished those in 2000 with oil based Varathane and they still look like new. I hope I can still buy it. I think this is it except ours was high gloss. The old stuff had a picture of a girl roller skating on the wood floor.

 

[AndyG]

1/4” luaun might be nearly as cheap and tougher-

Challenge is grit under perimeter edges.

Our method -

Clean floor, gator grip or paper taped at overlaps but not to floor, then board and gorilla tape the joints- we get a product thats 1/8” from the mobile home/rv industry

A shop vac stays plugged in

Fan in window


Flex seal (no joke) is a good move on the asbestos- or redguard liquid waterproofing made for tile.

Dont grind it is the key- it kills ya.