Scope: Completely refaced kitchen and dining area. Design by Kitchen Magic in our exclusive maintenance free color, Hard Rock Maple.

Currently, kitchen consumers are attracted to light wood tones without a busy grain. This light and airy kitchen offers a modern look that is definitely on the upswing. When it comes to trendy, yet a smart design, this kitchen will always be in fashion. Utilizing the refacing process, the existing cabinets are covered in a matching veneer using our exclusive double lamination process. The Euro door is a contemporary style with clean lines creating a sophisticated dining experience. Hard Rock Maple is a light wood color which provides a grand feeling in the room while still maintaining the warmth of wood.

The kitchen’s maintenance-free material comes complete with all of the laminate benefits, including durability, beauty and easy clean up.

Refacing Process:
Step 1: Removal of all doors and drawers.
Step 2: Apply matching laminate material to all exposed areas of cabinets.
Step 3: Installation of all new doors and drawers in matching material.

Kitchen Description:
Color: Hard Rock Maple
Style: Euro Plain Door /Frameless

Includes:
45 doors / 21 drawer units
Storage Solutions: Two sets of stacked drawers (4 each) were converted to cabinet doors. Then 2 Rollouts per drawer were added for more accessible items. Roll outs are a smart storage solution.
New Drawer Glides – Blumotion®– A revolutionary shock absorbing drawer glide. Makes even heavily loaded drawers close slowly, quietly and so smoothly.

Unusual Constraints:

Replace cabinet’s radius end panels with boxes that have 45 degree corners.
The customers wanted to replace the dated rounded cabinet corners. This was difficult to do with a refacing project. In refacing, you don’t usually change the shape of the cabinets, you just cover them.

Solution:
Build 2 inch wide boxes for each end unit with angled front corner. These boxes were attached to the side of the end cabinets and the veneer was applied over that extension creating a wider cabinet without dated rounded corners. Now the cabinets have sleek angled corner.

The kitchen won the Remodeling News Magazine Innovation in Construction Award in the Kitchen Facelift category. For More Information visit Kitchen Magic

If you are considering renovating your home, buying a home to renovate, or flipping a house, this will give you some insight as to what it really takes to do a total home renovation.

Week Two

The homes interior needed to be completely gutted. After speaking to some of the neighbours, we discovered that there were 10 illegal immigrants renting small sections of a room, so they wound up dividing bedrooms into 2 or 3 very small spaces to rent out more spaces. Along the way there were some surprises; here is what happened.

Knowing that it was a physically challenging job, and that don’t come close to having my husbands strength, we started with the upstairs. This way the thinks that took the most energy I could do right away.

The small room on the upstairs addition previously used as a second kitchen to accommodate more people. We removed the sink, walls, and ceiling. One pleasant surprise was the ceiling under the pressboard. It was actually usable! Updating the windows to create a beautiful solarium looking over the back yard, this can be an office or baby area. The exposed brink will add a unique feeling to a small but great space.

The bedroom attached to this area was sectioned off, creating a walkway to the makeshift kitchen. We took down the way, and we very happy to see that they had not destroyed the hardwood floors that we are refinishing. They did however reinforce that wall into the molding around the door, so all of that has to be replaced.

Once we were able to open the room up a bit, we starting by demolishing the wall connected to the bathroom. Any stress that I had, I put to good use, as this wall was all board and baton plaster so required some serious strength.

One thing to remember when working with board and baton plaster, WEAR A MASK, or you get the black lung! It’s messy and not pleasant to breathe in!

Meanwhile, in the other two bedrooms, all the T Bar ceilings had to go. They are okay at an office, but not a home. Both the master and the larger of the other two rooms had limited closet space, so the master bedroom is getting a new wall-to-wall closet that is both functional and accommodating. The existing closet in the master bedroom now opens into the second bedroom so there is one large usable closet for added storage.

Now on to the fun stuff! The upstairs bathroom, in all its pink glory was completely town out, including the floorboards. This is where we noticed the weak floors that we need to replace. No light duty here, the tiles in the bathroom weighed a ton and was dragged down stairs and out the back into the dumpster.

After day one, the upstairs was finished and we were on to the main floor. In the front entrance, we decided that the hardwood was too damaged to repair, so marble tiles will be laid. Easier to keep clean and an warm welcome home. After removing the hardwood, we found more hard wood! Still too much damage from the 100+ nails per square inch, but it was a nice surprise that will save some money by not having to redo the entire area.

Next, we took out the living room doorway. It closed off the entire space and the fireplace in the living room can now be seen as soon as you walk in. Again, board and Baton plaster.

The dining room was already in good shape. Little needs to be done here so we were off to the Kitchen.

No small task, we tore out the kitchen. Cupboards, counters, and floor all needed to go. There was previous water damage so we took out some walls to ensure that everything was sealed up properly. We have yet to decide how to handle the century hardwood floors we found in the kitchen, originally we had intended on tile, however, the beautiful floors we discovered are priceless, and we hate to cover them up.

A small area of the kitchen converted to add a second bathroom, not a bad idea, however they had no lights so they added (and poorly) glass planes to allow the light in. Both the tub and toilet had to go. Its still a mystery where the sink was suppose to be. After much deliberation, we decided to move the bathroom into the back addition and make it a half bath, leaving much more room in the kitchen.

Day 2 was a long day spent mainly on the living room and kitchen, but will be worth it in the end.

By the end of the week we were tired, and swore, however the feeling of accomplishment was there making it worthwhile, and why the stress scale was only a 7.2.

Come back next week as we start framing and the electrical. Goodbye, knob and tube wiring!

Finding a good contractor need not be an impossible challenge, here are some great tips to help locate a great contractor, the questions to ask, and other valuable information.

How to Locate a Great Contractor
If you are thinking about renovating your home, you may have a style that prefer. Drive around a few neighbourhoods to see what you like, you may seen several signs for contractors in the area.
The HomeRenovationGuide can provide you with great contractors that service your area, and you can see their portfolios online.
If you know a reliable trades person such as a plumber, or electrician, ask them if they have worked with someone they would recommend.

Questions to Ask
Are they bonded, licensed, insured, and covered by workers’ compensation insurance?
What is the time line of your project. Start dates, completion dates, any pauses between phases if the project is large?
Have them provide you with a quote that is detailed so you can review and inquire about charges that you are not clear on.

Money / Payment
What is the rate? (smaller projects)
What is the total cost (larger projects) and what is included. Some companies bill only for hours and you pay the material costs direct, others will build in the materials cost. Be sure you know what you are getting so you can accurately compare.
What is the payment schedule? Some require a deposit so make sure you are informed before you agree.

Other Tips to Remember
Trust your instincts. Personal fit is important; depending on the size of your project you can be face to face with this person for several months.
A good contractor will ask you as many questions as you ask them. This is a great indication that they care about your project and want to ensure you are happy, so be open and let them know your bottom line and what you must have and what you dislike.

This is a 20-week story of a Total Home Renovation!

If you are considering renovating your home, buying a home to renovate, or flipping a house, this will give you some insight as to what it really takes to do a total home renovation.

I would like to introduce the Stress Scale. This is a scale from 1 to 10 that will let you know how stressful each phase of the Total Home Renovation is.

This is the front of the house. Its an attached house with “solid bones” but needs a lot of work.

This week we will be gutting the house.

We look forward to your input, and I am sure that you will find some valuable information over the weeks to come.