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My Boyz in the Hood

OUR 2nd HOUSE

Operation Heart of the Home : Hood Building edition

Whazzup.  Hood in the hizzouse!

That sounds lame even in my brain.  I blame my mother and the fact she didn’t offer me a gangsta-language-arts class.  Shame on you woman.  And you call yourself an educator.

So basically, last we chatted about the kitchen progress, we prepped for the hood installation.  And I hate to tell you guys this because its painfully obvious….but seriously guys….we are DIYers.  Not professionals.  Not do-it-righters.  Not we-know-everything-ers.  We improvise.  We do things cheaper (our total kitchen makeover budget is 2K….that’s like how much it costs for Trading Spaces designers to modge podge dirt on the walls).  We don’t recommend anyone to do it like us.  This is just a way we are doing it.  Obvious with a side of duh!

If you are looking for a place that tells ya how-to or what’s best, this ain’t it.  This is the hood.  We are gangsta, remember? 

This was my drawing before we started.  I didn’t share that before.  It doesn’t make a lot of sense.  It is more of a picture of inspiration than anything…so Jer and I could be on the same page.  I recommend trying to draw things out or sharing photos if you are DIYing with your spouse…mostly because renovations can cause divorce, depression and psychotic behavior.

When our upper cabinet was hung, we knew that we wanted the most simple way to cover the stainless steel hood.  I really wanted a built-in-hood look.  So before we cut the wood, we drew out a template on a piece of cardboard.  It helped us visualize exactly what size all the pieces of wood needed to be.  The last thing we wanted was to look at it after everything was attached and wish we had made it lower or bigger or more or less, ya know?    It’s basically like photoshopping yourself before a boob job.  It’s kinda important.

Once we had our template drawn and cut and everything looked good, we cut it out.  We had leftover 3/4″ plywood from Will’s toy chest so we used that for the sides and a 2×4 for the back.   The crossbeam in the back would attach directly into the studs in the wall.  The sides get screwed into the cabinets next door.

Then Jer attached another support piece.  He had to rip it to make it fit.  This picture shows it in one layout but he actually rotated that support piece another ninety degrees to make it work (you can see it later).

The real reason I want you to see this is because it reminded us of a Star Wars ship…sortof like a hybrid base for a TIE fighter.  Excuse me while my geek is showing.

We could slip the hood inside the bottom…the duct we previously attached slipped right between the back 2×4 and the other support beam.  On the bottom of the frame, we attached 1×3’s cut to the exact length.

Here’s the view from the top.  Note how the duct squeezed in the gap.  That’s what he said.

And the screws that you see coming through this side of the smaller front support beam?  Those screws actually support the hood (along with two that are in the 2×4)…so that leaves about a four inch gap from the support beam to the bottom of the cabinet.  And that is why we couldn’t hang the hood directly from the bottom of the cabinet.

All we had to do at that point was attach the thing to the studs…

Then tighten the screws that attach the hood to the frame. 

Because we were working, we must admit that we were those parents.  The distracted ones.  The kind that popped in a movie.  The kind that could see him through the plastic drop cloth but not really paying that much attention to the details.  He came in looking awfully guilty… 

Apparently the popcorn went POP.

I’m still vaccuuming kernels outta the shag rug.  This is called momshaming people. 

The next day, we worked on the ductwork.  I was neglecting my photography-of-the-project responsibilities when I hear Jer say “Um Katie…I’m gonna need you.”  He was measuring the duct to cut it when his hand slipped and he got an inch long gash in his wrist.  It scared the poo outta me.  It was so freaking close to those big veins.  I handle gross and blood really well.  I wanted to be a doctor at one point…but seeing someone you love bleed…totally makes me green in the face. 

Don’t worry – he’s up on his tetnus shots and it stopped bleeding once he stopped messing with it.  Now it’s mostly healed and he’s gonna have a very manly scar that looks a vampire bite on the wrist…a la Bella 🙂

Will thought it was the best thing ever.   

