Workbench Creations

Last week's blog detailed some of the demolition we got into in order to remodel the kitchen in my recently-purchased first home. Now we're into the real work-- rebuilding the kitchen pretty much from scratch!

Reinstalling Windows 95

The first thing that we needed to address were the large windows in the room. Their size and placement was such that they would fall below the level of our new cabinets, so we needed to replace them with slightly smaller windows.

Window replacement entailed removing some siding, taking out the old windows, adding some new 2x4 framing, installing the new windows, and putting in some more drywall and some molding to frame the inside of the window. I won't get into too much detail about our frustrations with replacing siding outside, as aluminum siding is apparently impossible to find! Needless to say, we borrowed some siding from another side of the house and replaced that with some vinyl siding, which will eventually get painted to blend in better.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink

With the windows completed, we could put the new cabinets in position and install the sink. Some careful measuring and leveling ensured that both lower and upper cabinets fit together well, even though we had some challenges with the walls themselves not being straight. Our stud finder was not working well, so we ended up nailing quite a few test holes to find proper support to screw the cabinets into.

Unfortunately, placement of the sink cabinet brought in the challenge of moving plumbing and ductwork-- and in an area that was less-than-ideal. Our house actually overhangs the poured concrete foundation by a few feet. In putting the sink along that wall, the plumbing needed to be run through a very small space between the 2x4s in the basement.

Our main concern in putting plumbing in this space was that it would get too cold in the winter and the pipes would freeze (my parents had previous experience with this same problem in another house they owned). To remedy the situation, we brought the plumbing underneath and as close to the front of the sink cabinet as possible. While it was still a challenge to solder the copper piping in such a small area, with the proper insulation we shouldn't have too much of a problem with freezing pipes.

Like Water off a Ducts Back

At the same time as the plumbing, we needed to move the old ductwork over between the next set of 2x4s in the basement, as it was in the way of where the plumbing would go. We ended up running the ductwork up through the floor under the sink cabinet, and built a metal duct box that would route the airflow through to the front of the cabinet. We figured that having the duct so close to the plumbing in the cabinet would help keep the pipes warmer, too.

That Sinking Feeling

With the preparation for the cabinets and sink completed, we could finally put in the sink itself. When you buy a sink, it usually comes with a little template to trace onto your counter for the size. We made sure to place the layout just right-- not too close to the front where it would hit the cabinet edge, and not too close to the back where it would sit on the curved edge of the counter.

We drilled some pilot holes in the corners, then used a sabre saw to cut the main hole for the sink. We carefully lowered the sink into place, and eureka, it fit perfectly! Then came the measuring of PVC pipes for the drain, some more soldering for the water lines, and liberal use of plumber's putty and teflon tape.

When everything was connected properly, we officially tested our assembly. Much to our chagrin, there was a little leakage around the drain pipe. This is where my dad realized he hadn't tightened the assembly just below the sink basket, so the situation was quickly remedied and we had a fully functional sink!

Tune in next week to read about our bathroom remodel, and see how we tackled the removal of a very heavy bathtub!

Other blogs in this series:

Home Renovation for Newbies, Part 1: Don't Panic

Home Renovation for Newbies, Part 2: Prep Work

Home Renovation for Newbies, Part 3: Demolition Time

Home Renovation for Newbies, Part 4: Starting to Rebuild

Home Renovation for Newbies, Part 5: Bathroom Remodel

Home Renovation for Newbies, Part 6: Basic Maintenance and Repair