A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall Two shall become One

Today Stephen and I removed the wall that made our kitchen two rooms. It only took us about 5 hours (including lunch) and I made sure to take pictures of our progress. Enjoy!

Me unpacking the pantry....we were going to try to save it, but it was impossible.


The wall didn't know it was going to die today


Stephen had to jack the kitchen floor up a bit


More pictures next post

Stephen prying one of the planks off to see what, if anything, was behind it.


This shows that the wall was made of 3 layers of plank (which used to be the back side of the house).


Me removing planks from the wall


And here it is....ONE kitchen instead of two! HeeHeee!!!!!

was the other room your dining room?

Great job, Jenn. It looks like you will have a lot more room for puttering and cooking. It is too bad you couldn't remove the pantry cabinets whole for reuse.
I have a couple of walls that I want to alter.

Looks good. You'll be so happy with that! Remember when we did our kitchen? We knocked down the wall between the tiny kitchen and tiny dining room and made it one big eat in kitchen. Much better, best thing we did in there.

Will the rest of the wall go too?

so now what--new cabinets, or a whole new kitchen???

I take it that was not a load bearing wall you removed???

very nice! good job

Sheri, the wall had actually split the kitchen itself into two rooms. One room with the sink, the other room with the stove and refrigerator. The larger room was an addition to the entire back side of the house, the small room was the original kitchen which was built before the house had electricity or plumbing, so all they used the room for was to store plates and cooking utensils and such.

Loz, the other wall cannot go. The steps to the second floor are behind it. :)

Carol, we THOUGHT the wall was a load bearing wall. It used to actually be the backside of the house! We had an iron I beam made to put in the ceiling, but when we took out the cabinet, some plaster from the ceiling fell out and we were able to look into the ceiling to see which way the floor joists from the second floor run. The run the "wrong" way, so that isn't a load bearing wall. We will still put the I beam in for support, there just isn't as much of a rush to do it.

I need to re-measure the kitchen now that the wall is out and get an estimate on some cabinets that we looked at on Thursday that I really really liked. They are a knotty pine and are soooooo pretty. The man said they are a mid-cost cabinet. I'm hoping that the estimate doesn't go above what we have budgeted for the cabinets. I REALLY want them!!! If the estimate is too high for our budget, I am fully prepared to haggle since I am dealing with one of the owners of this store and they are not a large chain store....just a smaller (but not too small) privately owned store. I hate to haggle for a lower price because I know that people are not buying cabinets an awful lot right now with the way the money stuff is going. Oh well...the worst he can say is "no", right.

We are also putting in a new floor, have a new style of track lighting for the ceiling lights...are looking for a new light to go above the eating area, painting the walls...LOTS to do...basically a new kitchen. :)

Tina, I was bummed when we found out we wouldnt be able to save the cabinet! It was just soo old and the way it was built, it wouldn't have been possible. I am pretty sure it was original to the house. It had the same kind of nail that the planks in the wall had. I saved a couple....they are the old cut nails...possibly the kind that a black smith would have made. Thinking about it....in 1892 (when the house was built), did they make nails any other way???

Good morning, Jenn.

The only other old time nails I know about are the wooden ones. at our other home, the barn was put together with wooden pegs of some sort.

it is sad to get rid of things from the past,, but often it is necessary.

Your new kitchen sounds like it will be very nice. I am happy for you.

That is what I thought, Carol.

OHH!!! OHHHH!!! OOOHHHHHHH!!!!! I just noticed that I have a little name under my user name!!! I'm sooooo excited!!!! EEEEE!!!! Thanks Bill for my little title!!! I love LOVE LOVE it!!!!!

Jenn, congratulations !!!

I think thaty has been there for a bit. I noticed it, mat some point after you mentioned how the kids wee going to "grandma's" so you and Stephen could work on the kitchen.

and yes it is nice---Bill is so very good at giving us our 'names' isn't he??

HandyMa'am, that was certainly a strange way for them to build onto that house. Did it drive you crazy? Our old house has weird additions too. I guess people did what they could with what they had.

I have a notion that not much was kn own aobut construction "back in the day".

I think if someone wanted a new part to their home, well it was added on--and like you say, added on the best way they could.

Jen, how's the construction going? Are you going to do it all yourself?

Ugh, it DID drive me crazy!! I use the sink alot when I cook and I'd have to walk around this stupid wall every time I needed it.

