Salvaged Cabinets 101 Workshop: 3/9

Salvaged Cabinets 101 Workshop: 3/9

by | Feb, 2019 | Events - Workshops

Join us for a FREE Workshop on Saturday March 9 from 11-12:30 PM at Second Use Building Materials in SODO! Cabinets are one of our favorite things to salvage and our very own Doug will be teaching the ins and outs of how to shop for them, prevent common installation mistakes, identify the different types and parts of cabinets, and determine what type are the best fit for your project.

Salvaged cabinets are one of the most popular ways to incorporate reclaimed materials into a remodel. Like most salvaged material, working with salvaged cabinets presents many rewards, as well as a few challenges.

 RSVP here or to maryanne@seconduse.com

How to Extend the Life of Your Dishwasher

How to Extend the Life of Your Dishwasher

by | Feb, 2019 | Tips + Inspiration

Most people don’t think about cleaning their dishwashers. After all, the appliance is used to clean your dishes on a daily basis. It is easy to assume that your dishwasher will get cleaned at the same time as it is washing your dishes, but the reality is that food debris and other deposits can build up over many uses. That buildup can result in a poor performing dishwasher and dishes that come out dingy and looking gross.

Regularly cleaning and maintaining of your dishwasher can keep it running smoothly and can provide you with spotless dishes every time they get washed. The following is a step-by-step process to extend the life of your dishwasher and keep it performing at its best.

 

1. Wash Regularly

One of the best ways to ensure that your dishwasher is free from excess buildup is by running it regularly. Using your dishwasher frequently will keep debris from settling in the bottom of the appliance and can help reduce the amount of times that you will have to give it a thorough cleaning throughout the year.

2. Empty the Dishwasher

In order to perform the following tips, it’s important that you run your dishwasher through a full cycle and then empty all of the dishes from the appliance. This allows you to have easier access to the entire dishwasher and be able to perform the necessary maintenance correctly.

3. Inspect & Clean the Spinning Arms

Dishwashers work by spraying water out of their spinning arms onto the dishes inside. When those arms aren’t spinning properly or the holes in them are full of buildup, your dishes won’t be getting thoroughly cleaned. Check to make sure that the arms spin correctly and clean out any debris that has accumulated inside the holes with a small piece of wire, a toothpick, or small pliers.

4. Clean the Edges and Exterior

Many times the bad smells that you may find coming from your dishwasher may actually be coming from the outside areas around the appliance. The edges around the door do not get washed during a regular cycle and can end up with lots of spills and pieces of food debris.

A bit of regular household cleaner and a damp cloth should be enough to wipe up this dirty spot and can also be used to wash off all of the buttons and the exterior door of the appliance as well.

Other Parts You Should Clean:

  • Under the door, on the inside.
  • The flatware basket.
  • The gasket.
  • The detergent dispenser.

5. Unclog & Clean the Drain

At the very bottom of your dishwasher is the drain, and this area can be a common place where food debris, buildup, and other matter can end up. Leaving these obstacles near the drain will eventually create a clog. When your dishwasher drain is clogged, it will become less efficient and have a harder time cleaning. And nobody wants to find their dishes are not-so-sparkling clean.

How to Clean Your Dishwasher Drain:

You can start cleaning the area around the drain by collecting the biggest pieces by hand, but you may have to disassemble the drain to get to some of the smaller pieces. Here’s how you can do this.

  • Unplug the dishwasher.
  • Take out the screws and remove the cover.
  • Protect the opening to keep debris out.
  • Clean out larger pieces by hand.
  • Clean out smaller deposits with a brush or cloth.
  • Reassemble in the reverse order.

Cleaning out around the dishwasher drain can help to ensure that dirty water is exiting the appliance adequately so that your dishes are cleaned well.

6. Use an Acid to Remove Buildup

Getting rid of the water deposits and buildup in your dishwasher is an important step because it can result in dishes that are sparkly and not dingy after a cycle. Choose one of the following acids and run them through a short cycle to get rid of excess scale:

Use These to Remove Build-Up:

  • White vinegar
  • Tang
  • Lemon juice
  • Lemonade mix

Any powdered substances should be placed in the detergent dispenser and liquids can be left in a bowl on the top rack.

