Kitchen Update: It’s One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Have you been wondering how the kitchen has been coming along? Probably not I know you have more pressing concerns in your life. 🙂  It’s been frustrating some days. Just as I think things are moving along smoothly I come across something else that slows down the process. To add insult to injury plumbing issues in the bathroom arose at the same time.

This is where things were at last I shared a kitchen update.

My son picked up the rest of the flooring and delivered it a week later. I excitedly got to work then found I needed help.  The plan was to remove the cabinet next to the sink to accommodate a new smaller cabinet and a washing machine.  But we couldn’t get the cabinet out, the screws were stripped.  Moving on I figured I’d as much of the flooring laid as I could while I waited for muscle to show up.  I couldn’t get the last piece of the old laminate up because it was laid under the dishwasher and that too was stuck.

Muscle arrived, finally, and pulled the cabinet off of the wall. The first thing I hear after “got it” was “keep my kids out of here till you get this fixed”. Now what.  Black mold!

When removing drywall with black mold it’s best to spray it down with white vinegar, even water. The point is to dampen the mold so the spores don’t flake off when you are working with it.

Then the dishwasher reluctantly came out (I’ll spare you these pictures) to find a mouse had built a nest on the top of the dishwasher and sure enough died on the side of it.  The droppings were every where. I had expected to have a mouse problem because the house sat empty for two years before I moved in but I saw no signs of any mice. Never in my wildest dreams did I think of pulling out the dishwasher when I was cleaning the kitchen upon moving in. Now I wish I had.  Anyway, that’s been cleaned but now I need a new cover for the dishwasher.

But the flooring got finished. I’m loving the new floor.

The small piece in the corner my daughter-in-law helped me to finish. Bending to get under the counter top to reach that final spot was harder than I thought.

My plan to install the washing machine under the cabinet right next to the sink had to go because unlike European models our washing machines are too tall to fit under a standard counter.  After conferring with the contractor who will be doing the work we solved the problem. The new cabinet I am installing is a set of three drawers. Drawers do not go all the way to the back of the cabinet so there is room to run the plumbing and have it protected. That was supposed to be done tomorrow morning but my guy is busy and can’t do the work for me until next week.

The Sears Outlet sells refurbished appliances! I purchased a front loading washer (normally priced at $749) for $318, with a warranty. With the contractor not able to be here until next weekend I’ve had to call and reschedule the delivery until next week.  Already my house feels cluttered with a new cabinet not completely installed and its drawers stored in the bedroom to keep them out of the way while work is going on, the last thing I need is to try and figure where to put a washing machine for a week.

After a busy day disinfecting the outside of my dishwasher, cleaning and laying the floor and moving the appliances back into place I was ready for a nice hot shower. Not going to happen.  The knob you pull to redirect the water from the spigot to the shower head came off in my hand.  After trying to repair it I gave up and realized I needed a new spigot.

All the plumbing fixtures in the house are by Delta, while popular this brand does not hold up and can’t be repaired when parts break,  I wasn’t going to purchase another Delta product.  Tub spigots range in price from $10 to $30, I erred on the side of caution and purchase a model priced at $25. My theory is you get what you pay for.  Removing the paperwork and parts I found this note.  I tried several times to get a clear photo but it wasn’t going to happen.

It reads: Warning: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.

Just what I needed. I called the store and asked which brands, if any, they carried that don’t come with this warning of cancer and birth defects and was told they would call me back.  Their answer was none of them had warnings on the outside of the packaging, mine didn’t either,  and they couldn’t open all the packages but that most had plastic parts, which is what I believe is the part that causes the warnings.  They offered the suggestion that I could order a Moen online as they don’t carry that brand in the store.

Moen’s spigots are limited and start at $60, you receive a better deal when purchasing the whole sets but even that starts at around $200. So for now I have to live with this spigot and will upgrade to a Moen when I have the tub replaced as part of the overall bathroom remodel.

Removing the old spigot I spotted a weird part that had to be removed in order to install the new spigot but when I tried to remove it the pipe coming from the inside of the wall began to move as well. Not good! I stopped and called for help.

Immediately I pictured breaking the pipe and having water every where. The shut off for the tub is in the basement. I called my son telling him I had a problem and needed his help.  When I mentioned the spigot his response was “I don’t work on plumbing”. I insisted all I needed from him was an extra pipe wrench and a pair of hands to hold the pipe while I removed the extension.  His answer was “I’ll call my plumber”.

I’ve joked with you before on the unusual arrangement I have with my son. Here’s another example. When I say I need your help and he says I’ll call my guy. What he’s saying is I don’t want to be a part of this so I’ll pay for it instead.

As soon as the plumber arrived and saw the extension on the pipe he shook his head and informed me this was a part unique to Delta.  I didn’t feel too bad when he had to look at the installation instructions to see how to change from Delta to the standard spigots. Anyway, 20 minutes later I have a working shower again. Well, that is as soon as the new caulk dries. He too suggested that I try a Moen as it’s the only brand he installs but to switch out all the pieces it would involve cutting a hole in the wall in the kitchen.  Glad to know this as I’ll wait to update that wall until after remodeling the bathroom. Btw, the pipe coming out of the wall that moved when I tried to remove the extension turned out to be what’s called a nipple and is another extension on the house’s plumbing so no harm was done when it turned while I was trying to do the work myself.

You may be wondering, am I still having fun. The answer is yes. Sure it would be nice to tackle a project and have no surprises but surprises are part and parcel of all home improvement jobs. With each completed task, such as seeing the floors finished, I feel that sense of accomplishment that makes home improvement worth all the stops and starts that will happen. It’s also worth it when the nine year old neighbor boy stops over and even though the appliance are in the middle of the room and the counters are cluttered with tools exclaims “You’re house is so beautiful”.  I get both an on-going project that gives me purpose now and if a child can see beyond the clutter to see the improvements then I trust when I have to leave here the next tenants will appreciate the improvements.