Strategizing for my next project

mrFinpgh

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I'm nearly wrapped up with my kitchen (I'm just waiting for a nice weekend to finish the baseboards and put a coat of finish on the new flooring) and have started removing the cabinets from the old kitchen.  At this point, the goal is to get it done within a reasonable cost and time frame, as I'm hoping to move in the next year or so.

The plan is, basically, to turn the room into something like a pantry room/mud room.  I figure since there is an existing supply and DWV, I'll put a small bar sink in there for washing up after coming in from outside.

So here are the questions I'm trying to answer before I get started buying things:

1) Before I completely take out the existing sink and base cabinet, I wanted to make sure I understood what I'm looking at here. I'm really bad at plumbing. How this pvc pipe is tying into the cast iron dwv pipe?

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It looks like the coupling is some kind of screw-on but I can't really tell.  The dwv pipe is buried in the corner so I am basically reaching in there with my phone and trying to get a better view by taking a photo.

2) The room is small (about 68 sq feet) and I plan on putting in some shallower cabinets on one side, and leaving the other side open, with possibly a bench or something.    The existing walls aren't in great shape.  Where the upper cabinets were, there is some damage to the plaster and also some torn up wallpaper.  Where the cabinets were not, there are 2-3 layers of wallpaper with at least 4 layers of paint that I can count.  The house was built in 1930, so lead is another possibility.  I hate removing wallpaper, but i think skimming over it is probably asking for a lot of trouble.  The walls are plaster over brick.  Does it make sense to put up some hat channel or furring strips and just add some drywall? 

3) The floor is two layers of asbestos tiles (confirmed through testing).  I'm thinking the floating an LVT floor over this is the simplest solution and avoids adding a lot of extra expenses.  Any particular LVT floor that is good?  Any that I should avoid?  I'm hoping to avoid the fake-wood look.

Here's some images of what my intended design might look like:

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Anything else I should take into consideration before I get committed?

Thanks,
Adam
 

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1) I'll bet it's just shoved on there with a grommet and some silicone. If there's a thread on the metal, then you may be looking at a joint like this:https://www.wickes.co.uk/McAlpine-ASA10-Adjustable-P-Trap-32mm/p/227022 Basically, you just press it onto the metal pipe and tighten. Kitchen drainage outlets are pretty forgiving as there's generally a (relatively) small amount of water under no pressure.

2) Definitely don't skim over it; I think that's asking for trouble. It depends how much time you want to dedicate to the job. If you have time on your hands, then you could consider this as a worthwhile restoration of an old house. If you don't have time, nor energy to see a long job through, then I'd go for drywall.

3) If it's a mud-room, you might want to look at something more like lino. No cracks between the tiles to keep clean. When it tries to imitate tiles or wood, lino can be absolutely horrendous. But when it's just being itself, with simple solid colours, it can have a very clean aesthetic. And it's more eco-friendly too.

Just a thought--it comes down to personal taste and cleaning needs.

Other: is the big unit a fridge or wardrobe? If not, and you need the same amount of storage, I would tend to put up wall units above. This gives you more work surface and more light onto the surface too. It all depends what you're using the tall unit for. If it's a fridge/wardrobe, then the window and the doorway rather force your hand into that design.

Good luck!  [smile]
 
Cheers, [member=64013]ElectricFeet[/member] ..

1 : It was just a twist on fitting connected to the hub to the dwv line.  Of course, when I twisted it off, it broke off in the hub :-)  There was a ton of buildup in the pipe, so I'm guessing it has just been wasting away over time.  I'll most likely have the plumber out to cut the cast iron line and slip in a new hub.

2 : I'm going to send a couple samples of the wallpaper out for asbestos testing tomorrow.  I didn't flag any lead in the wall paper so if I get the all-clear on the asbestos, I'll probably end up just removing it. It seems to be fairly loose already.  It's a pain, but probably less annoying than hanging drywall on brick.

3: I thought about linoleum, but I'd have some concerns about going over the two layers of existing flooring (vinyl tile and linoleum).  If it's feasible, I'd definitely consider it - any particular brands you recommend?

The tall unit is actually for storing things like vacuums and cleaning supplies.  There isn't really a good place for those types of things at the moment.  I opted out of hanging uppers because they block the window and make the space feel a bit more claustrophobic.

Thanks,
Adam
 
I've been delayed in making progress on this.  I decided to strip the door and it has taken me well over 20 hours to get it mostly down to the wood.

Anyways, in the process of working back there, I've found that a bunch of the peel and stick vinyl tiles are no longer really sticking but just peeling. 

The tiles have a small amount of asbestos in them, but they are in tact.  I think the best thing to do here would be to remove them.  I'm familiar with the guidance around removing asbestos containing materials in general, but I'm curious how it applies in a case where the material is in tact and can be removed with almost no effort (and thus no stress on the material). 

Does the plastic/tyvek/water/hepa/p100 guidance still apply here, or is it simply a matter of removing them, perhaps keeping all surfaces wet as a precaution?

Thanks,
Adam
 
Not sure what the law is there, but eventually if you sell the house, you have to make the buyers aware that there is asbestos in the house (since you have tested it and confirmed).

I would consider removing it and have peace of mind, especially if I had my kids living there.
 
I just had my floor abated, that was a project I didn't want. If I could have easily removed tiles without breaking them I would have for sure handled them myself. You need to check with your state on disposal rules. In my case only certain dumps will handle it and you need the right paperwork but homeowners are allowed to do it.

I watched the guys do mine and. The main fancy thing they had was a negative pressure machine but they were cutting mine up with a circular saw. If you are sure you can get them out whole you should be good with tyvec and a p100 respirator that is properly fit. Wetting them is an extra step that can help. Picking them up isn't the problem its any particles. My stuff they bagged in thick plastic and sealed the plastic with this tape:https://amzn.to/2TjS1yu

One thing I thought that was interesting from talking to the lady who did the clearance on my house after abatement was asbestos is all around us in the earth, it is only a certain size airborne fiber-form particle that is the problem. .
 
Sorry I was reading too fast, I was thinking ceiling tiles for some reason. The floor stuff you have to watch out for because its usually the paper backing which is glued to your underlayment. In my case the fastest thing to do was pull up the underlayment. Luckily it wasn't glued and screwed just nailed.
For floor you probably want to do it all, wet it, plastic off the room, bag it, tape it, P100, tyvec suit.
 
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