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homechef59

My Kitchen Renovation Using Scherr's RTA Cabinets Begins

homechef59
9 years ago

We start demolition on Monday. We have been actively planning on this renovation since October. It's the beginning of March. We are experienced amateur home renovators. The house is a Cape Cod style ranch brick home built in 1951. It is filled with wonderful wood floors, quirky cabinets and beautiful moldings. We are going to work within the current square footage which is 220 square feet with 9 foot ceilings. We do not plan to move any walls. We do not plan to move in the next 10 years. It is not my forever house, but it's pretty darn good.

The kitchen had been renovated when we moved in 10 years ago. The homeowner had gone to Home Depot Expo with an open checkbook. They loaded her up with every possible cabinet geegaw and some very nice appliances. But, no one checked to see if the layout was functional. The travertine floor was improperly installed and has begun to crack. The ventilation pipe exhausts into the attic, not through the roof.

Once the kitchen was installed a number of the cabinet doors didn't have enough clearance to fully open. For example, I have a baking station for my Kitchenaid mixer that won't lift because the door won't open wide enough. After 10 years, I said, enough. And, so it began.

I started with the task of finding an experienced kitchen designer. I had worked with one in a previous home and valued her work. I had also designed a kitchen from scratch in a new home. I knew what I wanted and what was possible. I called around to custom cabinet shops and asked them for referrals. I knew that they had to have worked with independent designers. Sure enough, I found an experienced designer who was employed by a kitchen and bath design company in an adjacent town. She lives in my community and does moon lighting upon occasion for extra income. She said that her employers had agreed that she could accept the occasional independent job as part of her employment agreement.

We met twice. The first meeting was about three hours. We measured the kitchen and she conducted an in depth interview regarding my requirements, ideas and budget. I paid her for her time. We signed an engagement agreement for the actual plan. It took her about a month to get me an initial plan. The plan itself was done on a CAD program. This not her full time job so a little patience was in order. Because I was so specific in my desires, the initial plan was really close to perfect. We met to review the plan. We made some minor changes. A week later, she provided me with a hard copy of the plans and a PDF file for the computer. The cost came to $1,500.

Our next step was to plan the renovation. I had done an addition to the home five years ago. My GC was no longer in business, but many of his subs were still available. I had a finish carpenter who had done work for me in the past. He is not a GC, but he said that he would guide me if I found myself getting into trouble. I am going to be my own GC for this project. I work from home, so I will be around.

I have a favorite plumber, electrician, flooring and tiling contractor, HVAC contractor, painter, drywall/plasterer, finish carpenter and roofer. My flooring and tiling contractor has become a GC specializing in kitchens and baths. She will provide me with back up if I need advice, too. I gave each tradesman a set of my plans and my expected time frame. They have all provided me with estimates. I have communicated with each of them as date approaches to confirm their availability.

I'll continue in another post....


Comments (84)

  • annkh_nd
    9 years ago

    My three favorite words: Some Assembly Required!

    Thanks for the terrific progress reports - it's so much fun to see it all come together!


  • homechef59
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    My KD asked us for our shoe sizes when I said I wanted a flush to the floor cabinet. More than a man's size 12 is uncomfortable. Neither of us fit that description.

    I have furniture trim for all of the work station areas, sinks and range top.

    Why no leveler's? Once the base cabinets were in place, we wouldn't have been able to adjust the levelers. So, we will go old school and shim.

    Why flush? A design choice. Blame it on my last cabinets. I hated the look. I couldn't keep the area clean. These cabinets will look more traditional and have a built-in effect. I hope I don't live to regret it.

  • toddimt
    9 years ago

    I take that back. The sides of the cabinets wouldn't touch the floor then. Would have sat on the leg levers with the toe kick flush with the face of the cabinet frames, as they are now.

  • funkycamper
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I wear a women's size 8 shoe and have 3" deep toe-kicks. My toes are constantly up against the toe-kick molding. Maybe I stand closer to the counter than some people? I dunno. I know I would get a sore back if I had to stand back farther. I've even considered making the toe-kick closer to 4" when we remodel.

  • toddimt
    9 years ago

    homeshef59,


    12" shoe isn't going to be the deciding factor. I have a 10.5 - 11" shoe and my wife and kids are smaller, feet slide under the cabinets into toe kick area. It depends on your counter overhang and Depth and how close you end up standing to the counter. I clean scuff marks off my toe kicks so I know others in the house are hitting them from time to time.


