So my vision didn't evolve in isolation. I took into account the history of the farm, house, family, function, friends, local craftspeople, and my design.

Function
There were functional issues I wanted to improve upon, and some functional aspects I wanted to keep. I wanted to move the toilet out from behind the door so that the door didn’t bang into the rim each time it was opened. I was surprised that the toilet tolerated this treatment over the years. I wanted a somewhat accessible bathroom in case a wheel chair or walker was in the future. I planned the layout to meet ideal spacing for the most part. That was why I needed the 18” deep vanity and the round bowl toilet that I chose. I selected the tub to be low enough to get dogs and kids in and out of. Storage was a premium and I added roll out shelving and a pull out upper, in a small tower. These new cabinets replicate what was already there, but are new and with more style and function. I may not be able to cram as much junk into the cabinets with the roll outs, but what is there is accessible. I don’t need all that extra stuff anyway. I drew multiple floor plans, measuring everything to be sure the small space could work with my vision. Once I found my measurements I could start the selection of elements to fill the room.

The room was totally gutted down to the studs. All the electrical replaced and all the plumbing taken out and replaced. I kept the flooring and subflooring because the wood was in such good shape and it was probably old growth timber, nice tight grain. Can't beat that. We added 2x8 joist (DH did :) to strengthen the floor for stone tile. I prepped the floor for the self leveling compound to a T as instructed by Bill V.

To add the element of luxury, I put in radiant floor heating. I used a high-end tub filler with shower wand, and matching high-end wall mounted faucet. There is LED lighting under the vanity shelf and behind the mirror for night lighting. I used a marble listello to give some style to the wainscot. And of course my SS sink with the wonderfully lovely vanity base that Brett made for me. Oh, I can’t forget that I put in the slate floor in a herringbone pattern to add another style element. Remembering how Angie DIY cut all her tiles for her kitchen, I cut my 12x12 tiles down for herringbone. Thanks to Mongo for helping me on the layout and the tile cutting equation.

DIY
This was a DIY project except for the plumbing and the electrical. All of the heavy stuff got delegated to DH and DS, with me being the boss :) Of course if something needed problem solving, DH stepped up and helped me. Although, he did not help me with the grunting, I mean grouting. He just stayed in his office and periodically asked if I was ok. He has farmed all his life and in a previous life was an aerospace engineer out of college as well as a stint in the army. I used his smarts to help me along the way. I used the remodel forum a lot to figure out how work with the joist/flooring support to ready it for stone. Brickeyee, Renovator8, Worthy, sombreuil_mongrel (aka Casey) helped a lot with that one. Someone commented that it was one of the most over thought floors on the forum in a long time. Mongo and Bill V. helped with both the floor and the tiling. Mongo really explains things well, beyond tile. I went over Stacyneil’s thread about self leveling compound with a fine toothed comb. The JB forum was a lot of help too! I ran by my Ditra issues both here and on JB. Regarding the dry wall Brickeyee was very helpful. He coached me through it all. I had a big hole in my ceiling too that I fixed with the remodel forum’s help.

One benefit of taking a year, is that it gave me time to really think about things before committing to them. Since I have never done this before it was so helpful to have the time to learn. The down side with taking a year is that it gives you time to change your mind on finishes too many times, and end up with not only chrome, but polished nickel, polished stainless steel, worn pewter, and natural iron in the mix! Oh well, it will give it a layered look, right?

One last point, I messed with my Photobucket account last month and all of my old posts no longer have images attached to them !!! :( I will add a few from those old post to show some of the process and progress along the way.

Products
1. Fan, PANASONIC FAN FV-15VQ5

2. Lights, Norwell, Emily sconce 100watts each, chrome

3. Window, Windsor Windows

4. Tub Filler & Hand Shower, wall mounted, chrome, Hansgrohe Axor Montreux with handheld shower

5. Faucet, Hansgrohe Axor Montreux wall mount chrome with cross handles

6. Tub, Kohler Bellwether 837, white cast iron

7. Tub drain, Kohler K-T37397-CP PureFlo™ Victorian Push Button bath drain trim

8. Floor, special order black slate from Home Depot in 12x12 gauged.

9. Floor heating system, 240 volt Warmly Yours wire system with thermostat and 2 temp probes (one not hooked up but in the electoral box in case the other fails)

10. Tile underlayment, Ditra over the ply that Bill Vincent specifies in his FAQ site.

11. Thin set, Ditra-Set un-modified, for the floor; Hydroment Single-Flex for the walls, modified.

12. Wall tiles:
a. 4x4 white ceramic tiles that I got off of Craigslist

b.listello is “Hampton” marble mosaic from The Tile Shop (I cut it apart because the spacing was not good and some of the tiles where different sizes so where culled)

c. Crown, Johnson Tile that I got off of Craigs List. When I ran out was able to locate them at Best Tile in Syracuse, NY.

d. Base board tile from The Tile Shop.

