Kalmia latifolia
Mar. 5th, 2006 06:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rootofnewtI went to lowe's today to see if they had any 18" built-in/cabinet dishwashers I could look at. They did not, but they did have sealant for the deck, which boy had requested I buy. They also had mountain laurels. I debated buying them for about 10 seconds before I scooped it up and carried it to the register. They're hardy and native and it should be just fine, even if it snows tonight. I planted it in the spot I tilled and cultivated and amended last fall for the azalea that got stolen/eaten overnight. Very little digging required, as the soil tilth was perfect for the laurel. I tamped the soil back down, watered, spread some mulch, and hoped for the best.
I just hope it's not *too* warm down here. We're about at least 1000 feet lower in elevation than where they grow (I see them from 1500-4000 feet), but I *think* it's close enough. We're well within the hardiness zones for the plant. I hope so, anyhow. It's in the backyard, where it won't get too much direct sunlight, which will be good. It's similar to the open woods/forest fringes where the plant grows naturally. And our backyard azaleas are thriving--they require similar environments.
Now, all I need to do is find a local source for dwarf piedmont azaleas. Yes, indeedy.
I just hope it's not *too* warm down here. We're about at least 1000 feet lower in elevation than where they grow (I see them from 1500-4000 feet), but I *think* it's close enough. We're well within the hardiness zones for the plant. I hope so, anyhow. It's in the backyard, where it won't get too much direct sunlight, which will be good. It's similar to the open woods/forest fringes where the plant grows naturally. And our backyard azaleas are thriving--they require similar environments.
Now, all I need to do is find a local source for dwarf piedmont azaleas. Yes, indeedy.
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Date: 2006-03-06 03:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-06 06:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-07 03:57 am (UTC)That said, I applaud your healthy fear of unknown brands. I've seen a lot of dishwashers that appeared to be built for two purposes only, to take your money and to make noise. By far the two brands to impress me the most were KitchenAid and Maytag, but alas after more than fifty incredible years, Maytag has abandoned its standards of quality. I'm omitting Kenmore from my lineup because if it ever existed as a unique brand it no longer does. Kenmore is just a label put on brands such as KitchenAid, Maytag and Whirlpool.
With Maytag's downfall, GE has moved into second place with me. The older GEs all seemed to eventually develop the same problem with the door latch mechanism (since replaced), but their owners don't seem to fuss as much as others do so I guess they are alright. GE makes an 18" which I saw online at $400
If KitchenAid does not make an 18" dishwasher, or if you find them to be too expensive and are afraid to buy a used one (I'd buy a used KitchenAid), I'd sooner advise you to move your refrigerator into your living room (or dining room as I did) to make room for a full size dishwasher than buy a brand you've never heard of. You have probably noticed that you can buy a full size for about the same if not less than a mini. I for one put all sorts of things in dishwashers from soup pots to computer cases. I don't think I could stand to use a mere 18" wide dishwasher.
I'd like to give honorable mention to Danby for an impressive stainless steel lined countertop dishwasher I was given a couple of years ago as "broken". I'm impressed with aspects of its design but not so impressed with how it broke at the switch. If I ever fix it I'll be sure to look you up and ask if you are still looking. Today I have determined Danby does make an 18" dishwasher. They make a built in for $329 and a portable for about $80 more.
In case you are wondering I moved my fridge to make room for a free standing gas stove. My kitchen already had a space for a full size dishwasher.
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Date: 2006-03-07 04:26 am (UTC)You can see the only possible built-in space here (http://pics.livejournal.com/krasota/pic/00069b7h/g6), the cabinet next to the fridge. That pic is just over a year old. The plumbing under the sink has been brought up to code. ;)
Thanks for all your info. I'll keep it in mind. There are so few options for 18" (built-in or portable) and they're not all EnergyStar-compliant, which I do prefer.
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Date: 2006-03-07 06:55 am (UTC)Looking at that photo of your kitchen I see what might only be five inches between the end cabinet and the fridge, or it could be six inches. If it is six and if you are planning to take out the last cabinet and drawer to install the dishwasher, then you have room for a full size dishwasher.
Yes, the dishwasher would stick out the side and you'd probably want to insert a (true dimension) length of 2x6 to bridge the gap at the end of the counter. In minutes you could wrap it in harmonizing shelf paper to make it look more appealing.
