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Welcome to the Hardcore Husky Forums. Folks who are well-known in Cyberland and not that dumb.

Question for my kitchen remodeling guysm?

YellowSnowYellowSnow Moderator, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 36,149 Founders Club
edited May 2022 in Tug Tavern
So my wife's probably gonna leave me if I don't get our fugly 16 year old black tile counter tops replaced. They are pretty bad and even @PurpleBaze has better counter tops than me. We would also need to get a new sink - farmhouse of course because every wife in America wants one - along with new back splash. The cabinets are fine and can stay and no electrical needs to be moved.

While I have average level handy man skillz around the house, I don't know shit about pulling together a remodel. What's the best way to coordinate such a project? Are there kitchen remodel specialists who you can tell what you want an they GC the whole thing? Or does one have to hire out each part of the project separately?

I look forward to getting some great free advice from the bored.


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  • RaceBannonRaceBannon Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 107,675 Founders Club

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  • TheRoarOfTheCrowdTheRoarOfTheCrowd Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 1,730 Founders Club
    edited October 2020
    So if all that you are doing is replacing the tile countertop and sink and backsplash then all you need to do is go to the local stone slab place and pick out the appropriate sized stone to replace the tile with. The recommendation i would make is to pick a synthetic stone because the repeating "texture and patterns" are compatible for the butt joints assuming that you will have that issue, and the water staining / heat sensitivity factors are favorable like they are for granite.

    the first thing is the tile and sink will have to be removed... normally that is going to have been installed on top of a plywood slab which is screwed to the top of the cabinets so removing that from the cabinets will require some skill and patience to not make a mess out of the cabinets.

    Are you sure that you do not want to replace the cabinets? My experience with kitchen remodels is that it is often like a pregnant cat ~ its the gift that keeps on giving. In other words, as you upgrade one surface, the other surfaces then look dated and the wife is back to being unsatisfied and we all know how you will feel about that.

    So after you remove the old tile / plywood top a new plywood top needs to be crafted as the base for the new stone slab. No big deal, a modestly skilled remodelling carpenter can do all of the above. The cutout for the sink is created from the sink template and if you are switching to a larger sized sink then your base cabinets under the slab may no longer be the correct correct size. If you do have room for the larger sink without underlying cabinet adjustment then great.

    Once the base and sink cutout are correctly positioned you then have the slab installer cut and attach the slab stone to the correct dimensions which they will have measured for. Make sure they do the measurement so that it is their problem if the dimensions turn out to be incorrect. The sink and new faucet arrangement will get installed by the plumber before or after the slab is installed [usually before if the lip is below the slab].

    Today's cool as a cats ass backsplash concept is the glass tile sheets... can get them in all colors and are easy to install [for the tile guy that is] and do a good job of unifying a kitchen remodel. Good luck. A piece of advice... source and get all of the materials on hand before the installation and line up the sequencing of subcontractors that you will need to operate in the correctly timed sequence or you will be doing the dishes in the bathtub for an extended period of time which is a real buzz killer.

    Here is an example of what we did for possible ideas ~ this turned out great. P.S. If you get out of this without replacing your appliances you are a master of the universe and I'm going to want to interview you for your mind control techniques for controlling your wife's thoughts and desires for obvious reasons.



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  • YellowSnowYellowSnow Moderator, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 36,149 Founders Club
    DawgsCanDance said:

    So if all that you are doing is replacing the tile countertop and sink and backsplash then all you need to do is go to the local stone slab place and pick out the appropriate sized stone to replace the tile with. The recommendation i would make is to pick a synthetic stone because the repeating "texture and patterns" are compatible for the butt joints assuming that you will have that issue, and the water staining / heat sensitivity factors are favorable like they are for granite.

    the first thing is the tile and sink will have to be removed... normally that is going to have been installed on top of a plywood slab which is screwed to the top of the cabinets so removing that from the cabinets will require some skill and patience to not make a mess out of the cabinets.

    Are you sure that you do not want to replace the cabinets? My experience with kitchen remodels is that it is often like a pregnant cat ~ its the gift that keeps on giving. In other words, as you upgrade one surface, the other surfaces then look dated and the wife is back to being unsatisfied and we all know how you will feel about that.

    So after you remove the old tile / plywood top a new plywood top needs to be crafted as the base for the new stone slab. No big deal, a modestly skilled remodelling carpenter can do all of the above. The cutout for the sink is created from the sink template and if you are switching to a larger sized sink then your base cabinets under the slab may no longer be the correct correct size. If you do have room for the larger sink without underlying cabinet adjustment then great.

    Once the base and sink cutout are correctly positioned you then have the slab installer cut and attach the slab stone to the correct dimensions which they will have measured for. Make sure they do the measurement so that it is their problem if the dimensions turn out to be incorrect. The sink and new faucet arrangement will get installed by the plumber before or after the slab is installed [usually before if the lip is below the slab].

    Today's cool as a cats ass backsplash concept is the glass tile sheets... can get them in all colors and are easy to install [for the tile guy that is] and do a good job of unifying a kitchen remodel. Good luck. A piece of advice... source and get all of the materials on hand before the installation and line up the sequencing of subcontractors that you will need to operate in the correctly timed sequence or you will be doing the dishes in the bathtub for an extended period of time which is a real buzz killer.

    Here is an example of what we did for possible ideas ~ this turned out great. P.S. If you get out of this without replacing your appliances you are a master of the universe and I'm going to want to interview you for your mind control techniques for controlling your wife's thoughts and desires for obvious reasons.