13. Grout and caulk, Laticrete caulk to match the grout. Spectralock epoxy grout in Silver Shadow for the walls. Platinum and Silver Shadow 3:1 ratio for the floor.

14. Moisture barrier for tub walls, HydroBan

15. Paint, all Benjamin Moore, except lacquer, which was colored to BM colors
a. Bath and Spa for the walls in Bunny Gray

b. Vanity is ML Campbell lacquer, colored to BM “Thundercloud Gray", #2124-40
c. Cabinets, ML Campbell lacquer colored to "Distant Gray" #2124-70
d. Casement around door and window, BM Super White
e. Painted Pine standing cupboard, BM misty gray 2124-60

16. Built-in Cabinets and Vanity, Brett Arganbright, proprietor of River Valley Woodcraft.

17. Sink, Soapstone remnant that I got from Bertini’s Tile and Marble.

18. Counters, Soapstone remnant that I got from Bertini’s Tile and Marble.

19. Toilet, Toto Promenade, round front, ADA height.

20. Toilet seat, Inax Advanced Toilet Seat L-series (round) CW-W130-LU

21. Grab bars, Kohler (?model) 24” and 18” at tub in polished stainless steel. 24” is used as towel bar.

22. Hardware
a. Amerock knobs on vanity and tub cabinet in worn nickel (pewter color)

b. Emtec door hinges (black) and lever handle (Napoli in silver patina on bathroom side and black on kitchen side)

c. Rockler hinges for painted pine cupboard, 3/8'' Inset Partial Wrap Hinges - Oil Rubbed Bronze, 3 pair

d. HD Martha Stewart knobs (black?) x 2, on painted pine cupboard

e. Towel bar on vanity, Baldwin in chrome that I cut down to 13 or 14 inchs.

CLICK on the image and it will take you to Photobucket where the images are shown in a "story board" format that Photobucket has created. I will try this technique and if things don't work out, I will post a few pictures.

This post was edited by enduring on Fri, Apr 5, 13 at 19:39

Truth be told, I'm a little freaked out by the maintenance of the white marble (two toddlers use this bath), but so far it seems to be holding up. We did have some funky grout issues with the shower floor (efflorescence and orange spots appearing), but they seemed to have cleared up on their own. Hopefully it won't be a maintenance nightmare. If anyone has any good cleaning tips for white marble, I'd love to hear them.

I still need some artwork for the wall above the bath and some curtains, but the room is ready for prime time, and we're so happy it's over!

Details:
Calacatta Nuevo marble from AKDO - subway in shower, hex on floors and mini-bricks in niches and backsplash
Grout - White Frost by C-Cure. We originally tried Silver Shadow by Laticrete but it was too dark so we went lighter.
Counters - Caesarstone
Duravit tub
Faucets/tub fixture: Toto
Shower fixture - Raindance by Hansgrohe
BM Light Pewter
Lights - Restoration Hardware
Cabinetry - existing, sprayed with BM White Dove
Pulls from Lowes

Here's the before:

And the after:

The trend is towards larger and larger tiles until installers in the US will learn how to do slab bathroom walls and floors.

Banish grout, I say :)

Before:

After:

Thanks to GWers for the tip on Home Goods for large mirrors. I found this one that was an exact fit and a darn good match for $60!!

The tile guy tried to talk me out of a niche b/c water gets in there, etc etc. Luckily, it's below the spray line and doesn't get much water in it. I also LOVE the accent tiles so I'm so glad I got to use even more of them.

The old bath had some built in shelves here from top to bottom. While it was a ton of space, it was also wasted and it was too deep to get to the back. It also always looked like a cluttered mess. This is where I wanted to put a built in linen tower, but budget just didn't allow. I should have planned a bit better and we could have framed it differently to do some built in niches or something, but oh well. It's still so much better than before. So I found this little tower at Lowes and it fits everything we need in easy reach. We put a basket on top for things my DH grabs quickly while getting ready, and added a couple floating shelves. I need to get some art and a little orchid or something for the top one. Also might frost the glass at some point so you don't see all our medicine!

