So the window company didn't do any work to fix the rotten wood problem around the windows facing the street. They said that they don't have any carpentry skills. I knew that before I hired them but hired them anyway because they were a little cheaper than others. The window company owner told me to fix the external wood trim by myself by using wood filler. My father helped out with the living room window and I finished his work after he left. So we kind of rescued that window, although it wasn't as damaged as the bedroom window. Also, the living room window was easier to fix because it has a small balcony in front of it. The bedroom window trim is the one that is severely damaged.
After the new windows got installed, I asked the contractor to fix the damaged wood trims but he said they were too rotten to fix. So now this has turned into a larger project. He will come next Saturday and spend the whole day working on it. He will have to put scaffolding up to be able to work on the exterior area from outside since there is no balcony. He will have to remove the new window, fix the wood around the entire opening, and then reinstall the window and put one coat of primer on the new wood trim.
I made a mistake when picking the window company. I should have just bought the windows from a window company and I should have let my contractor do the entire installation. Sometimes, it's important to trust one's contractor and not be too much focused on the dollars. In the end, when trying to save too much, it ends up costing more.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Ikea closet finally assembled!
After over two months, finally now the Ikea closet is fully assembled. When I purchased it, I tried assembling it myself. A friend of mine also helped out once. I was able to assemble the two closets that go side by side, including adding shelves and drawers. However, the sliding doors were too daunting because there were too many screws and the instructions were a long list of pages and required drilling. Each door is made up of three pieces of frosted glass.
The contractor finally had time to come over and do it himself. It took him three hours. Not bad. I'm so happy that it's all done now and I can just put my clothes in and not worry about dusting it.
On this subject, I wanted to point out that the oddity in my apartment is that it has too many closets, except in the bedroom, where closets are mostly needed, it had only a tiny one. Now after this new closet is finished, it occurred to me that maybe the Ikea closet I got is too big. Since the bedroom already has a small closet, a medium-sized one would have been sufficient. The new closet is extra tall and almost reaches the ceiling. Plus, when I walk around in the apartment, I am surrounded by all the more closets. The dining room has two: one is large with a rod in it, and the second one adjacent to it is smaller and only has shelves. Next to it, is the pantry closet in the kitchen. Then in the entry way, there is a small closet with shelves as well. Wow, so many closets!! Everyone always asks what the closets are in the dining room. They intrigue people because they have doors.
I also have a storage room in the basement to store more stuff.
With all this storage space, I have to get creative to find ways to use these. Well, let's see, what can these be used for? I had an idea to open up the larger closet in the dining room and convert it to cabinets for plates and silverware, but I already have enough cabinet space in the kitchen. In the small closet, I already put liquor (including the ones I used for the house-warming party). The basement storage room has my bicycle and boxes. But there is still more room. Maybe I can create a wine cellar, although this requires having a guy in the household. As a woman living by myself, I don't consume that much alcohol and I don't host that many parties...
The contractor finally had time to come over and do it himself. It took him three hours. Not bad. I'm so happy that it's all done now and I can just put my clothes in and not worry about dusting it.
On this subject, I wanted to point out that the oddity in my apartment is that it has too many closets, except in the bedroom, where closets are mostly needed, it had only a tiny one. Now after this new closet is finished, it occurred to me that maybe the Ikea closet I got is too big. Since the bedroom already has a small closet, a medium-sized one would have been sufficient. The new closet is extra tall and almost reaches the ceiling. Plus, when I walk around in the apartment, I am surrounded by all the more closets. The dining room has two: one is large with a rod in it, and the second one adjacent to it is smaller and only has shelves. Next to it, is the pantry closet in the kitchen. Then in the entry way, there is a small closet with shelves as well. Wow, so many closets!! Everyone always asks what the closets are in the dining room. They intrigue people because they have doors.
I also have a storage room in the basement to store more stuff.
With all this storage space, I have to get creative to find ways to use these. Well, let's see, what can these be used for? I had an idea to open up the larger closet in the dining room and convert it to cabinets for plates and silverware, but I already have enough cabinet space in the kitchen. In the small closet, I already put liquor (including the ones I used for the house-warming party). The basement storage room has my bicycle and boxes. But there is still more room. Maybe I can create a wine cellar, although this requires having a guy in the household. As a woman living by myself, I don't consume that much alcohol and I don't host that many parties...
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Fridge and Windows
Finally, now everything is done (with the exception of a few small details.) I was able to cancel my fridge order and got the same fridge from a local dealer in Daly City, who had it in stock in a warehouse in Arizona. I only had to wait one week to get this counter-depth fridge.