    Not sure what you mean about once the cabinets are in place, you wouldn't have been able to adjust the levelers? I think in your top pic showing the assembly of the cabinet (with your dog), I think the narrow piece close to you is the toe kick right? In your case that toe kick is set in place with the cams and screws. The way your are built, you cabinet back and side pieces touch the floor.


    If you used leg levelers those pieces wouldn't touch the floor and they would all be on legs. You then set the depth of the front tab on the leg levelers to the depth you want to toe kick. In your case, front edge of lip 3/4" back so the to kick then sits flush, like it does on yours. Unless flush can;t be done with the legs but Leon at Scherr's would be able to tell if it can't be done. You then set the cabinets in place. Since the whole cabinet is raised above the floor, you reach you hand under to rotate the legs to adjust up and down. This takes the place of the shimming. Once all cabinets are in place, you cut the toe kick to size and attach with the clips. Thus, the toe kick spans multiple cabinets. Or the cabinets could have been made the same as if they were going to use leg levelers but then set on a shimmed 2x4 platform. Toe kicks are nailed, with thin brad nails to the 2x4. This is how my window seat, on drawers, was done.


    One advantage to the leg levelers for someone else unsure about flush or specific depth of toe kick area, would be that you could set the cabinets along a wall, like you have them and put a piece of plywood on the top to mimic the counter top with the exact overhang. Then use a scrap piece of 3/4" ply to make a temp toe kick. Then if you stand there and pretend to wash dishes prep, etc, you could see if the toe kicks were fine being flush or a narrower depth then typical. If you then wanted to set them back, flip the cabinet over and set the legs back further to your desired depth.

  • ontariomom
    9 years ago

    Toddimt,

    Would Scherr's have not given you a can for touch up painting, or is that only available to a cabinet shop due to hazzards or other reasons. Also, we have ordered Scherr's cabinets as well (they are ready for pick-up) and also had our perimeter cabs painted SW Alabaster by Scherr's. Our island is stained in a dark brown stain. We hoped we could paint our crown molding SW Alabaster (our cabs go to ceiling so this is regular ceiling crown molding). How bad of a match will this be given Scherr's also said they used SW Alabaster?

    Carol

  • toddimt
    9 years ago

    What Scherr's uses is not paint. Its a pigmented conversion Varnish. Its not something that can be sent for touchup. My color was based on Benjamin Moore White dove. Sherwin Williams then had to do a color match. I ordered a custom colored sample cabinet from Scherr's, when I was deciding and wanted to check quality etc. I knew then that the color wasn't a perfect match. Still looked fine but trying to get a reverse match proved impossible. Especially with White cause the computer doesn't color match white well. I tried to color match and the painter had the store try numerous things and got close. My Crown is just a 45 degree bevel so the light hitting it is different anyway. So probably would never look 100% even if it was a dead match. It's in the same family just a little darker and not that noticeable. Of course, I have no idea what the damn color is they made as well as no info was on the can. So If I ever need more paint for that its back to square 1. While I love the color I painted my walls with I have also come to find out its not the name or type of paint I specified. Found that out when I needed to touch up part of a wall and the color wasn't even close. Matching that was also impossible. Got close, little darker but roughly the same family so now if I need to touch up a wall, the whole wall has to be repainted.

    If the original color you had was a Sherwin Williams color then you may be OK. Much better then what I went through. I think Scherr's told me the sheen of conversion varnish is like a satin. So if you are trying to match sheen that would probably be closest but would experiment. If you are doing the crown in semi-gloss, it may look a little different cause of the sheen.

  • denizenx
    9 years ago

    So why didn't they give you a small jar of touch-up conversion varnish? A grease pencil or back to square one doesn't sound like much help.

    I'm really glad you posted about this. I'm considering Scherr's and while this may not be a deal breaker, I'm happy to know this needs to be seriously considered.