Here is another example

From com.apple.mail.drag-T0x108823620.tmp.Hg0TfA

Okay, here we go. These questions come from the thread on the discussions side where I solicited questions from everyone for this thread. These are in the order they were asked:

Q) What are the different types of tiles you can use in a bathroom and what are the advantages/disadvantages of each?

A) There are several types of tile available. They fall into two general groups: ceramic and natural stone. I'll take these one at a time:

Ceramic tile-- For purposes of this discussion, there's glazed conventional, unglazed porcelain, and glazed porcelain. All three are good tiles for bathroom use, but the porcelain is a better choice only because of its density and lack of water absorbsion, which makes upkeep and cleaning easier. Also, with reference to steam showers, you DO NOT want to use natural stone, being that the steam would tend to permeate into the stone even more readily than liquid water, and could end up giving you algae problems, as well as mold and mildew problems, unless you don't mind being tied down to your bathroom.

Natural Stone-- There are several types of stone that are used in bathrooms. It doesn't necessarily mean that they're all GOOD IDEAS for bathrooms, expecially the softer (and more absorbant) stones, such as slate or limestone. Now, I know I'm going to get a world of flack about this from epople who have bathrooms finished in these materials. I know they CAN be used.... so long as you're aware of the extra upkeep involved. But if you're someone who doesn't like to keep after things, you may want to pick an easier material to maintain. Generally speaking, the softer the stone, the more the upkeep. Limestone being the softer of the stones, and that would include travertine, next would be many slates (although some would actually be harder than even most marbles, such as brazilian and british slates), then marbles, with quartzite and granite rounding off the list as the harder and more dense stones that you could use.

Q) What should I be sure to look for when choosing tile for a bathroom?

A) Short answer-- something that you like! The bathroom is the one place that just about anything the showroom has can be used. The only limitations are basically the upkeep you want to put in, and slip resistance on the floors of your bathroom and shower. Now, although ceramic tile is basically maintenence free, you don't want to use something with a texture to it that will catch all kinds of junk in the shower, making it more difficult to keep clean. At the same time, you don't want to use a polished stone or bright glazed ceramic tile for the shower floor, either. These both CAN be used, but again, it comes down to upkeep for textured wall tile, and doing something to rectify the slippery floor.

Q) Where should I use tile and where not?

A) Tile can be used on every single surface in the bathroom, if that's what you like. This is all a matter of taste... for the most part. About the only place where there's a requirement is any place there's a showerhead involved. If tile is to be used either in a shower or a tub/ shower combo, The tile MUST go up to a minimum of 72" off the floor. Past that, it's up to the disgression of the owner.

Q) What size tile and what layout patterns to use in various areas?

A) Again, this is a subjective question that can really only be answered by the owner. The ONLY place where there's a recommendation for mechaincal reasons is on a shower floor. TCNA recommends that mothing bigger than 6" be used on shower floors due to the cone shape of the floor's pitch. In addition, most installers will request no bigger than 4", and prefer a 2x2 tile to work with on the shower floor. This is also advantageous to the homeowner who'll be showering in there, because the added grout joints will add more traction to the floor.

Now, I've heard many times that you shouldn't use large format tiles in a small area like a powder room floor, and if you have a wide open bathroom, you don't want to use real small tiles. My response to both is the same-- HORSEHOCKEY. I've done bathrooms both ways-- 24x24 diagonal in a 3' wide powder room, and 1" hex ceramic mosaics in an open 100 sq. ft. bathroom floor. The rule of thumb is if you like it, it's right!

Q) How do I find/choose someone to install the tile?

A) Many people will tell you to get names from the showroom you get your tile from. This is no good, unless the showroom is willing to take responsibility for the installer by either having them on payrool, or as a subcontract. Then they have something to lose if they give you a bad installer. Many people will also tell you to get references and to actually check them out. This ALSO doesn't work. I've been in this work for just under 30 years now, and I've yet to find a single installer who ever gave the name of someone they had a problem with. They say even a blind squirrel will find a nut once in a while. The same can be said for "fly-by-nights" and good work.

So if you can't trust recommendations, and checking references is a lost cause, what do you do? REVERSE THE PROCESS!! Instead of finding an installer and getting references, get references, and thru them, find your installer!! No matter where you live, if you drive around, you'll find constructions sites and developements. Stop and ask who the GC uses. Get a name and phone number. Sooner or later, after asking around enough, you're going to find that the same names will begin to show up time and time again. THESE are the guys you want to use. But don't expect a bargain price, and be prepared to wait, because these guys will be in high demand, even in the worst of times, and they may demand a bit higher price, but they'll be worth every penny, if for no other reason, just because of the peace of mind they'll give you in knowing you're getting a good quality installation. Ask anyone who's gone through this experience, good or bad-- that alone is worth its weight in gold.

