Palace Kitchen

[PolishWineP]

Work on the palace kitchen is in full swing.

So far, nothing horrible has happened, and for that we are very grateful.
Old cabinets

Everything has been removed from the kitchen. Our house is a maze of furniture and boxes. But it's for the good! The flooring guys are here right now and in a few hours we will no longer have acres of white, aging floor!

Bert and I replaced some drywall behind the sink and stove areas. Bert and son Brian replaced the window over the sink area! And get this, it opens! And closes! We've lived here for 9 years and have never been able to use the window over the sink.

The plumber was here last Friday to disconnect all the water stuff for the kitchen. When I tried to do laundry on Saturday night, all I got at the washer was a tinkle of water. I could have spit into the washer to fill it faster.

Same thing at the laundry tub. I figured it was a mineral build-up that had come loose when he turned off the water for the house. I left a message for the plumber, Help! Monday night we had the best water pressure for the washer ever! I found a note and this little white ball on the ironing board. Note says, "This white ball was in the pipe."

A mystery! How would something like that get into a water pipe?

So it is now time for me to take a few wine books out to the screen porch and maybe even nap!

 

[grapeman]

I hope the Royal Playground gets put back together soon. What's for dinner tonight?


The window will certainly be an improvemnt if it opens. I usually have clients put in either a slider or a casement window over the window. It is hard for a vertically challenged person to reach the center rail to open it up. A hand catch makes the job easier. You will see what I'm talking about after the counters are back in. Be sure to show us the cabinets.


My guess about the ball is that it came out of some type of checkvalve somewhere in the water system. The spring that holds it in place rusted out and the pressure moved it somewhere else-like the washer.

 

[PolishWineP]

I hope the Royal Playground gets put back together soon. What's for dinner tonight?


My guess about the ball is that it came out of some type of checkvalve somewhere in the water system. The spring that holds it in place rusted out and the pressure moved it somewhere else-like the washer.

Dinner tonight will be something that can be cooked in the microwave, electric skillet or rice cooker. There's all sorts of convenience foods in the freezer. I normally don't buy them but forced myself so Poor Bert gets some dinners!
Thanks for the idea about the white ball. It's been making me crazy!

 

[NorthernWinos]

Looking good.....Is Wade coming to install the cabinets????

 

[Wade E]

I would love to install the cabs and flooring for you but its a little to far to travel. I think Appleman maybe right with the check valve and youll know when you can not shut off the water at one of those check valve points. You should have that looked at especially if you have any PVC shut-offs in that line somewhere. Typically they are brass or copper balls but a PVC shut off would have a PVC ball like that. Maybe its a Pearl!

 

[NorthernWinos]

So...will there be a wine making and tasting area in the new galley?????

 

[PolishWineP]

Of course the plumber will have to be back to hook things back up and get the kitchen running again. At that point we're going to have the city turn off the water at the street and we're going to replace the main shut off in the house, along with some other things. I'll bring up what's been suggested. All our pipes are copper and there are certainly things that need to be replaced. I'll feel better about it all when everything that needs to be new is new. Wade, if that's a pearl from our pipes then we have more trouble than we thought!

The wine tasting area will have to double as our dining area. I'd love to be able to afford to push the wall out about 10 feet and have a deluxe kitchen, but that would be more to clean.

 

[Wade E]

Granite or laminate counter tops? What species cabinets are going in?

 

[PolishWineP]

Laminate. Granite is too hard on wine bottles and carboys and way too high maintenance for me. "Maintain" my counter tops? I don't think so. My idea of counter maintenance is a good washing and a shot of K=Meta once in a while.
The cabinets are KraftMade Mapleton Square with a chestnut finish. I've always liked the darker woods. The simple design is easy to clean and not a lot of edges to them.

We went through Lowe's for most of the work as we don't have the time or where-with-all to play contractor. And, we didn't have to pay sales tax on anything that their installers install for us!

Floor is done and the cats have been banished to the screen porch until bedtime. They will then be locked in with us to keep them and their fur out of the seam sealer.

I had them locked in our bedroom and one of the workers had to open the door to remove the strip between our carpet and kitchen floor. Out came Red the cat. The guy had to find me in the yard and told me, "Garfield escaped."

Poor Red.
So the next step this weekend is to start painting. Yes, I have a good drop cloth!

 

[grapeman]

That all sounds great PWP. Maybe you can have lasagna with "Garfield" tonight.

 

[Wade E]

Granite is $ but what is high maintenance about it? It definitely is not friendly to carboys and wine bottles though.

 

[PolishWineP]

Things like tomato and wine spills can etch the finish. Oils can stain it. If you don't get your spills wiped up right away it can stain. I did study my options before I made a decision and any type of stone just didn't seem right for us.

 

[Wade E]

Never knew that. All the things Ive heard about granite was that it was stain and burn resistant. I know Corian and Silestone were stainable and burnable though.

 

[uavwmn]

PwP, when it is all said and done, it will be beautiful and functional and a wonderful place for family and friends to gather.

 

[Waldo]

DAMN PWP !!! I'm all tired from just looking at those pictures..I gotta go get me a glass of wine and crawl in my hot tub and relax for a spell

 

[PolishWineP]

Oh Waldo! Now I'm jealous! I do have a clawfooted bath tub out in the shop. Maybe I can get Bert to get some guys over here to haul it into the yard for me. I could fill it one day and it would be warm enough the next day to sit in it!

 

[swillologist]

PWP have Bert rig an air-compressor up to it and you will be in business. Can someone say Jacuzzi?

 

[PolishWineP]

Swill! I love that idea! Except that the air compressor is so danged loud that it would ruin any relaxation I'd get from the tub.

Time to quit having fun here and go back to painting! Bert's already at it!

 

[swillologist]

Leave the compressor in the barn and run an air hose to the tub with a shut-off valve on it.

Drink a lot of wine that will help relax you also. Have a good day!

 

[PolishWineP]

I finally remembered to post pictures of the completed project! We are loving our new kitchen. Bert and I got through the whole project without a single fight about the project itself.