  • toddimt
    9 years ago

    Denizenx,


    Conversion Varnish paint is a 2 part catalyst and once mixed has very limited shelf life. Not to mention its highly flammable when applied, which is why its done in specialized booths and not something you can spray in a house. Conversion Varnish is durable and will last. So touch ups aren't frequent. I have shaker style doors and drawers. Thus the edges are 90 degree on the inside of the rails and styles. These areas can definitely chip more. Edges that are eased, rounded, etc won't be a subject to chipping. Pigmented Conversion varnish or even a Laquer finish is used by many cabinet makers for its durability. So if you go elsewhere you may find the same thing. Stain is something else and not sure how that finish is done. When I was reading thousands of posts, when working on my kitchen for years, one thing that stood out was a thread where they had their cabinet company apply a hand paint finish for the final coat. This way they could easily touch it up if needed. If you had a sprayed on a regular paint finish, your touch up won't match 100% cause its not applied the same way if you used a brush or foam brush for the touch up. This in no way deterred me from Scherr's cause only the most expensive of custom cabinet places were doing hand paint finishes (like crown Point). I also could have received unfinished cabinets for Scherr's and hand them painted locally. That is a viable option as well but I didn't explore that at the time. Its not like I have a ton of chips in my paint. I just have one now that is not in the best place. I know its there and no one else says anything. With white cabinets, when its light or dark, these things really disappear. Even food splatter is hard to notice cause all you see is white. I also can probably send it back to Scherrs to have it refinished. Even years later the color should match.

  • denizenx
    9 years ago

    todd, That's fair. Thanks for the thorough explanation.

    For little nicks and chips I'm sure you're right, anything close in color would help a lot, one just needs to be fairly precise in the application, ie, a tiny artist's brush dabbing only where needed. But I sense you know that as well as I.


  • ontariomom
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the explanation. We chose Benjamin Moore's White Dove too. Our research suggested SW Alabaster was very, very close to White Dove. In order to avoid the complication of getting Scherr's to colour match White Dove, we went with SW Alabaster. Have you tried SW Alabaster to see how closely it matches for your crown? Scherr's probably started with SW Alabaster when they made your White Dove (as they use SW formula's). Given you noticed it was not 100% the same as White Dove, maybe it was SW Alabaster? In any event, Leon should be able to tell you the paint colour formula so you can come very close to matching your crown. Glad to hear you only have one chip.

    Carol

  • westsider40
    9 years ago

    You are a wonderful garden webber, right up there with Buehl. Thanks for this magical thread. Westy

  • jdesign_gw
    9 years ago

    You can't really match two different types of paint by just using the same formula. The base you are putting it into is different. There needs to be some tweaking by eye. The better that person is the better the match. I'm having a Farrow and Ball color matched right now. I'm not expecting to get it on the first go around. You have to spray it out and adjust. Probably a few times. There is a way to use the original paint into a clear base essentially as a tint but I don't what to get too technically because there are a few variables to consider. Also even if you had the same exact paint the cabinet company used it would still be noticeable because you are not spraying it you are just globbing it on a bit no matter how careful you are. Even if you were spraying it there are plenty of steps you have to go through for it not to be noticeable. You have chipped down multiple layers so just spraying over it isn't enough . A close match and a dab with a Q-tip is probably your best bet. Automotive paint stores have tiny little foam Q-tip like things that would probably help.

  • toddimt
    9 years ago

    jdesign_gw


    Agree. As I said this would be an issue no matter who you got you cabinets if they use conversion varnish, which most fine cabinet makers do. Only way to guarantee a match and one where you can touch up, yourself, easily is if it was a true paint finish and one that has the final coat as a hand painted finish. Conversion Varnish can't be touched up with conversion varnish. The catalyst needs to adhere to bare wood for it to achieve its strength so for that it has to be sanded off and refinished. You can attempt to use other methods, like the pencil or maybe paint to match. I still have many painted pieces (filler toe kick, etc) as well as my sample cabinet where I can test things out on. Suggest others hold onto the same cause if they want to attempt to fix something its better to practice on something else :).


    Carol,

    Other parts of the house were painted with White Dove so I went that route. I also didn't know at the time it was Sherwin Williams that was used. I did get the formula for the conversion varnish in case I end up using a local cabinet finishing company to either repaint things in the future or if I need them to spray something else and want a 100% match. I remember calling Sherwin Williams and the conversion varnish tech support. These coatings are totally separate from the paint side. I figured that they "should" be able to tell me what Sherwin Williams color on the paint side would match or give me a formula but they have no idea since it doesn't translate that way. While like jdesign_jw says, the paint won;t match due to different bases and in this case finish types but its possible that the color itself would be a match or super close if one was picking a Sherwin Williams Paint Color to their Conversion Varnish. Since I did a color match of color, they might have no way to translate that to a paint color, since it is not one from the system. Maybe ask Leon if "Alabaster" is a color he has in stock. Maybe see if it is something he is painting for someone else, where he can spray you a sample piece of wood or has a sample piece in that color already. Then you can get the paint now and see how it looks and if it is in fact a match

  • ontariomom
    9 years ago

    Hi,


    Thanks for your education on conversion varnish --- very useful.

