Anyone have experience cleaning and disinfecting their wood cabinet? We have MDF faces in Wood boxes and drawers. Thank him up all the people who have handled the cabinets even though they are nice and who I want to clean everything before we put anything in them. I usually clean everything with vinegar but I worry about that drying out wood. I know that that is not good enough to kill coronavirus charms which I'm not so worried about because they have been installed a few days ago but it makes me think in general and vinegar does not kill coronavirus what else does it not kill. We still have the island to do and so frustrated the floor I picked out is discontinued and need to move light that the electrician put me in the wrong place. Feeling pressured and overwhelmed. We have half a kitchen though! And we did pick the best time of year to do a remodel in Phoenix. It's almost reached 100 degrees and we have a ceiling and real Windows. One of our Milgard aluminum windows is not shutting properly but rep is coming out Tuesday.

Mama, detergent soap and water should be sufficient to clean your surfaces. Or, you can just wait the 2-3 days the virus remains viable on hard surfaces. Disinfection is recommended for households in which there are confirmed cases of COVID 19, and they recommend EPA-registered disinfectants (like bleach) for that purpose, but stress following manufacturer recommendations.

There is so much misinformation out there, you can get the low down on the Centers for Disease Control web site

and we are pretty well done. Only have one pedestal sink to be installed in one of the downstairs powder rooms. I still have a few fiesta ware pieces to be put out. Other than that, the kitchen/laundry room/two powder rooms are done.

Kitchen Ideas · More Info

Kitchen Ideas · More Info

Kitchen Ideas · More Info

@donnageiss, I love that puppy! Is it a cookie jar?

Donna, I love it! Is it what you thought it would be like? I can’t even imagine starting, let alone finishing. Congratulations. Enjoy your new spaces in the best of health.

About and Shady,

More Pictures!! I'm stuck here, and it's raining, I need to live vicariously through others' eyes!!!

Pictures please <3

I am very impressed. The 5 minute backsplash is perfect. I love the sparkle it adds. Looks like home now. Wow, this will be a renovation to talk about!

Thanks for the pictures and hope that one day soon the snails progress will speed up ;^)

The puppy is a cookie jar. We have golden retrievers. My daughter in law gave that to me several years ago. The kitchen pretty much turned out better than what I thought. I was a little leery of the layout, but it makes the kitchen seem bigger than the original layout. I still have the hideous striped wall paper in the hallway/foyer to come down but that is waiting till fall. In the midst of this remodel/pandemic our 14 year old granddaughter had open heart surgery in Charlotte. We live in Illinois, were supposed to be there but had to cancel. She went home from the hospital today, doing well. Hopefully we can get there some time in the summer. Oh, the little girl magnet in the blue dress on the refrigerator is her when she was little at one of her dance recitals. She is very artistic, loves to sing and act. We feel so bad we couldn't be with her this past week. But just so very glad her surgery went well.

eam44, thx. with the covid topic I thought it would be interesting to bring up the topic but I think more in general i'm wondering what is the best way to clean my cabs and not dry them out or ruin them. i thought light soap and water... I think a quick wipedown. I'm just so used to using vinegar and I wonder how it'll be when i'm washing my countertops with vinegar... Hopefully they're not that sensitive to vinegar

To answer the title of this thread, apparently people who want their sinks replaced are unintimidated by Covid-19. I damn near cancelled my ads when this thing was starting, but I'm glad I didn't. My phone and email have been quite busy. I'm going back to work. Unapologetically.

Joe, in your state, which ranks #36 out of 50 in the measures undertaken to slow the pandemic, that does not surprise me. That said, in many states construction/building trades are considered essential. Wear your ppe!

Contractor replaced a roof and installed new bath vents last week. New one piece gutters going on this week. Supposedly he will have the quote ready for the last roof this week. (Apartments)

In my house I am bit by bit moving forward on the wallpaper removal (done), scraping peeling paint, and plaster repair in our last decrepit room in our house. Then there will be painting of walls, trim, and floor refinishing. Hope to finish by beginning of June.

