Kitchen Remodel

[tjbnwi]

Tjbnwi- your kitchen looks much better right side up.

I corrected the pictures.

Tom

 

[cperren]

[member=4105]tjbnwi[/member] 

Tom - Nice Cabinets..  I noticed the counter top is thicker on the island than underneath the cabinets. Is it a specific quartz?  Also I noticed inside cabinet lighting.. Is it LED strips in the top of the cabinets?  As expected, the finish is very impressive. I like the hood. Is it a "Vent A Hood" design..  Its definitely a center piece.     

The Century X-series and Legrand Adorne system are great recommendations.. Definitely something I'm going to consider.

Thanks Chris   

 

[rvieceli]

For an industrial stove it’s hard to beat stainless steel. This hood has a 900 cfm unit on the roof. Although you can’t really hear the fan motor, the air rushing through the hood is a bit noisy at full blast.  [eek]

Ron

[attachimg=1]

 

[tjbnwi]

@chrisperren

Thank you.

The thicker top is just a "looks" thing. Any good stone fabricator should be able to do the thicker top.

The liner in that hood is a Wolf. We design and fabricate in house. I like to make the vent accessible, a lot of hoods make the vent difficult to service because they are "one" piece. The doors open on the hood.

This is a hood we installed last week. She wanted a curved hood which usually means a solid piece. Zach came up with using magnets and Blum push to opens to allow the center panel to be removed. The cradle seen in the bench picture, we hot glue the kerfed face to it, by having the face in shape when we sprayed it we didn’t have to worry about the finish cracking if we had to bend it into shape. We have to finish up some things on the install, I’ll get pictures with the face removed.

Tom

 

[cperren]

I marked up my kitchen in the attached pictures.  What changes should I make or reconsider. Any feedback is welcome. Thanks.

Chris   

 

[Michael Kellough]

I’d recommend LED under cabinet lighting that is dimmable.  Same with interior glass cabinet lighting if you are doing that. 

White countertops can be a challenge to keep stain free, depending on the material.  Red wine and even red meat can stain them.  I just built a new home with honed black granite counters in the kitchen and Quartz concrete in the baths and laundry.  Very happy with both.

Consider lots of electrical outlets on the counters and island, and even in cabinets and drawers for things like cell phones and other chargers.  Not sure I’d go with USB outlets as the standard is continually changing as technology evolves, so I stuck with standard 120v.

If you can plumb in recirculating hot water, I’d recommend it. One of my favorite features!

Plumb it to where? The floor?

 

[cperren]

During my whole house tankless install (Navien 240S), the plumber added a recirculation valve in the kitchen which works ok at best.  The problem is the kitchen is the furthest from the water heater and does not gets hot enough (i.e. ~115 degrees)..  All the other water outlets work great (i.e. 130 degrees).. Maybe a dedicated tankless heater under kitchen sink?  I do have 120 volt outlet that could be share with the garbage disposal..  Any opinions?

Does white quartz kitchen counter top susceptible to staining (i.e. red wine spill).  Any thoughts or alternatives.. I prefer minimum maintenance ..  maybe butcher block for the island but would prefer white counter for the other locations.

Thanks
Chris           

 

[tjbnwi]

I’d recommend LED under cabinet lighting that is dimmable.  Same with interior glass cabinet lighting if you are doing that. 

White countertops can be a challenge to keep stain free, depending on the material.  Red wine and even red meat can stain them.  I just built a new home with honed black granite counters in the kitchen and Quartz concrete in the baths and laundry.  Very happy with both.

Consider lots of electrical outlets on the counters and island, and even in cabinets and drawers for things like cell phones and other chargers.  Not sure I’d go with USB outlets as the standard is continually changing as technology evolves, so I stuck with standard 120v.

If you can plumb in recirculating hot water, I’d recommend it. One of my favorite features!

Plumb it to where? The floor?

A third line is installed that returns the hot water to the heater. Most have a timer that control a small pump so the water in the hot water line is refreshed, provides instant hot water.

Watts makes a retrofit system that works pretty well, you don't need the return line.

Tom

 

[tjbnwi]

Your plan will work.

I'd get rid of the pantry closet for a pantry cabinet. I know this may mean getting rid of the wife, but life is about tradeoffs.  [big grin]

Tom

 

[cperren]

[laughing] -  [laughing].  That's funny.         

 

[tjbnwi]

[laughing] -  [laughing].  That's funny.       

43 years of marriage will make you a little goofy.....

Tom

 

[Peter_C]

A third line is installed that returns the hot water to the heater. Most have a timer that control a small pump so the water in the hot water line is refreshed, provides instant hot water.

Watts makes a retrofit system that works pretty well, you don't need the return line.

Tom

Taco makes one that is controlled by a button. Since we are in a constant drought in California, wasting water is not a good thing. So I put a hot water loop in and rigged our house up with a switch in each water access point (Small house) so you push the button that turns red until the pump shuts off, when it senses hot water. The water is now hot within 3 seconds of turning it on.

The reason I didn't want a timer is that it would run a lot, wasting energy. If you want convenience, then the ones that cycle routinely from say 6:00am until 10:00pm work great. Taco also builds that style too.

Many can just hook into the hot and cold lines at the farthest sink. They all require an outlet.

 

[Cheese]

During my whole house tankless install (Navien 240S), the plumber added a recirculation valve in the kitchen which works ok at best.  The problem is the kitchen is the furthest from the water heater and does not gets hot enough (i.e. ~115 degrees)..  All the other water outlets work great (i.e. 130 degrees).. Maybe a dedicated tankless heater under kitchen sink?  I do have 120 volt outlet that could be share with the garbage disposal..  Any opinions?

