Man I just cant get a break. Got the HVAC done 3 weeks ago. Then had a constant barrage of errands that necessitated driving in to work most days. Went on vacation 2 weeks ago and didn't get in a single ride with all the stuff I had planned to do around the house and on the cars (ball joints and Valve cover gasket on the family van, some work on a few other things and some yard stuff). Planned to get a ride in last Sunday but Saturday night I walk into my dining room and notice the carpet is wet in the corner near the kitchen.
Pull the corner up and sure enough its all wet. Dishwasher was running and went to an empty cycle and I watch a trickle of water run along the sill.
Go grab some tool pull the toe panel off the dishwasher and its bone dry under it. Dry in the cabinets. Run the water in the sink and yep I have water in the dining room. The leak is IN the wall behind the kitchen cabinets on an exterior wall.
So I spent last Sunday removing all but 2 of my lower cabinets to get in that the wall. It had been leaking for a while but being behind the cabinets we never saw the water. most of it was finding its way out (slab house). Got my plumber buddy out to replace the drain line to the cast iron. Luckily no rotten wood. Just took a couple days of the fan blowing non stop to get it all dried out.
Our cabinets are original (1971) to the house and built on site. They are showing their age bad and so we are now looking at a complete kitchen remodel. Of course all the dimensions are screwed up and not workable to current standards so no off the shelf. SO now we are looking at removing a non weight baring wall to open the space up and get so spacing on the cabinets that will work..What we want do do is going to mess with the natural break where the kitchen floor transitioned to the family room so that's going to mean reflooring the Kitchen, Family room and dining room (one space with vaulted ceilings). And while we are at it might as well replace the entry foyer and living room. We want to go to a floating wood floor (dogs and kids have not been kind to the carpet).
I'm leaving in 30 minutes to go see the kitchen designer at Home depot. Looks like another $5.5k on the kitchen and $1500 for floor (with me doing all the labor). Well at least I'll have a nice place to hang out in as I twiddle my thumbs the next 5 years as I recover from all the bills.