Getting the refund from the retailer for the canceled fridge was an adventure in and of itself. They were willing to refund but according to them, it was a mishap that I didn't get my refund. I finally got it after about 2.5 weeks. When the trust level becomes low, it's all the more frustrating to deal with issues like these. But I'm grateful that it was happy end!
This past Tuesday I got the microwave, which I had ordered online at HomeDepot's site. There was a delay also because they "couldn't track" my order... Anyway, after two calls to customer support, it got shipped. I had to order it online, instead of buying it from the store, because they have a limited number of microwaves on display, which don't have the dimensions that I need. I'm so glad I don't have to order any appliances anymore, hopefully for some time!
This past Wednesday the new windows were installed. There are still some extra wood pieces that need to be added to the exterior of the windows. The installer said it needs to be done by a carpenter. I will ask the contractor to do it.
Here are some pictures.
Fridge and microwave
New windows:
Getting the refund from the retailer for the canceled fridge was an adventure in and of itself. They were willing to refund but according to them, it was a mishap that I didn't get my refund. I finally got it after about 2.5 weeks. When the trust level becomes low, it's all the more frustrating to deal with issues like these. But I'm grateful that it was happy end!
This past Tuesday I got the microwave, which I had ordered online at HomeDepot's site. There was a delay also because they "couldn't track" my order... Anyway, after two calls to customer support, it got shipped. I had to order it online, instead of buying it from the store, because they have a limited number of microwaves on display, which don't have the dimensions that I need. I'm so glad I don't have to order any appliances anymore, hopefully for some time!
This past Wednesday the new windows were installed. There are still some extra wood pieces that need to be added to the exterior of the windows. The installer said it needs to be done by a carpenter. I will ask the contractor to do it.
Here are some pictures.
New windows:
Sunday, July 10, 2011
After My Parents' Visit And Still No Fridge
My parents left end of last week. They were here for a couple of weeks. They were pleased to see the remodeled apartment. They said they liked the hardwood floors, which is something that was done by the previous owner and we preserved it during the remodeling by covering the floors with cardboard.
My father, Mr. FixIt, immediately noticed the little things that needed to be fixed. I didn't want him to do any work on his vacation but he insisted. He fixed the cap of the bathtub. The chrome was damaged, probably due to contact with chemicals, so he sprayed it with chrome spray. He also fixed the exterior window sill of the living room window by repairing the damaged wood and sanding. He sanded the balcony railing. Etc.
We installed new curtains for the living room and added rings to the one in the bedroom so it is easier to open. Here are pictures:
Curtains installed and ironed in the living room.
Curtains in the bedroom, now with rings.
I ordered the new windows installation. They applied for a permit and got approved for fiberglass windows, which are more expensive than vinyl. But the city of San Francisco doesn't like vinyl windows for street-facing windows. So no choice here. It is whatever the city of San Francisco wants. For my building it shouldn't really matter though, because my building has a simple design. It has the mid-century modern architectural style. Most of the neighbors have old aluminium windows. The window restrictions make sense only for old buildings with special architectural styles like the Victorian buildings.
The custom windows need three weeks to be manufactured and then we can schedule installation. I expect them to be installed sometime beginning of August.
One outstanding issue with the windows is that the window sills are partly damaged. This building was probably never maintained and I have to now do all the work. We rescued the living room window sill, but the one in the bedroom, I checked yesterday and I scraped it, and while doing so I discovered a deep hole of rotten wood that can't be patched with wood filler. Either the whole sill needs to be replaced with a new one, or the rotten piece needs to be taken out and patched with a new piece. Either way, this is something I can't do myself, especially because this corner can't be reached as the window side in front of it doesn't slide. Unfortunatly, the window company said earlier that they don't fix window sills, which I think is odd, by the way. I have to ask them again and I might have to ask a contractor to fix it if they say no.
Fixed window sill.
Damaged window sill for the bedroom window.
The exterior of my building is in dire need of painting. The association president started getting estimates thankfully. So hopefully by the end of this year we can get it painted, if we have enough cash reserve in the association's account, that is. It looks a little ugly from the outside currently.
I spent some time doing some additional painting. I painted the landing in front of my door with the gray waterproof paint. Same paint as before I believe but the old one had some stains that didn't go away with cleaning. I spent the whole day yesterday finishing up the touch-up painting I had to do. One was around the outlets that the electrician updated to three-pronged outlets and new face plates. Other places were about fixing the ripped paint that was the result of removing painter's tape.
I am so tired now, I think I need a one year vacation! But no, it's all mental. Just listening to soothing music and relaxing mentally might do it. I should also restart my gym workout routine. I think it helps.
