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Before Photo looking Southward.
Before Photo looking West.
Before Photo looking North.
Before Photo looking South from Living room.
Before Photo looking West from Living room.
One more Before Photo looking North from the Living room.
Let the Demo begin! Here we are removing the brick knee wall that served as a divider for the entry way.
Lets tarp off the main construction area in an effort to reduce contaminates.
Built-in Cabinet removal.
Cabinets, Flooring and Drywall removal on all walls has been completed!
This is the portion of the Northern Kitchen Load Bearing Wall that will be removed. It was decided that the Kitchen did not have enough Natural Lighting and that removal of this portion of the wall would not only let more of that Natural Light in but that it would also open up everything and improve the flow.
Looking into the Kitchen at the Bearing Wall from the soon to be Dining Area.
Now that most all (the Old Ceiling Drywall is still intact) the Demo has been completed, it is time to begin the reconstruction aspect of a redesigned layout. Here the Temporary Support Walls are constructed to support the removal of the Bearing Wall and the insertion of a Bearing Support Beam that will reside, hidden above the Ceiling.
Another view of the Temporary Supports and Bearing Wall that will come out.
Load Bearing Beam all snuggly installed.
A different view of the Load Bearing LVL Beam installed. You will notice that when the Framing was done, the Joists were butted instead of the more normal practice of a ‘Sistering’.
The last remnants of the Ceiling Drywall have been removed. The next step is to close off the existing doorway to the bedroom in the West Wall. Once the rough framing is completed, we are ready to reconfigure the Mechanical’s, ie; Rough Electrical and Rough Plumbing.
The Rough Mechanical’s have all been installed, the doorway to the Bedroom has been closed off. The Insulation has been upgraded with all new materials for a total of 12″ of Insulation for an industry recommended value of R-38. The intermediate Phase of the Job is ready to commence, Drywall. Here the Bedroom side of the West wall has been hung with Drywall and the Kitchen Ceiling is hung, you can see the Recessed Lighting and the Surface Mount Lighting for the Island in this View as well.
In this image you will notice an Electrical Box quite high. This particular box will serve as half of a switched outlet for the purpose of the Under Cabinet Lighting. If you look real close, you will see the Low Voltage Wire that will be used to feed the Low Voltage Under Cabinet Lights.
Now that the Ceiling Drywall has been hung the Walls can be boarded.
All Drywall has been hung. The Blue portion you see is a Tile Backer designed specifically for the Installation of the Tile Back Splash that will rise from the Granite Counter-top to the Bottom of the Upper Cabinets.
Installed Drywall looking Northward towards the New Dining Area.
The Finishing aspect of the Drywall Phase is well under way. The darker gray areas of the Finishing tells you that the Compound is still wet.
Another view of the Finishing stage of the Drywall process. This view looks Northward into the Dining Area. Constructed is the new wall that replaces the old Brick Knee wall. This will delineate the entryway from the rest of the living area. As well as serve as the backdrop for the China Cabinet. Also, notice the plastic barrier to help contain contaminants from spreading throughout the rest of the home. while containing all of the dust is nearly impossible, all good faith efforts are made. This includes a ‘Sally Port’ made of said plastic where possible.
After the Drywall has been Finished, the initial Painting is done. The Ceiling has been Finish Coated and the Primer and First Coat of Finish Paint is applied.
Due to the removal of the Wall, one rather large continuous Ceiling was created. This made painting it a bit of a challenging proposition. We are Proud to say that it came out flawlessly!
Here we need to cover the Tongue and Groove Planking with Quarter Inch Plywood for the facilitation of the Engineered Hardwood Flooring that will be Installed.
The Installation of the Engineered Flooring is shown in progress here. A #15 Felt Paper is used as a Vapor Barrier and to prevent squeaking between the wood surfaces.
The Flooring selected came in vary widths as well as the standard varying lengths. The Homeowner feels this is one of the best aspects of the Job. The Floor really does look sharp!
