The Aftershock

Of course, after the Big One there will be small shocks afterward. The shock I encountered was when I double checked everything after priming to find the flex duct had a large hole in the back of it that ran up behind the drywall. This must have occurred as I was moving it to attach the adapter to the hood vent. This set my schedule back a bit from when I thought we would get the kitchen back in working order but I did correct it as I didn't want the warm, moist air from the hood vent producing mold in the cavity above the alcove. But this was after I had gotten the sanding and priming done.

Taped off for primer.

First coat on.

Sanded and 2nd coat applied.

I also took the time to move the outlet for the electric range connection. Though we have a gas unit, I wanted to have this moved so that it wouldn't interfere with putting the fridge against the back wall. It was easy enough as it is fed from a junction box in the basement directly in the center of the alcove. I disconnected the outlet (after making sure the breaker was turned off) and just pulled the armored cable down to the basement. I drilled a new hole, fed the cable up, and simply re-attached the outlet on the right side of the alcove.

Moved the electric range outlet.

Fridge put in place.

It was about this time that I did my double checking of all the new construction and setup. I found the hole in the flex ducting. I called it a night and planned my work for the next day. I replaced the offending section of the flex duct with a rigid duct. In order to do this I had to remove the microwave, cabinet, and cut the ceiling drywall for access.

Replaced flex with rigid.

Replaced the cabinet after duct work.

Microwave attached and connected to new ductwork.

After testing the new duct work for leaks, I cleaned up and reattached the cabinet doors. I put the range in place and tested the gas connection. I then unboxed the final cabinet: a 12" base cabinet. We still haven't picked out the counter top material for this cabinet but it is between granite to match the existing top on the opposite side of the kitchen or a butcher block style of hardwood. For now, we are going to use a cutting board for a top and be careful not to make too much of a mess as we cook.

Everything installed.

We still have to paint the kitchen when we decide on colors, but the primer will keep the drywall sealed until that time. I have some toekick left from the pantry cabinet project that I still need to attach to the new base cabinet but I will do that later. All in all the remodel turned out nicely and I'm quite pleased with the results.