    My cabinets are already built. We pick them up soon. We were satisfied with the colour sample. I was more speaking about using Alabaster for your crown colour as you mentioned earlier on you were not able to find a good match for your crown. Maybe it will not be that close -- but worth seeing. After your helpful comments, I get the complexity of touching up any chips.

    Carol

  • homechef59
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    The end of week 3 and the start of week 4

    We started the week completing the insulation. I found the rock wool/mineral wool. We installed it per the inspectors request. Completing the last of the tear out and installing insulation took up most of Monday.

    I called in the inspection. The inspector arrived first thing Tuesday morning. He liked everything he saw and signed off. He doesn't plan to return until we are ready for a final inspection.

    We spent the remainder of the week installing dry wall, taping and mudding. Once we had most of the drywall hung, I discovered a problem with a couple of electrical placements. I called the electrician. He moved an outlet that would have ended up behind my range top. There were one or two other minor issues that he also corrected. The hard part of electrical is visualizing everything without walls. Even with a written electrical plan, problems arise and compromises have to be made. We got it all straightened out.

    Unfortunately, we ran out of time to complete the final sanding. You can't rush drywall finish. It takes time to dry. We had decided to replace and repair a bad drywall job in the adjacent keeping room. It's a small area, but it needs to be done.

    We also decided to order a replacement kitchen window. The window has a production time of 21 days or less. Because of these decisions, the final sanding of the ceiling will be delayed for at least two weeks. Fortunately, a dropped soffit around the perimeter of the ceiling is planned. This will provide us with an opportunity to finish the ceiling and complete the extra repairs.

    I met with the painting contractor this week, too. He will be the last trade to do his work. We have worked together many times. I know I can depend on him to do the job correctly. He is on board and has scheduled us for next month.

    Week 4 will be spent installing flooring. The flooring was ordered months ago. I had my flooring contractor store it. They delivered on Friday afternoon in anticipation of starting installation on Monday.

    Here are some exciting drywall pictures.


    The ceiling.

    Here is my pile of slate flooring that arrived. It's ready for the installers on Monday.

    The pretty stuff starts to be installed. Let's hope we can get this old floor level. I've got a 6' long level. A big level means business. More pictures next week.


  • fishmom
    9 years ago

    Looking forward to seeing the finished project!

  • toddimt
    8 years ago

    Looking good,

    You also can paint, at least the walls and ceiling prior to cabinet installation if you want, That is what I did.

    homechef59 thanked toddimt
  • homechef59
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Week Four

    The flooring guys showed up bright and early Monday morning. They worked hard until 8 pm. The floor has some serious dips and rolls. They secured the battens to the joists where necessary. Then they filled some of the more serious dips with mortar. On top of this they installed 1/2" plywood and 1/4" durarock cement board. In between the two layers went more mortar.

    Then, the pretty part started. They began to install the black natural slate 12"x12" gaged tiles in a diagonal pattern. There is also a 12"x6" border. The cabinets will cover up the border in most places.it up. It was only placed where it would be visible.

    They worked really hard to get the floor as even as possible for the cabinet guys. I provided them with a 6' level. They had 4' levels, but the 6' level doesn't lie.

    The objective was to match existing flooring in two other rooms of the house. I wanted to reduce the number of decorative flooring materials found in the house. I was hoping to make things a little more harmonious.

    We let the mortar dry over night. The flooring guys showed up bright and early for day two. They cleaned the floor thoroughly, applied a first coat of sealer, dried the floor, applied charcoal grey/black grout, cleaned the floor, dried the floor again and applied a second coat of sealer.

    Here are some pictures of the process.



    There you go. The first pretty thing installed. We can walk on it right now if we are careful. The installers want us to cover it with paper tomorrow. They don't want any cabinets installed until Friday.

    That ends this weeks activity. We are going to enjoy a few days of peace and quiet while things dry. The carpenters are confirmed for next Monday to begin to install cabinets. This is the fun part. Pictures to follow.

  • denizenx
    8 years ago

    Sounds like you're adding a lot of substrate. Will your kitchen floor be higher than the rest of the house? My kitchen (wood) floors have no sub-floor under them. I'm considering laying new wood on top but then my kitchen will be 3/4" higher than the rest of the house, which I'm not thrilled about.