Finally. Finally got an email from our GC saying they are beginning to think about restarting their projects. Our kitchen has been out of commission since early March. Work stopped completely mid-March. No countertops, no appliances, no sink or water and no furniture in adjacent rooms since we donated it while the floor was being replaced. Hopefully we’ll be back up and running by mid-May. It’s been a struggle without any kind of a timeline. Sure hope we can get this done. It’s been a very long time coming.

Trying to manage my home reno is a challenge when I can't be there. So the top of the master closet looks gorgeous. The other picture shows the gaps where the closet meets the wall along the bottom of the closet. I reached out to the well known company that installed the closet. The company says the gaps are due to the wall not being level…it is bowed..and that putting another straight piece there will not change it. The company's solution? "Once you put clothes in you do not see it." What do you all think? We had a "lesser quality" closet company install the kids' closets last year, and they look better (no gaps).

About, tell them to come back and fill in the gaps. That’s ridiculous. They cannot expect everything to be level and plumb in every house. They must have filler strips or be able to cut them.

Maine, that sounds like progress. Good luck with the last roof.

bsw, I hope you are up and running soon. I know it can’t be easy.

Cabinets finally arrived last week, and the countertop comes in today. There is a light at the end of the tunnel!!

I am lucky. My partner and a very small crew are doing the reno which was started in Oct with full demo in Dec. I had all the appliances ordered early on and the stores were holding them until we were ready. When I saw this coming 2 months ago, I had all the appliances delivered early and they are sitting in the garage. There are of course, small glitches and delays here and there, mostly as we are unable to hire extra help at this time.I am on "stay at home" in a different state so I haven't been able to get there to see progress but i get lots of photo updates. As we speak, the crane is now finally on site ready to lift those into place on the second floor. I am so impressed with all the suppliers who while working remotely have been able to organize deliveries of everything else. I can't wait for it to be finished although with all the cooking I have been doing, I don't think I will want to see the inside of a kitchen again.

and we are done. last sink installed yesterday. now maybe I can relax for a while. hopefully this pandemic will calm down so I can see my kids and grandkids. I'm getting tired of staring at my husband. After almost 51 years there's only so much you can talk about.

Kitchen Ideas · More Info

Kitchen Ideas · More Info

Waverly, way to plan ahead. Keep us posted on your progress!

Donna, that’s a rest well earned. Bravo!

Yea! Shady and Waverly!! Progress!

I agree waverly, tired of the kitchen. DH is working from home, so, 3 squares a day, 7 days a week.....I'm weary of it! I'd rather bake. My hours are reduced a bit, so I've been carrying more of the load.

Here's some progress, I'm hoping to have drywall ready for someone to mud and tape by September. DIY just takes time, augh. At least this and upstairs bathroom are the last of it!

Reframed for new window with foil barrier amd fire blocking in. Stripping is almost done.

Bathroom is started. Tile selections need to be made, wood or tile, maybe both?

Yikes heather - you’ve been busy! Good on you! Just FYI (and tile talk can take an entire thread of its own) there are combinations of marble and glass tiles out there that can give you a little color with your gray.

Heather, I fell in love with these computer cut mosaic tiles, but thought it would be too hard to clean between the tiles. Too many little crevices. It would make a fabulous looking 6” backsplash for my drop in soaking tub or vanity — but would these need to be cleaned with a toothbrush? I’d be afraid of using marble mosaics... won’t they water spot? Discolor from soap etc?

mtpo, marble tile would have to be sealed before installation and annually thereafter, but it would be fine, especially in a wall installation.