We kissed his faux-boo-boo so many times he probably was gonna get a brush burn.  That’s called wishful thinking 🙂

Jer uses pliers to bend the edge of the duct to fit inside tight the reducer we had already attached. 

A couple metal piercing screws and some duct tape later, we have a pipe from the hood into the laundry room (YAY!).

Jer hooked up the wires and turned back on the power to test the fan and the lights (and the little outlet it’s all attached to)…Double YAY…it all works.

Then came the time for the Boyz to get their vacuum on…

Will is such a good helper.  I love that about him.  I’m hoping that by the time the Little Baby is born, he can learn how to fix our gutters.  I am not joking.  I really do hope that.

Now came some finishing boards….just the fronts and some accent trim.

The very top piece was cut to the right width and then cut our angle for the top and then used a ruler to get the bottom angle.  The board in the front was cut to inset and sit flush with the sides of our TIE fighter.  Then we just used finish nails to put on the trim.

Now for a little side by side action….before and during.  I’m hoping the after looks really good.  We shall see.  We shall see. 

Wait….gangstas say shall, right? 

 

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Comments

  4. Are the on/off buttons on the bottom of the hood or did you leave space in the front to access them?

  5. It is going to look GREAT!

    fyi – and I could be so wrong, but I don’t think that Duct tape is actually supposed to be used for duct work, which makes no sense to me. I think there is some kind of really shiny tape you are supposed to use. I could be wrong, but I think I remember reading it on John and Sherry’s blog.

  6. Hi Katie! Love your blog! You’re hilarious! So keep it coming!

    Ummmmm….just one thing though. Remember when the Petersiks put up their hood and used “Duck Tape” and everyone rudely pointed out that was the wrong kind of “duct” tape. And they had to take it apart and replace it with the shiny metal stuff that won’t disintegrate in couple years like the grey stuff. Um, yeah. Just wanted to remind you. Sorry. =(

  7. Love it! I need to photoshop more things in advance, I would regret less. Just to clarify I have not and do not plan to have a boob job. Mostly focusing on mocking up DIY stuff. : )

  8. L.O.V.E the progress! The built-in looks so good and it will look awesome when you’re all finished up, not to mention be much more functional. We have an ugly microwave above our stove with a built-in hood fan. Not the prettiest, but we’re short on kitchen space.

    PS: Will’s headless Mickey shirt is adorable 🙂

  9. I’m not sure if it’s possible, but you should try and replace the duct tape with aluminum tape. I’m not sure why it’s even called duct tape since it isn’t recommended for ducts. It will dry out and can begin peeling away in a couple of years.

    I think the hood is a huge improvement and I’m excited to see how your kitchen comes along.

  10. Ugh… we have the same issue with the downdraft vent system. So dumb, right?! I’ve been dreaming of a nice vent hood, but haven’t been feeling adventurous enough to start planning a demolition. I will say you’re giving me some motivation though!

  11. Want to know what I love about you? Some days when I read your blog I’m always like “God I wish I was more put together and my house was clean and everything in life was easy!” Then I saw pics of Will with popcorn and toys everywhere and I realized you are just like us. Its refreshing compared to some bloggers. Love that about you!!!

  13. “like photoshopping yourself before a boob job” HA! Youre one witty gal Katie b. That’s why I keep coming back! That and I too love bacon 😉

  15. Funniest post I have read in a long time, loved it and looks awesome.

    Side note – I couldn’t wait to tell you how awful my experience with Target customer serivce was. They forgot an item (baby shorts) in my shipment and couldn’t figure out how to reimburse me. They said I needed to open a case with UPS – WHAT?!?!

  16. I love that you incorporate Will into your DIY as much as possible! My husband learned everything he knows from his Dad, and it’s awesome!! Such a great thing to pass on to your kids.

    And also, kitchen is looking good!!

  17. It’s looking great! I can’t wait to see it painted! But the first thing that caught my attention – do you know you’re not supposed to use duct tape on ducts? Hopefully it won’t be a big deal since it’s just a vent fan. But maybe for the rest of the joints you tape on the vent run, you might want to use foil tape instead.