Q) What are the proper underlayments for tile?

A) There are several, and I'll take them one at a time:

CBU (cementitious Backer Units)-- This is the term that generally covers all cement boards (such as Wonderboard or Durock) or cement fiber boards (such as Hardibacker). This is the most common used tile underlayment. Generally speaking, it comes in two thicknesses-- 1/2" and 1/4"-- and each has its use. !/2" must be used for wall installations, due to the fact that the 1/4" is way too flimsy with nothing to back it up, and would flex too much to last. Besides, the 1/2" CBU will usually match up nicely to most sheetrocks. The 1/4" is used for floor installations, unless the added height of the 1/2" is needed to match up to other floorings. Being that neither has very much structural strength, so long as the subfloor is 3/4" or more, the 1/4" CBU is all that's needed. Keep in mind that even though it's basically fiberglass reinforced concrete, the only thing it adds to the floor is a stable bonding surface, so the 1/4" will do just fine. One place where alot of contractors will try and shortcut is by using greenboard instead of CBU for shower walls. This is expressly forbidden in the IRC (International Residential Code) by the following code:

IRC Greenboard Code:
The 2006 International Residential Code (IRC) states in
Section R702.4.2 that "Cement, fiber-cement or glass mat
gypsum backers in compliance with ASTM C1288, C1325
or C1178 and installed in accordance with manufacturers�
recommendations shall be used as backers for wall tile in
tub and shower areas and wall panels in shower areas."

The 2006 IRC also states in Section R702.3.8.1 that
"Water-resistant gypsum backing board [Greenboard] shall
not be used where there will be direct exposure to water."

Membranes-- There are several around that work well over many different surfaces. Most of them are what's called "Crack Isolation Membranes". Just about every manufacturer has one, from trowel ons or roll ons, such as Hydroment's Ultraset or Laticrete's 9235 or Hydroban, to sheet membranes such as Noble's CIS membrane. All will give the tile a little more protection against movement than just going over CBU. However, there's another class of membranes called "uncoupling membranes" of which the most popular by far is Schluter's Ditra, that are made from bonding two layers together, usually a fabric fleece backing and a plastic sheeting with dovetailed waffling to "lock" the thinset in place ( as opposed to accepting a thinset BOND). These membranes will, as their name implies, uncouple their two layers in case of movement, to save the floor, and for thinset floors, it's the most protection you can give your tile floor.

Plywood-- This is one where I get the most flack. I'm one of a dying breed that still believes in tiling directly over plywood. However, I can very well understand the reluctance of the industry to embrace this installation method, even though the TCNA DOES approve of its use for interior installations (Those with a handbook can check Method F-149). The reason I say that is it's a very "tempermental installation method. You need to be very familiar with what you're doing, or you risk failure. There are even many pros I wouldn't trust to tile using this method. Everything you do is important, from the species of plywood used, to the direction the grain is laid with relation to the joists, to how it's gapped, and a host of other specs, as well-- many of which won't be found in the handbook, and if you miss just one of them, you're flirtin with disaster. All in all, when people ask me about it, I tell them that with the membranes available, there's no need to go directly over plywood. There are other methods that will give you just as long lasting a floor, and aren't NEARLY as sensitive.

Mudset-- This is the oldest, and still, after THOUSANDS of years of use, the strongest installation method available. In a mudset installation, a minimum of 1 1/4" of mortar called "drypack" (mixed to the consistancy of damp sand) is either bonded to a concrete slab, or laid down over tarpaper or 6 mil poly with wire reinforcement, packed, and then screaded off to flat level (or pitched) subfloor. This is what most people see when tiling a shower pan. Initially, the mud will be a somewhat soft subfloor. But over time, if mixed properly, it'll be stronger than concrete.

Q) What are the proper tile setting compounds?

A) This is one where I could write a book. It all depends on what kind fo tile you're installing, and what the underlayment is that you're going over. I'll give a generalized list:

Polymer/ latex modified thinset: For all intents and purposes, this is the "cure-all". For almost any installation the modified thinset, which is basically portland cement, silica sand, and chemical polymers added for strength, will work. There are some that are specialized, such as the lightweight non-sag thinsets (such as Laticrete's 255 or Mapei's Ultralite), or the high latex content thinsets (like Latictrete's 254 Platinum or Hydroment's Reflex), but with the exception of going over some membranes, there's a modified thinset for every installation.

