It looks great. That’s a lot of firsts!
DIY PROJECT COMPLETE!!!
From "meh" to "ooh!" + external ventilation!!
fyi: probably not great for your lungs long term to burn methane, smoke oils, char steaks indoors without proper ventilation
I freakin' LOVED being able to (just barely) learn enough to do this! And it looks amazing. It took weeks and weeks of work (plus a heatstroke incident!) but it's so f'n satisfying! So proud of this!
It wasn't cheap, but I SAVED SO MUCH MONEY by doing most of it myself.
Total cost: $1,467
But of that:
* $250(?): roof contractor to cut the hole (was bundled w/other work so I don't know exactly how much the hole cost).
* $363: tools that I can now use for other projects (already planning a tile backsplash for my neighbor and my mom).
* $160: leftover consumable supplies to put towards the next job.
So really just $694 for the cost of the range hood ($309), backsplash tiles ($174), mortar, grout, sealer, piping, & misc supplies.
Firsts for this project:
* Removing an above-range microwave
* Removing installed cabinet
* Building a mount point by replacing drywall w/plywood drilled into the studs
* mixing & applying drywall mud
* using drywall tape
* sealing drywall
* removing the contractor's roof exhaust vent (wrong type! Urrg!)
* installing proper exhaust vent myself
* re-shingling and resealing(🤞) exhaust area
* using a v-trowel to apply tile mortar
* using a wet saw to cut glass and stone tiles
* rounding off glass/stone tile edge w/orbital sander
* attempting a tile inset (way too ambitious for my first tiling project!!)
* grouting tile
* applying grout sealer / stone enhancer
* dremel-cutting aluminum vent sections to length
Existing skills/tools leveraged:
* Photoshop to visualize / plan!
* table saw / mitre saw to cut the plywood anchor panel, the wood trim piece at the top, and the chimney sheath upper mount point.
* portable air compressor + nail gun for temp
* wood finishing (shellac, polyurethane) to the wood trim piece; tiny detail, but looks amazing (see below)!
* previous experience w/aluminum vent pipes
* basic outlet wiring (replaced gfci, raised mount point to tile surface)
* caulking (btw, caulk condoms work great!)
Downside of DIY:
I'm VERY slow and the kitchen was a disaster zone for WEEKS. But no wife or kids to worry about and nostr:npub1kumadawgefxjt2c293whsan5sfmdg5tylm0uk39enc6uxxfy5m4scrz2v7 never complains!
Discussion
Yeah, big reason I decided to do it! Absolutely love picking up new skills and investing in new tools (IF I'm actually going to keep having a use for them!). So eager to get started on the next tiling projects!
I'd shied away from backsplash tile in the past because the idea of using a wet saw to cut glass sounded absolutely terrifying. YouTube tutorials slowly convinced me that it's not really any different than using my table saw (which itself took quite a while to feel comfortable with). Turns out a wet saw is a big nothing. Super easy to use. Really safe. Not terribly expensive for a not-shitty one, either.