Blue&White wrote:
On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:05:13 -0000, Chuck wrote:
We are planning to redo our kitchen in a year or two. We'll be doing
most of it ourselves, including building the cabinets. I have been
building my skills and my tool collection and think I am just about
ready for this task. We have remodeled another kitchen in the past
using ready made cabinets.
I have one big question though. I'm not sure if it's cost effective to
build my own cabinets or to go out and buy some decent quality ready
made ones.
-snip-
Thanks in advance,
Chuck
I am currently about 80% thru my kitchen remodel. I am doing
everything (but the gas line) myself, with scattered help from friends
when 2 hands simply aren't enough.
I have rewired the entire kitchen, adding several circuits (the house
was built in 1961 and wasn't bad, but nothing up to today's needs).
Added a ton of lighting. I tore down an exterior (plaster) wall (to
the masonry structure, not daylight), insulated, and rebuilt it (made
running the wiring much easier). Plumbing was pretty much left alone
except for a new water line to fridge (and installing new sink and
such). Tore down the soffits and closed in the holes. Built(ing) the
cabinets and installed(ing) them. Gee, doesn't sound like as much
work as it turned out to be. ;-)
It's an interesting experience, and I didn't learn enough the first
time I did it.
I an currently in the "why the heck did I do this, again" mode
(primarily because of the amount of time it's dragged on thru), as
well as anxious for it to be finished - seeing the light-tunnel pair.
There were a number of memory lapses between the first job (~10 years
ago) and now.
That said, I'd do it again (build my own cabinets) but with some of
the variations suggested in this thread, depending on the
circumstances (a big one being, 'forever' house or not).
My biggest hurdle the first time and second, has been the finishing.
THE FINISHING IS A ROYAL PAIN!!
I made the mistake of trying something new, on this relatively large
project (one day soon I hope to post a few pics). Lesson: consider
whether you want to add in yet another element to the amount of time
and effort it's gonna take.
Used poly the first time around - brushed on. Pain.
I switched from brushed poly to sprayed (HVLP) lacquer and it's been
quite the experience.
I had A LOT of help from the folks here. It woulda been nicer if some
of them had dropped by to stand at my side whilst I figured things
out. ;-)
The time I saved spraying fast drying lacquer has been well offset
with the trials and tribulations.
But, the issues with the finishing probably vary with the route you
take to resolve them. I sometimes (no, make that, in hindsight, -
often) took the long and windy road.
Personally, I got much better quality cabinets, that suit my needs,
some new tools, a few more lessons, for a good bit less than I'd a
spent buying cabinets (unless they were from Ikea or some such). This
does not take into consideration time. I'll take the lessons and
hopefully do it better next time...
Renata
I haven't seen anyone post what I did a
few years ago.
My SWMBO moved into my partially
finished house in the country. We live
in a pretty cold part of Canada, and the
place was only partially insulated. The
first winter near did her in. The second
winter she moved out to an apartment in
the city. I stayed in the apartment with
her during the week and came back to the
house on weekends to finish the renovation.
It included everything: bathroom
renovation, laundry room build, rewiring
of most of the house, drywall to about
70% of the house, flooring, painting,
establishment of new rooms and partitions.
As well, the kitchen was gutted
completely, including new cabinets,
stove, fridge, plumbing, etc.
In addition to being female and having
that strange requisite low tolerance
that women have for mess, she's got a
medium-level disability. That
combination would have killed our
relationship had she stayed in the house
during all that work.
She's an architect and has a decent
inner vision that allows her to design
things from a distance, so we used the
Internet for a lot of problem solving.
I'm not recommending this for everyone.
There aren't a lot of people that could
live that way. It's a much more
expensive solution. However, it worked
for us. When I was finished to a point
where she could be comfortable, she
moved back in and stayed.
This isn't a YMMV situation. This is
likely a one-of-a-very-few type of
situation. But - it did work out.
Now she's talking about an addition to
the side of the house. Sigh.
--
Tanus
This is not really a sig.
http://users.compzone.ca/george/shop/