You can either google it, or check at Home Depot, and Lowes, they usually have clearances on certain items. I found a lamp one time for 3 $. Check some of your local lighting stores for clearance items as well.
I’m thinking of purchasing Oak wood stock kitchen cabinets from my local home improvement store, I want to give them a dark stain color I just don’t know which is better Oil or Water based stain. Since it is for the kitchen I need something that will handle the heat, grease, etc. especially when I clean them I don’t want the stain to fade. Thanks for any help or suggestions or websites.
I prefer oil stain ,Two coats and usually mix whatever color that I am using (4 parts color to one part natural) with natural"clear" stain of the same brand. It seems to make the grain a little deeper. A trick an old floor refinisher showed me years ago and seems to work well.
As far as the finish. I also prefer oil polyurethane, Three coats ,sanding between #2and #3 coat. I use high gloss for my first two coats and whatever gloss is required (flat,semi,satin, or gloss) for the final coat.(The higher the gloss the more durable the finish)
Water based polly is fine for the insides of the cabinets as it is much easier to apply but tends to be a little "chalky" looking and does not hold up to cleaning solvents as well. It is great for closet built-ins , and other household furniture
Whatever you use ,take your time and be as neat as possible ,Letting each coat dry and lightly sanding with fine sandpaper between coats. Dust or vacuum constantly and use a tack cloth before coats. Your efforts will be their own reward.
Good luck.
I am remodeling my kitchen and not sure what kinds of fixtures are NOT allowed to be installed — recessed IC, non IC. etc…Thanks
If the ceiling above is insulated, you cannot use non-IC rated cans. Other than that, most light fixtures are allowed. Hope this helps.
My husband and I are moving into our first house and there are some things I’d like to do. Eventually I’d like to remodel the entire kitchen, but right now, all I want to do is take off the current wallpaper (on drywall), and repaint. The kitchen has a sliding glass door that opens to our deck, so there will be quite a bit of light. What colors would you recommend? Keep in mind I’d eventually like to have granite counter tops (darker color, maybe black), and tile floors. I’m not into really bold colors, but right now the only thing I can think of was a pale yellow…. but I don’t know how that would work with future work, AND the kitchen will be connected to a light blue living room. Help! Color coordination is not my thing when it comes to painting.
I agree, the pale yellow sounds nice. But if the color concerns you, try a pale yellow with a bit more earthy brown tones in it. When you look at your paint samples, you will see the pure yellows that are crisp in color and you will see the more muted yellows. Try out a couple of the more muted yellows.
Also, go ahead and collect samples of what you want to eventually do in your home, like the granite color. This will help to cordinate everything as you go.
Also the paint stores sell small quart and smaller samples of paint that you can test out colors to see if you like them. I love these. You can buy several colors, paint them side, by side and then make a final decision.
This light is over fifty years old and I would love to find a replacement
A lighting store or kitchen and bath retailer.
Ho-e De–t and the other home store don’t hanle that king of merchandise anymore. Check out this link—http://www.lightingdirect.com/index.cfm?page=Search:results&CategoryID=7597&CategoryName=Flushmount
We’re renting a house, and I want to fixup the bathroom and the kitchen, but all the home improvement and makeover sites I’ve been to only have stuff that I know I can’t and don’t want to do, so if anyone knows of any sites, or if anyone has any ideas of their own, I would appreciate it! I’m looking for things I can do myself.
How extensive a "fixup" were you going to do? Check your lease first to see what you’re allowed to do without prior written consent from the landlord. Most residential leases, at least in my market, limit tenant alterations to reasonable changes that can be easily restored to their original condition when the tenant leaves (e.g. painting, hanging shelving and pictures).
Major renovations, such as replacing cabinets, tile, appliances, must only be done with the landlord’s consent. He’ll be living with your choices long after you move out, so HE has the right to say no, or, if he says yes, to approve styles and materials. Also, all improvements belong to the landlord, so unless he’s cut you a deal where you fix the place up in exchange for much lower rent, you’re losing money on the deal.
That being said, there are plenty of things you can do to fix the place up. Paint is the easiest way to liven up the kitchen and bath. Even if you’re not up to decorative painting, a good fresh coat of paint will brighten any room. For kitchen and bath, make sure to use a semi-gloss paint (there are some that are specifically for kitchens and baths)–this will hold up to the moisture, dirt and grease and be easier to clean.
Use baskets or boxes covered with cloth or contact paper to corral small or oddly-shaped items in kitchen and bathroom cabinets or shelves. Cheap and decorative way to increase storage space and keep the place looking neat.
If you need more cabinet space in the kitchen or bath, try to find old dressers, china hutches, bookcases or cabinets on Craigslist or your local freecycle–these can be cleaned, painted, and moved around to suit your space. I used an old 1940’s metal dresser for years as a kitchen island/storage for pots and pans. Dressers with missing drawers make good deep shelving for large pots and baking sheets: just cut plywood to fit where the drawer bottoms would sit.