Unmodified thinset: This is the same as above, but with no polymers added. It's usually used in conjunction with a liquid latex additive, but will also be used mixed with water for going over some membranes. It's also used as a bedding for all CBU's.

Medium Bed Mortars-- This is a relatively new class of setting mortars, used mainly for large format tiles, where the normal notched trowels just don't put down enough material, and with thinset, it would be too much, causing too much shrinkage as it dries, causing voids under, and poor bond to, the tile, but at the same time, there's not enoough room for a mudset installation. This mortar is usually used with either a 1/2x1/2" or 1/2x3/4" notched trowel.

Mastics and Premixed Thinsets: THESE HAVE VERY LIMITED USES!! Let me say that again-- THESE HAVE VERY LIMITED USES!! They work well for vertical installations, where the tile used is 8x8 or less, and it's not a wet area. ALL THREE of those conditions must be met!! I know just about every pail of type 1 mastic says it can be used in showers except for the floor. DON'T BELIEVE IT!! Also, both mastic and premixed thinset (which is just mastic with a fine sand mixed in to give it bulk) claim they can be used for floor installations. Unfortunately, for the amount of material needed under virtually all floor tiles to bond to the subfloor, neither of these will fully harden. I had a personal experience where I helped a sister in law across country, telling her husband exactly how to do his main floor, what to use, and how to use it. Unfortunately, he went to the big box store to get his tile and materials, and they talked him into using premixed thinset. I didn't hear about it until SIX MONTHS LATER when his tile and grout joints started showing cracks all over the floor. When he called me I asked him what he used for thinset, and sure enough, this is when he told me. I told him to pull one of the tiles, and SIX MONTHS LATER, IT WAS STILL SOFT!!! DOn't let them talk you into it!! Use the proper thinset, and don't try and shortcut your installation. You're spending alot of money for it to be "just practice"!!

Q) How do you deal with different thicknesses of tile?

A) Whatever it takes. I've used membranes, built up the amount of thinset being used, I've even doubled up tiles when it worked out that way. Whatever it takes to get the two tiles to be flush toeach other.

Q) What are the typical tools required to lay tile?

A) Generally speaking, this is a list for just about all installations. Some may require specialized tools, but this would be for all:

Proper sized notched trowel
measuring tape
chalk line
margin trowel
nippers
high amp low speed drill and mixing paddle (best would be 6 amp or better and less than 400 rpm)
several buckets
score and snap cutter for straight ceramic cuts
4 1/2" grinder with a continuous rim dry diamond blade for ceramic, anything other than straight cuts
wet saw (can be used for ALL cuts, ceramic or stone)
grout float
hydra grout sponges (2-- once for grouting, one for cleaning)
24" and 48" levels (for vertical work)
heavy duty extension cords
KINEE PADS!! :-)
screwgun or nailgun (where CBU will be used)

Q) What about tile spacing and tpes of grout?

A) According to Dave Gobis from the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation in Pendleton, South Carolina, there will finally be a new standard for ceramic tile next year. The tolerances are shrinking. There will also be a standard for rectified tile. Along with that, there will be a revision to the installation standards that will specifically recommend a grout joint no less than 3 times the variation of the tile. For rectified tile the minimum grout joint width will be .075 or just over a 1/16".

As for grout, there's only one thing that determines whether you use sanded or unsanded grout, and that's the size of the grout joint. Anything less than 1/8" you use unsanded grout. 1/8" or larger, you need to use sanded grout. The reason is that the main ingredient in grout is porland cement, which tends to shrink as it dries. In joints 1/8" or larger, the grout will shrink way too much and end up cracking ans shrinking into the joint. The sand give the grout bulk, and the sanded grout won't shrink nearly as much and therefore, can be used in the larger joints.

The wardrobe just outside the bathroom:

Steam shower:

My 2 niches:

The new, more practical faucet spouts:

Let's see if this works then I'll post more details.

Generally:
Ivory supreme granite
Marble mosaic by Jerusalem Heights - Manhattan basketweave
Fixtures - Rohl and Hans Grohe in polished nickel
Lights - Hudson Valley sconces and Crystorama chandelier.
Steam unit is thermasol.
Kerdi shower pan and waterproofing, thanks to GW!
Towels - Target Fieldcrest luxury, thanks also go GW.

We are loving it! Thanks for all of the great advice and help from GWers. Will work on posting pix of the other 3 baths now.

