DEE’S KITCHEN RENOVATION

There is also a learning curve of project management.  How long will it take me to do a, b and c, so the installers can bring in the countertop…? And oh, I need a sink for the countertop so what kind of sink do I want so I can get them the specs to cut the countertop. 

Nothing ever goes as fast as you want it but I tried to lay out below all I needed to do/know for each part of the kitchen reno.

CABINETS:

1. Remove all items from cabinets that can be stored elsewhere for a month
   1. yes, I said a month! Do not go into this project thinking you can do this in a weekend.

2. Find your layout space
   1. I used spaces in my home like counter space, I set up tables as well as used tables in the garage. I had a LOT of faces to work on. Cover everything with old sheets. If you don’t have any, go to Goodwill and buy some. Be careful with your floors too.

3. Remove Cabinet Doors
   1. As you’re doing this LABEL each door with a number and put a piece of tape on the inside of the drawer with the corresponding number.
   2. Take off all the old hardware but keep them to match new
   3. I used wood filler to fill in all the holes on the frames and face. Wood filler shrinks so if you have some shrinkage that is ok because you’ll want to kind of see where the old holes were for reference. Do not spend a lot of time on this.

4. Wash and degrease all frames and faces –
   1. I used hot water with TPX – Use gloves.
   2. https://www.lowes.com/pd/TSP-Deck-Cleaner/3014064

5. SAND:
   1. Ok I’ll say this – this is highly controversial based on who you talk to. You will get all sides telling you what to do and not do. 
   2. My personal choice was to use Jasco Easy Liquid Sander Deglosser for the following reasons
      1. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Jasco-32-oz-Indoor-Outdoor-Paint-Preparation-Cleaner/50298105
      2. Time – this is literally a wipe down and let it sit – no cleaning after
      3. Sanding indoor was not an option with my pets and new carpet
      4. My cabinet faces and frames are real wood & have detailed panes. I did not want to over sand and destroy the nice beveled edges off the wood.
      5. Buy Nitrile Gloves to hand this stuff – it stinks and is caustic.

     6. PRIME:

1. Another topic that some choose to do and some skip. I chose to prime everything with Kilz 3 Premium because my cabinets are real wood.  With real wood, I didn’t want the tannins to seep through and streak my white color to yellow.
2. 1. 1. https://www.kilz.com/primer/kilz-premium

7. PAINT BRUSHES:
   1. I chose the Wooster Shortcut brush to put the primer on and do my first coat of paint. This is a short brush and the handle is rubber for a softer grip and easier control.
      1. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wooster-2-in-Shortcut-Polyester-Angle-Sash-Brush-0Q32110020/100357411
   2. Final coat was all done with a mini dense foam roller for a nice finish without the brush strokes.
      1. https://www.homedepot.com/p/4-in-x-3-8-in-High-Density-Foam-Mini-Paint-Roller-5-Pack-HD-MR-200-5-4/202097452

8. PAINT:
   1. You would probably laugh at how stressed I was at picking the RIGHT ‘white’. This was so irritating, and I read so much on the different hues of white that I finally thought I had it when I went to Sherwin Williams.  Going to Sherwin was what I needed to do though.  They introduced me to a Hi-Hide Interior Latex that has a non-reflective appearance that helps hide surface imperfections.
   2. Sherwin actually had a few pieces of wood painted with different types of paint and finishes that helped me choose.
   3. I thought this would be a good choice for my cabinets seeing as they’re not new wood and the hi-hide would cover imperfections.
   4. This paint is a bit tricky to use as it goes on like an enamel (thinner) but is latex and actually dries like an enamel (hard).
   5. This paint does say it’s a flat but my whole kitchen has a really nice sheen to it and the paint dried so hard that it’s easily wipeable.

9. HINGES
   1. Hinges were really hard to find to match the type of cabinets I had from the 80’s. They were a Self-closing Single Door Hinge.  I got lucky and found the style I wanted at a local hardware store in Painesville.  They were able to order me these in Satin Nickle.
      1. Joughin Hardware in Painesville, OH.
      2. https://www.wayfair.com/home-improvement/pdp/hardware-house-275-h-x-2-w-self-closing-single-door-hinge-haw1476.html (these are what they looked like)
   2. Assume these will not align with the old holes on your cabinets as manufactures are different and sometimes sizing changes. Don’t get frustrated, just re-drill new holes in the frames and faces.  Pilot hole first then drill the nail size.

10. HARDWARE
    1. My cabinets did not have any hardware on them to begin with, so I bought all new knobs and pulls. I did a combo of both depending on the drawer.
    2. Make sure you measure and understand how big or small the knobs/pulls will be and make a template before you buy so they’re not too small or large
       1. KNOBS: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XBBJ7FP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
       2. PULLS: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017C1W0O8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    3. Once I received these, I made a drilling template out of a piece of cardboard the exact size of my drawers and measured them up.
    4. Drill a small pilot hole first then the actual size & go slow with wood so you do not split it.