All we did yesterday was pile all of the planks and trash wood outside and cut it down so we can burn it, took out a small broom closet that was really useless to us, and swept vacuumed and cleaned so that we could put the dinner table back in there. We got finished doing all of that a few hours before the kid were due to come home, so we drove out to Lowe's to see how much some of the lumber we're going to need costs there. We have two other local lumber stores but sometimes their prices are higher, so we needed to compare. While we were at Lowe's we looked at the clearance appliances. There was a nice stainless steal dishwasher in the clearance area. The paper said that the original buyer said it leaked and they had sent it back to the manufacturer to have it repaired. The entire tub assembly on the inside was replaced and now they were trying to resell it....$200 less the original price. So, we wrote down the details on it so we could come home and look at the reviews. Turns out it was the SAME dishwasher we were planning to buy for the kitchen, except we were going to get the white instead of the stainless because it was cheaper. The one on clearance was actually nearly $100 less than the white one we were going to buy!!! So we rushed back and bought it.

Today Luke is sick and he and I had a pretty yucky night, so we are both staying home from church. I finally got him to take a nap in the swing. The poor kid is all clogged up and congested and can't breath while laying, so I figured he'd be more upright in the swing. It worked and now he is snoring away (poor kid). I keep snarfing him out with the bulb syringe, but nothing is coming out. Anyways, since I'm home and don't have a husband and a daughter to take care of, i'm going to clean the stove really well and try to find a place for all of the food that came out of the pantry closet.

Sheri, we will be doing all of the work. If the estimate for the cabinets come back including the installation price and the price is decent, then we'll have them install the cabinets to save some time, but if it is too high then we'll just do that ourselves too.

Pictures in the next post...

Here is a picture of the kitchen now that the stove is where it will be (for the most part) and everything. The refrigerator will also be against that wall in the corner to the far right, we just need to move the electrical socket before we can do that. Behind the stove there are pipes that go up to the bathroom on the second floor. We are going to be putting a wall there that comes out from the other wall about 12 or 13 inches. The stove and a 36" "cabinet" will be stepped out on that wall. The cabinet won't have doors...it will have open shelves that the pots and pans will be on so that I don't have to bend over and dig for stuff while I'm cooking. To the right of the stove there will be a vertical area to slide cookie sheets in because I HATE digging for those too!



This picture is taken at a slightly different angle so you can see into the smaller part where there is a cabinet. That cabinet will be coming out and we are going to be putting a 12" deep bottom and top cabinet to serve as a small bar area. ....just there to make drinks and to store bottles and misc. appliances like the blender and magic bullet.


This picture is taken from the sink looking into the eating area. The two cabinets there are going away and we are basically building a china hutch out of cabinets there. Between the cabinets and small wall, there used to be the broom closet. It was deep and extremely thin, so it was very difficult to get into it, which is why we took it out. The remaining closet area next to that area is a half bathroom.....that is staying!

You will really appreciate all of the open space, Jenn. It will also be easier to keep an eye on your wee ones. It is all looking good.

hey i've been in that bathroom! looks really good jenn. you and stephen did a lot of work in a little time. can't wait to see the finished product.

Tina, I don't even let the kids play in the kitchen/dining area right now. When we put the new floor down, THEN they can go in there. I'm afraid they will find nails that are still sticking up. The rule is that shoes must be worn in there, also.

Hey Jiff!...better than having to climb those steep stairs, right!?

Having been on the receiving end of loose carpet staples around my house, I understand, Jenn. I will watch your progress and maybe get up the nerve to take a crowbar to my home.

It wasn't that bad.....and we did have to use the sledge hammer a few times to encourage some planks to come out.

If your going to do something with walls, Tina, make sure they aren't load bearing...that is important!

No, I know about load bearing walls. I would never bring my house down. I have good friends that are licensed contractors and I have hired them before. I would have them oversee any of my work before, during and after. And they would do any wiring needed for me. I won't touch wiring. Having friends is a very good thing. I love the barter system. I do things that I can for my neighbors and I am not afraid to ask for help when I need it.

We have lots of friends also...we don't so much ask them to do work for us, but as for advice with stuff that we aren't sure of. We did do the re-wiring of the first floor...well, Stephen and his dad did that. We still had 60 amp service to the house with every kind of wiring you could think of! They put in a new circuit box (breakers) and rewired the first floor. ...haven't gotten to the second floor yet. And instead of 60 amp service, we have 200 amp service! Current "normal" amperage is 100, but Stephen said eventually all new houses will be built with the 200amp. As he was telling me this I could hear Tim Allen in the back of my mind..."Ar! Ar! Ar! More POWER!!!"

oh my goodness.....but hey......more power is better, right????
it wouldn't be cool if you got everything done and the powers that be decided the wiring had to be changed......

and BTW.....your house is looking GOOD!!!!

