Twelfth Night Act 1 Scene 1

The new table, ready for dinner

Sue was asking where the fridge is.




Tiles laid out for install.

Up goes the tile
Couldn't have done it without the tile wet saw.

A taste of France, and an Eiffel tower too...
Wiping down the grout.

It's the answer to a question that will undoubtably arise.

Mon. Nov. 29: Applique day. Also worked on wiring the under-counter lights.

Tues. Nov 30th: One month to the day. Lights are in, backsplash done with trim and caulk. Built and installed a keyboard drawer.

Just sealing left to do so I'm gonna say it's all done. Whew! Tomorrow we'll seal the grout and strip and seal the floor and then post final pictures.

It's beginning to look a lot like kitch-en

Friday Nov. 26th: Cut and placed tile most of the day. It seems to be staying in place. Ground glass bits everywhere. I learned that you don't need to FILL the water basin in the wet saw. Makes for too much floor mopping... That seems like a good thing. Put up the under-counter lights but still have to run the wiring.

Sat 27th: We all went shopping all afternoon. Got this year's ornaments.
Went in search of one of the most perplexing kitchen components yet. Garbage bins. I bought a selection and decided to stuff them all under the sink and let them fight it out for supremacy. Winner doesn't get returned.
I finally started grouting at 9pm and quickly realized I didn't have enough to finish. What we did finish seems to be working ok though. Floor is done except for stripping and resealing.

Sun. 28th.: Back to Homedepot for grout. No winner in the garbage bin battle so I went with one we previously passed on. Still have to find something good for the compost thingy.
Gotta get the rest of the outdoor lights powered. Also going to make an advent wreath to go with the first sunday of advent and the opening of the kids calendars (from Calgary folk). Yummmmm.
Except that it's not a chocolate calendar but a toy one, which is better for the kids but not as good for dad...
Grout is done. Gotta post some pictures soon.

Back in the kitchen

Wed. Nov 24: I was going to start the backsplash but decided to look for lumber for table legs instead (you CANNOT get wooden table legs from Ikea). Spent most the day finding lumber the right size and kind, then custom carving the joint to attach it. Worked out ok. The Ikea drawer front came in and was the wrong colour but a genius, Tea (Pronounced Taya, and she was actually Swedish!), in 'Resolutions' found the right one in stock at the store.
I got the table together just in time for us to have our first meal back in the kitchen.
Took out an mountainous pile of cardboard to the street for pickup. Shoulda took a picture of that!
Things are slowly migrating in to their new cupboards.

Thurs. 25th: I took all the leftovers back to Ikea and Tea had me book an appointment so no waitng around. She managed a mess of bills, parts and payment methods and got me out of the store in less time than it took to talk to a person at the exchanges counter Tuesday. I think I'll stay away from there for a while. To give the staff a break if nothing else...
Dmitiry finished this afternoon with the last custom drill out and hang the final doors. Corinne picked out and up the new shades for the lights over the peninsula.
Let's see...tile, grout on wall and floor, sealing, some trim, caulking a little electrical and we be done!

3 weeks and counting

Ok, so I didn't quite get it done in 3 weeks. Gave it a shot...

Sat. Nov. 20th: Electrician was a no show so we did other stuff while waiting. Ended up going to the Science Center with Chloe while mom took Simon (short on privileges for now) for groceries. I went out to get the paint (YAY! We picked the colors!) and it took so long for the guy to mix it that we didn't go to Ikea afterall. Just Corinne went to get organizers etc while the electrician finally showed up8 hours late. But he did bring the family with him! Finally we have cooktop and all electrical done!

Sun. Nov. 21: Opted to put up christmas lights with Simon instead of kitchening before the Santa Claus Parade. Went to check out a couple of tables and decided on a legless one (tables just can't drink. and how do you drink a table under the table?) to customize.
Went all the way to Vaughan Ikea to pick up the last drawer front and it turned out to be the 'old birch', ie wrong colour.
I started the paint prep.

Mon. : Officially 3 weeks since the old kitchen left. Coulda been back in but decided to wait till paint is done. Paint is taking longer than expected as the old paint seems to be bubbling off the walls in places so I have to scrape off chunks of new paint and old paint and old powdery plaster, replaster, sand prime and paint various areas. arrrghh.
I put in the new computer desk/shelf.