  • homechef59
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Yes, the slate floor ended up higher than the adjacent existing wood floor. I had to use a transition strip. I wasn't thrilled, either. Sometimes you just have to be flexible. This was one of those times. You get that with old houses. You can't see it from this picture. They did a good job matching the transition strip color with the wood floor. I'll take a picture and post it later.

  • denizenx
    8 years ago

    I'd appreciate that pic of your threshold. I will probably end up having to do the same.


  • homechef59
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Here you go. It's hard to get perspective. In a couple of weeks, we won't even notice it.

    They had a smaller transition edge that we could have used. I didn't think it was strong enough and it had sharp edges. So, I chose the larger one with bullnose edges.


  • denizenx
    8 years ago

    Yeah, that's pretty minor, and blends well with your existing floors.

    Thanks.


  • homechef59
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    It's Monday. It was really nice to have a few days without workmen in the house.

    Last week the HVAC guy modified the floor vents to accept the new cabinets and trim. We covered the new floors with paper and taped them down to protect them from damage.

    Today, the drywall guys sanded and put a last coat of drywall mud on the walls. They will do a final sand tomorrow. Once they sand and clean up we begin to install cabinets. We had hoped to do this before the floors were installed, but the schedule wouldn't accommodate it.

    The first cabinet we will install is the tall double oven cabinet. We still have to put it together. It's so large and cumbersome, it needs to be installed in the room. My husband is going to assist because he is familiar with the assembly of the cabinets. An extra pair of hands is always appreciated. The carpenter estimates it will take three days to complete the basic installation. We will install the soffit, crown molding, furniture ends and base moldings while we are waiting for the counter tops to be completed.

    I have a small project to complete. I have to remove some paint on the edges of my old stainless range hood and stainless dishwasher. I had a painter a few years ago that couldn't paint. Anyhow, I want to get the paint off before reinstallation.

    On Friday morning, our plumber is going to install a shut off valve to the gas supply. At noon, the appliance installer will install the range top and tweak the burners. Later Friday afternoon, the counter top guys will come to make the template.

    Let the fun begin. We are getting to the pretty stuff.

  • denizenx
    8 years ago

    Sounds like you guys are moving at a pretty good clip. Keep up the good work.


  • Jennifer Weinman
    8 years ago

    So exciting! I can't wait to see the cabinets go in! Personally, I'd love to see some of the play-by-play pictures of building the Scherr cabinets. Considering going with them for our kitchen :) Take pictures!

  • homechef59
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    It's Friday. This is what we accomplished during the week. We installed all of the cabinets. Our first cabinet was the double oven tower. We laid it out on the floor and assembled it. I'm sorry we don't have any assembly pictures, but it went together just like the rest of the cabinets. It was just twice the size of the other cabinets. It took three strong men to lift it and little old me underneath it to run the electrical lines into the cavity.

    Once we had this cabinet set, we installed the wall cabinets. We set up the laser level. We screwed in a two by four along the level line on the wall. The cabinets can rest on the ledger board with only one man holding them. Due to the age of the house, some of the walls really bow. That makes the carpenter use his skill and earn his keep. He still checked everything the old fashioned way with a long level.

    You definitely want to install the door hinges and drawer slides while the cabinets are in the assembly phase. If you tried to install them when the cabinets were finished, you are making things much harder for yourself. As we completed a run of cabinets, I put the drawers into the cabinet boxes to get them out of the way. We selected the Blum slides with the soft close feature. They are a big upgrade from the previous cabinets slides.

    Because we purchased Scherr's RTA cabinets, I was able to afford a lot really nice cabinet inserts.

    We ran into some issues with my big sink cabinet. While the cabinet was supposed to bump out, the plumbing did not allow us to get it snugged up to the wall as far as was planned. The result was a little larger bump out than I would have liked. Not a deal killer, as the entire cabinet was painted to allow exposed sides.

    During the week, the last minute replacement window arrived. It was a while we were at it purchase. All of my windows on the back side of this home are replacement windows. This was the last single pane glass window. I'm glad we were able to replace it with an insulated window. This is how you bust the budget.

    Once we had a few cabinets installed and we saw the number of shims that were required, it became apparent that we would need some scribe molding. While the cabinets are absolutely square, the floors and walls aren't square. This creates gaps at the rear of the cabinets. Even though there are furniture ends, these gaps will require a piece of scribe molding. I hadn't purchased the trim package Scherr's offered me. I was trying to keep things simple. Dumb move on my part. We absolutely need matching scribe molding.

