Our new big FIRE adventure

[Meadbh]

Yes, we want to change the tiles mostly for aesthetic reasons. But it is not a priority at the moment. The old tile flooring is still in fairly good condition and we can live with it for a while.

Using a rug as a temporary fix is an excellent idea!

And cheap!
You're welcome!

 

[Teacher Terry]

Looks awesome!

 

[FUEGO]

Leave the tiles - looks great in all white. Nice and bright! You can repoint the grout if that's a problem (scrape it out then regrout). A bit of work but not too bad.

Nice kitchen except that under counter microwave would drive me crazy.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Your kitchen and family/living room are just gorgeous and you both must be enjoying both immensely!. Your big new FIRE adventure proceeds!

 

[FIREd]

Leave the tiles - looks great in all white. Nice and bright! You can repoint the grout if that's a problem (scrape it out then regrout). A bit of work but not too bad.

Nice kitchen except that under counter microwave would drive me crazy.

The grout is actually in good shape, it is just really dirty at the moment. With some elbow grease, I can get it back to its original light grey color. As for the microwave, we rarely use it. So I do like where it is, tucked out of the way.

 

[powerplay]

Your remodeling projects look great. Hope you enjoy it for many years.

 

[MBAustin]

I'm with FIREd - I'd replace the kitchen tiles. I have similar ones and wish I had replaced them when we did our major remodel 7 years ago.

 

[Scuba]

I'm with FIREd - I'd replace the kitchen tiles. I have similar ones and wish I had replaced them when we did our major remodel 7 years ago.

I'd replace the tiles too with larger more modern ones, but I like the idea of a colorful rug in the meantime. The work looks great!

 

[NW-Bound]

I missed part of this thread when I was traveling. Glad to see that you are happy with the quartz countertop.

Isn't home ownership swell? Renting a condo was fun, but I sometimes missed the tinkering.

Thanks everyone! It was a lot of work and I am glad that the remodel is mostly behind us... I hope to never have to go through this again!

When you are done with the home, and feel itchy to do some tinkering, perhaps getting a gently used RV to work on will get the juice flowing again.

Oh, I recall that you have a steep driveway that may not be RV friendly.

 

[rodi]

Color me impressed with the dramatic change. We painted our cabinets rather than replacing them when we did our remodel, like you. Mainly because our original cabinets were much better quality than much of the stuff available in the big box stores.

 

[Moemg]

The grout is actually in good shape, it is just really dirty at the moment. With some elbow grease, I can get it back to its original light grey color. As for the microwave, we rarely use it. So I do like where it is, tucked out of the way.

You can buy grout paint at Home Depot . I used it in the bathroom and it worked great .
Our home Depot had to order it . It comes in many shades .

 

[FIREd]

When you are done with the home, and feel itchy to do some tinkering, perhaps getting a gently used RV to work on will get the juice flowing again.

Oh, I recall that you have a steep driveway that may not be RV friendly.

I really would like to convert a van into an off-grid camper (I have been watching tons of Youtube videos on the subject) but DW would rather sleep in motels...

 

[REWahoo]

I really would like to convert a van into an off-grid camper (I have been watching tons of Youtube videos on the subject) but DW would rather sleep in motels...

Sounds very familiar. We reached a "compromise" where we now camp but only in a very well-appointed RV and never, ever off-grid.

 

[FIREd]

You can buy grout paint at Home Depot . I used it in the bathroom and it worked great .
Our home Depot had to order it . It comes in many shades .

That's good to know. I have some discolored grout in one of my bathrooms and I will give it a try. Thanks!

 

[FIREd]

Sounds very familiar. We reached a "compromise" where we now camp but only in a very well-appointed RV and never, ever off-grid.

I would not mind a Roadtrek-style RV (well appointed but compact), but it is still too small for DW. Anything larger than a class B is a deal breaker for me. And I would like to avoid the expense and maintenance requirements of a fully loaded RV if possible.