Tues. 23rd: spent an hour at Ikea trying to track my drawer order as they have been telling me for a week that it's enroute from Montreal. Resolutions finally sent someone out to take the case and she said she'll get back to me once she traces the order. She call's me 40 min later to tell me the PART IS IN THE STORE and likely has been for days. Aarrrrrggghhh.

kitch pics

final decision for backsplash is down to 2
Pullout pantry
handles on!


cutting our new granite
Silgranit sink
install of steel reinforcement bars under the granite around the cooktop and sink holes.

a first trial of the look of under-counter lights.
Sha-ming and the boys go to work

of course the walls aren't square so all the granite goes back out to the portable cutting shop they set up in our driveway for a little trim.
first slab in place
cutting out the cooktop to a precise fit.
Granite is in, 3 days after measurements
My under sink adventures.
out with the old tiles with the holes (for power under the old island)carefully not breaking the granite.the final sawing for the cooktop cutout while in place as it's safer to transport that way

Ethnic day

Chloe's daycare had a dress in your ethnic costume day. Corinne jumped in to a new art with both feet and sewed up a great traditional Alsacien (from Alsace-Lorraine in the north east of France. ) outfit complete with a too cute bow (not sure if the pink slippers are authentic though). Chloe took a bit to get used to the apron idea but then really loved wearing it all day and then some.

This week in kitchen

Sun. Nov. 14: nothin' much in the kitchen. Spent most the day with the kids at Mom's.

Mon. 15th: Corinne and I pick out a great faucet and finally found light fixtures. We just can't decide on a paint colour. Dmitry came by and finished up all the cabinet work he could (I'm still waiting on 2 doors and a drawer from Ikea).

Tues. 16th: The Granite guys arrived, even a little early. 3 guys and 5 hours later we have countertop and sink! I pickup some plumbing bits to piece together. Microwave goes back in.

Wed 17th: I go to pick up a Jacuzzi Bathtub. I now realize it's not really going to fit in the kitchen. I move the door handle up a few inches as it was just the right height to crack the new countertop. Fridge goes into it's new spot with new water hook up. Try to connect the cooktop but the wires were cut too close so it will be more complicated than planned and will wait.

Plumbing night. I got the pipes soldered in and all the drain pipe cut and connected and none of my pipe joints leak!

Thur. 18th: a slow start driving back and forth several times exchanging parts at Rona and Lowes. I finally got the faucet and garburator connected. I turned the water on to find that I should have changed the old shutoff valves when I had the chance as one leaks and now it's buried behind pipes and wiring. I'll figure that one out tomorrow. I get the dishwasher connected and installed regardless of the drip. Rip up the 2 floor tiles with the holes in them from under the old island.

Fri. 19th: Went to HomeDepot to solve the plumbming drips and bought a $40 of compression fittings (for backup) incase the soldered versions I also bought didn't take (wasn't too bad the first time but now I'd have to remove the old leaky valves and re-solder under the sink in the middle of pipes, drians and electrical) as I didn't want to have the water shut off all day. A last min thought from the homedepot associate, "If the shut offs were old enough you could probably just replace the washer." Remember washers? Way back before our disposable life took over? Sure enough a 99 cent pack o' mixed washers and 5 min later, problem solved. I put in the replacement floor tiles. Still waiting on Ikea for a few things. Started install of new light fixtures over the peninsula. finished touch ups to hole in the door from the old handle placement. We still can't decide on paint colour(s).

Sat 20th: Electrician says he'll come by for a check on cooktop connections and a dead outlet and we should be good to go electrically. Lot's of little things left to do. Cleaning and drawer and cabinet organizers are on the days to do list, as is some unknown colour of paint.

Sunday night is my imaginary 3 week deadline to be back eating in the kitchen again. It'll be close.

cookin' in the mini kitchen because...

The next set of pics from the reno.

Here's dad making pancakes on a hotplate. Somehow reminds me of second year University living in a some guy's garage...
Finishing my bulkhead removal. the new deep pantry will cover the duct.
sink pipes had to be removed so I learned how to solder plumbing.
and the cabinets start to go in.

Serge hanging the uppers
Dimitry working on the lowers.
my cement pad for the dishwasher.

all the cabinet boxes are in.
the doors start to go on.

pics to go with the notes below

pics are reversed as that's the way blogger loads them. can you tell I'm proud of my removal of the bulkhead and drywalling?

Where'd our kitchen go?

the tapers pop in for a little skim coat.

I removed that silly microwave corner.
step one was to cut a hole in the ceiling so I could stick a camera in there and find out what was in that anoying bulhead over the pantry. result is...nothing. just one duct at one end. bulkhead goes....