Hell's Kitchen: One Year Later

Those of you who read here regularly will remember my too-long kitchen renovation from last summer. I was overjoyed to get the contractor gone. Then, I noticed and mentioned some small holes left in the wall on the other side of the back cabinet.

His response? "Well, you know I'm old..." He was 69.

I also discovered and completely dislike the five-inch or more gap between my stove and the wall it is meant to be flush up against. When the stove is backed against the wall as far as it will go, one can see how far the cabinets on either side of it stick out. Someone who was not me clearly measured incorrectly or forgot about the stove entirely in his calculations. Additionally, the caulk or whatever was used between the bottom of the backsplash and the countertop is peeling and cracking. The counters themselves are an issue because the material used was not grout but black silicone. This now comes out in pieces or little black balls.

Another contractor who is also a licensed home inspector has looked at all of this and will attempt to remedy what he can. In the meantime, my electrical outlets along one wall are out of commission thanks to a power surge during a recent storm. The air conditioning line developed a backup and stopped working earlier today. That has been seen to properly.

Lukas and I meanwhile are devising ways to stay out of the heat. I return to the dentist next week.