Well its not a home, but a tiny kitchen ....

[Dimitri]

So its been a while since I've been on the forums, none the less I just graduated college for the second time  and the wife decided she wanted some renovations done between college and looking for a job.

Last week I did some roofing, and after I got done the roofing, she asked me to do a new kitchen, in a small space, a mere 64 inches by 86 inches (~37 square feet). So with a bit (really small bit) of planning, and the last few days of putting in tiles, letting them dry, putting groat and letting it dry, today I got to assembling the frame of the cabinets.

So step by step so far ...

Laying down the tiles to make sure I had enough (needed 35 based on the size) ...


After putting it together and getting the grout on (started the woodwork before I took the picture) ...


The larger cabinet area (5 foot section of counter top), with a small bar fridge, interestingly enough this no name brand uses LG parts! So I'm happy for that ... as you can see the back wall, I ran runners slightly shorter then the wall itself to put in a false wall to allow the electrician space to run the new wires without tearing apart the drywall, and to make sure that the runners were going to be secure enough for the wall cabinet to come ...


The stove that will be installed, since the wife only ever uses 2 burners, and being Chinese doesn't use the oven part of a stove ... Interestingly enough GE makes this stove top in the USA still and its not too expensive ($300) ...


The other side will contain the LG dishwasher she purchased a while back that was never installed to be used yet and a smaller 3 foot counter top ...


She just had to have this HUGE sink, as it fits the pots she uses to cook with much better then a standard kitchen sink ... 


Well there you have it a tiny little kitchen. More to come once I install all the white trim, shelving, and actually make it look like a kitchen she'd use. 

Dimitri

[MountainDon]

...runners slightly shorter then the wall itself to put in a false wall to allow the electrician space to run the new wires without tearing apart the drywall,...

Just so you are aware, running what amounts to surface wiring, without armoring it, is not only a bad idea it os contrary to NEC. You might remember there are hot wires tucked away there, but what about someone else who may come along in the future?  Who knows what alterations, etc. the future might bring; what reason there might be to drill a hole, pound a nail, ....?  In fact, IMO, an honest, competent licensed electrician should refuse to do such a thing.

[Dimitri]

MountianDon,

I was told (both Home Depot guy and a couple of contractors who were buying stuff), and looked at the electrical handbook, if I have them run armored cable, or put in that gray PVC conduit, or install sheets of 16GA steel directly along the wire path it's perfectly legal to run surface wiring in that way. Fake wall or not. (

Edit, will probably let the electrician decide which way he feels comfortable with anyways, which is why he'll be in before I install the fake wall and upper cabinets.

Our safety codes here only require the regular (non-armored) wire be covered in some way when its below 5 feet from the ground, if its above that apparently there is no need to protect it. (Which is a silly rule in my opinion).

Plus that whole wall will be covered with a 1/2" thick sheet of plywood, and have 6x6 inch tiles all the way up to the cabinets as a back splash, so I'd hope that would be okay. 

As for a competent licensed electrician, well, who ever did half the wiring in this house was not that. 

Dimitri

[NM_Shooter]

Cool...

Also be aware that those little fridges are typically not approved for in-cabinet installation, they need to have adequate ventilation. 

I like the way your kitchen is coming together.

[MountainDon]

Good Dmitri.... it was just that in the OP you simply said wire, made no mention of conduit or anything, and I envisioned Romex snaked through there and then covered up with a panel. Not a good thing, that.  Maybe that's just me, always looking for what kind of bad crap is going to happen next. Good to see you're thinking.

[Dimitri]

Also be aware that those little fridges are typically not approved for in-cabinet installation, they need to have adequate ventilation.

Didn't know that, this fridge has no external coils, or anything really, the only exposed part is where the compressor is, the rest of the back has a big piece of sheet metal blocking the rest of the back side of the fridge off.

I hope its okay, I checked the manual and it didn't mention in cabinet installs, so 

Good Dmitri.... it was just that in the OP you simply said wire, made no mention of conduit or anything, and I envisioned Romex snaked through there and then covered up with a panel. Not a good thing, that.

Yeah my mistake, I'm not a electrician, and since who ever I contract it to will be doing the work, letting him select his preferred method will probably be best then me yapping about what I think should be installed.

Since if he wants something other then what I want I'll probably have to pay him and then find a 2nd electrician to do what I want, or tear it all off and let him redo it all. 

Maybe that's just me, always looking for what kind of bad crap is going to happen next.

That is the reason I posted half way through the project though, to see what other people think and to change things if required before its too late. 

Dimitri

[MountainDon]

That is the reason I posted half way through the project though, to see what other people think and to change things if required before its too late. 

Dimitri

Again, good thinking. The "here's what I've done, whadya think?" thing is too often, too little, too late.

[NM_Shooter]

Didn't know that, this fridge has no external coils, or anything really, the only exposed part is where the compressor is, the rest of the back has a big piece of sheet metal blocking the rest of the back side of the fridge off.

I hope its okay, I checked the manual and it didn't mention in cabinet installs, so 

Hmmmm... check page 4 of the installation manual :  http://www.retrevo.com/pdf/19189dj493/5/Installing+Your+Refrigerator#q=Magic+Chef+MCBR360S

It indicates that 5 inches of free space for the back and sides is required for adequate ventilation.  Not to be recessed or built in.  Seems like a lot to me, but just be aware it may be an issue.

[MountainDon]

Yes, the heat from inside the box has to be able to go somewhere and do so freely.  5 inches does seem like a lot; the propane Servel can do with 1" sides and rear, but needs 4" top.  Maybe they are cautious?  But going with less may be a risk.

I totally zoned out on the need for clearnaces around the fridge.   

[Dimitri]

Hmmmm... check page 4 of the installation manual

I must be blind. 

Humm,  I hope it will be okay, there is space in the back and sides (might not be a whole 5 inches but about 4 or so), might not be enough though, I guess we will see when its running, if it needs more ventilation I'll put in a small fan or something to force air movement.

Anyways plans changed, wife bought a range hood too, at first I thought I was going to forgo that, guess not, anyways installed the false wall, and the 4 plug box I want installed at the location I measured out so that it won't interfere with the tiles that will be placed.

Interestingly though, the range hood came with no wire, so got some AC90 and ran it and used some Marretts to tie it in. Left the wire long so that the Electrician once I call him in can route it below the cabinets freely.



Dimitri

[Dimitri]

Anyways a update on the kitchen ....

Installed the drawers she picked out (35$ for 2 drawers with this, instead of the 55$ per drawer Home Depot wanted for the kitchen drawers + the drawers face plate itself you'd need at a extra 10$ each). Also installed a cabinet door on the remaining space.



And yes there are drawers:



Also the trim is done on the other side so no more raw lumber.



And she asked me to push the sink to match the counter top at the front, lucky for me it was about 3.5" so using 2x4's with some trim worked well:



Its all pre-primed trim so need to paint it, and still waiting back on quotes for the electrician, then a bit of pluming, installing the wall cabinet, and tiling the wall's backsplash and I'll be done.

Dimitri

[flyingvan]

  In my home's kitchen I have a wide trim piece like that to fill in, too---I bought a hole saw that was the same diameter as the outside of a 4" ABS pipe, and stacked my trim piece over an identical piece of 3/4" ply and drilled 5 big holes through both.  I cut ABS pipe 24", slid them through the holes, with the boards at the ends.  They were just caulked in place.  I can fit two wine bottles in each pipe