Now that the Flooring has been Installed and Protected with Cardboard, It is time to bring the Cabinets indoors to get them acclimated to their installed surroundings. Fortunately this job is large enough that most all of cabinetry can be brought in and kept out of the way of the installation area.
The Cabinet Installation can now begin. However, before we begin affixing the Cabinetry, there was some concern about the spacing of the Island. To address this concern, we temporarily set the floor cabinetry in place and taped an outline of the Island Counter-top on the floor to get a better sense of the spacing involved. As it so happens, the design was done nicely and there is no need to adjust anything!
The Cabinetry Installation is going smoothly. Everything is Square, Level and Plumb!
A lot of guys will tell you that the upper Cabinets should be installed first. In all reality the Cabinetry needs to installed hand in hand. This means that the uppers and lowers need to be installed ‘together’, especially when you are doing a ‘horseshoe’ installation. Everything has to line up perfectly!
All Cabinetry is installed! Next is to Install the Wall Oven and Dishwasher so that the Granite Counter-tops can be put in. While were doing this, we might as well Install the Microwave Oven. Another aspect that should be mentioned is that of the small Granite Counter-top to the right of the Refrigerator opening. The Refrigerator is of a depth greater than the Counter-tops, thus it extends outward making the installation of a single piece Counter-top impossible. To facilitate a single piece being installed there, we will remove the right hand Wood Panel that encapsulates the Refrigerator and reinstall once the Counter-top has been installed.
Wall Oven Installed and tested! The factory coatings have been burned off and it is really ready to use. We’re ready for the Granite!
The Granite Counter-tops are in! The Tile Back Splash has been Installed! Here we are Installing the Cabinet Doors and Drawers along with the Pulls.
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The Demo has already begun!
In this Image, to the left you can see the stairs going up on the other side of the wall. Also pictured is the existing Island.
This view looks towards the Northwest corner of the Kitchen.
Here we are viewing the Northeast corner of the Kitchen and the doorway into the Formal Living Room.
The existing Kitchen had a drop ceiling in it and many of the Mechanicals hung below the Floor Joists of the Second Story. They also protruded from the wall in which a Chase-way was used to cover them up.
In this image, the Mechanicals were tucked up to the old ceiling as close as possible to facilitate the lowering of the ceiling to it’s highest point possible. They were also tucked into the wall so they could be hidden without the aid of a Chase-way.
Another view of the revised Mechanicals.
This view looks out the East Window. After all the insulation was stripped away, seeing the dangerous situation of having no header above the window was revealed. In the foreground you can see the bracing that was used to support the Second Story so we could rework the outer wall into a safe, construction accepted norm.
Here we have the same situation as the Eastern facing window. The West window has no structural header over the window. One could see from the bowing of the framing that was there that a dangerous situation was concealed within.
Here we have the Eastern Window properly constructed. The Western Window was retro fitted much the same to bring it into general construction standards.
In this image was have the removal of the existing Maple Flooring. Along with the old Cabinetry and the planked Sub-Floor, the Hardwood Flooring was given away to people in need so that it could be re-purposed.
Another view of the above image.
Here we can see the installation of the 3/4 inch Sub-Floor after the Old Tongue and Groove Planking was removed.
The Floor Joists had sagged considerably due to their age and the span that they were asked to carry. If you look closely, you can see the “Slivers” that were fabricated to rest upon the existing Joists which enabled bringing the Floor to a level surface.
Here you can see the Micro-Lam beam that was installed to stabilize the span of the existing Floor Joists. The span is in excess of 20′. With the addition of Stone Counter-tops, this aspect was an absolute must!
From the Basement, you can see the Micro-Lam and it’s Lolly column supports to support the structure. The Micro-Lam consists of three Beams nailed together. It’s length is in excess of 14′.
Now that all Structural and Mechanical improvements have been made, it’s time for the drywall to be installed and finished so that it is ready for some Paint.
The ceiling has been lowered to the highest point possible and the walls were plumbed. You may notice that there are dark blue sections at the midway point of the Drywall. This is a Gypsum Tile Backing Product that will give superior adhesion for the Back Splash that is to come.
