Danny Lipford » Flooring

(700) Kitchen Expansion: Removing Wall Opens Up Space

Danny Lipford — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:04:23 +0000

This ’70s kitchen was in need of a major facelift. In addition to installing new cabinets, appliances, and flooring; a wall was removed to open up the living space and make the kitchen an integral part of the house.

1970s era kitchen as it appeared before remodeling.

By removing the wall between the den and living room, and taking out the hanging cabinets that served to separate the kitchen, one large room of almost 800 square feet was created.

Demolition

Since the old kitchen cabinets had been constructed in place, they had to be torn out piece by piece to make way for the new kitchen.

The wall between the living room and den was removed to open up the space.

Temporary braces were added to support the ceiling while the wall between the living room and den was removed. A laminated wood beam was installed to support the load.

Other demolition work included moving the vent pipe for the stove hood, removing the old light fixtures, and cutting a trench in the concrete slab to accommodate wiring for the center island.

Lighting

To make sure the new room had plenty of light, 19 recessed light fixtures were installed in the ceiling. Since the ceiling was already in place, remodeling cans were used.

The new hanging cabinets in the kitchen extend to the ceiling.

Cabinets

Once the drywall had been hung and finished, the new cabinets were installed. The crown molding and other trim work were completed in preparation for painting.

Painting

The new cabinets were covered with plastic to prevent damage from drips or overspray while painting. The trim was spray painted to save time and produce the smoothest possible finish while the walls were rolled.

Stainless steel undermount sink being attached to granite countertops.

Countertops

The granite countertops were installed next. The seam in the countertops was glued together with epoxy and a special vacuum powered seam puller used to hold them together while the glue set. A tile backsplash was used to cover the space between the countertops and hanging cabinets.

Tile Floors

A leveling compound was applied to level the concrete slab and even out any imperfections. Once it had hardened, the entire floor was covered with ceramic tile.

Opened up kitchen and living area after the renovaton was complete.

Removing the wall, tiling the floor, and replacing the cabinets, countertops, and appliances really enhanced the living space in this home.

Other Tips from This Episode

Simple Solutions with Joe Truini:
Kitchen Pantry Storage

To maximize the storage space in your kitchen pantry, attach a clear plastic shoe rack to the inside of the pantry door for storing cleaning supplies and other items. Hold the rack in place at the bottom with push pins to secure it when the door is opened.

Best New Products with Jodi Marks:
SimpleMat TileSetting Mat

SimpleMat is an adhesive sheet that’s perfect for attaching tile to a countertop or backsplash. It can be used on drywall, plywood, plastic laminate, or painted surfaces. Simply cut the mat to size, press in place, peel off backing, attach tile, and grout. SimpleMat is available at The Home Depot.

Thinking Green:
Natural Cleaning Products

Common household items make great cleaning products White vinegar can be used to kill most mold, germs, and bacteria. A paste of baking soda and water or lemon juice removes dirt or stains. A two to one mixture of olive oil and lemon juice can be used to polish furniture. Corn meal works wonders as a dry carpet cleaner.

How to Apply and Seal Grout on Tile Floors

Danny Lipford — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:05:57 +0000

The last step in laying a tile floor is applying and sealing the grout. After the tile adhesive has set, apply grout to the joints using a rubber float. Grout comes in a variety of colors, but darker grout tends to show less stains. Stainproof grout is also available, though it isn’t as easy to work with as regular grout.

Once the grout has dried, apply a grout sealer to the joints to prevent stains from occurring. If grout is stained already, use a grout stain pen to make the grout a uniform color.

Ceramic vs. Porcelain Tile

Danny Lipford — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:48:22 +0000

There are two main types of floor tile, ceramic and porcelain. While both are durable and appropriate to use, there are noticeable differences between them.

Ceramic tile are composed of fired clay with a glaze coating. While usually less expensive than porcelain tile, ceramic are not as durable. Porcelain tile are made of sand fired at high temperature and pressure. Porcelain tile are harder than ceramic and not porous, making them more water resistant. On the downside, porcelain tile are more difficult to cut than ceramic.

Tools Used to Cut Ceramic Floor Tile

Danny Lipford — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:28:24 +0000

Ceramic floor tile can be cut to size using either a hand operated, score and snap cutter or a motorized wet saw. Rather than buying an expensive tool, consider renting a tile cutter from a tool rental center.

