Dishwasher versus cabinet storage?

Thanks, all.

I think I will spend the next week pulling everything out of the kitchen cabinets, reassessing, regrouping, restoring etc. I know there is a lot in there I haven't touched lately, yet do not want to get rid of. Specialty cake pans, very large spaghetti pot with strainer (Chantal and very expensive), etc. In thinking about the kitchen I haven't stored things very effectively. I have mixer/cake stuff in three different areas. They should be grouped together. I have started a pantry area in the garage, yet have cans both inside and out. So I need to rearrange space more effectively. I may try it leaving out the designated area for the dishwasher and see how things go.

I need to make a decision before July 23. The dishwasher I have my eye on is on sale until July 23. I'll also get a $25.00 rebate from SDG&E for choosing an energy star appliance.

While I have everything out of that cabinet, I'll be making an exploratory hole in the back to see what's in the wall space. I need that space to make this work, so what I do will depend on what I find.

All in all I'm leaning strongly toward getting it. Arguments for are very strong. While I *really* like a period kitchen, I also do NOT like washing dishes and they tend to pile up until there is a big wash, rather than a meal at a time. This is dishwasher owner behavior, not hand washing behavior. I think I am really a dishwasher person.

And even though the dishwasher may be old by the time the house changes owners, the fact that it's already there and installed makes replacing it with a new one much easier.

Thanks all. I'll let you know the final decision in a few weeks.

 

Yes. But I have the same problem as the compact dishwasher....depth. My cabinets are only 18" deep. All dishwashers are between 22-24" deep. Making a space deep enough for a drawer would be even more annoying than for the compact dishwasher. The drawers are also almost twice as expensive.

I've pretty much decided on a GE spacesaver. Cost after sale and rebate will be $419.00 (not including tax). Delivery is free. Turns out the SDGE rebate is $30.00. I'll be calling around on Monday to see if I can find one cheaper than Home Depot.

 

I'm already using a few things; a rack for stacking dishes, sliding cup holder, rotating spice rack. But I *know* I'm not using the space efficiently. I have an Oster Kitchen center but I have the different accessories in different places. I need to consolidate them together.

I do use all of my vertical space (requiring a step ladder). But because my cabinets are so shallow, I don't really have the storage problems requiring roll outs. Premade ones don't fit because they're designed for cabinets that are 24" deep. But I'm sure I could build something with some sliding rails and luan or very thin plywood. And I may do that if I relocate the pots. I've also moved to silicon so there are some pans I don't use anymore. I'll remove them and probably keep them in the garage for a year just to make sure I'll never use them again....then a garage sale.

BTW I put closet systems in all three bedrooms alrelady; a high end in my bedroom and lower ends in the sewing/computer room (it's now fabric storage for quilting) and library/study (it's mostly for books, videos with a small bar for winter coats and sweaters.

I guess it's time for the kitchen. The decision is made. Now it's time to reorganize, do an exploratory, prep, buy and then.....install.

 

He does his job composting what the worms can't eat.

 

Okay. Decision made. Drilled a few pilot holes in the back of the cabinet and I can get 22.75 inches if I use the stud space. I can always put a little trim around if necessary.

Priced the GE 18" Spacemaker dishwasher GSM1800NWW at $499.00 at Home Depot. Cheaper than anyone else.

And.....are you ready?

Home Depot was advertising 10% off on energy star appliances, of which this qualifies. The nice sales guy even discounted the installation kit I need (since this is a new install) so that it costs $0.

$449.10

AND....I got a $30.00 instant rebate at the register
AND....I got a $10.00 off coupon because my purchase was more than $75.00
AND....I get a full rebate on the price of delivery
AND....I still get a $30.00 rebate from SDG&E

Total price will be.....$409.10

AND....I have an entry form for a chance to win a $100 Home Depot gift card.

The dishwasher will be delivered this Saturday.

Demo will begin this week, weather permitting.

I may have to take the weekend off due to high temps and humidity. (And there's a PriusClubSD meeting on Sunday) But I hope to have installation complete by the end of next week. I'll have to mount an outlet in the undersink cabinet to plug it in (there's already electrical running for the disposal I'll tap into. They'll never run at the same time so I'm not worried about the breaker) and I'll have to tap into the hot water. The discharge goes into the disposal. And I'll probably have to reframe a little inside the cabinets but all in all....I've done worse.

I think I've made the right decision. I'll get back the $400+ by increasing the home's worth. I need to reorganize the kitchen anyway so I don't think the loss of that cabinet is going to be serious. I will miss having my paper towel holder inside that cabinet door, though. Not sure where I'm going to put it now.

 

Okay. It's in. I'm running my first load of dishes right now.

It's pretty quiet because I lined the inside of the cabinets with foam core insulation. I'll be cutting some for the kickspace in front of the dishwasher before I put the kickplates in. Just checking for leaks right now. After I do that, it will be even more quiet. I'm in the living room now and can hardly hear it. After that, I'll be hotglueing some wood to the frame underneath the door and painting it to match the cabinet. Hopefully, it will look less out of place.

No one would go what I went through to put in a dishwasher.

If you want to read through the kitchen page with step by step and pictures it's HERE.

At least if this dishwasher ever needs to be replaced in the future, it will be a LOT easier than a first time install.

All told it took me three weeks. But then, I didn't work 8 hour days or every day. After all, it *IS* my vacation.



And I already got my rebate check from Home Depot.

 

I'm mostly done. 98% done.

The connection from the air trap to the disposal is leaking. I need an adapter. I ordered one online as I couldn't find one local. When that gets here I'll be water tight. There's only an inch of water in the bucket under the sink per load so I'll keep running it until the part arrives.

While I'm waiting, I'll take care of the kickspace et al and reorganize my kitchen.

I think it was a good decision.

 

My Dad. And I watch a lot of HGTV. But mostly my Dad. He was an electrical engineer by trade but his Father was a blacksmith and bricklayer. My Dad learned plumbing and carpentry when he added on to his own house. In fact, we did some of it with him. When I was in high school I was taught to lay ceramic tile and my job was the bathrooms and entryway. We all were gathered together one night when a master plasterer came over in the evening for a little overtime. He laid a foundation, then taught us all how to do a "sand dollar" motif with stuffed socks. We were all given an area of the ceiling and so my Mom and my brother, sister and I spent the night applying plaster "sand dollars" in our area. I learned to sweat copper pipe, rewire a lamp, do outlets and switches, solder, do PVC irrigation, and mud and tape. I can also reseat a toilet and clear a trap. I've also hung a ceiling fan. I can reglaze my windows. The projects prior the dishwasher were to hang two slab doors. I had to bevel them (I used a hand plane), mortise in the hinge plates and do the door sets. And I also built a new alley gate for my fence to replace one that was rotted. While I could have hired out those jobs, they probably wouldn't have been done as well and it would have cost me big bucks. When I'm in no hurry, I do it. It takes a lot longer but the job gets done right.

Now I have to repair a cabinet over my stove that was built incorrectly and using the wrong wood.

I'm lucky in that if I don't own a tool, I can borrow his. And if I never touch a reciprocating saw for the rest of my life....it will be too soon.

The trick is to know what you can do yourself and what you have to hire out. Landscape irrigation I do myself. The tankless hot water heater I contracted.

BTW, if you have shallow cabinets like mine, you'll never find anyone to go through what I did to get the dishwasher in. So that was a better learn to do it yourself. I read up on installation and it wasn't anything difficult. For me the most time consuming part was the demo and prep. The hot water shutoff and GFCI outlet went fast. The demo and prep of the cabinet and wall studs took forever. Once everything was prepped, the dishwasher went in day.