7. Get Rid of Mildew

One last cycle using bleach in the dishwasher can also be helpful if you are dealing with a mold or mildew problem. Unless you have a stainless steel door or interior, bleach can be the finishing touch for a spotless dishwasher that will provide you with completely sanitized dishes every time you run the appliance.

Green Lake Kitchen + Bathroom Transformation

Green Lake Kitchen + Bathroom Transformation

by | Aug, 2018 | Green Building, Tips + Inspiration

This Green Lake Tudor home was in desperate need of some updates. The kitchen and two bathrooms were severely lacking in function and style – making it hard for Steve to live happily in these heavy uses spaces. Team Mighty House to the rescue!

BEFORE:

old kitchen cabinets and stove

AFTER:

Canyon Creek’s Katana line of cabinetry and Ceasarstone countertops provide an entirely refreshed look for the kitchen, while also maintaining its classic aesthetic. The cabinets are locally manufactured, and both companies provide products with zero VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

BEFORE:

AFTER:

bathroom is dark with bright blue toilet and shower 

Cutting the shower wall down to half-height and adding a glass enclosure, gave the upstairs bathroom a huge boost in natural lighting. Colorful tile accents and a bright blue marmoleum floor, gave the space a new feel while also maintaining some of the original room’s pop of color. Marmoleum is a natural linoleum, that is durable, resistant to bacteria, and free of toxic byproducts.  Plus, this custom tile work was done in house by our resident Mighty House tile expert!

 

Another important element of maintaining the classic Tudor charm, was working with what we already had. Updating, reusing, and salvaging existing elements is also a great way to cut down on waste and extend the life of those items and save them from the landfill. In the first floor bathroom, we left the tub and checkered floor in place and found updated finishes to match. The vanity countertop material is also salvaged PaperStone, a material made from compressed recycled paper.

old shower with yellow walls new bath and shower with white tile

What kind of updates does your house need? Let us know and check out more images in our Flikr gallery.

Creative Corner: Solutions for Older Homes

by | May, 2017 | Design + Architecture, Green Building, Tips + Inspiration

Sustainability is often about creativity and working with what you’ve got. This is especially the case when remodeling older homes, many of which were not built with modern kitchen design or location in mind.

At this home in Leschi, the existing kitchen windows were lower than standard counter height. Our solution was to create a window-well behind the sink. This allowed the windows to stay in place, while also reducing cost, minimizing landfill waste and preserving the home’s old world charm.

See more photos of our kitchen remodel projects here.

Blue Kitchen Ravenna

Blue Kitchen Ravenna

by | Apr, 2017 | Design + Architecture, Featured Projects, Green Building, Material Salvage + Reuse

kitchen with blue door

Kitchens are the hearthstone of the home — a place to nourish, console, debate, love, and celebrate. After raising a family in this classic home, the kitchen had reached its limits. After research and design advice from their design team at Greenhome Solutions and builder Mighty House Construction, the homeowners were able to achieve their vision of an updated kitchen that not only met their dark green renovation goals but also would sustain their needs and give them an enjoyable, beautiful space to sip their morning coffee.

Creative, Budget Conscious Design – Farm sinks are unusual and beautiful but often not inexpensive – nor are the cabinets that fit them. Here, an IKEA sink and cabinet were used in conjunction with Canyon Creek doors to maintain consistency. The Katana line by Canyon Creek is offered at an excellent price point for people on a tight budget. Made in Monroe, Washington, in a state-of- the-art facility, the finish is completely cured when delivered to the job site providing excellent indoor air quality. Canyon Creek cabinets are available through Greenhome Solutions.

Reused Tile Backsplash – Reusing salvaged building materials is a sustainable alternative to buying new products. Salvaged materials greatly reduce natural resource consumption and landfill demand. A great alternative to buying new! The tiles used in this project were salvaged from a previous project on site.

Creative Salvage – Salvaging old materials is a great way to give your space character without opening your wallet. It’s also a way to mix old in with the new. This door to the basement was made with custom shutters repurposed from the previous owner’s own shutter business.

 

Which features of this kitchen might you implement in yours? Let us know!