Broan Ultra Silent ventilation fans for your bathroom are much quieter than other models while removing just as much air from your bathroom. Watch this video to find out more.

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Kitchen Cabinet Organization Tips

Adding drawer dividers is a great way to make existing drawers more functional. You can buy them ready made from home improvement stores, or make them yourself out of wood to fit a specific size or shape.

Another option is to replace drawer bottoms with 1/4” pegboard and use dowels as adjustable spacers to accommodate everything from pots and pans to kitchen utensils.

Installing a pullout rack in your cabinet is perfect for storing cookie sheets, baking pans, and trays.

Rollout racks (or drawer slides) can also be adapted for use with a kitchen trash can, or you can purchase a pullout specially designed for that purpose. The cabinet door in front of the trash can either be hinged or attached to the front of the rack so it pulls out with the can.

Kitchen Cabinet Facelift Tips

To improve the looks of your kitchen cabinets, replace the cabinet doors and drawer fronts. Doors and drawer fronts can be custom ordered in various sizes from home centers in a wide range of colors and styles. They’re also available unfinished, so you can finish them yourself to match existing cabinets.

Another option for dressing up bland plywood cabinet doors is by attaching mitered strips of molding to the face. Stain and finish the molding to match the doors, then cut the miters and nail the molding in place.

Kitchen Cabinets Upgrade Tips

To increase the usable space in your kitchen cabinets, consider utilizing the open space above hanging cabinets for display or fill in the space with a custom cabinet for added storage.

You can add a touch of elegance to your cabinets by replacing some of the wood panels in the hanging cabinet doors with glass to display collectables, silver, or fine china.

A plate rack can provide an interesting design feature while making your kitchen more efficient at the same time.

Adding an island to your kitchen can make use of wasted space. Allow 42” between the island and other cabinets, and 36” for walkways.

If your kitchen doesn’t have space for an island, try a rolling cart instead. Park it against a wall when not in use, then pull it out into the room when needed for cooking or serving.

Kitchen Countertop and Backsplash Tips

A tile backsplash is a great way to dress up your kitchen while making it easier to keep clean. Mosaic tile kits, such as those from JEM Expressions, are available with unique custom images ranging from artwork to personal photographs.

Wood, both painted and natural, can be used for a backsplash as well. Vertical wooden beadboard can make a beautiful kitchen backsplash.

Granite is very popular kitchen countertop material, but it can be expensive. One way to have the look and functionality of granite without spending a fortune is by installing a granite insert on the counter next to the stove for pans hot from the oven.

To free up additional countertop space, replace your existing countertop microwave with a combination vent fan and microwave that fits over your stove.

Other Tips from This Episode

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The Merillat CoreGuard Sink Base is a polymer lined cabinet that slope slightly toward the front to make cleaning leaks and spills a cinch. Watch this video to find out more.

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Watch this video to find out how to make and install a simple hook to suspend bananas beneath the hanging cabinets in your kitchen without taking up added counter space.

• Drill a hole in cabinet dividers beneath the hanging cabinet with a 1/8” drill bit.
• Snip off a piece of wire from a coat hanger and bend it to a “Z” shape.
• Insert one end of the hanger in the hole, and voila! You now have a hanger to suspend your bananas.
• If the dividers on your cabinets do not extend below the bottom, bend a loop in the wire at the end of the hanger and attach it to the bottom of the cabinet with a screw.

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Installing mosaic tile as flooring or an accent strip requires a bit different technique than laying large tile. Some mosaic tile are held together in squares with a mesh backing, while others employ paper facing. To lay mosaic tile:

• Apply thin-set adhesive to the surface with a notched trowel.
• Embed the squares of mosaic tile in the adhesive, positioning them carefully so the joints between the squares are even.
• If the tile is held together with a paper backing on the front, wet the paper and peel off the backing once the adhesive has set.
• Finish up by grouting between the tile with a rubber float and sponge off any excess grout.

Laying mosaic tile requires a little extra work, but the results are worth it. Watch this video to find out more.

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Tub and shower faucets, like this one from Moen, that come equipped with a pressure balance valve adjust to any changes in water pressure automatically. This allows your shower or bath to maintain a constant water temperature and prevent scalding when water is being used elsewhere in your house. Watch this video to find out more.

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Recent advances in plastic laminate have made a product that closely resembles natural granite. Laminate, such as Formica 180fx, come in a range of colors and patterns that are so realistic, it’s hard to tell them from the real thing. Watch this video to find out more.

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Danny has remodeled a lot of bathroom over the years, but this job is personal, since it’s in his own home. What started as a simple upgrade, expanded into a complete bathroom renovation that included replacing the tub surround and tile floor, upgrading the plumbing and faucets, and installing a new vanity and accessories.

Danny’s bathroom before remodeling.

Demolition

Work began by tearing out a built-in closet and removing the existing pedestal sink. Next, the 20-year-old cultured marble tub surround was removed, along with the tile floor. In addition, part of the engineered wood floor in the powder room had to be replaced to cover the area occupied by the closet.

Wiring

Replacing the two wall scones over the sink with a single light fixture required cutting a new hole in the drywall, rerouting the wires, and repairing the holes in the existing drywall.

Plumbing and Fixtures

The faucets for the tub and sink have an oil rubbed bronze finish and are from the Vestige collection by Moen. The tub faucet includes a pressure balance valve that automatically adjusts to changes in water pressure to maintain constant water temperature and prevent scalding.

Flexible PEX pipe was used to connect the existing polybutylene water lines to the copper pipes on the new faucets.

Tile Floor and Shower Surround

Once the plumbing had been roughed in, cement backer board was attached to the studs around the tub. A plastic pan was screwed to a cutout in the backer board to form a recess to accommodate shampoo and soap.

Seams in the backer board were covered with mesh tape and coated with thin-set. Before the tile were laid, the shower walls were coated with a waterproofing compound—such as Durex Blue Shield from Durabond Products or RedGard by Custom Building Products—to prevent moisture from penetrating through the tile or grout. The concrete floor was primed as well, and a floor leveling compound was poured on the slab to make sure it was flat and smooth.

Rather starting the first row of tile on the tub, guide boards were attached to the shower walls to provide a level support for the tile. To minimize the size of the grout lines, toothpicks were used as spacers between the tile.

The walls of the tub surround were tiled with 12”x 12” Crema Cappuccino tiles from The Home Depot. Moroccan Desert mosaic blend glass tile from the Tessera collection by Oceanside Glasstile were used for the bathroom floor and accent band around the tub surround.

After the tile adhesive had set, the paper backing on the mosaic tile was peeled off, and grout was applied to the joints with a float. Darker colored grout was used on the mosaic tile floor and accent band, with a lighter grout for the tub surround.

Bathroom Vanity

Once the drywall in the powder room had been repaired, the walls were painted. When all the work was finished, a Socotra vanity with a black Galaxy Granite top and white oval sink was set in place and the plumbing attached.

After a little clean up and decorating, Danny’s bath renovation was complete.

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When installing the cabinets during this kitchen remodel, the base cabinets were put in first to allow measurements for the granite countertops. The base cabinets were set on blocks to compensate for the hardwood floor that was installed later.

Wood shims were used to level the cabinets and align the faces. Once the cabinets were in place, the faces of the base cabinets were screwed together to keep them aligned, and the hanging cabinets were installed over them.

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If your kitchen cabinets have adjustable hinges, you may need to tweak them from time to time so the doors will close properly. Watch this video to find out which screws to turn to achieve the perfect fit on your cabinet doors.

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