The fridge was supposed to be shipped last Tuesday, but it hasn't yet. I tried to cancel my order as I found a local company that can ship it to me within one week, but they lured me with a discount. They also guaranteed the shipping for this upcoming Tuesday, so I agreed to wait again. It has been two months since I placed the order. If by next Tuesday it won't be shipped, I will cancel it without any more compromises.
That's it for now. I'm playing my relaxation music CD now.
My father, Mr. FixIt, immediately noticed the little things that needed to be fixed. I didn't want him to do any work on his vacation but he insisted. He fixed the cap of the bathtub. The chrome was damaged, probably due to contact with chemicals, so he sprayed it with chrome spray. He also fixed the exterior window sill of the living room window by repairing the damaged wood and sanding. He sanded the balcony railing. Etc.
We installed new curtains for the living room and added rings to the one in the bedroom so it is easier to open. Here are pictures:
Windows
I ordered the new windows installation. They applied for a permit and got approved for fiberglass windows, which are more expensive than vinyl. But the city of San Francisco doesn't like vinyl windows for street-facing windows. So no choice here. It is whatever the city of San Francisco wants. For my building it shouldn't really matter though, because my building has a simple design. It has the mid-century modern architectural style. Most of the neighbors have old aluminium windows. The window restrictions make sense only for old buildings with special architectural styles like the Victorian buildings.
The custom windows need three weeks to be manufactured and then we can schedule installation. I expect them to be installed sometime beginning of August.
One outstanding issue with the windows is that the window sills are partly damaged. This building was probably never maintained and I have to now do all the work. We rescued the living room window sill, but the one in the bedroom, I checked yesterday and I scraped it, and while doing so I discovered a deep hole of rotten wood that can't be patched with wood filler. Either the whole sill needs to be replaced with a new one, or the rotten piece needs to be taken out and patched with a new piece. Either way, this is something I can't do myself, especially because this corner can't be reached as the window side in front of it doesn't slide. Unfortunatly, the window company said earlier that they don't fix window sills, which I think is odd, by the way. I have to ask them again and I might have to ask a contractor to fix it if they say no.
Exterior Building Painting And More
The exterior of my building is in dire need of painting. The association president started getting estimates thankfully. So hopefully by the end of this year we can get it painted, if we have enough cash reserve in the association's account, that is. It looks a little ugly from the outside currently.
I spent some time doing some additional painting. I painted the landing in front of my door with the gray waterproof paint. Same paint as before I believe but the old one had some stains that didn't go away with cleaning. I spent the whole day yesterday finishing up the touch-up painting I had to do. One was around the outlets that the electrician updated to three-pronged outlets and new face plates. Other places were about fixing the ripped paint that was the result of removing painter's tape.
I am so tired now, I think I need a one year vacation! But no, it's all mental. Just listening to soothing music and relaxing mentally might do it. I should also restart my gym workout routine. I think it helps.
Fridge, Oh Fridge
The fridge was supposed to be shipped last Tuesday, but it hasn't yet. I tried to cancel my order as I found a local company that can ship it to me within one week, but they lured me with a discount. They also guaranteed the shipping for this upcoming Tuesday, so I agreed to wait again. It has been two months since I placed the order. If by next Tuesday it won't be shipped, I will cancel it without any more compromises.
That's it for now. I'm playing my relaxation music CD now.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Week 9
The apartment is now livable, it looks now like a home and not a like a construction site anymore. The contractor removed all his tools and the paper floor coverings. He brought in cleaners who cleaned the whole place. This was of big help for me especially since the new kitchen cabinets were all full of dust on the edges of the drawers and inside some of the lazy susans and shelves. I really appreciated this since not all contractors clean up thoroughly after the work is done.
As for the inspections, the contractor said there were two inspections, one last Wednesday for plumbing, and one last Friday for electrical, but I haven't heard back from him, so I don't know what was the result.
We decided to install the towel bar right below the liner. There was really no other solution. I asked also the opinion of another friend who also said that I should use it for small towels.
I got furniture now. I got a sofabed for the living room so that it can be used as a bed when I have guests, which will be pretty soon since my parents are visiting.
I liked the dining room furniture when I saw it in the store but the chairs ended up being a little too bulky for the small dining room and the dark brown color doesn't match the kitchen cabinets. I have to find out if I can stain them with a different color.
One more thing for the kitchen is the space for the microwave. I think there is a plate at the bottom missing. It should extend out so I can place the microwave on it. I have to go back to the kitchen cabinet store to ask them about it.
Painting and more paiting...
