Let's See Your House Projects!

[lsturbointeg]

Originally Posted by King Rudi

Dude, anytime you post pics of your house, I get the itch to work on mine....(and a slight case of envy). Beautiful home and garage sir.

thanks Rudi! appreciate the kind comments

Originally Posted by nyalpine90

i'd hire him to do my garage.

haha that would be sweet to do

[lsturbointeg]

so here's some install pictures going on right now!

these brackets are very expensive as it allowed us to go an additional 16" past the cabinet without using leg supports which i think get in the way with chairs. each supporting bracket was $250









we already have some subway tiles picked out so i'll be working on that some time next week. i'll post some pictures when i do

[lsturbointeg]

okay so they just finished. they also installed the stainless steel sink which is much deeper, wider and depth compared to what we had before. this is also now a single bowl instead of a double bowl

[hybrid_eg]

Originally Posted by lsturbointeg

i have LED's on top but debating if i should install some under the cabinets. never thought about the toe kicks. how would i do that?

Very easy!! Its actually a fun project and looks super clean.. as long as you have basic electrical knowledge you can do it yourself. I think Toe kick LED complements the upper cabinets very nicely and in the evening hours you can just run those lights as it gives off a very relaxing vibe. I do recommend running the same LED strip to ensure color is the same.. now that you did white quartz your undercab is going to pop a lot more

Since you already have undercab on a switch you need to get the low voltage wire from the undercab down to the toe kick.. i usually route inside cabinet in the corner and use these plastic clips to keep the wire organized so its not noticeable.. once the wire is down in the correct location, install aluminum channels, tape the strip inside channel put the cover on top.. done deal.. I also suggest getting these LV transformers as they have "soft on / soft off" for the ultimate pop when they come on..

you seem to do everything yourself so i'll just post the amazon links and i'm sure you'll know what to do

i have back lighted just about everything.. love the look.. i.e. baths i have them hooked up on vacancy switch so as soon as you open the door they are coming on.. no need to turn the light on.. and set to turn off in 3 min if no motion is present.. back light mirror and toe kicks..

LED strip: Buy as much as you need
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

LW Wire: Run from transformer to your LED strips
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Misc Connectors: If you dont want to solder you can use these to attach to LED strip then just use butt connectors to connect to LV wire.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

LED mounting channels with covers:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

MISC connectors: If you're back-lighting a mirror these are useful so you're not bending the strip instead you will cut 4 pieces of strip and use thee to connect to your LV feed. No soldering
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Solder butt connectors: The best, you just need a cig lighter.. use this to connect misc connectors to your LV feed wire for best connection
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Wire cable organizer: For inside cabinets, etc for your LV wire feed
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

LED Transformer - Check LED strip length and calculate wattage you need
https://www.readyelectricsupply.com/...iversal-driver

[hybrid_eg]

I forgot to add.. I would also add it under your island front overhang.. (not on island toe kick as it would be too much) I see your island already has power so it should be super easy..

Then just get some Lutron Caseta Wireless dimmers and you're set.. get them all on a schedule 30 min before sunset and off whenever you like.. throw some screwless Lutron Claro wall plates for the icing on the cake..

[lsturbointeg]

Originally Posted by hybrid_eg

I forgot to add.. I would also add it under your island front overhang.. (not on island toe kick as it would be too much) I see your island already has power so it should be super easy..

Then just get some Lutron Caseta Wireless dimmers and you're set.. get them all on a schedule 30 min before sunset and off whenever you like.. throw some screwless Lutron Claro wall plates for the icing on the cake..

dude thanks so much! i'm definitley gonna do this. i'm still not understanding toe kicks tho lol

[hybrid_eg]

so if your undercabinet LED lighting is a "strip style" then you have a low voltage wire that feeds the strip from wherever your transformer is located. If its not strip style and you just have LED tube style bulb in those big fixtures, you can rip all that out and replace it with strip lighting which looks much cleaner..

Regarding toe kick, all you need to do is add another low voltage feed from your transformer and bring it down to toe kick area. Easiest way is cut a hole in back of cabinet so you can fish the wire from upper cabinets into lower. Once you're in lower cabinet just run the wire on inside of cabinet corners and come down to toe kick where you make a little hole and feed the wire into it. Then you install your aluminum channels and connect it to your feed. Since you have dishwasher / stove also running in toe kick all you do is daisy chain the LED strip from toe kick and you move from one cabinet to the other.. PM me with any questions.. Also here is a marked up image of one of your pics and how to route the wire and where to mount the aluminum channel. The channels come with plastic clips which hold the channel in place.. ive also included finished photos of what i did at my place to give you an idea of overall look.. put it this way i never need to turn my recessed lights where i have LED it produces that much light..

[Turkish Pickle]

Originally Posted by hybrid_eg

so if your undercabinet LED lighting is a "strip style" then you have a low voltage wire that feeds the strip from wherever your transformer is located. If its not strip style and you just have LED tube style bulb in those big fixtures, you can rip all that out and replace it with strip lighting which looks much cleaner..

Regarding toe kick, all you need to do is add another low voltage feed from your transformer and bring it down to toe kick area. Easiest way is cut a hole in back of cabinet so you can fish the wire from upper cabinets into lower. Once you're in lower cabinet just run the wire on inside of cabinet corners and come down to toe kick where you make a little hole and feed the wire into it. Then you install your aluminum channels and connect it to your feed. Since you have dishwasher / stove also running in toe kick all you do is daisy chain the LED strip from toe kick and you move from one cabinet to the other.. PM me with any questions.. Also here is a marked up image of one of your pics and how to route the wire and where to mount the aluminum channel. The channels come with plastic clips which hold the channel in place.. ive also included finished photos of what i did at my place to give you an idea of overall look.. put it this way i never need to turn my recessed lights where i have LED it produces that much light..


