Ok, maybe not televised, but updated regularly via teh interwebz.

Where we started...


The weird low-walled kitchen


The kitchen, the cabinets...


The divider wall, hiding the shelved walls of the "library"


Yesterday, we got a start...
...examining and evaluating and checking out what was what with the condo...
The Photos - Prelim Demo


Bye-bye ugly crappy cabinets!


MY EYES! The wallpaper hidden under paint, revealed by removed cabinets...

Today we went at the demo full-force...
The Photos - Demolition Time

Unfortunately, we found a few problems...

The wall that keeps going and going (down to the neighbor's condo) that we intended to take out


Subflooring that is rotting, has soft spots, that we nearly fell through or is generally total crap This will (most likely) be paid for by the condo assoc, tho!


(areas of issue highlighted)



Video of soft subflooring. (Flash 8)

Video of me tearing up the flooring. (Flash 8)

Surprisingly, we took out virtually everything that we could today. The wood floors came up VERY easily. The kitchen floors... not so much... We have to wait for the water to be shut off on Monday at which point they'll also be putting in new cutoff valves under the sink. The dishwasher, refrigerator and range will all be pulled out and the rest of the cabinets and flooring will come out. The partition wall will require a plan of attack...


Heaps of crap

Stopped for lunch and went and ordered all our appliances (existing are for sale if anyone wants 'em!). The wife got a new Sears card, which got us 0%/6mo. and also saved 20% by purchasing 3+ appliances, PLUS $100 rebate on the dishwasher. Overall saved us over $1000...


the fridge


the dishwasher


the range


the microwave

We also met our neighbors today. They love us
Oddly enough, the guy two floors down is a friend of my brother, so we've already got friends in the neighborhood.

Anyway, we're all exhausted but damn was that fun! Thought I'd share the beginning joys of home ownership.

Almost forgot! The "finished plans"

The floorplan (rough)

The Kitchen wall & Island

The wood flooring:


The kitchen tile:


excited to get started. can't wait for it to be finished...

stay tuned for updates!

 

Hmmm... After looking around at ways to keep from pissing off the neighbor below us by muffling sound from the hardwood floors we want to put in (and are officially "not allowed" to put in - 80% carpet coverage required) I came across Green Glue.

You AVSForum guys know what I'm talking about... I may even be able to make the case to the condo community that the hardwood will be acceptable with Green Glue serving as our sound deadening - it far outperforms carpet for airborne noise and can do one hell of a job for impact noise, as well... filling the voids between the joists with fiberglass insulation will also help. We may have to do a 2x drywall w/green glue solution in the cold air return ducts, as the ducts are nothing more than spaces between joists with the neighbor's ceiling drywall along the bottom!!!

This is indeed promising and the subflooring replacement definitely could be a blessing in disguise!

 

is the area of the subfloor that needs replaced in the kitchen? I like your tile selection, ive seen it in lowes.

also, why do you have to put carpet in if thats not what was there in the first place? Dont you love it when others try and tell you what to do with you own house? Put down what you want, its easier to ask for forgiveness

 

Thanks. We fully intend to do what we want

The area of subfloor that needs to be replaced is called "the condo"
It's serious weak and compromised. Mostly towards the front of the unit (all windows floor to ceiling) but the photo I highlighted is in fact in the kitchen - although it was under 3 levels of tile and 4 layers of backer board/underlayment...

I posted the old appliances on craigslist and have already had one guy lowball me for everything... "$250 for all of them" - that was the entire email. I'm not asking a lot here, folks... ($200 for range + hood, $125 for dishwasher, $150 for the fridge)... Jackasses.

 

thats a bad ass floor plan dude

thats going to be a big kitchen, brownie points FTW

 

Whoa - what a project, but it will be yours

I wouldn't run a damn thing by the condo association. I live in a condo too, and those people will committee-iza everything to death. By the time you're done getting approvals you'll have the same thing you moved into

I have a theory about condo/neighboorhood associations: if they're not retired, they're people who secretly want to run for a political office and use the association to get their political jollies. If they're retired, they're busy-bodies who have no business getting into your life anyway.

So in conclusion - why let them mess with you? There are already enough politicians invading your space.

 

I'm with you, Alex.

today's developments...

The unavoidable has not been avoided.

The questionable wall has been deemed load-bearing.

 

Well, I got all the crap out today. Worked with two guys and a huge truck and filled the thing. Took 2 hours. lots of up-and-down the stairs. Got someone interested in the dishwasher, too... Now comes the WTF to do next stage. Subfloors need to be inspected and replaced, load-bearing wall needs to be addressed, additional demolition and some drywall work needs to be done... Cabinets arrive the 29th, appliances scheduled for the 30th... Deadlines for regular work are beating down my door

I WILL WINZ!

 

where's your condo at, i think i missed you talking about the general area your located in

 

west bethesda, near montgomery mall.