How to Tile a Floor Using an Underlayment Membrane

Allen Lyle — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:05:31 +0000

Floor tile are commonly made of either ceramic or porcelain:

Ceramic Tile: Long considered the standard in floor tile, ceramic is made from fired clay with a glaze coating. While often less expensive than porcelain, ceramic tile is not as durable.
Porcelain Tile: This tile is composed of sand which is fired at high temperature and pressure. Since it isn’t porous, porcelain tile is more water resistant and harder than ceramic, but it is harder to cut.

When installing a tile floor, a layer of cement backer board is usually put down over a plywood subfloor to provide a firm, stable surface. A waterproof underlayment membrane like Ditra from Schluter Systems can be substituted for backer board. Made of lightweight polyethylene, the membrane is only 1/8” thick and can be cut easily with a utility knife.

When using the membrane:

Ditra underlayment membrane

Cut the membrane to size.
Apply a layer of thin-set adhesive fortified with latex to the subfloor.
Roll the membrane out, and position it in place.
Apply a bed of thin-set without latex additive, and set the tile in it.

Tiles can be cut using:

Hand operated “score and snap” cutter.
Motorized wet saw.

After the tiles have set, apply grout to the joints using a rubber float. Grout is available in a variety of colors, but darker grout stains less. Stainproof grout is also available.

Once the grout has set, apply a grout sealer to the joints to prevent stains from occurring. If grout has already become stained, a grout stain pen can be used to stain the grout a uniform color.

Tools for Installing Carpet and Removing Vinyl Flooring

Danny Lipford — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:24:23 +0000

There are several unique tools which are used for laying carpet:

Power Stretcher: Extendable handle pushes against an opposing wall to pull carpet tight.
Knee Kicker Stretcher: Uses knee action to stretch carpet in small spaces.
Heat Bond Iron: Seams in carpet are jointed together using a special iron and heat-activated tape.

Floor scraper Spyder Scraper Power scraper

Tools used to remove vinyl flooring and adhesive from a subfloor include:

Floor Scraper: Consists of a 6”- 14” wide blade mounted on a handle, requires lots of elbow grease.
Reciprocating Saw Attachment: The Spyder Scraper from Simple Man Products is a 3” wide blade that attaches to a reciprocating saw to turn it into a high-speed scraper.
Power Floor Scraper: Motorized, walk behind machine makes fast work of scraping floors.

Since most homeowners won’t use these tools on a regular basis, consider renting them from a tool rental center, rather than buying them.

How to Cut Existing Flooring Flush with Cabinets

Danny Lipford — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:48:43 +0000

I want to remove my existing laminate flooring and replace it with cement backer board and tile, but the cabinets are built on top of the laminate. How can I cut the flooring flush with the cabinet kickboard to keep from having to take out all my cabinets? -Stacy

Hi Stacy,

Crain Tools makes a specialty saw (Crain #79 Toe-Kick Saw) that can cut up to 3/4″ deep flush with a cabinet under a toe space. More information is available on the Crain Tools website. Check with tool rental stores in your area to see if you can rent one.

You could also consider outfitting a small grinder with a blade to cut through it, but be careful it doesn’t kickback and cause injury or damage your cabinets. Attaching a strip of sheet metal or plastic laminate with double stick tape to the cabinet kickboard can help keep the blade from marring it.

Good luck with your project,

Problems Sanding and Refinishing Heart Pine Wood Floors

Danny Lipford — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:38:30 +0000

We bought a 1910 house with heart pine floors. The person we hired to sand and refinish them said that since the floors had been finished at one time around the area rugs, he could not get rid of the rug image. Is this true? -Patricia

Hi Patricia,

Most stains and differences from previous finishes should come out if the floors are thoroughly sanded, starting with coarse sandpaper and working up to finer grits. This may not be possible, however, if the stains are too deep or the floors have been sanded several times, leaving the wood above the groove too thin.

Also, keep in mind that heart pine can be difficult to sand, since the pine resin in the wood tends to gum up the sandpaper, particularly when using finer grits.

You can find out more in our video on How to Refinish Wood Floors.