Well, the old cabinets (What there were of them) have been demolished and the old appliances and plumbing removed. The floor, which was apparently the first version of peel-n-stick vinyl tiles available on the market in 1942, was already on it’s way out thanks to water damage, and required very little effort to finish the job. However, once the ‘decorative’ floor was up, we discovered more water damage that had caused the plywood sub-floor under the Washer and Refrigerator to delaminate, decompose, and become host to a number of shiny black bugs that crunch when you step on them.

Pulling the cabinets down proved to be more effort than expected. Instead of finding bare plaster, we found bare studs and tar paper. Apparently, the original builder hung the cabinets from the studs, then plastered around them (all in an effort to save a little money). We were also granted a view into the attic, as he gave the ceiling plane the same treatment as the wall. In the photo, you can see that we have begun to install green board where necessary, as well as putting up drywall and mudding the ceiling.

If taking the cabinets down was problematic, removing the soffit was a nightmare. Plaster gave way to chicken wire that was nailed to studs which were set 8” apart (the standard is 16”), and those studs were there to stay. The original builder obviously believed that if 10 nails were good, 100 nails were better. My GC’s workmen were literally hanging from the soffit structures trying to rip them down. After sledges, crowbars and hammers failed them; they found success by sawing through the nails and pulling the soffits down.