So, this is going to be not only a much bigger project, but much more technical and involved as well. I am tearing out a dividing wall between my dining room and kitchen, and then will be reconfiguring my kitchen. I will have some assistance from a friend regarding wiring, etc., but the vast majority of the project will be in my, hopefully, capable hands.
I was reminded of my penchant for optimism as I got not too far into this effort when what I thought was only going to be one outlet in an otherwise "hollow" wall turned into THREE outlets and a heating duct for the second floor. In my happy naivete, I thought this project would be "no big deal," just tearing down some plaster and lathe and then cutting out the studs! Au Contraire! My initial plan to remove the entire wall would require rewiring of all the outlets and rerouting of the heating duct. Those skills are not in my bag of tricks and I'm not of the mind to learn any new tricks. Even with help from my friend, it would make my "simple" job much more complex and possibly costly, so we devised a solution that I am actually really excited about.
The new plan is to drywall over the right-hand portion of the wall--closing up the current doorway--just enough to cover one of the outlets and the ductwork. This will create a small divider between the rooms (approx. 32'') that will give an aestheticly pleasing look of separation but still allow for alot of openness. I also plan to leave an open space of several feet between the high ceilings and the top of this small divider. That will create more openness and be a great place to sit trailing plants! Yea for unexpected ductwork!
At least the major clean-up effort of this project has been made SO MUCH easier by my bright idea to dump the materials in the lot of the half-collapsed tenement next to me. This was decided upon as I realized that I had no contractor bags to use for disposal and I am making every effort to keep this job as cost-free as possible (contractor bags run $30 for a box). I have been lurking around on craigslist, scavenging for free, used cabinets, countertops and any other materials I may need. I don't think people are giving away contractor bags--especially not used! This house is scheduled to be torn down by the city anyway, so I don't think my few piles on top of the existing rubble will cause too much attention. I'm very possessed by seeing how little I can accomplish this project for. Any guesses anyone? Complete kitchen remodel for under $200? $100? It's truly amazing the things people give away for free on craigslist! We'll see what happens!
If only this job were as easy as walking around the wall seven times and it falling to the ground. Where's Joshua when you need him!
1 comment:
Where are the pictures?
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