  18. Yeah, I’d have barfed and then passed out seeing Jeremy get hurt, and I’m not even his wife! But his handiwork looks great. I bet it’s gonna be tight when it’s done 🙂

    Another thing – Will’s t-shirt? Where’s it from? My best friend just had her 2nd, and her whole family is just crazy for everything Disney. It’d be awesome to get her chubby little monkey one of those to wear his first time to Disneyland!

    Help!

  19. For someone who is “winging it” it sure looks great. Once it’s all painted, you’ll never be able to tell it wasn’t always like that. Wish my husband was so handy.

  20. Woot! Lookin’ good! And yeah, cutting yourself on those sharp metal edges hurt like a mother. I cut myself as well hooking up our microwave venting. Glad it wasn’t serious and he patched up well.

  21. The way you wrote this post is exactly why I love reading your blog! It’s got everything! Tie fighters, manly scars, guilty toddlers, gangsta, well, everything except bacon. Speaking of, are you aware of bacon salt and bacon pepper? As in salt and pepper that taste, and make other things taste, like bacon. Also, the hood looks fantastic! I can’t wait to see it finished.

  23. Katie (and Jeremy!),

    It’s looking great.. seriously!

    And absolutely no need to defend that you are “just” DIYers… I actually find it inspiring to see people tackle projects where they have no experience. It gives me hope that I, too, can do some of my own upgrades and home projects. As long as you’re following code then I don’t think there’s any one way of doing anything.

    Just have to say…. Will’s eyes make me melt. That picture of him standing in front of the plastic reminds me of that little kitty picture from Shrek. 🙂 So sweet!

  25. No not overstepping. In normal ducts you have heat or cool air coming through. In this case, we have limited amount of use…I cook maybe with one burner once a day…maybe. So the amount of air that is hot or cold is really negligible. In fact, we want this duct more for helping contain smells than anything…so the screws hold the ducts in place and the duct tape (although it’s not the best choice) is not really for anything but a sealant. We definitely don’t recommend this for anyone else but for us it will work.
    xo – kb

  28. Yeah – that’s what we figured…it’s not a big deal since the air isn’t heated or cooled. I would definitely recommend that foil tape or mastic be used on exhaust vents or heating or cooling ducts!
    xo – kb

  30. It’s not really a big deal for us since this duct doesn’t get exposed to a lot of hot or cool air. Its definitely not the recommended method…but since we have the screws, the tape is more for smell containment 🙂
    xo – kb

  31. Its definitely not recommended to use alone but like I said, we used screws and the tape was for more smell containment. Apparently bacon isn’t Jer’s fav air freshener 🙂
    xo – kb

  32. Yeah – J&S used foil tape but in our situation, we don’t really have a lot of hot or cold air going through these ducts…the tape is more to contain the smells that might escape the little gaps between the screws that are holding it all together.
    xo – kb

  34. Yeah – we knew all about this issue but we figured that screws would be best for our situation and since the air is not especially hot or cold (like in a normal duct), the little tiny gaps could be covered with the duct tape with no foul while still containing some smell. Apparently someone (coughboyfriendcough) doesn’t like the smell of three pounds of cooking bacon 🙂
    xo – kb

  35. Eek Katie I feel terrible commenting on this – but maybe it’s not too late (or you know already) I remembered a comment on YHL when they were doing their vent about not taping the joints with duct tape because it dries out over time. Just wanted to pass that along – it might not matter but wanted to make sure you knew before you got too far! Don’t hate me! Love the progress!

    http://www.younghouselove.com/2012/01/hows-it-hanging-2/ – See the comment from Alex @ Old Town Home.

  37. Hey, has anyone mentioned that you shouldn’t actually use duct tape on ducts? Ha! Totally kidding! I’m beginning to think people don’t actually read the comments before adding their own. I can’t wait to see your finished kitchen. Get right on that, will you?

  38. You are so kind to repeat to everyone why you used duct tape over alluminum tape. Why did you do that again! haha j/k. I loved this update. Things are looking great so far!