I finally finished painting the kitchen walls and ceiling, 3 coats! I still have to do one coat of paint for the new half partition wall in the dining room. I painted all the dining room walls already once. In the living room, the touch up paint didn't succeed so well. I had the colors matched at the paint store, but it's not a 100% match. I will leave the painting of the entire living room as a future project.
Fridge Waiting Game
I had ordered a compact fridge from the internet, a Samsung counter-depth fridge with ice maker. This is the fridge that I thought was a good fit for my kitchen since it is compact in size, looked nice, and had the features I wanted. However, when I ordered it, it was on back order from the factory. They gave me a shipping date range of 5/26 - 6/2, which I found acceptable. But I checked again with them and they said it is still on back order and they have no control over it. It will be another 10 days before they expect to receive it. I paid another $75 for rush processing. Unfortunately, there is no rush delivery since it will have to transported on a truck from New York. So most likely we won't have a fridge during my parents' visit. Maybe that's better, so we will go out more!
As for the inspections, the contractor said there were two inspections, one last Wednesday for plumbing, and one last Friday for electrical, but I haven't heard back from him, so I don't know what was the result.
We decided to install the towel bar right below the liner. There was really no other solution. I asked also the opinion of another friend who also said that I should use it for small towels.
I got furniture now. I got a sofabed for the living room so that it can be used as a bed when I have guests, which will be pretty soon since my parents are visiting.
I liked the dining room furniture when I saw it in the store but the chairs ended up being a little too bulky for the small dining room and the dark brown color doesn't match the kitchen cabinets. I have to find out if I can stain them with a different color.
One more thing for the kitchen is the space for the microwave. I think there is a plate at the bottom missing. It should extend out so I can place the microwave on it. I have to go back to the kitchen cabinet store to ask them about it.
Painting and more paiting...
I finally finished painting the kitchen walls and ceiling, 3 coats! I still have to do one coat of paint for the new half partition wall in the dining room. I painted all the dining room walls already once. In the living room, the touch up paint didn't succeed so well. I had the colors matched at the paint store, but it's not a 100% match. I will leave the painting of the entire living room as a future project.
Fridge Waiting Game
I had ordered a compact fridge from the internet, a Samsung counter-depth fridge with ice maker. This is the fridge that I thought was a good fit for my kitchen since it is compact in size, looked nice, and had the features I wanted. However, when I ordered it, it was on back order from the factory. They gave me a shipping date range of 5/26 - 6/2, which I found acceptable. But I checked again with them and they said it is still on back order and they have no control over it. It will be another 10 days before they expect to receive it. I paid another $75 for rush processing. Unfortunately, there is no rush delivery since it will have to transported on a truck from New York. So most likely we won't have a fridge during my parents' visit. Maybe that's better, so we will go out more!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Inspection Is Tomorrow
This week they installed all appliances, except for the fridge, which is on back order and will be hopefully delivered in the next couple of weeks. The electrician also finished his work and now all the installed appliances are working and the kitchen has lights. Woohoo!
The kitchen is now ready for use, except for a few minor details to take care of. They told me that the kitchen sink faucet that I got had scratches on it but they installed it anyway. This faucet is the second one I bought. The first one didn't look as nice and I wasn't sure if it could be installed without the bottom plate. Now I cannot really exchange the second one since it's installed, so I have to buy a new one and when the plumber comes back one final time, he will replace it and then I can return the old one. However, I don't look forward to returning it because I already returned two other times at Home Depot, out of three total purchases. So now they will probably blacklist me. :) Besides, I am not sure they will accept returning the scratched faucet. How can I prove to them it was scratched before, as the contractor stated? Maybe I can ask if it was a return from before. If it wasn't, that means it must have been scratched during install, but I don't want to suspect my contractor so soon.
Here is a picture of the wall next to the bathroom door. The dilemma is where to install the towel bar. It should be installed right above the liner (mosaic line), but then it would cover up the nice mosaic. If it is installed below the liner, the bath towels would cover up the vent opening. Maybe install it onto the middle of the liner?
Where to put the towel bar: above or below the mosaic liner?
Tomorrow, Monday, the city inspectors are coming to inspect the work. The contractor will be with them. By the way, I asked for an additional estimate to convert all other electrical outlets to new outlets because the old ones have only two holes and no ground connection. This is potentially unsafe if there is lightning. I mentioned replacing the face plates before to the contractor but I hadn't paid attention that there were only two prongs until after I moved in. He gave me an estimate but then talked about all the risks involved. I think he just wants to get done with this project first. However, if I wait until a later time, they will have to apply for a new permit. I will talk to the contractor tomorrow. I think it's important to do this. But even if I do this extra project, I will still move my furniture in and clean up everything to have a "normal" household. The workers will just have to work around these.
