Kitchen Reno

[gcc]

Hi all ,

Done a few bathrooms and hoping my kitchen goes as well. You guys have been great with everything.

I haven’t even started but just trying to get prepared.

After I remove all cabinets and take out the backsplash I will have to replace the backsplash drywall. A few questions…

1. Should I tape and mud that drywall that will be behind the backsplash? - just not sure how finished it needs to be. Tape and one coat? Or should I finish it like a normal wall and just skip the texture and primer?

2. Seems like when I take it out and replace there will be a butt joint right where the bottom of the cabinet will sit. How do you all handle that when trying to hang cabinets on a flat wall?

3. Any advantage to using Cement board there instead?

Thanks!

Greg


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[cx]

1. You want to do whatever it takes to make a flat surface for your tile installation. Put a coat of PVA primer over it all.

2. Don't understand the question. If you don't want a joint in a particular place, put it somewhere else.

3. Not really for a backsplash installation. The CBU is the better tile backer, of course, but, again, it's a backsplash. Probably the most forgiving of tile installations. Not a lot of water, not a lot of foot traffic.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Snets]

After sanding any of the drywall mud, be sure to sponge off ALL of the dust. Drywall primer does not stick to drywall dust well at all, you want that primer to bond very well. Sponge for any dust before applying mortar for your backsplash too!

[gcc]

Thanks guys. To clarify - in my head I was only replacing the drywall where the existing backsplash exists because I figure it will be destroyed in trying to remove the backsplash. So starting at the floor and going up, there is the floor, then 34.5” (plus counter top) of base cabinets on the wall, then the backsplash, then the upper wall cabinets. I was only planning on replacing the drywall where the backsplash is, which would create butt joints on the top and bottom of the backsplash. I figure that is not ideal for hanging cabinets.

I could just take out all of the drywall and re-drywall everything I suppose - which would then be much easier to create a flat surface. Just wasn’t sure that was necessary.


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[cx]

Probably worthwhile to cut out a 24" horizontal strip and have both joints behind your cabinets and just rip your drywall panels in half to fill the strip.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[gcc]

Ahhh…that’s a good idea.

Just curious - is there a way to take a backsplash off without destroying and having to replace that drywall or is it pretty common to have to replace it. In my head I thought I had to remove that drywall. I suppose I could try just removing the tile, but how likely it is I would be able to tile over what is left?

Thanks!!


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[cx]

No way to know until you try, Greg. But if you plan to remove the cabinets anyway, no way I'd do anything but cut out the drywall behind the backsplash tiles and replace it. Usually far easier and far less surface prep for the new tile.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[ss3964spd]

A bonus of removing/replacing the drywall, Greg, is doing so affords the opportunity to add receptacles, level existing receptacles and switches, even wire in under cabinet lights.

[gcc]

Yes - that’s a good point and I need to do that anyway. Need to figure out which lighting I am going to use so I know which wire to use to prewire.

I am concerned about butt joints behind cabinets causing humps going across the wall, but maybe i am over thinking it. Do you do 3 layers of mud on joints behind cabinets?

Fun stuff. I’ve been on this forum so much for bathrooms and the need for perfectly flat walls is engrained in my head!! Lol!


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[ss3964spd]

When I did my kitchen 8 ish years ago, maybe 9 now, I removed/replaced the drywall floor to ceiling on the two walls that have upper and lower cabinets. I completely finished the seams because my OCD said I had to, and the humps were minimal. I wouldn't sweat it.

I used line level fed LED under cabinet fixtures for mine, because years before the remodel I'd already installed some florescent under cabinet lights, all controlled by a single wall switch, so the 120V feeds were already there. There are probably more options available now days. Whatever you choose, be sure to place them as close to the front of the cabinet as possible.

[gcc]

Hey guys,

Kitchen Reno is coming along. I still have to mud the drywall but I know when I am done I am going to be prime with PVA. My questions is. - do I need PVA primer specifically or will the following work?



I have a can of this at home. No problem buying PVA but hate to not use something I already have.

Thanks

Greg


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[cx]

I see no reason you couldn't use that as a drywall primer. Appears to be more expensive than a PVA primer, but if you've already bought it, I don't suppose that matters much.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[gcc]

Thanks CX - wasn’t sure if there was something special about PVA primer.

Appreciate it.


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[cx]

Special to me is the price and that it does a really good job of priming new drywall. I wouldn't use it for any other application, but I suppose you could.

[gcc]

Hi guys,

So I had a company come out today to remove the tile. We found that the slab is very unlevel, so the guys who installed the tile years ago made up for it by putting a way too thick bed of thinset mortar on a lot of the slab. In some cases, it is up to an inch thick. Today, they grinded away the top of it but left a lot. Not only would it take a long time to get the rest of it up but we would have to then go back and put about 1/2”-1” of slc back to make it level. We are talking about 800 sq ft.

So should I have them come back and grind the rest off (they grinded it level - the SLC is to fill in the gaps) or can we pour self leveling cement over what is there and move forward. The new flooring will be LVP, not tile. If they grind it off we will need A LOT of SLC.

Is there any way the plan to level what is there now workable?The pics below are just the hallway and entry - it looks like this most of the way through the house.







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