We went with white carrara marble floors and vanity top. White crossville savoy subway tile for the shower. I had a custom towel storage/nook built when we realized there was empty space behind the shower.
Plumbing fixtures are Grohe Geneva line.
Sinks are Kohler 2330 undermount
LIght fixtures are Restoration Hardware
Towel bar, robe hook, and toilet paper holder- Pottery Barn Sussex

Thanks for looking. Let me know if you have any questions:)

jSweenc found me on another thread and sent me this way. I DO have a big slider door. It is 10' wide, each door being 5'. It is on roller wheels (because it's so heavy) that descend down when you turn the handle down, so you can then roll it to the left. When you turn the handle up, the wheels go back up into the frame and the door is then locked. From Menlo Farmhouse Here it is in context of the kitchen: From Menlo Farmhouse From Menlo Farmhouse It was modeled after this one which actually goes all the way back into the wall. As you push back the door, when it hits the second door, it catches it and then they both slide all the back into the wall. That wall is almost 2-1/2' thick. From Menlo Farmhouse The guy here in California that has done this style is called Howard Backen. He is out of Napa. He designed Solage Resort, a number of hotels, etc. I couldn't afford him or the doors that slide all the way back, so I had my doors made by just a regular custom door company. The left slider doesn't move and the right one is a bypass door. This last photo was the original inspiration for the house and follows a California Ranch look that has been somewhat modernized. It was my original inspiration for doing my rancher remodel--some people say it country, others say it's farmhouse modern, others say it's California. It was done by Brooks Walker of Walker-Warner Architects. They are another amazing firm with tons of inspiration. From Misc photos

Here is a link that might be useful: Howard Backen Architect

I chime in to these threads because I was told time and time again from every direction that Juno trims don't work in Halo cans, but they do - and perfectly! At least for 6" trims.

Something not mentioned yet was that one complaint about Halo trims was that if you looked up at the light (with the bulb off of course) you could see into the housing. I viewed it at Lowe's and sure enough you could.

The big difference I encountered was looks. Juno trims asthetically look better than Halo's trims, in big part cause Juno hides the housing. Another difference is that Juno offers a 7.25" high can, Halo only offers a 6" tall can, which makes a difference in the wattage you can put in - 6" high cans can only hold up to a 65 watt bulb (and 65 watt bulbs only come in long neck). Those are the only differences I found. Oh, and price. Halo cans are around $6. Junos are around $26.

* Posted by robinst (My Page) on
Fri, Jan 22, 10 at 7:25

Merchant ID: 175000002022
Item #: 286326
Item description: zacarramarbstrip Carrara Extra Random Strip

The phone number of the Lowes I purchased it from is (519) 967-3560.

Good luck.

This is with just the sink lights and under-cabinet xenons, a little later in the process. A pair of light sources over the sink is better because they cancel each other's shadows.

Casey

The drawer is 24" wide, 21" deep; the face front is 6 1/4" high and the inside sides are 4 1/4" high. I have just under 40 spices stored so it's not a huge collection but I also have room for a 7 1/2" wide knife block and utensil storage as well so it could hold a lot more spices if I removed those.

My husband and I are getting ready to do a kitchen and bath remodel. We are trying to keep our costs down (who isn't) in this economy. We have never done a remodel job before. I started to research flooring prices after an initial discussion with a gc last fall. I realized that we could save a tremendous amount of money if we buy the flooring ourselves and hire a flooring contractor to lay down the floor. This got me thinking and wondering what else we should arrange to do ourselves? Again, b/c we have never done this before, I am afraid of screwing something up in terms of the proper order of things. For example, when does the electrical go in, when does the plumbing go in? It seems like these are the reasons to hire a gc...but also there is a premium attached to having them handle. Can you give your thoughts/advice on what you would do based upon your experiences? Thank you in advance for your time and insights.

Here the top tier is partially slid back.

OK here are 3 ways to use it. Starting with the Buttermilk biscuits. I will say here and now that I use only "real" stuff to cook. I don't like to put one single calorie in my mouth unless it is really yummy. I find that you eat way less when what you eat tastes wonderful and has great " mouth feel". There was a French woman who wrote a book about this a few years back. She was right on , at least I think so.

Buttermilk biscuits ( adapted from Cook's Illustrated)

Place 2 c AP flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

pulse till it is blended...few seconds.

