Now that the kitchen has been demolished and we’ve learned a thing or two about what we’ll have to deal with through this process, we’re going to have to consider some changes (errr, an expansion) in the scope of our remodeling project. It turns out our range and range hood were connected to the fuse box, which we’ll have to change over to the circuit panel for our handy-dandy new Electrolux induction cooktop and Bosch wall oven. And of course, the panel has no more room … which means a new panel, and pretty much also means having to upgrade from 60 amp service to 200 amps. It looks like we may be pulling off all the drywall in the kitchen so we can go ahead and rewire all our outlets and bring the whole kitchen up to code.

The old asbestos linoleum floor under the white peel & stick tiles doesn’t look very good. It’s crumbling where the dishwasher stood and the plywood subfloor beneath it doesn’t look so good either. It’s got to be just as bad if not worse in our bathroom. So we’re back to considering asbestos abatement, which doesn’t come cheap. I might do a little research on how to accomplish this ourselves (it’s legal in NH if you’re the homeowner, you don’t rent to anybody, and you don’t plan to sell your house within the next 6 months):

From http://www.des.state.nh.us/factsheets/asb/asb-6.htm:

The removal of non-friable materials including siding, shingles, and roofing can be legally performed by homeowners, regular contractors, or licensed asbestos abatement contractors as long as each does not violate the NESHAP regulations, and work complies with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations as delineated in 29CFR 1926.1101. The health risk involved in handling non-friable non-regulated asbestos material is very small as long as the integrity of the material is maintained. Sufficient fiber concentrations to cause health problems are hard to generate, unless you are drilling, sanding, or sawing such material. The Department Environmental Services (Department) recommends, however, that one wear a disposable tyvek suit, gloves, and if medically fit a half mask respirator with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters when working with asbestos. The Department maintains a list of local suppliers of asbestos related safety equipment. See Fact Sheet ASB-12. The key element to the removal process should be wet removal with “no visible emissions”.

The removal of friable/regulated materials in workplaces, schools, public facilities, and dwellings can only be done by licensed asbestos abatement contractors. The one exception to this is the individual homeowner with no tenants doing the work at his own residence. This type of removal, if undertaken by the homeowner, should be done only after thorough preparation from an informational, educational, and equipment standpoint. However, the homeowner may not do this removal in preparation of selling the home. A cutoff point of six months shall be used to determine if the work was preparatory to selling the home (Refer to the NH Code of Administrative Rules Env-C 407.02). A listing of licensed asbestos contractors can be obtained by contacting the N.H. Division of Public Health Services at 603-271-4609.

The yucky asbestos floor under the peel & stick tiles.

Walls: Spectra Blue from Benjamin Moore:

Countertop: Formica black - in either matte or sparkle finish:

Floor: Mannington VCT in night black and oyster white:

Andrew demolished the kitchen in less than 24 hours, with some much-needed help from my dad (plumbing) and brother (truck and transportation to the dump). Exciting photos of the event have been posted to Flickr.

It was interesting to see how rotted the old Formica backsplash located behind the sink had become:

I never actually used this crowbar for anything else but scratching my back. But Andrew used it to its full potential on the cabinets.

I’m so pleased with the color of our walls - Benjamin Moore “Sweet Vibrations.” I didn’t think it would turn out to be so yellow, but it’s really grown on me. I especially like it at night when the lamps are lit.

Ignore placement of the dishwasher - this is a montage of images from our current kitchen and a display kitchen from the IKEA store in Stoughton.