In this episode, we’re helping first-time homeowner Dawn Nelson, who’s in over her head with her kitchen renovation.

Dawn wanted to take down one wall that separated her three main living areas, the dining room, kitchen and living room. But then realized she removed all the drywall on a load-bearing wall.

A contractor helped her fix that mistake, but then she realized that removing the wall also exposed a small patch of old flooring.

We’re going to pick up where the contractor left off, and make this place look great!

Patch of vinyl flooring left over after cabinet was removed from Dawn Nelson's home
Removing a wall and cabinet revealed a patch of flooring that the previous homeowners worked around — and it’s an eyesore that Dawn wants covered up, asap. No problem!

Fill In Ceramic Tile Flooring

Dawn was lucky because the previous homeowner left just enough ceramic tiles to fill this eyesore of vinyl flooring.  

The project won’t be difficult because vinyl flooring is the perfect subfloor. That means we don’t have to remove it; we can just install tiles right over the old flooring.

But first, we need to remove some of the ceramic tiles surrounding the hole. They were cut around a cabinet that used to be on the vinyl flooring.  

Once the tiles dry overnight, we apply stain-resistant FusionPro Grout from Custom Building Products.

Mounting plate for over-the-range microwave seen in kitchen before microwave's installation
The over-the-range microwave is ready to be installed, but there’s just one problem: it needs to be properly vented to the outside. We will create an access hole to make that happen.

Install Microwave

An over-the-range microwave has been purchased, but it needs to be installed, and more important, it needs to be properly vented to the outside. Otherwise, OTR microwaves just recirculate the air in the kitchen, which isn’t healthy.

I drill through the wall to create an access hole for the venting. Then I take a sledgehammer to the home’s exterior to complete that hole.

With the path for the vent clear, Bear and I lift the microwave into its new home and trim off the vent on the outside. I also add a little paint to that vent so it blends right in.

Editorial Contributors
avatar for Danny Lipford

Danny Lipford

Founder

Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

Learn More