The original kitchen was the next step up in a dank alcove off the great hall,
but we decided to construct a whole new one down by the window, and then
open up the next level with a passthrough. The old kitchen will then become a guest bathroom,
laundry, and dining room.
First, to get that bathroom out of the way - we knocked down the walls and removed fixtures.
Then we invited a crack plumbing team to come in to seal off the septic tank and hook us up to city sewer. The house currently uses two septic tanks, one buried somewhere underneath the front room, and one at the edge of the back patio.
I got first whack at the bathroom wall, then Stan's crack wrecking crew took over the sledge and made short work of
the two front walls. The walls were cement block and came apart at the seams with only a few whacks of the
hammer.
Water lines were disconnected from the shower and sink. The pipe was capped off,
and the sink drain uncoupled. Sink removal was too easy, it lifted right up and off its
spindly little legs and brackets on the wall. The legs were buried in the floor an inch, but grout
was all that held them, so they jiggled loose with the help of a pipe wrench.
The only questionable activity will be removing
the sink drain. Stan was very careful as he chinked away at the wall around the drain. We have no
idea what to expect with the plumbing, having no experience with septic tanks. All we know is that
the tank is somewhere underneath the front room floor. It's most likely underneath the raised step
that the shower and toilet were built on, but I guess it could also be buried farther out into
the room. We just don't know, nor do we know
how to deal with it. That's why calling the plumber is our next step in the bathroom removal
project.
After the walls around the bathroom were removed, we could see someone else's house, a wasp family had built
their home underneath the toilet tank.
The original kitchen was in a dark alcove off the great hall. We wanted to build a new
kitchen down below, and
open up the alcove with a passthrough to lighten it up and provide interaction from below.
Let's see, where were we? Oh, yeh, tearing the front bathroom to bits. Today we carried our sledge
hammer around the other side of the wall and tackled the old kitchen. First we stripped old tiles off
the counter and sink, salvaged them,
and then carried out the countertop in two easy pieces. It was built to last, but Stan defeated it,
rebar and all.
The old bathroom stands where the new kitchen sink is going to be. Across from the sink will be a bar
that passes through an arch in the wall. The arch will only take half the wall because a new bathroom
is planned for the other half of the old (upper) kitchen. Since I'm not a fan of bar stools, the bar on
the back side will be regular chair height, so we're taking the wall down to sitting height.
Stan and I stood and stared at that wall the longest time, trying to decide which would be more esthetically
pleasing, an arch the height of the N/S wall or an arch the height of the E/W wall. In the end, existing
architecture decided for us. When he broke into the wall, the main support beam was uncovered at the lower (N/S wall)
height, so that's how high the arch will be.
We've seen two different configurations of concrete and brick construction, and it turns out that
the SolCasa may contain both. One, like the wall we're tearing into, has a rebarred concrete beam that
takes part of
the weight of the ceiling, running from pillar to pillar at doorway/window height. Above that beam there's
another layer of bricks, and then another beam on top supporting the roof. In other walls, the top beam
is the only one supporting the roof, and there's no intermediate beam at door height. Most of our walls
seem to have two beams, but it's difficult to pinpoint some of them...maybe they're not there?
Stan spent alot of time learning stuff from the plumbers. He watched them cut raceways and lay down concrete. Once
Rafa and Juan had finished and gotten out from underfoot, Stan went to work trying his hand at new skills.
Digging around in the walls exposed lots of rusty rebar and fragile, crumbly concrete. Stan found some nasty lead rustproofing
paint to dope the steel with, but first he had to chip away the crumbles, expose and paint the rebar, then cement it
back together, again.
1 November
Bucky and
Chivo enjoying the clean kitchen
While the plumbers worked their magic underground, Stan and I romped off to the cabinet shop and ordered a kitchen. We
only had two weeks to sanitize, homogenize and pasteurize the kitchen before the walls would be covered up by cabinets
and the ceiling, too (or so
said our fast-talking salesman). Scraper and bleach bottle in hand, we attacked, ridding all flat surfaces
of chipped paint and mold left over from seasonal downpours, leaky roof and soggy walls.
Stan moving plumbing and
electrical box (no wonder his knees hurt!)
Much to our surprise, the ceiling was delivered and installed ahead of schedule, and
the first set of cupboards wasn't
far behind. Andres leveled and beveled as much as he could, but then he asked Stan to move an outlet and a water line so
they wouldn't line up with cupboard walls. He walked out the door saying, call me when you're ready for me to
come back.
Kickboards being leveled
Ha!
Little did he know how efficient the RanaQuemada electrician/plumber is. Andres received the call the
very next morning. Unfortunately, we didn't hear from him, again, for a week ... the shop said he was either in Guadalajara
or he was sick, or maybe it was both (Stan does his best deciphering foreign-language phone calls...).