(pics)

Do you know the brand/model of those LED strips? Those are super bright!

[hybrid_eg]

Yes I provided links in the previous posts

[lsturbointeg]

Originally Posted by hybrid_eg

Yes I provided links in the previous posts

appreciate all the info you provided. now i'm looking at how to do this

[lsturbointeg]

so here's a few back splash tiles we were trying to decide to go with






so we ended up going with this!

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by lsturbointeg

so here's a few back splash tiles we were trying to decide to go with

so we ended up going with this!

I like your pick.

[lsturbointeg]

just started laying the backsplash tiles and so far easy peasy!

[jsf721]

Fixed a break in the sprinkler line

[Maestro]

Originally Posted by lsturbointeg

just started laying the backsplash tiles and so far easy peasy!

Hate to critique other people's work,

First I never seen foam sprayed in around electrical outlets, most foams are not rated in that kind of applications. This could be an issue since foam can absorb water over time from the environment and I would recommend removing it. If this was done for cold air reason the foam should have been put in around the outside the plug box to prevent air going through the outlet box.

Next and this would have made your life a little easier especially when you go to put covers on the outlets. The tile on the top and bottom of the outlets should be under the metal tabs of the outlet. You want the outlets mounted flush and tight against the tile. Otherwise your outlet will be floating when you place the outlet covers on the outlets and will move around when you try to plug and unplugs thing and eventually the outs may break. Trust me on this, the previous owners of our house did it your way and I had broken cover plates and outlets over the years. We just remodel our kitchen and redid the back splash and I made sure the plug tabs sat on top of the tiles and they mounted firm to the tile surface. It does require longer screws and Lowes and Home Depot carry them.

[Bongoxxx]

Originally Posted by Maestro

Hate to critique other people's work,

First I never seen foam sprayed in around electrical outlets, most foams are not rated in that kind of applications. This could be an issue since foam can absorb water over time from the environment and I would recommend removing it. If this was done for cold air reason the foam should have been put in around the outside the plug box to prevent air going through the outlet box.

Next and this would have made your life a little easier especially when you go to put covers on the outlets. The tile on the top and bottom of the outlets should be under the metal tabs of the outlet. You want the outlets mounted flush and tight against the tile. Otherwise your outlet will be floating when you place the outlet covers on the outlets and will move around when you try to plug and unplugs thing and eventually the outs may break. Trust me on this, the previous owners of our house did it your way and I had broken cover plates and outlets over the years. We just remodel our kitchen and redid the back splash and I made sure the plug tabs sat on top of the tiles and they mounted firm to the tile surface. It does require longer screws and Lowes and Home Depot carry them.

Would also add that the plugs pictured are installed upside down.

[Maestro]

Originally Posted by Bongoxxx

Would also add that the plugs pictured are installed upside down.

Yeah I missed that too..

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by Bongoxxx

Would also add that the plugs pictured are installed upside down.

I disagree. Most North American outlets are installed upside-down, but those are not!

From an electrician that I trust, the ground pin should always be on the top. The reason he gave was that someone dropping a conductive item near the wall where a plug wasn't 100% seated will have that item hit the ground pin first, and then short to either neutral or hot as it falls. He claimed that it provided the best chance for popping the breaker, instead of shocking a person trying to catch/retrieve the item.....

[King Rudi]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

I disagree. Most North American outlets are installed upside-down, but those are not!

From an electrician that I trust, the ground pin should always be on the top. The reason he gave was that someone dropping a conductive item near the wall where a plug wasn't 100% seated will have that item hit the ground pin first, and then short to either neutral or hot as it falls. He claimed that it provided the best chance for popping the breaker, instead of shocking a person trying to catch/retrieve the item.....

What's more likely to happen, someone dropping conductive material against a wall and potentially making contact with exposed contact points, or a person unplugging something from the duplex. When unplugging any item, your forefinger is retracted, the thumb extends outward. If any electrical item is being unplugged, there is a far greater likelihood of your forefinger making contact with the positive and negative terminals on the bottom versus something falling and making contact. I don't know how many people have dropped conductive material, against a wall, and try to catch it, but I imagine there are far more people unplugging things. Duplexes can be installed in any direction, there is no set upside/downside.

[Buug959]

Originally Posted by King Rudi

What's more likely to happen, someone dropping conductive material against a wall and potentially making contact with exposed contact points, or a person unplugging something from the duplex. When unplugging any item, your forefinger is retracted, the thumb extends outward. If any electrical item is being unplugged, there is a far greater likelihood of your forefinger making contact with the positive and negative terminals on the bottom versus something falling and making contact. I don't know how many people have dropped conductive material, against a wall, and try to catch it, but I imagine there are far more people unplugging things. Duplexes can be installed in any direction, there is no set upside/downside.

Here in NS the ground pin is down in residential buildings and up in commercial buildings. I'm not sure if it's code or not but it seems to be the way electricians are taught here. ( I've asked a few different electricians over the years.)

[King Rudi]

Originally Posted by LemansE90335xi

Here in NS the ground pin is down in residential buildings and up in commercial buildings. I'm not sure if it's code or not but it seems to be the way electricians are taught here. ( I've asked a few different electricians over the years.)

I will say that the only time that I notice a variation is for outlets that are switch controlled. I see a lot of those turned upside down to differentiate.

[Buug959]

Originally Posted by King Rudi

I will say that the only time that I notice a variation is for outlets that are switch controlled. I see a lot of those turned upside down to differentiate.

The first time I noticed an outlet "upside down" was while waiting at the hospital a number of years ago. It caught my attention partly because it was upside down and partly because it was bright orange. Apparently the orange colour indicates a dedicated circuit of some sort.