I want to paint our kitchen cabinents white and install ikea butcher block counters (and then do our backsplash). Hubby thinks we need to hire a pro but I feel like there are enough DIY blogs/instructions online that we can do this ourselves.
Has anyone done either of these before using online instructions? If so, which website did you use and how long did it take you?
We have a week off in December I am thinking I'll just start doing it and he'll come home to a destroyed kitchen and will have to help me fix it
Do you have any DIY background/skills/natural ability in remodeling? If not, I'd go pro or try it on a smaller practice scale first. You never know what's lying behind your kitchen and the internet always makes that stuff seem easier than it is. A lot of blogs while they have great pictures also don't do things to code/follow proper instructions etc. So while the inspiration and general theory is great from a blog, the background knowledge to say, "Hey, this isn't right is helpful."
Also, counters aren't easy. I had to have mine replaced. My kitchen is only 7 years old and it should've been perfect. However, one corner wasn't perfectly squared up, the counter got cut too short in one spot, the screw holes on the old one left weird marks in my cabinets we had to fix. It wasn't bad when it was said and done, but I had recourse with the pros. I'd have been SOL on my own.
Cabinet painting is easy, if you use the right paint, so I'd attempt that. However, be aware it takes forever and is a general PITA.
For painting cabinets this was my routine in house #1 sand, prime (may nee 2 coats if wood was dark) Use a good quality (SW or Benjamin Moore) enamel (oil based will give the hardest finish) sand and then 2nd coat - may need to sand and do a 3rd coat. Let it thoroughly dry then repeat on the other side of thedoor..
First - remove all hardware and fill in any holes that will not be used. Remove the doors - do not paint in place.
I had limited space in which to work and 2 children so worked on 2 doors at a time - sanding and painting the framing when the doors were off -- it took me all winter doing it at that snail's pace, but the results were great.
Post by sweetpea508 on Nov 27, 2012 14:50:12 GMT -5
I'm actually doing the same thing: white cabinets, Ikea countertops and backsplash. My project hasn't hit that point yet because we are working on doing electrical for can lights and running speakers in the kitchen. I will say that I think the countertops seem very doable (sp?) for a DIY'er. With the right tools (extra sharp saw blades and sanders), I think they can look beautiful without hiring a pro. Here is one blog about how this girl did her Ikea countertops:
Cabinets are not easy to get a perfect paint coat without spraying. I've painted a ton and am not happy with my cabinets.
IKEA wood counters - we just put them in our built in. Not hard, but we did have one that was warped (don't know if it was that way when we bought it or happened during our long reno process while it was sitting there waiting). Staining was easy, cutting them wasn't particularly hard, but I don't know if we could have gotten a perfect mate up.
Post by hbomdiggity on Nov 27, 2012 17:19:23 GMT -5
Cant help you with the cabinets or counters, but backsplash should be the easiest task. We installed a glass tile backsplash in our first condo and it was pretty easy (our first ever DIY). The worst was cutting to fit since we didn't really have the best equipment (and the snips we used made a mess).