Andres installing drawers
19 November
MJ planning what to do with the island
On the Monday evening of a 3-day holiday, who should show up with more cabinets and an additional crew of two? Eight-
thirty at night, three guys started unloading a truck, then went to work on installing. It was way past the RanaQuemada
happy hour when they finally packed up their tools....
Skeleton Comes Together
29 November
Andrés (center) and this evening's help
And then we didn't see them again for ten days. When Andrés finally appeared we discovered that his father's erratic
heart required hospitalization, and poor ole Andrés had been shuttling back and forth from job, to home, to hospital.
Help, especially semi-skilled labor, is hard to find in Manzanillo, so Andrés was juggling two or three other customers
in addition to his family obligations.
Installing the uppers
Workers are so scarce that our cabinet maker has a help wanted sign in his
window, and friends who also need contractors can't even get them to return their calls. It isn't looking hopeful
for cocina en navidad - nor is it looking good for sealing the roof during this dry season. Oh no!!
All that work ...
... to be redone in the morning
But, anyway, back in the cocina, Andrés finally showed up with the remainder of the skeletons, shelves and drawers.
He and crew of three (one installed the bedroom closet) worked a couple of hours
that evening and then a couple of hours the next morning, getting things ready for the next steps, cabinet facings, doors and
countertop. Unfortunately, there was one small defugalty, and they spent a good portion of their time remaking one of the
cupboards so that the fridge would fit.
The skeleton, installed
Update
4 December
Wondering if we'd ever see the cabinet installers, again, Stan and I stopped by Madetro, the cabinet makers, to see what was up.
Fernando took us into the warehouse to show us that the countertop Corian had actually arrived. Again, it's workmen we
are waiting on. The Corian man is supposed to start Thursday or Friday, and will work all weekend (so they say) and have
the kitchen functional by Monday. The other stuff that's on order, doors and facings, are due-in next week.
They're pushing it, but we're still on track for cocina en navidad....
Countertops
10 December
The under counter top
Our sheetrock man, Ramon, had been tut-tutting last week about how the kitchen fellas were slow on the ball, so on
Saturday, he called his amigo, Fernando, to say "¡Oye! ¿que pasa con la cocina?" Then, after he finished here,
Ramon stopped by Madetro to talk to them. That's what it took! Sunday, Fernando and
Andrés delivered the Corian and today Andrés began forming the countertops.
The under countertop
with the Corian lying in wait on the floor
Forming the Corian
13 December
Andrés creating a kitchen-full of snow
Fitting Corian onto the island
Gluing on the backsplash
Backsplash fit test
More fit testing
The backsplash was fabricated from two pieces, one a routed out curve and the other straight, and then the curved
portion was countersunk into an indent cut in the counter.
Installing the bar support
Then the tubing for the passthrough was delivered, weighing lots and very sturdy. Andrés said that we'll be able to
jump up
and down on the bar once it's finished. He spent the better part of one day cutting out the overhanging pieces for the
bar and gluing them into place.
The Passthrough
15 December
Andrés creating
the lip (nose) on the passthrough
Andrés and Selena fit checking
Selena, Andrés' wife, brought some cookies and kept him company while he fabricated the passthrough countertop.
The next day, he could have used the company because fitting the counter into the opening kept him working into the night.
He didn't leave until
10:00 after planing a little here, shaving a little there and even chipping away a bit of concrete. He is being very
meticulous in all of his work, and we're very happy with how elegant the Corian countertops are turning out.
After the passthough countertop was in place, he routed the curve on the lip and then he glued together a couple more
little pieces of Corian and cut it with a larger router blade as a test strip. Stan and I were asked to compare the
curves and decide which cut we liked better, which style to
use throughout the
kitchen. Tough decision, but we went with the larger, softer-looking curve. Then Andrés had to go back and re-cut the bar
with the larger blade.
Andrés told us he
would be confessing to Selena that it was the lip's fault that he arrived home so late that night (except the word for the
overhang in Spanish is nariz - nose). It was more than a lip or a nose that made him late, though - Andrés loves to
give Spanish lessons and he chatted with us into the
night about the nuances of the language. Great fun, long hours.
Stove and Sink
18 December
Cutting the first guide for the faucet
Gluing the counters in place
Cutting the Corian for the stove
Gluing on the nariz
Sink installed, stove in place
Andrés is both technician and artist. He's been very meticulous in his work and what he has finished is gorgeous - at
this point I wish the work would just move along.
The sink is centered in the passthrough opening. At first cut, it looked like the faucet should be centered on the
sink. But when he stood back and looked at it with his artist's eye, Andrés thought perhaps the faucet would look better
aligned with the sinks, which are different sizes. Consult. Yes, I guess it looks better this way than that way (like most
of our consults, whatever Andrés thinks is usually the way we go....). So he moved his guide hole over and cut the hole
for the faucet ... then he installed the Corian countertop over the hole, and has yet to cut the final hole or to mount the
faucet. He's too busy making noses and shaping edges.
