Richard Hansen is a real estate agent who recently bought his first home. Home ownership has inspired Richard to try some small renovation projects, like putting up tile board in his shower. Now he's ready for something a little more challenging. With the help of his girlfriend Tasha, Richard wants to give his kitchen a facelift. He plans on ripping out the worn tile countertops and replacing them with granite. And he also wants to install new cabinet doors. Richard and Tasha start the project by enthusiastically swinging at the tile counters with a sledgehammer. After struggling to get one section of the counter out, Richard decides to try a different approach. He removes the wood trim at the front of the counter, and then starts prying out the backer board underneath the tile, in large chunks. The work goes much more quickly now. A few days later, Richard and Tasha go to a tile and stone yard and select a granite slab to go in the kitchen.
After selecting the granite, Richard decides he wants not just new cabinet doors, but completely new cabinets. That's a bigger project than he and Tasha can handle, so he plans on having the installation done by professionals. But demolition is something this couple has gotten good at, so they spend a day ripping out the old cabinets themselves. Days later, after the new cabinets have been installed, the cut granite counters arrive. Because the largest slab is extremely heavy, Richard's friend Carmine drops by to help get it in place. Once they're sure the slab will fit, Richard adds shims to the sink to bring it up to the level of the granite; then he applies silicone adhesive to the plywood base. They lay the counter down on the silicone, and the first piece of granite is done.
The day continues as Richard and Tasha install the backsplash on their own, using more silicone adhesive. Soon, the job is done and Richard's kitchen has been completely transformed. Looking back on all the work, Richard admits there were moments when he felt daunted by the project, but he's proud of what he and Tasha accomplished .
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