A Year in My Life - Kitchen Project - Part 5

Week 4 Update:

Another aggressive schedule for this past week.  Basically all of the construction, etc. should be completed in preparation for the delivery of the kitchen appliances and cabinetry the following week.  This means all the tile work must be completed, finishing the inside fix of the chimney and then painting.  I had more doubts about this week than last.  But...........

True to the team's dedication and commitment it is pretty darn close.   We did have an unexpected set back with the chimney (why am I NOT surprised at this?).  When inserting a tube that would run the entire inside length of the chimney we discovered the chimney is not straight.  I won't bore you with all those ugly details but we did come up with a fix but it caused some other problems so we now have modified the ceiling in the living room to accommodate that fix.  That took a few days so now we expect to finish construction this Tuesday.  We had to reschedule the appliance delivery and the cabinet delivery but I'm good with that.  I would rather have it right than done fast.  So now this week will be just a partial work week and then the week of November 4th should be the final week.  Cabinetry, appliances and all electrical should be completed the week of November 4th and I can begin the move in process.

But first this coming week must go right - which is finished the tile installation, painting and finishing touches on the trim.

Here are photo updates for the week

 

Tile installation starts

Very precise work

This is the wall under the bar

 on the living room side

The main wall in the kitchen

Where you see white tile will be cabinets

These guys are good!!

The holes for the can lights are cut in the ceiling

Now the grout is applied

Kitchen side of the island - with the grout finished

Finito!!

Now the mess that is the chimney

A new false ceiling to accommodate the

chimney issues

Drywalling the framed false ceiling

The vent for the hood over the stove

runs through the outside closet and

vents on the outside of the house.

The end is in sight and I am getting so excited!!!!

A Year in My Life - Kitchen Project - Part 4

Week 3 Update:

This week's schedule was to finish the ceiling structure, complete the electrical work that was required to close up the ceiling, close up the ceiling and begin the tile work on Friday.  At the beginning of the week I thought it was quite an aggressive schedule and here at the end of the week I am very happy.  No, the tile work has not begun BUT another project in the house was inserted into the schedule.  As long as the house was a mess we decided to fix the chimney once and for all. 

You may remember last year I installed a new wood burning cast iron stove.  Well it worked great but the chimney did not.  The transition from a normal chimney to a chimney for this stove gave me fits all last winter.  It worked but when it rained the rain and soot came into the chimney and then down my walls and discoloured the walls with soot and dirt.  Seriously!  We thought we had fixed it in the spring BUT unfortunately we didn't.  So now with the mess in the house I thought it was a great time to make an even bigger mess and fix this chimney.  So the stone workers fit it into the schedule and have delayed the tile installation by a few days.  I am so happy this is finally getting fixed properly.  The weather cooperated so we decided to get this started.  This is no easy feat - check out the structure needed to work on the roof!!

A few pictures of the mess the chimney made and the structure in place to fix it.

Before the first fix

After the first fix that didn't work

Still a mess

Scaffolding built around the chimney

This is at the third floor level of the house

A view from the ground

The old chimney top is removed

Additional tubing will be inserted into 

the chimney and a new "rain proof" 

cap installed

And for kitchen progress pics for this week:

Completed ceiling structure now waiting for

 electrician to pull wires

Conduit and wires are run

Main distribution box for new 

kitchen lights and switches

Drywall for ceiling is started

You can see the stepped look of the ceiling

Making progress.....

....and it's done

Cabinets will go to bottom of ceiling edge

Dropped ceiling above Refrigerator, Oven

and Storage wing

Prepping for the plaster

That's one big hand mixer

And it's done!!  It looks beautiful!

So next week the tile work will be completed and maybe some more electrical work completed.  The appliances will arrive on Monday the 28th. The furniture is scheduled to be delivered on Tuesday the 29th.  It's getting close and dare I say will be completed within the expected timeframe?  I don't think the Murano lights and bar stools will make this timeline however.  But I'm ok with that.  I can move back into the house and start using my new kitchen.  But as always, I'm not holding my breath - I remember this is Italy!! 

Have a great week!!