The kitchen is now ready for use, except for a few minor details to take care of. They told me that the kitchen sink faucet that I got had scratches on it but they installed it anyway. This faucet is the second one I bought. The first one didn't look as nice and I wasn't sure if it could be installed without the bottom plate. Now I cannot really exchange the second one since it's installed, so I have to buy a new one and when the plumber comes back one final time, he will replace it and then I can return the old one. However, I don't look forward to returning it because I already returned two other times at Home Depot, out of three total purchases. So now they will probably blacklist me. :) Besides, I am not sure they will accept returning the scratched faucet. How can I prove to them it was scratched before, as the contractor stated? Maybe I can ask if it was a return from before. If it wasn't, that means it must have been scratched during install, but I don't want to suspect my contractor so soon.
Here is a picture of the wall next to the bathroom door. The dilemma is where to install the towel bar. It should be installed right above the liner (mosaic line), but then it would cover up the nice mosaic. If it is installed below the liner, the bath towels would cover up the vent opening. Maybe install it onto the middle of the liner?
Tomorrow, Monday, the city inspectors are coming to inspect the work. The contractor will be with them. By the way, I asked for an additional estimate to convert all other electrical outlets to new outlets because the old ones have only two holes and no ground connection. This is potentially unsafe if there is lightning. I mentioned replacing the face plates before to the contractor but I hadn't paid attention that there were only two prongs until after I moved in. He gave me an estimate but then talked about all the risks involved. I think he just wants to get done with this project first. However, if I wait until a later time, they will have to apply for a new permit. I will talk to the contractor tomorrow. I think it's important to do this. But even if I do this extra project, I will still move my furniture in and clean up everything to have a "normal" household. The workers will just have to work around these.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Kitchen is almost ready
... minus connecting the appliances, electrical work, and painting. These are small things though. The biggest items -- the tile work, countertops, and kitchen cabinets are already installed.
Here are some new pictures of the kitchen.
The tilers put the blue tape across. It looks like I had to inaugurate the kitchen by cutting the ribbon. :)
Here are some new pictures of the kitchen.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Kitchen Cabinets installed and bathroom almost done
Now that we are at the start of week 5, a lot has been done this past week:
- Installed new kitchen cabinets
- Finished the drywall and drywall sanding
- Installed wooden countertop to hold the actual countertop
Here are pictures of the results so far.
Picture below: Bathroom done (except for painting, closing the electrical outlets, and fixing the bathtub slow drain)
Kitchen pictures that show the new cabinets
Kitchen Cabinet Pick Up
I had to coordinate the delivery of the kitchen cabinets since the store doesn't deliver them. I had movers scheduled to pick them between 3 and 4pm last Monday. I worked from home last Monday to be able to be free during this time. Unfortunately, the movers were late and informed me they were arriving at 5pm, which wasn't going to work out because the store closed at 5pm. Thankfully, the store sales clerk accepted to wait longer. They arrived eventually at 5:30pm and loaded the truck! Phew! It was quite stressful.
I Moved In
Yes, I moved into the apartment, err.. construction site. :) I spent the whole day today cleaning the bathroom, sweeping the bathroom and bedroom floors to remove dust. Then I painted the laundry room and the new sheetrock above the bathroom sink with a coat of primer. I taped around all trims in preparation for painting all bathroom walls with regular paint. This will probably happen sometime this upcoming week, during one of my free evenings.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Start of Week 4
I stopped by the condo today to take some new pictures and measurements in the bathroom. I was very happy to see how the tiles in the bathroom turned out. The tiles look beautiful. It is excellent work! The selection of the height of the liners is also ideal. The tile installers did a great job.
Here are some pictures of the tiles in the bathroom.
Finished tile work in bathroom.
I asked for the soap plate later, after the tile work was in progress. I was very pleased that the tile installer provided this marble plate on his own for no additional cost. It looks nice!
This is the area above the vanity where the mirror should go.
Toilet corner area.
Other than the tile work, sheetrock has been installed on all opened walls and insulation has been placed in kitchen walls and ceiling. They are now in the process of sealing the seams and holes of the walls with mud.
Guys have higher heels than women. Just kidding. :) These heels are certainly handy for this job!
Kitchen with sheetrock
The kitchen back walls
Laundry room in bathroom
Here are some pictures of the tiles in the bathroom.
Other than the tile work, sheetrock has been installed on all opened walls and insulation has been placed in kitchen walls and ceiling. They are now in the process of sealing the seams and holes of the walls with mud.