    A panicked phone call to Leon at Scherr's solved the problem. He still had my paint color in the paint shop. They painted them on Thursday. We'll let them dry over the weekend. They should ship the first of next week. Leon Scherr said as long as the pieces weren't too long to create a shipping problem, he could get it done. He bumped us to the front of the line. I can't say enough about the customer service.

    The plumber stopped by last night and installed a shutoff to my gas service. The next day the appliance store came out to install my new 6-burner Bluestar Range Top. I don't have an electrical outlet or the Vent-A-Hood installed. So, we used an extension cord and opened the window to test. Wow, those burners are impressive. I can't wait.

    Next week will see the counter top fabricators measuring for counters. The ventilation will be completed for the Vent-A-Hood hook up. The carpenter will return to install the dropped soffit, install crown molding, trim out the window and doors, attach drawer faces, attach and adjust doors, install cabinet pulls, furniture ends and base molding. It will be another full week. I can almost see the finish line.


  • Jennifer Weinman
    8 years ago

    Looks AWESOME! I'm so excited following this. We are considering Scherr painted too! Can I ask - which drawer boxes did you get?

  • nancyjwb
    8 years ago

    Oh that is really thrilling! You finally got to the fun part:) I'm so glad you're showing us all the process, it's fascinating!

    Looks like you're going with no toekick except in key areas? Can't wait to see how that turns out and how you like it. I like that look a lot!

  • Anne
    8 years ago

    I'm looking at the photos you posted on Feb. 28th. By any chance is that supervisory dog a smooth coat collie? Looks just like my tri-color smooth collie. They are great supervisors, aren't they?


  • homechef59
    Original Author
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Anne, Yes, he is a smooth collie. We have a rough, too. Collies are firm believers in close supervision. They approved the slate floors.

    Jennifer, The doors are #600, a traditional panel. The drawer fronts are #562, plain slab. We could have had anything we wanted. I think these will stand up to the collies and be easy to clean. We choose the painted finish, SW Dover White. There are also furniture end panels and flush toe kicks with furniture cut outs waiting to be installed.

  • Jennifer Weinman
    8 years ago

    Oh, I meant for the wood interior of the drawer boxes, but I think I read that you did hardwood maple above, so question is answered :) I'm also looking at SW dover white. This is all SO fascinating since I'm very seriously wanting to do Scherr. Did you originally skip all trim from them intending to buy it locally and have it painted locally? I'm trying to decide if it's worth the risk of having mismatched paints to diy and get local trim done.


  • homechef59
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Jennifer, The cabinets are MDF panels with the maple laminate interior. The cabinets that have interiors or exposed ends that will be visible are painted MDF. The drawers are dove-tailed maple hardwood. Any of these items are completely customizable.

    It wasn't a question of cost, I wanted the best material available. It's hard to convince people that MDF is superior in certain applications over plywood. MDF is a superior material for painted cabinets. It's stable, smooth and does not warp. We learned that the hard way 3 houses ago.

    We skipped the trim package because I am installing a dropped soffit with crown molding. It is going to be painted SW Dover White, too. I know the finish will be slightly off, but in home lighting I don't think you will notice the change in gloss. My primary goal was to try and match the other 2-piece crown through out the house. That was the compromise I made. I plan to paint the walls SW Dover White, too. It will be in a different gloss. I had an architect friend who did this and it's all very harmonious.

  • toddimt
    8 years ago

    Homechef59,


    Looking good. I saw the pics of the sink wall, before you set the cabinets. Why can't the cabinet go back more? The only thing I can see that prevents it from just sitting around 1" off the wall is the waste/drain lines coming out of the floor. However, I would think they they could notch the cabinet floor and some of the back of the cabinet to push it back more.

  • homechef59
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Toddimt, we tried. This was the best we could do. It's okay, there is room for it and I am resigned to it. I always have to remind myself that this is not a rocket ship or a submarine. The engineering tolerances are larger.

    I did find another problem with the cabinet install that we will have to correct on Monday. Two of the base cabinets will have to come off the wall at least an inch to align with the tall oven cabinet. Right now, they are against the wall and there is a 1 inch difference. We didn't catch it until this morning. This is due to the shimming of the tall oven cabinet. Once you shim, you throw the rest of the cabinets in the line off.