That is funny. He is right about the 220 in new houses. I hope your old wiring that is still upstairs can support it.
I don't ask my friends to work for me. I trade service for service. I am a premiere dog sitter when people go on vacation. Or plant waterer or whatever. I do not charge. I have done this for years. So if I need someone to pull-start a cranky motor for me on the wood splitter, I have no compunction than to ask for a strong arm to give me a hand. Or advice on my projects.
If/when I have my friend do actual wiring, I'll pay. I paid him to build our second bath and walk-in closet a few years ago. I got a good deal 'cause business was slow. And I told him if a 'real' job came along he was to drop mine and go for it. I also did all of the running around for building materials. That worked out well for all of us.

I've been wanting to knock out the wall between our dining room and kitchen for a while. After seeing your post I REALLY want to do it. They are both decent sized rooms but I think I'd like more cabinet space and one place to eat. The only time we use the dining room is at Thanksgiving, Christmas or when we have a lot of company. We could do that without the wall and get more cabinets. Only problem is the microwave and stove are on that wall so we're going to have to rewire some stuff.

Sheri, my kitchen & dining room are all open to one another. We have a bar that divides the 2. I have cabinets under the bar, so no storage space is lost.
Then I have my Microwave above the stove and a small storage cabinet over the refrigerator space. So really losing a wall is not a problem.


So if you work on the plan, I think you could find one that would work for you.

we're going to put in a bar too.

When we eventually get to build a house (we're talking years and YEARS from now) we want to do a combined kitchen, eating, and living room...other wise known as a great room (I think). Anyways, I have seen where people put in an island to sort of separate the kitchen and eating area and do the stove/oven on the island with a cabinet on one side or on either side and then they put an eating bar on the other side of the stove. So, people can sit there and chat with you while you cook if you have people over or you just have to take things right off of the stove and onto the eating part of the island. For us, the eating part would not be raised like a bar, but rather it would be regular table height....but for everyday eating, a raised bar wouldn't be bad at all with that set up either. So, technically, you wouldn't be totally loosing that wall space.

For sake of understanding I will use N-S-E-W- directions to explain my kitchen eating area.--------I hope it is somewhat clear--------------

On the North wall, begining on the east side is the door to my garage,--going to the left (west) is my refrigerator, 2 cabinets,(upper/lower) my stove/microwave-, 2 cabinets,(U/L),- above a corner cabinet/ below a lazy susan. we have now turned the corner and are headed west. next above is a cabinet, and below the dishwasher. Then the sink, under a window--with a cabinet under the sink. now above a very wide cabinet and below the bar starts and heads to the east.

Under it, in the cxorner, is a lazy susan, then a row of drawers, then a large cabinet. the cabinet extends all the way to the end of the bar.

On the other side of the bar, to the south, is my dining area,

as it works out, on the east side of the dining area is my stairwell to the basement. it is surrounded on 3 sides by a wooden banister. If you keep looking to the east, and look over the banister, you will see my livingroom.

so in reality my 3 main rooms are all 1 great room, they are just divided up by "things" so while my current house is smaller, I can entertain more people with this floor plan.

I want a lazy susan. My cabinets are terrible. My husband, who bought this house when I told him not too - you guys have heard that story, also ordered the cabinets. They were custom made and he paid a fortune for them and the way they are made is terrible. There isn't any room in any of them. You have to see it to believe it.

I believe you, Sheri.

I love my DH and all but men should not be allowed to do some things--and picking out a woman's cabinets is one of them near on top of the list.

I agree there!!!

Sheri, you and I are opposite...I don't want a lazy susan. Stephen's mom has one and I hate it.

I have 2 and I would rather have a blind cabinet any day of the week myself.

Last night I let Maddie walk through the kitchen. Actually, she was more running laps. Anyways, she tried to open every single cabinet she could reach. none of them opened because of how old they are (she wasn't strong enough), but I thought it was funny.

It is such a joy having young children in the house. You get to see things in such a different light.--I so wish my girls were small again. I miss that time.

I have a cabinet in the corner that is slim and deep. I practically have to crawl into it to get anything out. My sister has a corner lazy susan that is great. I need one here. How come you guys don't like them?

I don't like some of them because they do limit what you can keep in them. Handles hang them up and things. There are wasted corners in there. I do like pull out shelves a lot. I have a pantry cabinet that was not originally meant for kitchen use but for large flat plans and blueprints. It is awesome to be able to pull out those shelves and see what I have in the back.

I love my lazy susan shelf! It holds so much stuff!