Using a large hole grater , grate 5 Tbsp of frozen salted butter on top of the flour. Alternatively cut the butter into 1/4 inch dice and freeze on a plate. Pulse only till it is mixed...few seconds. Better to have tiny pieces of butter . Now pour this into a chilled bowl and add about 1 c very cold buttermilk. Toss lightly till every bit of flour is good and wet. Don't over mix just toss lightly. It may take even more. More is better than not enough. Gently turn the dough out on a well floured countertop. I use my soapstone . Turn your convection bake to 500. Have a flat shiny cookie sheet ready, and spray with Pam. Lightly pat the dough with floured hands till it is 1/2 to 3/4 " thick. Using a well-floured biscuit cutter press firmly straight down to cut the biscuits. DONOT twist the cutter and they won't rise. Reflour before each cut. Take the scraps and push them lightly up next to the other scraps and cut more. Donot overlap them. Smoosh them together from the sides...this is a scientific term:) Place the biscuits on the cookie sheet so they are just touching. Bake at 500 for 12-15 min in the top 1/3 of the oven till nicely golden brown.

Buttermilk Cornbread (adapted from Vegetarian Epicure)

Preheat convection oven to 375. Have a 9" iron skillet on the low/med heat on the stove and have a 1-2Tbsp of butter ready to put into the skillet.

1 1/4 c unbleached flour
3/4 c whole grain cornmeal ( I use yellow stone ground)
4 Tbsp sugar
5 tsp baking powder ( yes this right)
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 c buttermilk
2 Tbsp melted butter

Combine dry stuff really well. Combine wet stuff ( use lesser amount of buttermilk and add more when folding together if you need to, to make a nice batter, should not be dry more like thick cake batter)

Add wet to dry and gently mix by folding under and over...it will start poofing due to the baking soda. Donot overmix but be sure there are no pockets of dry stuff.

Put the butter into the hot skillet and it should sizzle but not burn or smoke. Immediately add the batter and place in the 375 oven for approx. 30-35 min. Toothpick will be dry when it comes out. Again use the top 1/3 of the oven.

Best buttermilk pie crust and quiche filling ( adapted from Moosewood Cookbook)

Using the same technique for the biscuits , in the food processor combine 1c AP flour and 1/3 c grated or finely chopped butter. Don't over mix. Pulse a few seconds. Pour into cold bowl and add 3-5 Tbsp cold buttermilk till all is moist. Will blend a little more firmly than with the soft biscuit dough. Press into a disk and put in fridge for 1 hr. Make filling:

Beat 4 large eggs, 1 1/2 c cold buttermilk, 3 Tbsp flour, 1/4 tsp salt. That is it. It is the base for whatever you want to do now. Roll out the crust and fit into a 9-10 " pie plate or loose bottom tart pan. If you use the loose bottom pan make sure you have it on a cookie sheet...ask me how I know this LOL.

Cover the bottom of the crust with grated cheese...add toppings....anything you love...mushrooms that are sauteed, fresh chopped spinach, red bell peppers and purple onions...anything at all Pour the above custard over the toppings and then bake at 375 for 45 min till set in the middle and a silver knife comes out clean. It will bake quite a bit faster in a tart pan than in a pie dish as it is more shallow.

OK there you have it my 3 favorite buttermilk recipes and how to use the convection settings for even browning and perfect results. Let me know how it goes and PLEASE post pics...I love pics. Caroline

cocaty: no don't set it to 375 ! If you bake bread for instance , and that is what I have more experience with than anything, then when you bake it at 350 for 30 minutes in your previous oven you do the same in the convection oven...350 for 30 minutes. The temp that automatically shows up when you turn on your oven is the default temp. It talks about this and how you can change the default temp to whatever you want, in your oven inst. book. The only time that convection really comes into play as far as length of time that you are going to cook is when you are cooking/roasting over one hour. Up to one hour you just aren't going to see any difference in the speed that something gets done...at least that has been my experience as well as others who have posted about this on the GW forums. If you are baking a quick bread, such as banana nut bread, in a 9x5 pan and you usually bake it at 350 for 60-75 minutes then that is what you will do in your convection oven. No change at all.

As was posted above you are definitely going to see a difference in your roast turkey time with convection. Remember it is over an hour that it will bake.

On the Miele ovens the convection roast/convection bake are identical.The heat from top and bottom and circulate the air identically. Now the auto roast is a different story. You DONOT preheat the oven. You select the baking temp that you want to use for your meat, say a pork roast , and then place it in the oven and press the start. It will heat way up to sear the meat and show "sear" in the window. Then it will cool back down and complete the roasting of the meat. Of course your roast will get done sooner as it was heated up to 425 to sear and then slowly resumed the regular baking time. This will shorten your final baking time. I always use the roast probe when I am doing these settings as it is an easy way to keep an eye on what is going on. You can of course use a regular digital thermometer, either one meant to stay in the roast all the time, or take the roast out a couple times and check how it is progressing.