Shaving the glue
Prediction for time to complete the Corian installation, one day per square meter. We have five or six meters, and it
was delivered nine days ago. Andrés has been working his magic for eight days, and has two more solid days of polishing
with a sander ahead of him (and gagging on the dust ahead of us).
The exhaust fan/hood is here, but critical mounting parts are missing, like the conduit to outside. Doors and trim panels
are due-in this week, and we're anticipating installation to take only one day, but knowing how
meticulous Andrés is, we're not setting a kitchen move-in date, quite yet ... one week and counting to cocina en navidad.
Push to Install Doors and Panels
30 December
Doors and trim panels
The door delivery truck arrived at happy hour, upsetting the RanaQuemada evening routine, but we weren't complaining, just
secretly hoping that work wouldn't commence right then. And it didn't. However, Andrés and Selina were raring to go early the morning of the 22nd, and they brought help. Right away the kitchen was
bustling, the sander
grinding away at Corian, Andrés fitting the doors, and his helper unpacking parts and pieces.
Polishing Corian and installing doors
A few things weren't right, and a few parts were missing, but as the kitchen finally shaped up and looked usable,
we weren't complaining. All day Saturday and through Sunday until midnight they sanded Corian, fit
doors and installed panels.
Andrés showing Selena the panel problem
On Christmas Eve, trusty Andrés and Selina were still plugging away. It was Andrés' critical eye that picked out most
of the faults, and he didn't want to leave until he'd done everything he could to fix them, but he just
couldn't ... the trim beside
the fridge space didn't match up and the cupboard will have to be rebuilt, the parts to vent the hood hadn't been found, half the door handles were missing, a
couple of drawer fronts were the wrong size, and the kickplate wasn't trimmed. Regardless of the small problems, the kitchen,
to our way of thinking, was ready - we finally pried their tools out of their hands and pushed them out the
door late that afternoon, just in time to make their two and a half hour drive over the river and through the woods to
celebrate the holiday with family.
Most doors,
faucet, hood and stove installed
Stan an I celebrated with a new kitchen. We slammed the door behind the crew and attacked; couldn't wait to dismantle the camp kitchen and fill up all of those brand new
drawers, which were
covered in Corian powder. While I cleaned powder and sawdust, Stan hooked up the gas, the water and the sewer. At midnight, we
toasted Christmas with
a shot of tequila and a functioning sink and stove, continued to play with our new toy until 4:00AM, then collapsed into bed.
Selena and Andrés, Christmas Eve,
through a lens covered in Corian powder
Rebuilding a Cupboard, Finishing the Trim
28 January
Rebuilding the top cabinet - again
Trim pieces ready for installation
David and his cutting board
When Selena and Andrés finished installing doors and handles on Christmas Eve (above), white peeked out
between each door and drawer. The white areas next to the ceiling and the frame around the microwave
shelf really stood out. I thought I'd have to buy a pot of paint and tone it down, myself, but lo and
behold, mid-morning one day last week Andrés and David drove up in their delivery truck, unloaded a roll of
vinyl trim and a roll of brushed stainless and set to work.
Their first job was to square up the cabinet above the stove (which they'd already removed and rebuilt,
once). Not only was the cabinet out of square, but the side didn't provide enough room for trim. Andrés
shaved off a layer of the side and then installed a red board over what was left so that the interior was
still white, but the exterior was red.
After the technical work was finished, Andrés turned the trimming over to David. Each door and drawer
was removed and vinyl strips were rubber cemented over every inch of exposed white. Then he began installing
the kickboard the same way, but ran out of material. That was last Thursday. It's Monday and he's still
not back, but we're holding his tools hostage, so we have no doubt that he'll return as soon as his
materials show up.
This job entailed a whole lot of hand labor, cheap labor's the reason the installation was less
expensive than a northern job
might have been. Our workers have volunteered their wage stats to us without prompting
- we don't know
why, but we find the wage structure really interesting. David, who really, really
loves what he's doing because the work is so satisfying to him, only receives MX $1,000 per week. In monthly
accounting, his monthly income is US $100 less than Stan and I pay for eats and drinks in a month.
Figuring
that these workers live off the same economy we do, it's hard to imagine how they make ends meet.
Cabinet reinstalled, trim and kickboard glued on
Wall Tile
27 January, 2009
Tiling the passthrough
Prepping for tile work included disconnecting wall switches and plugs. That left the kitchen without a ceiling fan, so we hauled three floor fans and aimed them at Alejandro from three different angles.
The trim tile we chose for lining the arch was pretty, but the uniform design size created quite a problem. The width of the arch was uneven, so much so that there was an overhang on one side, but a huge gap on the other. From the kitchen, all was hunky-dory, but from the playroom, the arch looked all askew.
A lip solved the problem. Luis, our contractor and overseer, designed a nice curved lip that will blend the uneven sides together; an elegant solution.
Building the lip
With a few guide wires and nails, Alejandro built a frame around the opening. He was called away to Guadalajara just as he was blending the new height on each side of the opening into the walls and smoothing it out.
Finished wall tile