 

[REWahoo]

I would not mind a Roadtrek-style RV (well appointed but compact), but it is still too small for DW. Anything larger than a class B is a deal breaker for me. And I would like to avoid the expense and maintenance requirements of a fully loaded RV if possible.

I see you firmly wedged between a rock and a hard place...

 

[haha]

And I would like to avoid the expense and maintenance requirements of a fully loaded RV if possible.

Surely this is possible. Just don't buy one.

Ha

 

[FIREd]

Surely this is possible. Just don't buy one.

Ha

Surely. That's why I would prefer a van, as stated.

 

[FUEGO]

I really would like to convert a van into an off-grid camper (I have been watching tons of Youtube videos on the subject) but DW would rather sleep in motels...

We bought a minivan (3 kids will do that to you...) and one of the first thoughts was "sweet! I could convert this into a stealth RV and DW and I could tour the country once the kids are grown!". The biggest obstacle to persuade DW that this is a viable option is that whole pooping/peeing in a bucket thing. Air conditioning a close second (and my number 1 concern for summertime touring).

The thinking here is that it would be a decent place to spend a night or two then hit a hotel/airbnb every 2-3 days for longer term stays. I haven't watched any youtube videos but I've seen a few bloggers that use a variety of non-traditional vehicles for camping.

 

[NW-Bound]

I really would like to convert a van into an off-grid camper (I have been watching tons of Youtube videos on the subject) but DW would rather sleep in motels...

I remember you took off on a camping trip with a little car. Was your wife with you?

I want creature comfort myself, so never have problems talking my wife to go with me. She brought up Alaska recently, saying I'd better do that while I still can.

A small RV is OK with me as long as it has a toilet, sink, kitchen, and running water. A bitty shower stall is OK as we are not big people. So, no van conversion for me, and I will always stick with production RVs.

I go off-grid all the time, but always start out with the fresh water tank full, and the waste tanks empty, propane tank topped off, and solar and battery system working well.

Oh, forgot that the fridge must be well stocked, but my wife always takes care of that. All I have to do is to make sure I have plenty of beer and booze.

 

[NW-Bound]

I would not mind a Roadtrek-style RV (well appointed but compact), but it is still too small for DW. Anything larger than a class B is a deal breaker for me. And I would like to avoid the expense and maintenance requirements of a fully loaded RV if possible.

I have seen new ones that are larger than the Roadtreks but smaller than the traditional Cs (that mine is). The Europeans have many of this type. The Canadians also build a few. I like this type a lot.

The problem is that the US ones are still too new, and expensive. It takes a few more years before they appear on the 2nd market for 1/2 price.

 

[HFWR]

If you decide to tear out that tile floor, be prepared to have dust upon every surface. Heck, even the dust will be dusty...

 

[Souschef]

Update:

The kitchen cabinets, doors, and drawers were still in good shape (despite being 40 years old), so we decided to just repaint them, inside and out, in white. We just finished this tedious job and I am pleased with the results. We updated the cabinet hardware, changed the countertop, sink and faucet, and we purchased a new range and hood. We still need to change the flooring - we are thinking about larger rectangular tiles in grey to break the white on white look and pick up some of the grey tones in the quartz countertop. The living room update has been even more remarkable IMO (replacing the carpet with HW floors, removing the wall paneling and the ceiling beams, repainting everything except the brick fireplace, replacing the fireplace mantel). We put in a lot of sweat equity in this remodel and haven't had to spend a lot of coin so far (we bought all the materials and paid for the countertop installation).

Looks like we have the same ideas

 

[FIREd]

Looks like we have the same ideas

Nice! What type of wooden floor did you use?

 

[Souschef]

Nice! What type of wooden floor did you use?

It is the original laminate floor, so we did not replace it. We also added the plantation shutters over the sink, replaced the sink with a larger non divided one, and installed the granite counter tops.. I can now wash my largest pots and pans in it.