A Year in My Life - Kitchen Project - Part 3

Week 2 Update:

Well our first hiccup in the project came this week - and this mistake is on me.  Spoiler Alert: - all is now well and fixed!!  My vision was to have an island/bar similar to what we have in the U.S.  I mentioned that in my last blog.  Well that is what the furniture company designed but not the architect.  Unfortunately what WAS built is the design by the architect. My bad - I should have realised the two designs were not the same - there are many reasons why that didn't happen.  Soooooooo to make a long story short - out comes the current side wall and bar area and preparation is made for what I really wanted - a counter on the kitchen side with a bar area higher on the other side for seating and eating.  The counter will be the quartz (Silestone) and not quartz over concrete.  In my gut I knew something wasn't right.  Now it is!!  Luckily it wasn't farther along in the project and the fix did not cause a major delay.

More wall preparation for electrical conduit was completed and the walls totally closed up.  

The area for the refrigerator and oven was next on the list.  A wing wall was built and there will be furniture mounted for storage, and the oven and storage above the refrigerator.  

Another interesting item - all the walls, whether visible or not will have ceramic tile.  My Vietri tile will be on all walls that are visible.  Plain white tile will be applied to all walls that will have furniture mounted on them.  Due to the level of humidity in the air,  year round, the tile helps to protect and preserve the walls.  Otherwise the humidity eats away at the paint and concrete.   it is very visible in other areas of the house.  

There will be a drop ceiling so we can install recessed can lights.  In addition the hood over the cooktop will be vented outside. The framework for the drop ceiling was started.  Interesting to watch that go in.  Metal framework and then drywall (yes they do have it here) will be attached to the framework.  The architect has created a stepped look to the drop ceiling so it transitions better into the main living space.  I really like the effect.  

Other accomplishments this week - the Murano lights are on order and being produced. I finally found a stool I like for the bar area.  Hopefully they will be on order this coming week. I found and ordered a faucet for the sink.

Progress in pictures:

The "fixed" bar area

No more cement counter top

The wing wall is started.....

.....and finished

Tube for venting the hood is inserted and closed up

The tube extends into an outdoor

closet and will eventually vent outside

this area

The materials for the drop ceiling

Aluminum framework and drywall

Installation of the framework for dropped ceiling 

On to Week 3!

A Year in My Life - Kitchen Project - Part 2

I am very pleased with the progress made last week.  Besides the demolition much of the preparation for the electrician and work by the plumber has been completed.  The walls have been opened up for the new electrical boxes, plus the trench for the water and drain lines has been made and the lines have been moved.  In addition the new gas line has been installed.

The oven is electric but the cook top is propane gas.  They are separate items - not as one range like we have.  The gas bottles or "bombola" as they are called will be in an outdoor closet that is adjacent to the kitchen. I will have two bottles with a switch that will allow me to change to the second bottle when the first one is empty.  Right now if the first one runs out I have to make sure I have a spare and then go into the closet (full of outdoor critters - ick!) to change the connection.  Most times I call Luigi to come and change it for me.  

In addition the niche has been created in the wall.  This will be above the cooktop and will have a beautiful tile design.  It will be the focal point of the kitchen and you will see it as you enter the house.  Also the new bar area has been built.  Now that was interesting to watch.  

In America it would just be an extension of the marble or granite counter with possibly some braces underneath depending on how long and deep the counter is.  Here they actually build a structure that the countertop (quartz - silestone) will be applied to.  This structure could hold 2 men and a boy - it is built with cement block and a type of reinforced brick that creates the surface.  Then it is cemented on top to encase these bricks.  It was done and dried in one day.  The masonry actually put all his weight on it once dried to show me how strong it was.  

More pictures to document the process.

The niche above the cooktop

The blocks are the actual structure of the wall

between the kitchen and the outdoor closet

Cementing in of the niche

Structure for the niche almost done

The island from the kitchen side

There will be cabinets and a counter

on the kitchen side

Cementing the top of the island counter/bar

You can see the brick material that 

is used to build the bar top

The main kitchen wall with trenching for

electric and plumbing and the niche complete

ready for tile

The bar area of the island is complete

This is a cross section of a wall

No wood studs or drywall here

Bricks and concrete

Trenching for electric for oven

and refrigerator

Water and gas lines moved to the left

Yellow tube is gas line that goes to outdoor closet

On to week two!!!