January 14, 2012 - The Next Project Begins



With the floor finished, it's on to the next project.....new Formica counter tops. Son John came over after dinner, armed with a bunch of new tools from Harbor Freight. The new heat gun made quick work of removing the back splash and edge of the old Formica. If I never see Harvest Gold again, it will be too soon. Oh yes.....unfortunately, it's still present in the bathrooms :-(


Then the top piece of Formica was removed, and the back splash area given a coat of primer. Some of the old contact cement was scraped off, but John decided he was going to get something that dissolves it for easier removal, so called it quits for the night.


Leaving me with this mess! I swear, my kitchen was clean when he got here. Hmmm, I think I bought John a new router to go with his new heat gun. I'm easy.


Semi-cleaned up, I'll be living with tools in the kitchen and small appliances in odd places for the next few days.


The new counter will look similar to this (my daughter Amy's kitchen). It's called Butterum. Hers is the preformed counter top with round edges, where mine will have routed edges. I'll probably be using 4" ceramic tiles for my back splash.


12 comments:

  1. Do my house next!! Do my house next!!
    :D

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  2. Oh boy! I can't wait to see the countertops! The end result will be worth all the mess!

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  3. You are definitely a worker! That kitchen is positively gleaming even with a torn up countertop. You are going to post pictures when it's all done?

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  4. Lots of renovation. I think you're going to stay there awhile and no more trips south!

    Beautiful color for the counters.

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  5. I cannot wait to see it finished! I have a terribly outdated kitchen (25 years old) but until our daughter is through with college we will not be doing any improvements so I must resign myself to living with it for a while longer. It is perfectly serviceable - just ugly.

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  6. Oh, Sue, if my house looked half as gorgeous as yours, I'd be thrilled!

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    I hope so, Robin. I'm still not comfortable with doing the renovations. I think I'm putting a lot on John's shoulders (and my own), and worry that I should have just bitten the bullet (and the checking account) and called in the professionals.

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    Dianefaith, of course! That is, if it isn't a complete disaster ;-)

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    Marcia, no more trips south. I'm ready to stay home now....even though I'm freezing!

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    Kitsap, yours isn't as outdated as mine. This is an old house that was completely renovated in 1974. My kitchen is 38 years outdated! Oh, we have had the floors done since then, new appliances (twice), and the walls are still in great shape. I'm pretty much stuck with my 1970s style lighted drop ceiling in the kitchen, but eventually all the Harvest Gold will be gone. That means it will make a big come back in the near future, I suppose.

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  7. I would love to have those new counter tops..it's beautiful..you will be so happy with them..My kitchen is outdated and there is no storage...I have to use the counters for so many things it's cramed. :o(

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  8. Oh, Ginny, I do hope they turn out nice! John is confident he can do the work, I hope he's right.

    I do have a lot of cupboard space in my kitchen, but much of it is so high up it's almost inaccessible to me. I have to keep my step stool handy behind the refrigerator.

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  9. Granny, in my experience, the best thing about doing it yourself is that you are more likely to do it right. The few projects we have had contractors do have seen mixed results. The roof turned out perfect, but the new front door and door threshold... not so much. I think your kitchen update will be great! Amy's backsplash looks very similar to my backsplash, installed last spring.

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  10. love the copper back splash with the counter--very pretty! robbie ;-)

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  11. oooh, i love the backsplash! Pretty tiles.

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  12. Meems, so do I, but that's my daughter's kitchen. My back splash will probably be plain brown ceramic tiles.

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