  39. It looks so great!! Ya’ll have accomplished so much. I don’t know if you ever feel like the” to do list” never gets shorter (I have days…and days) and in case you do…you guys are really doing great! We have a 5 year old and a 5 month old ( who has an aversion to sleep) and I get excited if I get a shower every other day! 🙂 All joking aside, I really enjoy reading your blog. You and your family are so relatable and it’s nice see ‘real life’ for you. So many other DIY blogs, while being very inspirational and beautiful, perhaps lead me to feel as if I am not doing enough? I don’t know…could be me!! Anyway, blessings to you during this time and prayers as you near the due date.

  43. Looks great so far. What are you planning to do with those trim peices on the sides? I think you should try to do a “mitered return” to give it a more finished look.

  44. They are! I love me some Target but I got a baby gift with a gift receipt a while back but when I tried to return it, they said it wasn’t from that store. But I have a receipt people – and it says Target and has the address of this exact Target on it! It was weird.

  45. Everybody enjoys reading your blog, because your real. Keep doing what you’re doing because you ensure all of us, that what we’re doing (DIYing) is not completely crazy. You know you aren’t the only one, who may get sidetracked, until the popcorn goes POP! God Bless!

  46. Lookin’ good! I’m overly excited for your painted cabinet reveal. Can’t wait!

    My only complaint, too few boyfriend butt shots in this post. You need to set a quota and stick with it, girl. Seriously.

    And, Will is seriously the cutest ever!

  47. Nice job!!! It looks great, thanks for sharing and keep it up, that baby will be here before you know it 🙂

  48. We should play a drinking game or bacon eating game where every time someone tells you about the proper tape to use, we eat some bacon and/or take a shot.

  49. Using cardboard was super smart. It looks so great! I love seeing progress. And Will’s guilty face? SO adorable. 🙂

  50. Looks good! can’t wait to see the finished project -I saw your picture on instagram of the painting in progress!! Maybe I can convince my bf we need to paint our kitchen cabinets, here’s hoping!!

  51. Love look on Will’s face regarding the popcorn! I have seen that expression before with my little guy. Your Will and my Eli are a week apart and have some very similar expressions. We also found out yesterday that baby #2 is a boy! Due early February 🙂

  52. Nice work you guys! Are you planning on putting the doors of that cupboard right back on, or covering them with a solid board so that the full piece looks like a hood? The second was how I was envisioning you doing it when you first mentioned putting that cupboard back up, and I thought that was a really smart and cool idea! Either way- you guys are doing an awesome job. Thanks for sharing!

  54. I saw your painting progress instragram pic on FB today and headed over to see if you had an update. Loved this post. Made me laugh so hard too:-) You guys are doing a wonderful job and Will is such a good helper. Hope your boyfriend is healing up! Can’t wait to see how it all turns out.

    BTW the thing about duct tape… just kidding;-) LOL

  55. I laughed out loud at your last comment! Gangstas TOTALLY say shall. They’re much more sophisticated than we think ; ) And you are so nice to give everyone the ‘this is why duct tape is okay for us’ comments. Love it!

  56. I know you commented previously that you don’t think the duct tape would be an issue because you don’t cook much, but you have the responsibility of passing on good info to your readers. How much the correct tape cost? What is the problem with doing the correct thing here?

  57. wow! i wonder where do you get all that energy from? Being pregnant and helping out in such projects..YOU ROCK! YOu have great Will bower..err power:))
    Chitra

  58. Not to offend in any way, but no no no no……..I’m not getting these “wood” hoods and vents at all. It doesn’t look good in John and Sherry’s house and it just doesn’t work in your kitchen. You have a beautiful, wide open, modern kitchen and I don’t get the whole wood/vent hood thing. It doesn’t coincide in any way with the overall look in the kitchen. I think John and Sherry would benefit also with having something other than wood, but it’s already up, so a moot point. I think it just makes everything look a little cheap….