So far no delays due to the pandemic, construction was allowed to keep going in my state. Plumber starts tomorrow, framing done for the addition, plenty of dust everywhere, kitchen cabinets arrive in 7 weeks or so, drinking wine a little earlier and home schooling 4 kiddos...we can do this :)

For me I'm wondering how much less expensive this job could have been if I had started later into it. Although, I don't think anybody in Phoenix is hurting for work. Everybody seems pretty busy but I think there are some gaps in certain areas. Home Depot seems to have been on hold through the pandemic on any discounts on Windows and Doors, my sink arrived to the fabricator damaged and now is out of stock until end of May. Floor I wanted is discontinued. I hear that some floors might be taking a while. Doors are delayed. Home Depot Masonite doors have people waiting since January but that sounds like not just a pandemic issue. Anytime I've had to call 1 800 Home Depot it's been an hour wait. My refrigerator, LG, second one, is unfixable so they will need to give me a new fridge on my money back. I have three years left on the warranty so I'll just wait until after the pandemic so I can get through faster. It's only that ice box that is broken so I can live with it for now.

We hit pause on our kitchen in March. I think I am ready to restart- any tips are appreciated. donnageiss - what is your countertop? Want to have everything as organized as possible!

counter top is granite, Astoria. If you are tearing out floor tile like we did, be prepared. It was horrible. We should have moved out during it. The noise was horrific, they had to almost jack hammer the tile, the debris was awful, the dirt filtered thru the whole house. In retrospect we really should have planned to vacate the house at least during that portion of it. The worst though for me was this pandemic fear and having a crew of people in and out of your house every day for weeks, not knowing if they were either sick or somebody who was just transmitting the disease. I would never have started this remodel if I had known we were going to be virtual prisoners in our own house for weeks. We had already started the demo and no working appliances at all so no way could we stop it and ride out the shelter at home. In fact, we are still in it in Illinois and rumor has it our governor at the end of May is going to extend it another month.

Thanks, Donna. Your home looks terrific! We are in Florida. I am stressed about workers coming in as well. We do have tile floors that have to come out... If we don't do it now, I feel like we will have to wait until next year or whenever vaccines are readily available, which may be the smarter call.

lcrouter, I wasn't prepared I guess for the chaos that removing the tile would cause. And according to the contractor it was one of the hardest jobs he's ever encountered and he's been in business I think for at least 30 years or more. I guess when we built this house whoever laid the tile did a really good job. We built this house in 1989 and everything in kitchen except for a couple appliances were original. Last year we started updating things here, new carpet, paint and window coverings in upstairs master bedroom, hall, new carpet down the stairs and new carpet, paint, and window coverings in living room. Dining room sill has original wall paper but I still like it, got new curtains and rug for dining room. So the only thing left are remodel of upstairs master bath and the other upstairs bathroom. Thought I would do that this fall but am re thinking that. I might just have to live with those rooms. Tearing out tile, a huge jacuzzi tub and walk in shower just seems overwhelming right now. Oh, family room needs new paint and carpet, that might be my only project this fall. Good luck on your remodel.

MTPO love that tile, agreed, don't love all the grout 😉

Vanity is out. Originally the house didn't have plumbing, electricity, or a kitchen. Now we're approaching that time again!

Hoping to get the rest gutted this week. Ooooo, maybe ordering new window too. We've fixed the others in the house but replacing this one with a Kolbe and downstairs replaced with a custom made.

As crazy as diy is, I'm glad to not have strangers in the house.

I'm a handmade tile maker. Since I work alone, covid 19 hasn't effected my production at all. Since I only sell online, actually I have been experiencing a bit more business.

Fay, that’s great to hear. It’s nice to know there is an upside for someone.

Donna, your DIY skills amaze.

My delay actually resulted in a benefit today! I had not finalized my tile selections and the supplier assigned me a flooring specialist to work with me over the phone and on-line. She is tracking down tile samples I purchased from other suppliers early in the building process and today found out she can supply one of my favorites. No one had offered to do this before — they had only offered to supply the few things in their own small showroom. 😁

Yeah, finally, after 2 months without a working kitchen, progress! Countertops installed today. They look beautiful. Husband ensured they buffed out the one seam we had and it is barely noticeable. Hopefully tomorrow appliances will be hooked up. It’ll be really nice to have a sink with water, and an oven, again. Maybe the end is in sight...I was beginning to think we’d be without a kitchen all summer.

@mtpo and @Bob W I’d love to see images!

I have finally chosen a layout. I think. My concern is that I wont have enough counter space, but I’m working it out in cardboard today. We shall see.

