First comes the proboard (a type of medium density particle board) and 5/8″ plywood from Logic Lumber.
Next, the flooring from End Of the Roll.
That’s the easy part. Now I have to try to jamb it all up in the top floor of the house. Yay.
1403 3 Ave N, up
This is a house built in 1906 at 1403 3 Ave. N., Coalbanks (later to become Lethbridge), AB, Canada. I bought the house in Dec. 2021 as a rental property. It has a 3-bedroom suite on the main floor and a 1-bedroom suite on the 2nd floor. This is the story of the upper suite (“up”).
furring 2x2x & 2x3s in kitchen
I have finally put up the first furring boards to increase the insulation cavity in the walls. 2x3s are used in the one wall to accommodate the kitchen sink plumbing. 2x2s are used elsewhere.
finally – bare walls
So I finally have the plaster, lath boards, panelling, etc. off the walls in the kitchen. <phew>
Next: Kitchen wiring, insulation, vapour barrier, drywall.
After that: Flooring. Then kitchen cabinets.
In the mean time, …
… a lot of cleanup. So far, 29 contractor bags of plaster, lath, insulation, etc.
more cleanup, dump run, new kitchen (in boxes)
Okay, so I was going to start the furring boards and insulation today, but the whole suite needed cleanup.
first insulation furring boards
I’ve cleaned up as much as I have to to start insulating the walls and ceilings. I’m adding 2×2 and 2×3 furring strips to the studs to increase the wall volume for insulation. In one wall with plumbing along it, however, I have to furrow out 2.5″ (2×3) to accommodate a 2″ pipe.
The first furring strip was put up, and the second followed.
Rockwool, 2x2s, more lath & plaster removal
I dropped by Rona to get some insulation and wood. I decided on Rockwool because it
- has a higher fire rating than fibreglass
- is made mostly from recycled stuff (volcanic rock basalt and slag)
- has better R-value than fibreglass
But it is more expensive. How much more? I haven’t done much in comparison, to be honest, as I need the extra fire protection. This house is, after all, balloon framing.
kitchen lath boards removed
Sunday today. The main floor tenants were home. I hope I didn’t make too much noise.
I removed the last of the lath boards and old flooring (all remaining five layers) from the kitchen today. I cut the remaining flooring into squares to aid in removal. I set the circular saw to 2mm or so less than its total thickness and carved away. Unfortunately, I gave myself sore sinuses doing it. But it is done.
kitchen renos
Today FT and I removed the kitchen cabinet, a bunch of plaster, and flooring from the kitchen. OMG, was that a lot of work. There were 7 contractor bags of plaster and six layers of old flooring (seven if you count the 1/4″ particle board):
- the original linoleum
- another colourful lino on that
- bright red tiles
- a layer of 1/4″ particle board
- more lino of yellow & brown
- click-together wood laminate
A before and after comparison:
kitchen plan, gas lines
Here is my draft kitchen plan. (Actually, technically, not a plan but an elevation, or section to be more precise).
But it will be up to my kitchen designer at Home Depot, 애린. She will likely give a better design and tell me what I already know – that my design is crap. But it’s a start.