I'd check the Navien for any oddities or is there insulation missing from the copper runs?

I installed a Rinnai, set it for 125º and these are the results. All the lines are copper and are insulated with the typical round foam insulation from the big box stores.

This run to the kitchen sink is about 8 feet from the Rinnai.

[attachimg=1]

This run is to the bathroom sink which is about 35-40 feet from the Rinnai.

[attachimg=2]

 

[Cheese]

Does white quartz kitchen counter top susceptible to staining (i.e. red wine spill).  Any thoughts or alternatives.. I prefer minimum maintenance ..  maybe butcher block for the island but would prefer white counter for the other locations.
     

"A white countertop can be spectacular. But even a white quartz countertop is vulnerable to staining from products such as red wine, tea, coffee, tomato sauce, and more if it’s not cleaned up right away."
https://www.msisurfaces.com/blogs/p...white-quartz-countertops-stain-resistant.aspx
https://www.granitegold.com/does-quartz-stain/

 

[DeformedTree]

During my whole house tankless install (Navien 240S), the plumber added a recirculation valve in the kitchen which works ok at best.  The problem is the kitchen is the furthest from the water heater and does not gets hot enough (i.e. ~115 degrees)..  All the other water outlets work great (i.e. 130 degrees).. Maybe a dedicated tankless heater under kitchen sink?  I do have 120 volt outlet that could be share with the garbage disposal..  Any opinions?
       

So I don't know why you would be getting that high of temps. devices have anti-scald valves set around 110F.  Tanked heaters I think are now required to have a mixer at the WH to knock it down from the 120-140F it runs at, a tankless can be just set at ~110ish since they don't have to be concerned with legionnaires.  Not sure if facets have the mixing valves or if it's just in things like shower valves.  I don't know why you would be trying to get 130 degrees coming out of a tap.

Scalding Info 

 

[denrusso]

 
Our microwave is the most used kitchen item which vents outside above our stovetop.  A hooded vent outside is a requirement. Any recommendations for a gas stove top preferably an industrial design that's reliable. It seems everyone going with the farm look for a kitchen sink too.     

We purchased our house two years ago and gutted the entire main level, which included moving the kitchen.  Created an open floor plan that integrates the kitchen, dining room, and living room.

Everyone has their own tastes and requirements and, to this point, we no longer have a microwave.  Instead we installed a steam oven and absolutely love it.  Reheating food comes out just as good as when first cooked.  We installed this just above our main oven in the wall and went with a range top opposed to a full range.  Our designer moved us in this direction and glad we listened.  With the range, the oven door opens almost to the floor, meaning you are bending down to get in your oven.  With the wall mount ovens, everything is waist high and so much easier to work with.

I guess all this to say, yes it is a good idea to work with a kitchen designer.  They will work with you and help you identify design features that you may not even think about.  When we first went about this project, I was set on getting a 48" range.  But after going over everything with the designer it made more sense to go with the wall oven.  We even designed it to have as little counter appliances as possible.  Built in steam oven and built in coffee maker, both of which are plumbed, leaves the counters free for use.  Again, the benefits of working with a designer.

Good luck!!

Thanks,
dr

 

[cperren]

[member=24722]denrusso[/member]  - Thanks for the information. Any pictures?  Never though about plumbing for a coffee maker.. Great idea! We're working with a local designer on the kitchen and master bathroom plans now.  I suspect the model representation should be ready in next few weeks. Our goal is use a Wolf wall oven and separate range top similar to your kitchen..

Thanks
Chris 

 

[denrusso]

[member=24722]denrusso[/member]  - Thanks for the information. Any pictures?  Never though about plumbing for a coffee maker.. Great idea! We're working with a local designer on the kitchen and master bathroom plans now.  I suspect the model representation should be ready in next few weeks. Our goal is use a Wolf wall oven and separate range top similar to your kitchen..

Thanks
Chris

I'm no expert when it comes to posting pics - hopefully this worked.  The cabinets are a walnut veneer and all appliance are Miele.  It was between Wolf/Subzero and Miele.  I wanted to stick with a single brand because I got the best pricing that way.  Miele won out because of their steam oven and built in espresso machine are both plumbable while the wolf are not - which means you had to fill them with water every time they got low.  Or maybe since my tools are made in Germany so should my appliances?

Countertop is quartzite (this is different than quartz which is technically man made) and has a leather finish to it (i.e. it's not glass smooth).  We're very happy with the result.  On the left side of the picture - a bit hard to see - is one of the windows we put in.  Just about floor to ceiling - something like 6' tall and 12' wide.  Our house is an upside down ranch and the driveway is level with the main (top) floor.  The house is built into a hill so the opposite side of the driveway is one story up.  The bedrooms are all located on the lower floor, with one side of the house being the foundation wall and the other having sliding doors onto our patio.

I think I may have share more than you wanted to know.

Thanks,
dr

 

[kfitzsimons]

I refer a lot to Fine Homebuilding back issues. Especially the Kitchen and Bath issues that come out about once a year. They are fantastic references. You can buy the back issues at the finehomebuilding.com web site. Go to the "magazine" tab. They will help you think through the remodel and answer tons of questions. Taunton Press books are also great references. You should have a really good idea of what you want in a kitchen before talking to a designer or a cabinet maker. You know how you work and what features you want / need in a kitchen. We did our kitchen 30 years ago and we still enjoy it every day. One feature we can't live without now is a small vegetable cleaning sink in our island in addition to the double sink in the main counter. Have fun!