    I sent a text this morning to my carpenter to give him the bad news. I thought it was better to tell him by text than first thing Monday morning. This way he can get over having to move the cabinets over the weekend.

  • andyscott
    8 years ago

    Homechef59,

    Can you tell me the brand/size of the LazySusans in your corner cabinet? Thanks!

  • homechef59
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    I think it's a Rev a Shelf. But, I can't be certain. I've already thrown the box away.

  • homechef59
    Original Author
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    It's been a busy two weeks. We can see the finish line. It's in sight. I'm not going to post any more pictures until it is finished. I can tell you that it is gorgeous.

    My husband and I installed the Vent-A-Hood ourselves. Due to an error on my part, I ordered this run of kitchen cabinets an inch too deep. They were 13" and the hood is designed for a 12" cabinet. It was entirely my fault. I changed the specifications without considering the ramifications. After some careful measuring, we attached a two by four as a nailer with some shims to level the wall. We fashioned a cleat and attached it to the wall. We hoisted the hood onto the cleat and screwed it to the wall. We thought it would be much harder to install. It wasn't at all hard. We just had to think about it.

    Our HVAC guy had extended the ventilation pipe. The carpenter had cut the properly sized holes in the cabinet. Presto, it all aligned. We are so proud of ourselves. We clad the exposed inch of wood nailer with strips of metal ducting material to create a non-combustible surface. The strips are hidden. While the hood is attached, it hasn't been wired. We are waiting on the electrician to complete the hook up.

    The carpenter has framed and enclosed the area above the cabinets, trimmed where the cabinet meets the wall and run crown molding along the ceiling. My husband and I hung the cabinet doors and our carpenter attached the drawers. We spent the weekend attaching the drawer pulls. Our carpenter installed the light rail and toe kick boards. All of the door and window trim has been completed and is waiting for paint.

    We didn't ordered the trim package from Scherr's. I wanted the crown molding to match what was already in the house. We did order the trim that created a flush toe kick, the light rail and decorative furniture ends that matched the cabinet doors. We placed an emergency order of scribe molding painted to match the cabinets. Leon came to the rescue. The scribe molding took a week including shipping. Our walls are so out of plumb that it was necessary to trim with the scribe molding in a couple of places. If we had a more square home, the scribe trim wouldn't have been necessary.

    We have gotten to the bottom of the pile of cabinetry and cabinet parts that were provided by Scherr's. We had plenty of light rail and toe kick boards, without having too much waste. When it came to the installation hardware such as screws, fasteners, hinges and slides, we weren't short of anything. But, there wasn't a lot of extra, either. You need to be very organized in order not to lose anything.

    The only place in the last two weeks where we were delayed was waiting on the countertops to be fabricated. They measured on a Friday and it took 10 days for fabrication and installation. The fabricator already had our slabs, but they were very busy. We tried to stay busy finishing up a few odds and ends.

    The fabricators did a beautiful job. I did insist on viewing the slabs before they were cut. I am using a fabricated quartz product, LG Viatera Rococo. The pattern is mostly uniform, I didn't need to be around to watch them template it. We did consult with them and approved the CAD. We consulted on where the seam would be placed, the amount of overhang, the best edge profile, and the overhang on the sink.

    I told them I was worried about big blobs of color randomly appearing in the slab. They told me that those were considered to be "B" grade slabs and they didn't deal in them. They also said that the danger with quartz slabs was explosion by cutting. Quartz slabs are formed under pressure. They map out the required pattern plan on the computer. They cut the slab into smaller units according to the plan. This way, if the slab explodes not all of the slab is lost. I learned something.

    I wanted to try to install runnels for a drain board. While it wasn't a problem if we had used granite or marble, the polishing of the runnels would have resulted in voiding the warranty on the quartz. I sent the fabricator a picture of a drain board that I had seen on this site. It was the first time anyone had requested an integral drain board. I challenged them. They put their collective heads together and figured out how to fashion one without voiding the warranty. I don't mean to tease, but it looks great. I think they enjoyed the challenge.

    Yesterday, the tile guys returned. They installed the backsplash and grouted all in one day.

    We are enjoying our peaceful weekend. I have been cleaning each room of the house now that we have seen the last of the drywall sanding. I committed to spring cleaning each room of the house one room each day.

