Our current project / disaster in progress (non pond)

[addy1]

wow, this is looking great, when I can I move in?
Rent is same as previous tenant, right....

Sure, no room for a pond.............well there is a back "yard" 12 foot by xx the train tracks are up the hill from the house. Could put in a tiny pond, not sure what the rules are there.

 

[sissy]

I put granite counters in my house in NJ when the kitchen was redone and boy I hated those counters .To much work and have to be so careful ,even if you seal them things will stain them .Plus dropping thing from an upper cabinet can spell disaster .The guy who custom built my cabinets found that out the hard way .Put his knee on the counter because a cabinet door was damaged when installed and he cracked it .I even had plywood put under the granite as installer said that was a better .Cabinet guy was lucky it was not the big side of the counters.I figure good for resale and what did I hear ,I wish it was quartz .I could have saved myself some money it was cheaper

 

[j.w]

What is a good brand of quartz to look for?

 

[sissy]

Mostly all the same it just depends on what you want in color .My neighbor has sea glass in hers and wow is that pretty .I saw hers last week when she asked me to install her kitchen sink which counter top installers were supposed to do .

 

[addy1]

Our granite slab is thick. I can stand on it with out issue. One reason I use the one company. We also pick the type that is denser. Ours has been installed for 3 years sealed once, it has never strained and I am not careful. It is over a inch . no backing needed.

The slab in Florida house we sold. Skinny stuff it would break if stood on.

 

[qclabrat]

Our granite slab is thick. I can stand on it with out issue. One reason I use the one company. We also pick the type that is denser. Ours has been installed for 3 years sealed once, it has never strained and I am not careful. It is over a inch . no backing needed.

The slab in Florida house we sold. Skinny stuff it would break if stood on.

that's correct, early on when granite was more expensive to source, it was only about 1 cm thick then layered with wood or a composite under to get the thickness to match the sides. Nowadays granite is pretty cheap and cost effective compared to the polymer options. I personally prefer granite, especially the uniqueness of some patterns and the its natural. Though not without the radiation controversies....

 

[sissy]

Mine was thick but all granite has weak spots in it .It is just how the granite is formed .Mine was put in 2000 so it was not older thinner type .But installer even told me a better base under granite is plywood .Even quartz says it is better under it .Plywood makes the open areas in the cabinets stronger .

 

[addy1]

The company we use is around a 7 minute drive from our house. So far all of our granite, from them, has never stained or been damaged. One is in a rental, one is here at our house. I am constantly scraping paint, bees wax etc off the granite. It is my work table.

We did pick out one color we liked and they told us they were sending it back, the slab did not meet their standards. So maybe the granite slabs they use are a higher quality.

Got the tile started in the kitchen, didn't get a end of day picture. When leaving we just leave.

 

[sissy]

The granite company I used in NJ was a block from my house on route 1 .They also put custom edges on my granite .I liked it but not for here the cost would not pay me back here .I do love the sea glass quartz and asked the guys to give me a price .I would love them to give me a sample .My laminate counter tops are the high end laminate and not a scratch on them .I was amazed at how the price of granite has gone down

 

[j.w]

@addy1 the tile will look nice and can't say I blame you for wanting to get outta there fast like!

 

[addy1]

Tile is up, need some grout, the short cabinet on the right is being replace with a 30inch one, we moved the sink cabinet to below the window. And a 18 inch one is being ordered for the open space, rearrange after ordering.........

 

[j.w]

Looking great!

 

[sissy]

I like the big drawers next to the stove .It is always handy to have utensils close when you are cooking .Great pots and pans drawer also

 

[Lisak1]

Looks great!

 

[addy1]

I like the big drawers next to the stove .It is always handy to have utensils close when you are cooking .Great pots and pans drawer also

I had drawn it out to have the stove, the dishwasher, then the sink. Then we started talking about having the sink under the window, dishwasher next to it............which I have always liked, no matter what you are looking at.

So dear honey had to tunnel through the 100 year old trusses, old plaster to reach the new sink area, then had to flip the blind corner cabinet, and buy 18 inch, a 12 inch and return a 24 inch to do the rearrange, replace the 30x14 above sink cabinet with a 30x30. Put the drawers next to the stove for all the misc stuff you need to store............A gas stove has no bottom drawer it is the boiler.

So a bit more work, but a better look. We end up with a 30 x 14 inch upper we can't use, but bring home and stick in our garage, basement for the bees, somewhere. Brand new just has install holes on it.

Still need to attach the pantry cabinets to the wall, attach the above the refer cabinet.

The upper floors are getting done, one more closet to put flooring in then all approx 900 sq ft of new flooring down and done. We have driven there 26 days, go through the tunnel, toll, keeps a good counting of our drives.

Went to install the new shower base in the upstairs bath................well he was moving the drain pipe a inch and IT PULLED OUT OF THE CONNECTION oh my! The connection (not installed by us) was way over by the wall. So had to cut through the kitchen ceiling to reach it, no glue! Now need to patch the ceiling, of course after we fix the drain pipe.

Next attack is the basement, laundry, utility room, bathroom, about a week of work or more. Done a bit of work down there more to go.

Then wander around with a paint brush fix up any dings we put into the new paint.

THEN LIST THE SUCKER!