Duo Ventures

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Kitchen Makeover: Faucet & Drywall Installation

In the last several weeks we have ordered our countertopspicked out a sink & faucet, demoed our existing backsplash & counters, and had our new Frosty Carrina quartz & sink installed.  The next step in our mini kitchen update is installing our new faucet & drywall...

We probably should have hung the new drywall first, but we were anxious to have a working sink again.  So, the day after our countertops & sink were installed, we got started on the faucet.  Right away, we realized we would need to modify our window sill as it was jutting out & hitting the faucet:

We simply pried out the sill & molding:

Nader cut the window sill down & we tested out the fit
(we are going wait & reattach it once the backsplash is done):

Next, Nader started working on the actual plumbing portion.  Originally, we had a double bowl sink - one side drain/one side garbage disposal.  Now that we had a single bowl sink, we had to reconfigure the plumbing a bit so that our garbage disposal would connect to our single drain.  After a run to HD for some new PVC pipe & supplies, Nader finished installing the plumbing & the faucet.  Success!

A few days later, we got started on the drywall.  We had just enough drywall in the garage which was leftover from a previous project.  After making some cuts, we hung the first piece.  Problem was, it wasn't laying quite right & was not flush with the existing strip of drywall.  We forgot to take a photo of this in our frustration...

After a quick call to dad, we finally figured out that the leftover drywall we were using was from a prior ceiling project.  Apparently, this drywall was 5/8" - slightly thicker than the standard 1/2" drywall that is typically used on walls.  Duh.  We were a bit disappointed that we had to purchase all new drywall, but after a quick trip to HD we were good to go. 

Our kitchen required a lot of cutouts for outlets & switches.  A tip we learned while watching HGTV was the "lipstick trick".  After we turned the breaker off, we decided to give it a go:
1. outline the outlet with lipstick
2.  press the drywall against outlet
3.  check to make sure you're left with an imprint of the outlet on the drywall
4.  trace the outlet
5.  mark where you want to make your cut
6.  cut hole & check fit  


While this little trick wasn't "professional" by any means, it totally worked!  Afterwards, most of the lipstick rubbed off with some cleaner & a paper towel.  However, there was one outlet where the lipstick got into some recessed areas:
We took an old toothbrush & cleaned it off (the breaker was still off of course).  While we didn't have a problem getting the lipstick off, you might want to test it out first if you try this.

Once all the new drywall was up, it was time to mud.  We applied mesh drywall tape to all the gaps & seams and then used joint compound to fill everything in:

We applied the first coat of joint compound, sanded once dry, reapplied a second coat in certain areas, & sanded again.  Basically, our goal was to get the wall as smooth & straight as possible.
Here's the kitchen once we were all finished:
Up next, we will be narrowing down our subway tile options & then installing our backsplash.  Stay tuned...

Mel & Nader
:)

2 comments:

  1. That's a great choice for a faucet. It’s fashionable, and looks perfect with your awesome sink. Kudos to Nader and to his amazing plumbing skills! I saw your final kitchen reveal, and I’m so amazed with the results of your redo. You all deserve a pat in the back! Have a good day!

    Gregg Weir @ Capital Plumbing & Heating

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  2. I'm wishing you the best of luck with that operation! Just make sure you've got all the bases covered, not just the individual components working out well and delivering in terms of capabilities and attributes. A faucet is just as good as the drain and the sink, with which good plumbing is connecting them. Thanks for sharing that!

    Martha Ward @ Son-Rise Plumbing

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