    All hell breaks lose on Tuesday. Controlled chaos. The final push begins. The electricians and plumber show up Tuesday morning to complete their finish work and install the appliances. The carpenter will come by for an hour to attach the last pieces of trim after the dishwasher is installed. The painter is scheduled for the following Monday.

    The end is in sight. It can't come soon enough. The wine cabinet is getting a little empty.

  • nancyjwb
    8 years ago

    This is so exciting! Can't wait for a reveal....!

  • Nothing Left to Say
    8 years ago

    I am eagerly awaiting your reveal!

  • beth09
    8 years ago

    Me too!

  • adja
    8 years ago

    I've following your post very closely as we are using barker cabinets. Can't wait to see the end result!!

  • homechef59
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Quick update.

    The painters are finishing up today. The electricians, plumber and carpenter all showed up as promised. The carpenter installed a routed board that goes over the sink to create a soffit that contains two lights. He had delayed because he wanted to make sure the electricians could access the wiring. He also helped the electricians install our 12 year old Thermador double wall oven. Man than thing is heavy. It's a double convection oven with a small microwave. I'll keep it as long as it keeps on working. It's dirty because I don't run the self-clean cycle. The outside is stainless and in good shape. Every year that I don't have to replace it is a victory.

    The electricians wired up the Vent-A-Hood. I confess there was a moment of female superiority with this installation. They were complaining about the small amount of wire that was protruding from the hood. I realized they had no idea how to install it. So, I handed them our socket tool, told them to take off the black motor and wire it from that side. Nice guys, but a little red in the face for a minute or two. Chalk one up for the little lady.

    They also finished wiring all of the outlets and switches. We have to wait to the painters to finish the ceiling before we can install the ceiling lights. The LED can lights were considered a fixture. That meant I needed to go get them. Home Depot had what I needed.

    The LED under cabinet lighting was delayed, also. We had another miscommunication. I thought the electricians were providing all of the necessary equipment for installation. We had a discussion three months ago. Who can remember three months ago? None of us. They thought I was providing it. Therefore, no supplies or equipment was available. I got on the horn to InspiredLED (Thank you GW) and Garrett hooked me up with everything we need. The components should arrive Friday.

    The plumber did his magic. He installed our old Bosch dishwasher. It's over 10 years old and was the top of the line in it's day. It still works beautifully. It will work even better now that it is properly installed. He installed all of the faucets. Unfortunately, the Hansgrohe pull-down faucet at the main sink has a leak in the sprayer unit. One call to Hangrohe and a replacement hose is on the way. He hooked up our new Insinkerator garbage disposals. We hooked up the Forever_MT soap dispensers. (Thanks GW, again.)

    We had to call back the back splash installers. Two of the boxes for light switches and outlets were too small. We couldn't get the covers on them. Even thought we could have done it ourselves, we didn't want to damage the tile. Their boss insisted on sending them out to make the fix.

    We started moving back into the kitchen. I've started cleaning house. We washed and cleaned off the back porch where everyone worked and all the supplies were stored. I can cook in the kitchen. We are still camping out in the temporary area waiting for the painters to finish. The painters started working on the final touches yesterday and will be finished today. It looks great. We will need to let things dry for a few days.

    Now, we find ourselves with a small to do list. It never ends. We need to install the under cabinet lights and ceiling can lights. We have the replacement hose for the Hansgrohe faucet. I've looked at it and I'm going to get the plumber back out to install it. I'm sure it's a simple fix, but it's not obvious to me. We also need to fasten the HVAC vents to the cabinet toe kicks. I think that's about it.

    Pictures next. I'll do the big reveal at the end of the week. Thanks for all the encouragement.

  • Andi VeeBee
    8 years ago

    Very much looking forward to your reveal!

  • jmarino19
    8 years ago

    Lol on the vent install. look forward to the next update.

  • homechef59
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    We have completed the kitchen and I declare it finished. If you want to see the finished pictures they are in a new thread entitled Kitchen Reveal Scherr's RTA

    Kitchen Reveal Scherr's RTA

    I hope the link works.


  • rebunky
    8 years ago

    Just wanted to say this thread, along with the link to the reveal, is going to help so many in the future who go with the RTA cabs. Thank you, homechef59, for taking the time to document your journey!

    homechef59 thanked rebunky
  • HU-521197271
    5 months ago

    Came by... going to read the rest but noticed the reveal link doesn't work.


    Corrected Scherr's RTA Reveal

  • millworkman
    5 months ago

    That is not homechef59's kitchen at all HU-521197271