I hope all of you are well!

Finally got the cabs in for the dry bar, and hubby finished up the “backsplash.” Do you think the microwave should go next to the fridge, or where it is in this photo? I want to add some open shelving - any suggestions on how many, what height, etc?

Shady, that looks great! I like the MW where it is. I would consider two full length shelves in the same color as the cabinets, but you would have to drill into the brick, and that might not be such a great idea. I’ll let others chime in. Great progress!

Thanks!! It’s faux brick panels painted white. I am happy you were fooled!!! Although you are not foolish. You can see the seam to the right of the picture, hubby spackled where the two panels meet and had not painted it yet. We have some leftover wood from the fireplace, but not any 10’ long pieces.

Lots of good progress being made with everybody's projects. I am finally feeling comfortable in my new kitchen. Got everything put away that needs to be put away, and still have tons of cabinet space. I made a vow that I am not going to clutter the drawers, counters and cabinets up. Did a good purge of crap I had collected over the 31 years we've been in this house. Good luck everybody, it is worth it in the end, even thru a pandemic.

That’s great! The point I’m making is that in order to secure shelves you’ll have to drill into the wall of your basement. If there are studs behind it, no problem. You’ve done a really nice job.

Progress!

@AboutToGetDusty progress indeed! And tile at that. Thank you for the beautiful image!

Beautiful backsplash!!!

We don't do kitchens and remodeling except for our own. How it impacts my projects which are primarily new custom and a rehab we plan to sell:

Paperwork has slowed, but its 90% online now.

Orders and shipments are slower.

Inspectors have been working from their phones, so they may not see attachments, resulting in multiple calls and in person on site visits to show paperwork.

Vendors who provide certifications (soils testing, pad elevation certificates) are mostly working remotely and OMG I'm chasing snails.

Vendor bids are slow because its spring and they're busy.

Home Depot, Lowes, most hardware and garden centers get busier as the day progresses. They often open at 6am for the pros.

Inventories are thin.

My factory cabinets went from 2 to 6 weeks out.

Plan. Decide. Order early if you want to keep your project going.

It’s great to get a PROs take on things. Thanks JRG!

On the subject of the pandemic altering life in general, I offer an image of my birthday cake that I baked in my sister’s kitchen. I have been “sheltering” with them, although I sleep and work at home. It gives you a great view of her Fasar cooktop!

OMG that looks delish!!! Happy Birthday!!🎉🎊🎂

Thanks @ShadyWillowFarm! We’ve had such rain and high humidity that the chocolate work was a little dicey, but it was absolutely delicious, though I say it myself! I used the best parts of two recipes, but the majority came from Mary Berry’s recipe for Black Forest Gâteau. It was an unusual, but very happy birthday, thank you!

With prior renovations, we have lived through construction or moved out at the end for floors, and then moved back in while trades finish up. With COVID-19..I keep asking myself, when can I move back in? Hours after the last trade visits? One day after? Two days after? When will the air clear so the whole fam can enjoy the space and feel like all of the germs are gone? (Especially in a heavy-case area).

Hi @AboutToGetDusty, I would not venture an answer alone, don’t listen to anyone who would, but I can pass along the following info from the CDC:

“...transmission of novel coronavirus to persons from surfaces contaminated with the virus has not been documented.... It is unknown how long the air inside a room occupied by someone with confirmed COVID-19 remains potentially infectious.”

They don’t know. Work from the National Institutes of Health, CDC, UCLA and Princeton University published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the virus that causes COVID-19:

“... was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.”

So it sounds like the virus in respiratory droplets is undetectable in the air after a few hours, and on surfaces after a few days - and they have not confirmed a case of transmission from a surface. I’ve been leaving boxes and mail untouched for three days. In the end you’re going to have to make a decision based on your best common sense.

Now my project is on hold. The floor I got sanded is waiting on finish to arrive. Went to Sherwin Williams to pick up the finish and their whole section of floor finishes was completely wiped out. They are getting it from another store for us, but it is taking a few days.