Kitchen remodel while living in the house

Sounds dreadful. When I was still married years ago, we were going to have our bathroom remodeled while we were out of town. Contractor screwed us and he basically only got the tear down completed in the week we were gone. So we spent almost a month with no sink or ability to shower (we could take baths), the toilet sitting on shims and not bolted down, brushing our teeth in the kitchen sink, etc. It was a nightmare.

That's why when I bought my current place, I bought one that had already been completely and thoroughly renovated. Down to a new HVAC system, water heater, range and dishwasher, carpets/flooring/countertops/toilets, roof, etc. And I'm the first one to live in it after it was completed.

Done it twice. Small kids at home both times and finances meant we needed to be able to cook most meals in temp kitchen. In each house, we found a place to plug in the fridge, then outfitted family room bar (one) or long table (other house) with microwave, toaster oven, crockpot (nowadays I'd go Instant Pot) and electric frypan (a big one with a lid means you can cook anything other small appliances can't handle). Did dishes in the nearest bathroom, but also kept a 5-gallon jug of water (the one with the little spigot on it) in the improvised kitchen so it was almost like running water for cooking.

It wasn't too bad. Worst part was both kitchens were hub rooms that we had to pass through, so we made sure kids wore slippers at all times and did a lot of sweeping. A couple of commercial-style mats are your friend there.

Margie

In reply to Brett_Murphy (Ex-Patrón) :

Is it done? What to know the discomforts, or have you gone to the beach house?

Year-plus later... I wonder how Brett did?

I helped with my ex's kitchen remodel/rebuild (torn down to the studs/joists and one exterior wall was moved).  We moved the refrigerator and a couple of the base cabinets into her front living room and set up a microwave and toaster oven on them.  The adjacent powder room was also demolished, but I hooked up a temporary utility sink for washing dishes.  This setup was in use for the better part of two years, but she lives alone. 

Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:

Year-plus later... I wonder how Brett did?

COVID and the housing boom here delayed that project. Contractors just say "no" to what they think is a small job or want mad money to do it. It still hasn't happened.

Be sure to try and plastic sheet off the rest of the house from construction dust. To remove asbestos, wet everything down first to keep fibers from flying and vacuum and wash afterwards. Place 20x20 pleated air filters in front of the same size box fans to try and catch any dust.

In reply to Brett_Murphy (Ex-Patrón) :

I didn't know there is any other way .  
 I remember climbing down the ladder from our bedroom at the front of the house walking through 8 inches on snow on the floor to our kitchen, opening up the refrigerator(?)  to get milk for my cereal. Looking up at the sky to see what the weather was going to be. Then going off to work. 

I'm still in the middle of this, 7 years and counting....

Wanted a dishwasher. Couldn't fit it in the existing cupboards, so bought a new ikea cabinet setup. While I was doing this, I moved the sink, and found the old cast iron plumbing was too

large to fit the wall cavity, so the whole house got re-plumbed, from the basement floor to the attic. Both the drains and supply.  This also uncovered a bunch of shoddy wiring, some hidden junctions, and most stuff un-grounded. Re-wired most of the main floor up to current code, everything except one room and a couple outlets on exterior walls. Of course, all this didn't fit into the tiny 8 breaker (16 doubled) panel that was there, so I got a new modern panel so everything has it's own circuit. The kitchen had 5 layers of flooring, the rest of the house was worn out carpet over 9" tiles. Probably asbestos. Master bedroom was getting frost on the inside wall behind dressers and nightstands because 50s house in -40 winters. So the house was taped up, negative air fan set up, tyvek suits and P100 masks donned. All the flooring from entrance to kitchen to hall to bedroom were pulled up down to the subfloor.  Master bedroom torn down to studs, new rockwool insulation put between the studs, 1" rigid insulation added on the inside. New windows put in to the bedroom, study, and bathroom.

Now I'm picking away at making a kitchen breakfast bar with a metal frame and butcher block top. Once that's done I can order counter tops, put the toe kicks on, and call it done....

I started collecting Timbers in 1998 and didn't get the last of it enclosed until 2013. We are on the final chapter of the construction project. Today I'm working on lining the pantry.  Any luck and I'll be done with the pantry  by next week.  Our goal is it's completely finished by 2025 

Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) said:

Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:

Year-plus later... I wonder how Brett did?

COVID and the housing boom here delayed that project. Contractors just say "no" to what they think is a small job or want mad money to do it. It still hasn't happened.

Mad money is now the normal. Insane money is what it costs to get it done now.         We had a contractor do the great room ceiling.  Just do a knock down texture and paint.  $13,000.    It took two guys all summer to do it with a separate  crew to put up and take down the scaffolding. Started in May and finished in November. 

Had this to do when the poop hit the fan in 2020. Still on the list.

My plan was to clear the shop and turn it into the temp kitchen. Already wired for 220V and lots of "counter" space in the form of SS work benches.

With the Goal being IKEA kitchen the demo would not start until the new kitchen, complete with new appliances, is sitting in the shop.

Subject to electrical and plumbing trades doing their bit on time, I was expecting a month to be enough for a retired guy and a helper to get it done.

In reply to frenchyd :

That's pretty impressive. Structural or decorative?

Another tip; if you are going to have exposed raw flooring for any amount of time, 3 months, 3 years, paint it with a coat of primer so that you can wash it. My $20000 PVC snap together "Invincible" flooring job took me 3 years to do by myself for a 2 week job. $6000 of materials and the rest paying myself $14000 at $35/hr. My wife won't pay up.

We did ours last summer.  Wife wanted a guy recommended that said to gut your kitchen.  So by Sunday night all but the sink was missing.  On Monday his Dad calls to say it'll be a 3 month delay?   I guess we're hiring some out and doing the rest.
 

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

lol So, after a year, what's it look like?

And, nice island.

VolvoHeretic said:

In reply to frenchyd :

That's pretty impressive. Structural or decorative?

Structural.  I put those Timbers up in 2002. The vertical Timbers handle 10 tons each. The SIPs are twice as strong as a normal 2x6 stick built wall and the outside Timbers ( double timber Frame ) made of black walnut  combine to make my walls almost railroad bridge strong. Yes that's real stone in between.  14 inch thick walls.  The sheet rock went up with the roof. So all he had to do was texture the ceiling and paint it.  

VolvoHeretic said:

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

lol So, after a year, what's it look like?

And, nice island.

That's the old one - my wife comes to me after the house is 17 years old and tells me she wants to remodel the kitchen.   Aaaack - who does that?   (Her nickname is Martha Stewart)   

I don't have many pictures and the hood wasn't up here.  
 

Living that life currently. We have two other sinks on this level, which helps. 
 

We are trying to be good about dust, but it is still everywhere. 

In reply to Gimp (Forum Supporter) :

That's really clean and nice looking.  Should be very efficient for cooking.  Good work!