  59. You have a great way of writing – very humorous. And that little boy of yours is so stinking cute!!!

  61. Lookin’ good! Hard to tell from the pictures, but will you have enough clearance for the cabinet doors?

  62. LOL! I love that pic of Will’s cute little mug, and you have it for posterity! It’s so hard not to laugh at them sometimes, isn’t it?

    I still cannot believe you guys are tackling something so involved while you are so close. Of course, you will be so happy not to have to worry about it when that new bundle of joy gets there. Can’t wait to see it all done.

  63. It is hard to tell…they don’t extend beyond the 90 degrees so there is actually about 2 cm clearance before hitting the hood.
    xo – kb

  64. Like I said in the disclaimer at the top…we are doing it our way…and we encourage everyone to NOT do it that way. The foil tape is only $15 for a roll but this is not about a correct thing or not…this is a choice…just the same as cheap paint or not-well-made furniture…we had our reasons to choose and one of those reasons was simple…it’s our money 🙂 I hope you understand!
    xo – kb

  65. Well I don’t rightly know how much it would cost if you had to buy the materials – we had a bunch of leftovers that we used. The hood was provided by Lowe’s. The wood & wires we had already….the duct pipes were in total under $30.
    xo – kb

  66. We are planning on putting the doors back on. That way we can access the pipes and remove the hood completely if need be.
    xo – kb

  67. You know that was my first thought too! We actually tried it out and held some mitered stuff up…any combo of what we did was either not right from the front or banged the cabinet doors next to it….so that’s why we went with it this way. I guess we’ll have to wait and see how it finishes up!
    xo – kb

  70. Hi! I just started following your blog..and I must say that these posts are awesome. My husband and I have talked about installing one of these over our stove for several years now..just haven’t gotten around to actually DOING it! Thanks for the great photos!

  71. haha…it is funny how it’s a trend huh!? We actually went with the built in look because we want the stove top to sortof disappear. I love a big ole chunky stainless steel hood when it’s a focal point but ours is offcenter and not in line with the island or the cabinets….it’s weird. Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion…but just remember, don’t judge bacon before it’s cooked 🙂
    xo – kb

  74. I see that this has been mentioned numerous times above – that is just how big of an error that it is – but you cannot use that ‘duck tape’ on ducts – regardless of the heat within them. That tape will get old and deteriorate into a stringy mess that won’t hold anything (including smells). With all that bacon grease going through that duct it won’t be long before that tape is no good far anything. I would strongly suggest that you remove the wood that you need to know to get that tape off and use the proper material.
    Duck tape has it’s purposes – but for use on ducts it isn’t.

  78. I totally wanted to point that out then I saw the comments how you have had to respond to a billion people pointing it out.. You should put an update on your post. Ps I love your humor. Love love.

  80. Everyone is all concerned about you using duck tape on ducts…I’m shocked no one has mentioned you leaving Will alone in a room with popcorn ;)…Katie Bower, don’t you know that popcorn is a huge huge huge choking hazard! 😉
    I so wish they had a sarcastic font!
    Looking great! Can’t wait to see more updates!

  82. Bonus points for referencing TIE fighter. #starwarsforever And you guys are doing a great job on a frugal budget, I’m excited to see how the final kitchen turns out! Good luck.

  85. haha…yes I actually do know that! The first time he tasted it was just a few months ago…I was so paranoid! But now he has it almost everyday and hasn’t choked…yet…knockonwood 🙂
    xo – kb

  86. Yup. It’s great. I had no energy during my pregnancy, so I would just hand some nice chunky crown molding over the demo-ed tile and call it a day. Looks great!

    Kati

  87. Keep up the good work! You are better people than me, when it comes time to do our kitchen, we are hiring pros! It would take us 5 years to DIY and too many tears to DIY. No shame in being distracted parents, how else are you going to accomplish anything?! I know that look of kid guilt well, in our house it’s usually accompanied by a sharp “leave me alone” or a hurried “I need a rag”.

  88. Love the hood! I read the other prep post and see that you ran it through your laundry room outside – but do you have any details on that part? Is it visible in your laundry room and how did you actually vent it to the outside wall? We have the same setup so and are looking to add a hood soon. Thanks!

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