6 comment(s):

• Hi! Your wife is being mean to me saying I can't type or use computers etc.etc. (OK, sad, but true!)
  My Mom and her boy(?)friend were actually at the Marine ball in Tampa! Too bad I didn't know you were there!
  
  OK, the reason I am here is to look at your home improvement site and to ask if you think I can put new counter tops in myself without a super screw-up? (minor is OK!)
  
  Say Hi to Thomas,
  
  Vicky
  
  

  By  Anonymous, at 11/15/2004 10:44:00 AM  

• Vickie,
  
  Don't let her have an inch. She'll take it and run! Yes, too bad I didn't know your mom was there. Maybe I could have run up to her and said something wildly inappropriate.
  
  There is installing countertops and then there is installing countertops. I haven't done it yet myself, but, boy, do we ever need to. I've done some research on it. Are you looking to put down a new layer of Formica? stone? ceramic? I'm sort of interested in the "Post-Form" countertops because they look like they would be relatively easy (http://doityourself.com/kitchen/installkitchencountertop.htm), but would really like to have stone or ceramic (http://floorstransformed.com/).
  
  I've seen some pretty good deals on stone at blackmarketcarpet.com and have an acquaintance who is installing her own marble currently. She told me some horror stories about people who put in thousands of dollars worth of marble, only to find that cooking oils would soak in and stain the stone. She recommended putting a sample on your countertop for few weeks to see how it held up to spills, food, hot dishes, etc. before buying a whole crate of it.
  
  If you decide to embark on this project, maybe you’ll consider letting us help you. We’d gladly ferry materials, etc. in exchange for a learning opportunity.
  
  SD
  
  

  By  Scott in Washington, at 11/15/2004 11:18:00 AM  

• I, too, would lOVE to have stone etc., but the budget dictates something much cheaper. I was also intrigued by the formed laminate stuff, and that is probably what I will end up doing. I have heard it is not that hard, but need to be careful not to have it break once you cut the holes for sink, cooktop etc, as they are just particle board. I am still toying with the idea of doing a tile mosaic for the counter top, but I am not sure about it...I hate it when crumbs get in the grout cracks, and if you even drop a dish/glass from a low height they break on tile...but it is prettier. The reason I want to change ours is because they are getting old, but also because we have a GROOVY circa 1979 motor mechanism for a blender food processor that is mounted flush in the counter top that you hook the appliance on to etc. (you probably have to see it to understand my lame description.) Of course, it doesn't work, and looks icky and is also prone to crumbage.
  Thanks for the offer of help, but I would be WAY too embarrassed to ask for help! I will probably make the hubby help, even though this is not his thing. Anyway, thanks for the advice, and sorry to clog the blog with notes!
  See you later, and congrats on the wood stove, yaa hoo!
  Vicky
  
  

  By  Anonymous, at 11/17/2004 12:49:00 PM  

• Vicky,
  
  Don't be a silly goose. Bloggers love to have their blogs commented on - thats what they're for. Its like crack for us!
  
  
  The counter mounted food processor sounds pretty funky. I can see where its removal would be a high pri item. I am with you on the idea of tile countertops - too much of a hygiene problem. I do love tile backsplashes though. We'll probably go with formed laminate too, when we get there.
  
  In the mean time, tools/resources we can loan you that might come in handy include:
  1. Tile saw (if you do a backsplash)
  2. Access to our incredibly large pile 'o tile
  3. Rotozip tool (for cutting out sink holes, etc)
  4. Recip Saw
  5. All manner of other tools that whir, clang, or at least buzz
  
  SD
  
  

  By  Scott in Washington, at 11/17/2004 01:20:00 PM  

• The loan of tools sounds great! Thanks. I actually have quite a few tools, but never the one I need for the next job I want to do. ( how often does one need a biscuit joiner?) I have a jig saw, but that is different than reciprocating saw, right?? I THINK the jig saw will work to cut the counter top.
  I would love to dig through your tile pile! I love those clear glass tiles in the deeper colors, but I don't know where to get them. Have you seen them anywhere? I hate all the tile at Home Depot. Have you made any of your own tile? I have a spot behind the cook top that used to have a cupboard or maybe micro/hood there that looks weird with nothing there on the wall and needs a cool tile mosaic. The problem with all this stuff is you need to work a lot to buy the materials, but you need a lot of time off to complete the work! Say hi to the wife and babe for me,
  
  Vicky
  
  

  By  Anonymous, at 11/17/2004 01:45:00 PM  

• I'd never heard of a biscuit joiner - looks like a pretty cool tool. Does someone in your family make furniture?
  
  A reciprocating saw is sort of like a jigsaw but designed for two handed use. They are beefier and easier to control in some situations. I have a cheaper jigsaw but I’d really like to have one of the ones with the scrolling knob that turns the blade along your cut line – yah buddy!
  
  I’ve started experimenting with making my own tiles from scratch – both square ones and carved and cut shapes like trees and animals, but so far all the mosaic I’ve done in my home have used pieces of commercial tile carved into shapes on the wet tile saw. I really like some of the glass tile too. Maybe we’ll be able to put something like this (http://www.hakatai.com/XQ/ASP/ID.99/1.spa_tile/QX/Page.htm) into our basement bathroom when we remodel it.
  
  

  By  Scott in Washington, at 11/17/2004 04:17:00 PM  

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