Shower door or shower curtain?
I'm deciding whether to install a shower door for the bathtub/shower area or just shower curtains. Here are some pictures from Lowes:
Kohler Frameless Tubdoor
Here is how a shower curtain would look like: Sage shower curtain
Pros and cons of a shower curtain
The curtain provides privacy so that guests won't be able to look into the tub area and see water drops, bottles of shampoo, etc. This is important I think especially because the tub area faces the door, so it's the first thing people see when entering the bathroom. Also, it is right next to the vanity, so people can easily peek into it when standing in front of the vanity. On the other hand, the shower curtain will make the room a bit darker and water can be easily stuck between the liner and the curtain and has a harder time to dry. This can create mold over the years. I noticed that in California tubs have shower doors. I rarely see shower curtains, which are more used in WA state. Could it be because of the warmer and more humid weather in California that warrants shower doors?
I haven't gone to the condo yet this morning, but will go soon when I am on my way to Lowes. I have to take some measurements in the bathroom before I go shopping. I have to get the vanity today, in addition to the light fixture, and maybe a shower door if I make up my mind. I am hoping I can find a suitable vanity because I can order only from the ones that are in stock. There is no time to wait 3 weeks for a special order. The vanity will come with a countertop and sink already. I will probably only need to buy the faucet separately. And don't worry, I won't be transporting all these myself. My contractor accepted to pick them up from Lowes. So when I purchase them, I have to tell them to keep them on the side for pickup.
Kohler Frameless Tubdoor
Here is how a shower curtain would look like: Sage shower curtain
Pros and cons of a shower curtain
The curtain provides privacy so that guests won't be able to look into the tub area and see water drops, bottles of shampoo, etc. This is important I think especially because the tub area faces the door, so it's the first thing people see when entering the bathroom. Also, it is right next to the vanity, so people can easily peek into it when standing in front of the vanity. On the other hand, the shower curtain will make the room a bit darker and water can be easily stuck between the liner and the curtain and has a harder time to dry. This can create mold over the years. I noticed that in California tubs have shower doors. I rarely see shower curtains, which are more used in WA state. Could it be because of the warmer and more humid weather in California that warrants shower doors?
I haven't gone to the condo yet this morning, but will go soon when I am on my way to Lowes. I have to take some measurements in the bathroom before I go shopping. I have to get the vanity today, in addition to the light fixture, and maybe a shower door if I make up my mind. I am hoping I can find a suitable vanity because I can order only from the ones that are in stock. There is no time to wait 3 weeks for a special order. The vanity will come with a countertop and sink already. I will probably only need to buy the faucet separately. And don't worry, I won't be transporting all these myself. My contractor accepted to pick them up from Lowes. So when I purchase them, I have to tell them to keep them on the side for pickup.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Kitchen Cabinets
I went to the kitchen cabinet store in the Richmond district to tell them about the vent issue. There is only one lady in the store. She saw me pulling in with my car to the driveway and went into the store from her warehouse. She recognized me since I went there before twice, once to get an estimate, and once to order the cabinets. She said that they sell 3x8 panels for the cabinets and that those panels can be used to hide the duct inside the cabinets. The contractor would need to drill a hole on the sides of the cabinets in order to pass the duct though them.
I informed Damian about this and he is OK in doing that. So problem solved! I was surprised he didn't mention that he was going to charge me more. I think the reason is because other work in the kitchen ended up being easier than originally planned for, so this might compensate for it. For example, the partition wall in the kitchen was a true partition wall that was not holding any weight, so there was no need to put a beam and studs on the sides. The only other thing with the cabinets is that I have to find a moving company to deliver those cabinets. :) This store doesn't deliver the cabinets. It's kind of odd that they don't. And the contractor said that their trucks are not big enough to get all the cabinets at once. It would require them to go back and forth a few times and it would take half a day to do so. So he got angry and said that it would cost $500 for him to pick up the cabinets, which is over the top. I can probably find furniture movers who can move the cabinets for about $300. No problem.
Talking about my contractor, Damian, I wish he was a little more cooperative and that he would view things from my point of view sometimes. I think he thinks about himself only. Every time I ask for something, he threatens me that it will cost more, even if it is a small change. Also, we have a leak in the building. The association asked to get an estimate from him. He gave an initial estimate to just open up the garage ceiling that has rotten wood. His estimate was on the high side I think, taking into consideration that it was just demo work and clean up. In any case, I informed the association about it and they didn't want to go forward with it. They said they have another handyman but then they never hired this other guy. So now, I have to push for fixing this leak issue because it might affect my condo. It would have been so much easier if Damian gave me a lower estimate that the association would accept. Alas, nothing is easy!
