Let's Redo It!: June 2018

Well, now that the kitchen has been completed it's time to start with the rest of the house, which means up comes the old tile...

Which will be replaced by what I put in the kitchen...

In some places it comes up very easily, in other spots though it's coming off in tiny chunks. Part of it (the dining room in the pic above) had been replaced before, so it's really stuck and is taking quite a bit of muscle to chisel it away. Other sections are coming up 5-6 whole tiles at a time. The blue is throughout the house, save for the main bathroom which is only getting a repainting since everything else in it is in excellent shape.

My plan is to tear up the floor, paint it the hallway/living/dining a nice, brighter color (it's dark green/maroon and I am tired of it) and put down the new floor. I also have plans to paint the bedroom (it's all black. Yes, ALL BLACK!) a much nicer, brighter shade and do some redecorating after the tile is done in there. I don't have a timeline for getting it done, though I'd like at least the living room done in time for football season :).

Finally finished!

The stove side took longer than expected, due to needing another box of granite that had to be ordered (the box was tight and the top tile was intact, sadly the others were broken in half). I still have some cosmetic stuff to do, but the kitchen is now fully functional and I am so happy with it!

These are the products/things I used:

Absolute Black Granite Tile and Rail Pieces(available online/Home Depot)
Fusion Pro Grout (non-sanded, no sealing needed, charcoal, Home Depot)
Brushed Nickel Handles (Home Depot)
30" Range Hood w/Fan and LED Lights (Home Depot)
Traffic Master 16x16 Desert Sand Floor Tile (Home Depot)
Dakota White DIY Cabinets (RTAStore.com)
Kohler Sink and Faucet (Build.com)
Skil Wet Saw (Amazon.com)
Lot's of Friends/Pizza/Beer ;).

Some things I learned along the way (and more pics):

Make sure that if you are doing cabinets yourself you check every piece in every box, including the hardware. A couple of the shelves were chipped and a few screws were missing from some of the boxes. These weren't deal-breakers for me, but for some it might be.
Some pieces might not fit exactly right after you put them together. Some of my drawers are not evenly spaced, even though they are level and put together correctly. It's the way they were cut at the factory (and something you can't exactly predict when inspecting the boxes) and just something to be aware of.
Measure a bazillion times. Then one more time for good measure before cutting.
A wet saw is a must for granite tile. Rent or buy one if you plan on using this type of material for your counters. It's also great for other tile and since I have my whole house to do it was a good purchase.
Take your time and don't rush when doing countertops. If you plan on using the no-sealing grout, it takes longer to fully dry than regular grout and it is a pain to work with because it's already pre-mixed. Follow the instructions fully and when it's time to remove the haze the grout leaves, use a small scrubby (plastic only and not ones that are on sponges!) and some elbow grease.

Final tally for the remodel is $8,452. I came in under budget, even with a few hiccups along the way. I would absolutely do it again. I learned a lot along the way and it has given me confidence to update other areas of my home. I do hope you'll check back every so often, as I am not totally abandoning this blog now that the job is done but I won't be updating as often. If you have any questions about how I did things or need some guidance click on my profile for my email and I'll help out as best I can.

The last pics:

The scrubby I used (and the frog it lives in):