This view is looking at the Southeast Corner of the Kitchen The sheet hanging in the doorway is used to minimize dust from the renovation accumulating throughout the house. While there is no complete way to contain every particle of dust, due to several factors, every attempt is made to stop it’s infiltration.
Northeast viewing. Another view of the Drywall Phase of the Job. We are almost ready for sanding and Paint!
The Walls have been Painted with their first coats of Paint and the Tile Backer has been laid. The Installation of the Flooring Tile has begun.
The process of Grouting the Tile and it’s cleanup is illustrated in this image.
We have a couple things to address in this image. Just beyond the vacuum cleaner, you will notice the Mechanicals protruding from the wall before disappearing below the Floor. Due to the fact that a Main Support Beam to the Structure of the House resides directly under this wall, we really had no other option. To remedy this condition, we will simply install a Shallow Cabinet to conceal them. Above where the Upper Cabinetry will be Installed you can see Electrical Outlets and a Low Voltage Outlet. The Electrical Outlets are for the Above Cabinet LED Lighting that will be installed and any thing that may possibly need to be powered from above. There is also Under Cabinet LED Lighting for that warm glow. The Low Voltage Outlet is for The mp3 Player that will supply Speakers from above.
Another view of the Tile work in progress. Looking Northward with a view of the HVAC Flooring Vent under the Eastern Window.
The Cabinetry has begun to be Installed! In the image you can see the Shallow Cabinet spoken of previously that is concealing the Mechanicals. In the corner is a Lazy Susan with the opening between that and the Sink Base reserved for the Dishwasher.
The Upper Cabinetry is almost completed! Here you can see the Sink Base and Lazy Susan with the Stove Opening adjacent to the left. Above the Stove opening is where the Microwave Oven will be Installed. To the Far left is where the Refrigerator will stand.
A Tidy Work Place is a Safe Work Place!
All the Cabinets are Installed and waiting for The Granite Counter-top. The Trim Work for the Western Window has been fabricated, and Installed.
The Lighting for this Kitchen Project consists of 8 Recessed Lighting Fixtures, and Three Surface Mount Fixtures. The Recessed Lighting comprises the perimeter while the Surface Mounted Fixtures reside over the Kitchen Sink, the Island and just in front of the Eastern Window where the Kitchen Table will be.
The Trim Work for the Eastern Window has been fabricated and Installed along with the Baseboard Trim Work. Also, on the Island are Steel Supports that will lend to the 12″ over hang that the Granite Counter-top will have.
The Granite has been Installed and the Tile Back Splash work has commenced! You will also notice that the Microwave Oven is installed as well. Hey! where is the Dishwasher? It is conveniently hidden with a Cabinet Door Face. You can tell it is there because there is no base to that portion of the Cabinetry.
The Tile Work is progressing smoothly. A nice Glass Tile Accent Strip accentuates everything very nicely!
Here is a close up of the Tile as it is setting. The Granite Counter-tops are protected with a heavy mil paper. Also in this image you will notice a Low-Voltage Wire that extends out of the wall and is tucked inside the cabinet door to get it out of the way of the Tiling work being done. The Low-Voltage Wire will provide the power necessary to illuminate the Under Cabinetry LED Lighting. The Wiring and LED Lights themselves will be neatly tucked up just along the Trim on the front of the cabinetry so they will be as out of sight as possible.
Going around the corner with the Tile, it’s almost done!
All Appliances have been Installed! All that remains is for final final clean-up to be done and to make sure every little thing has been addressed!
Everything looks Perfect!
The Island conveniently provides a place to get that meal together, sit and eat, to read or just to have some Family and Friends over to enjoy some fine conversation.
Working on this Job was truly a Pleasure!
What a Beautiful Kitchen!
If you like what you see and would like to inquire about a free estimate, Please feel free to Contact Us @ (585) 321- 3675 or email us @ dan (at) professional-finishes(dot)com or merely use the form below. Please allow 24 hours for replies.
