Denmead Remodel & Addition: 2009

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This project involves remodeling a kitchen area and surrounding spaces. The house is a 1950s vintage track home with a raised foundation and an addition. The addition created a master bedroom and closet area, plus a large master bath. It appears the master bath was enlarged later with some space taken away from the master bedroom to do it. Some curious enhancements included rewiring the electrical in the house, placing hardwood flooring in the kitchen, and placing central heating in the house with the unit in the garage. There would have been enough space in the attic, but the HVAC unit is in the garage.

Before Shots
The pics below show the front and back areas, with a few interior shots of the kitchen and dryer area (located behind the kitchen). The washer was located next to the washout sink adjacent to the kitchen, which meant one would have to pickup the clothes (wet) and carry them around the corner to the dryer location behind the washer in the next room. The shot of the electrical panels (above) show the least expensive way to get more lines without removing anything. Note how down spout goes around the conduit.

Above back door stoop seems easy enough to remove: the door location changes to the side of the house. Work begins with small rotary hammer and sledge hammer. Sloooow progress. Hard stuff. Get electric jack hammer. Burns out cooling fan in hammer, not big enough. Next: diesel compressor and 120 psi jack hammer. Takes 3/4 day and it's out. Old, tough, no rebar... good concrete - deep and wide! Mow strip in front yard was ~ 14" deep and 6" wide. It was easier to dig a trench and fill it than to be conservative and form it.

Note: sink with decorative nozzle to ensure water stays in the sink. Also, connection of a duct fan at the p-trap to remove smells from the sink drain (not - just a curious location for the dryer vent to exit the building from the opposite wall to t he exterior wall under the sink).

Demo:

Removing the hardwood floor in the kitchen was a task: 1st the hardwood, then the vinyl floor below it, then the nailed on plywood layer with ring shank nails. The final subfloor of diagonal 1 x 8s showed patch work repairs with plywood, and broken boards that just never got replaced.

Plans call for removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room with just a pony wall. Supports are placed on both sides of the wall prior to removal to hold up the ceiling joists and supporting kickers. The wall removed of wires and switches, what's left is to install the flush beam in the attic and tie the joists back in (pic later).

Underfloor: having a tile floor over a wood subfloor posed a problem for the existing structure was flexing when we walked on the center span. We added some pier blocks and posts to support a new beam down the center. It dramatically stiffened the subfloor especially when we sheeted with 3/4" plywood. The opened floor allowed us to access the needed plumbing lines without having to use a crawl space entry at an inconvenient place somewhat far away.

The wall opposite the plumbing wall has the washer and dryer location.

Once all the utilities were placed, we placed in insulation throughout and covered it with drywall: a challenge as the previous surfaces were button board and plaster. We used several shims, layers of thin drywall over thicker drywall, followed by several coats of drywall compound and topping.

One shot shows the previous hallway to kitchen as an open closet (to be converted later into storage with cat liter space open below) followed by the washer dryer area: awaiting tile.

Drywall: multiple coats in-progress.

Cabinet Install: following a quick coat of primer and the installation of the floor tile (no small feat); the cabinets started going in. Note : the dining room light is not frosted, just covered with drywall dust - it was getting replaced...