With your landlord’s permission, you can paint or reface existing cabinets. If not, you can usually cover objectionable cabinets with contact paper or starched fabric without permanent harm to the surface. (Contact paper has gotten a lot cooler–it now comes in all sorts of styles, including faux leather, faux granite, real cork, brushed aluminum and copper, etc.).
Also, you simply must check out Craftster! It’s not a home improvement site, as such, but it has every sort of craft and DIY project you can imagine, from what to do with old light bulbs to decorative painting, furniture design and complete room makeovers, in every style from classic to gothic and back again. And if you ask nicely, the members will often give you a free tutorial. 
I have a dark kitchen with one small light fixture. My kitchen is not that big and does not have alot of natural light. It has only one small window. What is the best lighting to brighten it up? I have heard Flourescent is the best but I thought that it was ugly and old fashioned. It’s only a small kitchen. Any ideas? I need something to throw out a lot of light. Is it better to get one long light fixture?
Flourescent fixtures have come a long way in the last few years, and you can get the bulbs in the better "Warm White".
Also look at the new LED light fixtures.
Usually, no. Although it may be a good idea to shop at one of your local home improvement stores, you may not want to. Personally, I prefer to research the internet and see what deals are available based on the time of year.
There are a number of online retailers who deliver their kitchen remodeling supplies directly to your door. Apart from traditional retailers, check out individuals and companies who specialize in producing quality custom products, such as kitchen cabinets.
The beginning of spring/summer is the best time to buy fresh kitchen supplies & remodeling equipment.
Also, when is the balance paid? When it’s half-way done? At the very end?
We have concerns about what’s being asked of us from our remodeling company. Thanks.
We are a well established full service from design to construction to installation kitchen and closet company, 15 years. Our contracts are 50% deposit (covers Material cost), 40% on first day of installation (when materials are all in the building) and 10% upon completion of job and customers sign off on all punch list and walk through.
The final moneys are basically our profit, so that are incentive to complete in a timely matter. Our contracts are non negotiable, except for our clients that are builders and designers that are repeat business. Usually customers get un easy about the deposit, but we do provide a packet, that includes how long we have been around, our BBB report and our licensing with years licensed shown.
That is our policy and is almost standard with some exceptions.
Whether you choose to hire a professional or you choose to do it yourself, remodeling your kitchen can sound easy enough; after all you can decide on a décor and then go buy the appropriate kitchen sink and appliances to match right? Well there’s just a bit more to it than that. Here’s what you need to know about kitchen remodeling.
Possibly the most important place to start, indeed the very foundation of remodeling any kitchen, is to start with a design. It is not always necessary to get a professional to map out the design for you since many a lay homeowner has had very professional results just by doing some simple math. And this is really the purpose of any design; to take many parts of an equation and come up with a viable solution.
For instance, in a kitchen area there is only so much space available, but many ideas and themes to choose from. When remodeling, even if there was not a proper design in the first instance, it is always advisable to follow a kitchen design. By figuring out what you want and how well your vision for your kitchen in theory translates in practice, you can save yourself the trouble of having to call in the experts after you’ve had you fun.
Kitchen designs not only help you formulate and stick to a budget, but they also help in making the whole remodeling project more systematic and orderly. The design will tell you where to start and how to proceed area after area, and this will in turn, help keep things out of a disaster zone. Everything else is the easy part; choosing your colour scheme, your kitchen theme and getting lost in all the home décor on the market.
After the design, the next absolutely most important thing to bear in mind when undertaking any kitchen remodeling project is safety. It is true, one can never be too safe, and with remodeling it holds even truer. Tools, including power tools and all sorts of materials are going to be employed and without the right safety gear, the project site is as safe as a quarry, even if the site is right in your own home.
So to avoid danger, it is imperative that safety precautions be taken. Besides the regular safety precautions that need to be taken, if it is your first time undertaking any kind of remodeling project, you should familiarize yourself with your tools, especially your power tools. It is also important that you recognize your physical limit. When you get tired, take a break, even if the break lasts a few hours because frustration and/or tiredness can cause accidents of the most brutal kind.
Moreover, it can make you make unfixable mistakes that, in the long run, will cause you to go over your budget in buying more materials. You should also be aware of your surroundings at all times. Always be aware of who is in the kitchen and what is being done at the time so that you can indicate whether it is safe to have people around or not.
But above all, when remodeling your kitchen it is best to use general common sense. It is your kitchen, it is your labour, it is your money and it is your home, so if something doesn’t feel right, stop and reevaluate. All the decision making lies with you at the end of it all, so if you are not feeling right about the look or feel, go back to the drawing board or consult a professional, a relative or even a friend to help you get the model kitchen that you want.
Sarah H
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/what-you-should-know-about-kitchen-remodeling-118484.html