As a good base number....figure 25 minutes per # at 325. Now that is only a number to get you started. Subtract some for the searing and start checking 30-45 minutes before you think it would be done. Ex: 5# pork roast X 25 minutes per #...125 minutes to roast...start checking at 80 minutes. Will depend also on how fat the meat is and whether it has bones...bones conduct heat so it will cook faster.

Now cookies...I am not a cookie baker anymore LOL...we would eat them ! But I used to be so here goes. My grandmother always said a good cookie greases the pan. So don't grease your pans. Always use bright shiny good quality but NOT insulated double layer pans. I have the same baking sheets that I bought in 1977 in Chapel Hill. They don't look so prefect anymore but they are the ones I love and they were $10 a piece back then,,,a LOT of money for us at that time. They are stainless steel and not terribly thick. They have flat sides...don't ever bake cookies on a pan with sides, and they are shiny.

Mark that stuffed pork roast will bake differently than a non- stuffed roast. Here is a link with a lot of tips.

cathy has a good points about the pizza and the pies. I use the Surround as it is the only setting that is hot enough, w/o using the broil which goes to 575. As far as pies go you should always start it at a higher temp , as she says to do as my grandmother and Mom used to say...it sets the crust. Have it low in the oven so that bottom crust gets good and done and won't be soggy and then turn the oven back and let the fruit and crust finish.

Hope this helps. As usual it is great to have lots of info..the more the better. So hopefully everyone will chime in with their tips too. c

Here is a link that might be useful: Pork roasting

RJR - my backsplash is Arabescato Cararra 3X6 marble. I got it from www.stonelocators.com I ordered many samples and decided to go with arabescato mostly based on price. I have purchased tile from them twice and found them to be very attentive and fair priced.

Em

Thread: Wish you had not packed away
Thread: Tips for living without a sink for a week? (or longer!)
From the Kitchen Forum FAQ: C. Surviving the Remodel

I know many of you have done this and probably have wished you wouldn't have packed something away, or maybe gone crazy trying to find something you really need.

So my question is, what shouldn't I pack away? Can you help me anticipate?

We sealed our tile twice before installing. We will seal again now that we have grouted.

Yes

Does it need sealed? Enhanced? When? I tried to read on here last night, but I don't even know what those things mean.

It doesn't NEED anything. But it should be sealed, and CAN be enhanced, instead. Stone sealer is a liquid you apply to the face of the stone (and grout) to keep it from staining. Enhancing sealer is a specialized sealer that brings out the color and veining of the stone. It's especially good for using on honed or tumbled stone, where the colors may be muted by a "hazy" kind of finish. As for when to seal or enhance, that depends on the stone, as well as your grout choice. I say that, because the stone can be sealedPrior to installation (but not recommended) after installation, but prior to grouting, or after grouting. OR, any combination thereof. If you're going to enhance the stone, it's usually recommended that it be enhanced prior to grouting, because the enhancer will also darken the grout some. So if you want to enhance the stone, but seal the grout, you'd enhance prior to grouting and then usu a normal penetrating sealer afterward.

Have I lost you yet? :-)

Did I read it doesn't have any real edging where the backsplash would end? Is that a problem?

You read correctly, and no, it's not a problem, Using the "factory edge" works very well. If you have to cut tiles to end it, just turn the cut edge in toward the tile next to it.

What else do we need to know? I think it is called Antik Onyx & it is 6x6 tumbled tiles, but feels rather smooth to me, which is good since I don't like the rough feeling ones.

One thing you need to know-- not all tumbled tiles are travertine. If this is onyx, it's not even a marble. But that's not a bad thing. Onyx is just as at home as a backsplash as is travertine or marble. It's a little easier to grout, though! Not as many holes, and not nearly as absorbant as travertine!

We are getting absolute black granite countertops. Do you think the 2 will look good together?

I think it'll look great, but it's not my kitchen. In other words, the only opinion that matters there is yours. :-)

Would anyone have a pic of the 2 together in a kitchen?

That one, I can't help you with.

If its about 6 feet and you want 3 fixtures then..
72 inches / 4 (fixtures +1)= 18" between the CENTERS of the fixtures and the first fixture is 9" from the end of the island. The actual distance between each would be 8" (gap spacing of 18" minus fixture width of 10"). Awfully small for the size of fixture.

What would you think of the mercury lights over the island?

Or one of these

I decided that the 33" would be best for our little kitchen.

I'll try to remember to post a review in 2 months when it will hopefully, finally be installed.

~Jay