    Appreciate the feedback. The challenge we have is that we have a more rustic, mountain decor and the wood of the kitchen cabinets matches perfectly with the trim, molding, and other cabinetry throughout the house.
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  • TheRoarOfTheCrowdTheRoarOfTheCrowd Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 1,730 Founders Club
    Sounds like you might enjoy some rustic granite then, with a backsplash of subtle rustic rock of some type...
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  • Doog_de_JourDoog_de_Jour Member Posts: 8,041 Standard Supporter
    RaceBannon said:

    You could call us and get it all including new cabinets for 20 to 30 k. If we were in Oregon

    Get a reputable kitchen remodeling company that acts as the GC. Don't do it yourself.

    Get more than one price and check references. Trust no one. Don't pay over 30 percent up front. Balance when it passes your wife's punch list.

    Put a timeline in the agreement

    I co-sign on everything Race just said. Kitchen remodeling can be stressful, and it’s one part of the house you don’t want to DIY unless you have a lot of experience. You can play Tool-Time Tim for other projects.

    And be mindful it will take longer than you planned, so have backup plans for where you’ll prepare your food, etc.

    Oh, and I’m sure you know this... just smile and nod when Mrs. Yella shows you tile samples, etc. You’re saving up marital “political capital” for when you want something later...say, a new watch. 😉
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  • 1to392831weretaken1to392831weretaken Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 7,674 Swaye's Wigwam
    Buy a dozen bags of countertop concrete mix, colored dye (powder you put in the mix) to taste, wire mesh, $50 in form lumber (only because materials are 400% above normal right now), and make badass countertops for next to nothing. Or just go to the local granite shop and order your countertops in granite or quartz or whatever you like--when we ordered our countertops, the granite supplier's own crew installed them. Installing sink plumbing is a one beer job. Hire out the backsplash. Done.

    You already have to go to the countertop shop to choose what you want, so it's not like hiring a GC saves you time there. Hell, their installers might even prep your sink base cabinet for that farmhouse sink and install that for you, too. Really, the only sub you need is a tile gysm for the backsplash, so just hire one with good reviews.

    I once hired a GC for a basement remodel after a flood wrecked everything (fixed the water problem first, of course). In the end, I, the plumbers, and the concrete cutters did pretty much all the work, so he just charged me $500 for his time because he felt like any more would be ripping me off. If you can find a GC like that, go for it. Otherwise, this just seems like too small and focused of a project to me to warrant another middle man.

    ATBSJS, I'm a poor whose time is worth less than money, apparently.
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  • YellowSnowYellowSnow Moderator, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 36,149 Founders Club
    1to392831weretaken said:

    Buy a dozen bags of countertop concrete mix, colored dye (powder you put in the mix) to taste, wire mesh, $50 in form lumber (only because materials are 400% above normal right now), and make badass countertops for next to nothing. Or just go to the local granite shop and order your countertops in granite or quartz or whatever you like--when we ordered our countertops, the granite supplier's own crew installed them. Installing sink plumbing is a one beer job. Hire out the backsplash. Done.

    You already have to go to the countertop shop to choose what you want, so it's not like hiring a GC saves you time there. Hell, their installers might even prep your sink base cabinet for that farmhouse sink and install that for you, too. Really, the only sub you need is a tile gysm for the backsplash, so just hire one with good reviews.

    I once hired a GC for a basement remodel after a flood wrecked everything (fixed the water problem first, of course). In the end, I, the plumbers, and the concrete cutters did pretty much all the work, so he just charged me $500 for his time because he felt like any more would be ripping me off. If you can find a GC like that, go for it. Otherwise, this just seems like too small and focused of a project to me to warrant another middle man.

    ATBSJS, I'm a poor whose time is worth less than money, apparently.

    We've got a little money to throw around for the convenience factor. We'll see...

    I've had some frens pour their own and they came out not to bad. Better than I thought.
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  • 1to392831weretaken1to392831weretaken Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 7,674 Swaye's Wigwam
    RaceBannon said:

    1to392831weretaken said:

    Buy a dozen bags of countertop concrete mix, colored dye (powder you put in the mix) to taste, wire mesh, $50 in form lumber (only because materials are 400% above normal right now), and make badass countertops for next to nothing. Or just go to the local granite shop and order your countertops in granite or quartz or whatever you like--when we ordered our countertops, the granite supplier's own crew installed them. Installing sink plumbing is a one beer job. Hire out the backsplash. Done.

    You already have to go to the countertop shop to choose what you want, so it's not like hiring a GC saves you time there. Hell, their installers might even prep your sink base cabinet for that farmhouse sink and install that for you, too. Really, the only sub you need is a tile gysm for the backsplash, so just hire one with good reviews.

    I once hired a GC for a basement remodel after a flood wrecked everything (fixed the water problem first, of course). In the end, I, the plumbers, and the concrete cutters did pretty much all the work, so he just charged me $500 for his time because he felt like any more would be ripping me off. If you can find a GC like that, go for it. Otherwise, this just seems like too small and focused of a project to me to warrant another middle man.

    ATBSJS, I'm a poor whose time is worth less than money, apparently.

    You know what you're doing

    Thats important

    Nobody's ever accused me of that before...
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  • RaceBannonRaceBannon Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 107,675 Founders Club
    Sorry man
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  • LeachNeedsMoreTimLeachNeedsMoreTim Member Posts: 190
    dnc said:

    Always about replacing the blacks with you

    I stand with Mr. Snow

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  • PurpleThrobberPurpleThrobber Member Posts: 44,828 Standard Supporter
    You let the servants cook in your main living quarters?!?!

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