When I was looking for a contractor, I made appointments with five contractors for estimates. One was a no show. One was 45 minutes late. And three were on time. I got four estimates, all of which were quite expensive in my opinion, but two were lower. Maybe I should have used another source for finding contractors. I used Yelp.com, except for one who was a referral. If I had a few more weeks to select a contractor, I would have maybe found someone who is less expensive. But then again, you never know. Maybe they will take longer to finish the work and they would have been unreliable. I have to say that I am glad that Damian is dependable. He always does what he says he will do and he and his crew are quick and always clean up. It's been only 2.5 weeks since they started and they're about half done. So let's wait until the end to see how it goes. Fingers crossed!
I informed Damian about this and he is OK in doing that. So problem solved! I was surprised he didn't mention that he was going to charge me more. I think the reason is because other work in the kitchen ended up being easier than originally planned for, so this might compensate for it. For example, the partition wall in the kitchen was a true partition wall that was not holding any weight, so there was no need to put a beam and studs on the sides. The only other thing with the cabinets is that I have to find a moving company to deliver those cabinets. :) This store doesn't deliver the cabinets. It's kind of odd that they don't. And the contractor said that their trucks are not big enough to get all the cabinets at once. It would require them to go back and forth a few times and it would take half a day to do so. So he got angry and said that it would cost $500 for him to pick up the cabinets, which is over the top. I can probably find furniture movers who can move the cabinets for about $300. No problem.
Talking about my contractor, Damian, I wish he was a little more cooperative and that he would view things from my point of view sometimes. I think he thinks about himself only. Every time I ask for something, he threatens me that it will cost more, even if it is a small change. Also, we have a leak in the building. The association asked to get an estimate from him. He gave an initial estimate to just open up the garage ceiling that has rotten wood. His estimate was on the high side I think, taking into consideration that it was just demo work and clean up. In any case, I informed the association about it and they didn't want to go forward with it. They said they have another handyman but then they never hired this other guy. So now, I have to push for fixing this leak issue because it might affect my condo. It would have been so much easier if Damian gave me a lower estimate that the association would accept. Alas, nothing is easy!
When I was looking for a contractor, I made appointments with five contractors for estimates. One was a no show. One was 45 minutes late. And three were on time. I got four estimates, all of which were quite expensive in my opinion, but two were lower. Maybe I should have used another source for finding contractors. I used Yelp.com, except for one who was a referral. If I had a few more weeks to select a contractor, I would have maybe found someone who is less expensive. But then again, you never know. Maybe they will take longer to finish the work and they would have been unreliable. I have to say that I am glad that Damian is dependable. He always does what he says he will do and he and his crew are quick and always clean up. It's been only 2.5 weeks since they started and they're about half done. So let's wait until the end to see how it goes. Fingers crossed!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Bathroom getting close to done and kitchen cabinet issue
The contractor, Damian, made some effort to get the bathroom ready since I will be moving in next weekend, hopefully. It will be a few days before my current lease expires. They finished the electrical, plumbing, and sheetrock work for the bathroom. The plumbing consisted also of installing a box for water valves and raising the existing drain in the shower stall, which is now converted into a small laundry room. They started now with laying the tiles on the floor. Next week, they will continue laying tiles on the walls and around the shower/bathtub area.
The 2-in-1 washer/dryer arrived on Thursday. I waited at the condo to pick up the delivery. They deliver only in front of the door and don't go up the stairs, but I talked the delivery guy into bringing the box up one floor into my apartment by telling him that I will pay extra. He rolled the box over to take it up the stairs. The box had a lot of padding in it, so it was OK to do so.
As for the kitchen, aside from the electrical and plumbing, the vent guy did some work this week. He removed the old vent that was hidden in the wall. Next week, he will install the new one.
Because the vent that has to run along the ceiling from the wall to the hood, there is a problem now with the kitchen cabinets. The ones I am ordering are standard cabinets, not custom. We have to find a way to fit the vent into the cabinets. The contractor said they usually build a custom box that sits inside the cabinet and it houses the vent in it. I'm going to go this afternoon to the cabinet place and ask her if it's possible to have anything like that. If not, I will have to come up with a creative solution. Maybe I will ask the contractor to modify the cabinets since there is no time to order other cabinets. Custom cabinets usually have a lead time of 4 weeks, which is too long at this point.
Here are some pictures of the progress in the bathroom.
New sheetrock around the bathtub
Plumbing for the bathtub and shower
Tile floor in the bathroom
Tile floor extending into closet
Shower room that will be a laundry room
Here are some new pictures of the kitchen.
