All Forum Posts by: Tom Jr. Sterl

FYI Home Depot = Walmart = Best Buy etc... There are many local specialty appliance stores, cabinet stores, carpet stores, that can deliver and install better for cheaper than these big box stores any day of the week. You just need to find the one in your area that you hit it off with.  Not to mention service ESPECIALLY for a repeat flipper. I am a kitchen designer and when I see a flipper walk back into my doors with their 2nd or 20th kitchen it's an easy clean repeat sale that I can't let go of even if I make a little less $ it's great business. It's homework like anything else but make the calls and find these people in your area.  Don't plan a career of real estate rehab and base all of your materials supply on some retail fun house.  You may not realize how much respect you can demand as a flipper with suppliers.

There are many different types of Chinese cabinets.  There is a brand called Forevermark which you should be able to find in your region.  They are as in-expensive as any competing importer and nobody matches their specs in the price range.

The plywood is good hard plywood not the typical soft import plywood.

Their products meet the California Air Resources Board Phase 2 requirements for formaldehyde emossions which is a huge issue with import plywood.

Their finish is a UV cured, water based Benjamin Moore stain just like the American product.  Not some cheap lacquer finish.

Their soft close glides are from DTC.  This is the import slide you want which all respectable importers use at least in my market.

I could go on and on but dont settle for some name-less trash just because it is Chinese.  These people make a beautiful product that you can put in your own house that is as cheap as any competitor.

If you can't find a dealer let me know and if anyone else has any cabinet questions that is my specialty.

Good luck!

You need some sort of edge or border to contain the backsplash where it belongs.

If you are using a ceramic or porcelain tile you should be able to get a pencil edge in the same product line.

If you are using a glass or mosaic tile the only option often is aluminum edge trim which any tile store has to offer.  Be sure you get an aluminum edge of the correct thickness to be flush with the surface of the tile with the adhesive or thinset behind it.

Now that you have an edge to contain the tile you will often have 2 areas for it.

Where the run of cabinets end on a straight wall run an edge from the last wall cabinet down vertically to the counter.

Where the window is between 2 cabinets run the edge horizontally between the cabinet and window trim. Let the bottom of the edge be flush with the botom of the cabinetry.

You can get as artistic i you want but this is what we do for the flip houses day in and day out.

Good luck!

Anyone can learn to do it but is it worth your time and materials to learn to do it?

If you have multiples kitchens with which to capitalize on your new skills, you should have or be able to find a contractor that can be your go to man and not kill with pricing for small jobs like this.

Do you have a weekend to try and try again until you get the hang of it?

Do you want to buy/rent and use a wet saw?

I guess the most important thing to take away from this, no matter what you do with the backsplash is you need to get a relaionship going with a go-to contractor if your going to make a business of rehabbing houses.  Hiring a different stranger everytime is an un-necesary risk.  There are plenty of contractors out there that would appreciate the steady work/relationship as much as you will benefit from it.  At that point you can get better, reliable pricing, and hopefully have more time to focus on your special end of the business.

This kitchen is going to be a future project for your customer no matter if you dump $50 or $500 into handles and paint.  Your better off spending a few hundred somewhere where it can help.  I appreciate that people out in the rest of the country may value the clean functionality of this kitchen but from my experience in the NYC/NJ market this kitchen is a few decades over the edge.  This kitchen is a battle you can choose to confront or sidestep but don't blow money trying to do half a job and get no return.