Old kitchen vent removed
New boxes in the kitchen ceiling for lights
New electrical wires in the kitchen
The 2-in-1 washer/dryer arrived on Thursday. I waited at the condo to pick up the delivery. They deliver only in front of the door and don't go up the stairs, but I talked the delivery guy into bringing the box up one floor into my apartment by telling him that I will pay extra. He rolled the box over to take it up the stairs. The box had a lot of padding in it, so it was OK to do so.
As for the kitchen, aside from the electrical and plumbing, the vent guy did some work this week. He removed the old vent that was hidden in the wall. Next week, he will install the new one.
Because the vent that has to run along the ceiling from the wall to the hood, there is a problem now with the kitchen cabinets. The ones I am ordering are standard cabinets, not custom. We have to find a way to fit the vent into the cabinets. The contractor said they usually build a custom box that sits inside the cabinet and it houses the vent in it. I'm going to go this afternoon to the cabinet place and ask her if it's possible to have anything like that. If not, I will have to come up with a creative solution. Maybe I will ask the contractor to modify the cabinets since there is no time to order other cabinets. Custom cabinets usually have a lead time of 4 weeks, which is too long at this point.
Here are some pictures of the progress in the bathroom.
Here are some new pictures of the kitchen.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Whiskey Bottle
Last Monday evening I stopped by the condo and met the contractor to unload the tiles from my car that I had purchased the day before. The contractor, Damian, cleared up some wood from the empty wall space next in the corner of the bathroon and discovered behind the studs in the corner an empty bottle of whiskey, covered with dust!
It must have been one of the workers who was working on this building in the old days and he wanted to hide his bottle of whiskey after finishing it. :) The building was built in 1947, so 64 years ago.
Talking about tiles, I got ceramic tiles for the bathroom. They are beige. I thought I couldn't go wrong with this color. I also got a liner that will go horizontally on the wall through the bathtub surrounding wall, and will be repeated on the top portion of the bathtub wall. The porcelain tiles are now in. The glazed tiles are not that in anymore. These are not porcelain but they aren't shiny either, so they look similar to porcelain. They are made in Spain.
This week, the following things have been completed:
Here are a few more pictures that show the progress of the project.
New extension to the gas pipe.
The two old cast iron water pipes that go to the upper unit have been removed from the wall and ceiling because they are no longer in use. The whole building is now using copper pipes.
Door frame has been removed.
It remains to be seen if we can use this vent for the kitchen hood. This wasn't used by the previous owner and was covered with sheetrock.
It must have been one of the workers who was working on this building in the old days and he wanted to hide his bottle of whiskey after finishing it. :) The building was built in 1947, so 64 years ago.
Talking about tiles, I got ceramic tiles for the bathroom. They are beige. I thought I couldn't go wrong with this color. I also got a liner that will go horizontally on the wall through the bathtub surrounding wall, and will be repeated on the top portion of the bathtub wall. The porcelain tiles are now in. The glazed tiles are not that in anymore. These are not porcelain but they aren't shiny either, so they look similar to porcelain. They are made in Spain.
This week, the following things have been completed:
- Demo of the shower room
- Removal of door frame from the kitchen wall
- Plumbing for bathroom and kitchen
- Gas pipe redone for kitchen
Here are a few more pictures that show the progress of the project.
New extension to the gas pipe.
The two old cast iron water pipes that go to the upper unit have been removed from the wall and ceiling because they are no longer in use. The whole building is now using copper pipes.
Door frame has been removed.
It remains to be seen if we can use this vent for the kitchen hood. This wasn't used by the previous owner and was covered with sheetrock.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Demo Phase
Today I went to the condo to meet the contractor at 9am. I was pleasantly surprised to see how much they demolished already. The whole kitchen has been gutted and almost all the bathroom. There is one slightly bad news and one good news:
- Mixed (bad and good) news: The partition wall that separates the kitchen from the dining room cannot be completely removed. We can remove 2/3rds of it because there is a duct that runs from the garage all the way up to the upper unit. We could move the duct and the adjacent water lines to the corner of the wall, but I think it is not worth it for the extra cost. I would gain only an extra 3-4 feet because part of the wall will still need to be kept at the corner to redirect the duct into it and keep the water lines. I also don't want to have to deal with unexpected problems when moving the duct. If I keep a portion of the wall, the upside is that I can add an extra cabinet close to the kitchen sink. So the decision was to keep the portion of the wall that has the duct and remove only the other part.
- Good news: There is an extra empty space in the bathroom next to the toilet area. This can be opened up and used for shelves.
Here are some pictures.
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