On days when you are showing off your kitchen you might regret this move, but when those same friends are finishing their meals and you are loading the FULL SIZE dishwasher and it just fits, you will be very happy and proud of your choice.
You may be concerned that a naked dishwasher might not be safe to operate open on the top and side. Have no fear, there are not electrical components hanging out on the sides or top. All the electrics are housed behind a panel on the front and inside the door. Outside there is just some fiberglass insulation that is mostly covered in Mylar. Any spots where the mylar is not holding it down well enough you can patch with a little quality heat rated duct tape. It should not void the warranty because installers do crazier things than that.
I operated an older Maytag this way for over three years when I lived in Gaithersburg, free standing with no back or sides, just a 2'x2' sheet of plywood on top and we covered that in a mosaic of tiles just to be weird. It had been discarded by someone not that far from my mom's house in Potomac, I suspect because it was the wrong color and they were remodeling. I dragged it home on my trailer, hooked it up to water and power (while still on the trailer) to test it, and then made a rolling platform for the bottom of it and that top for it. It beat doing dishes by hand.
You won't even see the side with the fridge there and as I said, you can make the countertop extension as attractive as you want it to be, you could even encase it in decorative tile if you felt so inclined and the money you save on the dishwasher by buying a non-specialty product would pay for most any sort of tile. :-)
I would think that if you are planning a remodel of your kitchen, you'd not want to tie up any money using more expensive less functional appliances you might not even want to use in the remodel. From the photo it looks easy enough to move the fridge to the other side of that wall and while that might not be the sort of appearance you want for that room (whatever that room is) it would only be temporary until the remodeling was complete.
Also were you do to that you could pick up a low cost length of countertop at IKEA (not Home depot where they cost several times as much) and in doing so make your usable countertop. You could easily wind up with an extra 42" of counterspace. After an improvement like that you might not even be so eager to remodel. :-)
no subject
Date: 2006-03-07 07:11 am (UTC)Ikea requires paying a friend with a truck mileage/gas to drive to Woodbridge and back (1.5-2 hours one way).
And, oh.my.god, if you'd ever *touched* these cabinets, you'd know why I'm pining for new cabinets. They are just . . . ugh. I've tried replacing latches and the like and the stuff just turns to powder.
If I'm willing to sell my soul to the devil, Walmart has the 18" portable danby for under $300. I haven't checked to see if it's a scaled down/cheaper version of the one sold at CA and elsewhere. I won't put pots in the dishwasher--personal quirk. Just plates, bowls, glasses, cups, and cutlery.
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Date: 2006-03-07 09:01 am (UTC)As for the cabinets resting on the fridge. The screws that hold the cabinets to the wall will be visible inside the cabinets so you can see if this is the case before moving the fridge.
About the cabinets. They are made of "particleboard", which consists of bits of wood held together with glue. If it crumbles you just pack it back in with more glue, let it dry, sand it down and try again. It isn't elegant or even satisfying but it is functional.
As for Ikea, if they cut them to size... I don't know, a 48" countertop should fit in most cars.
About the Danby, I'm confused why you want the portable after all this. I thought you wanted the built in? If you really don't want a built-in after all, you can buy a portable full-size, they exist and connect to your faucet the same way the 18" portable does. Better still being "portable" they can be used as a sort of "island" for extra work surfaces, provided of course you have the available floor space for it, and from the way you were talking you don't really.... If you rolled it into the next room you'd feel silly after a few trips not just putting the fridge in there.
And you don't have to buy the Danby portable from Walmart although it does seem to cost a lot more buying it online after shipping... then again it does from Walmart online. Are you sure they actually stock it in their stores? (http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=1529079)
Or you can buy the Danby under counter for about the same initial price and a LOT less shipping. I wonder why the built in model costs so much less to ship?? (http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=1387300)
Oh here's something interesting! Ever think of having kids? This just shows great my imagination isn't. It used to be children died getting locked in refrigerators which had real door latches instead of the magnetic seals they now have. This can happened with dishwashers too it appears, and the conditions inside a running dishwasher would be even worse. Apparently some GE dishwashers have a "child lock pad" I have to say I think that's a great idea!
Also I'm seeing a lot of well known brands of dishwashers which I've never actually serviced, such as Amana, Hotpoint, and Magic Chef. I wish to make clear I can't say anything bad about these, I honestly have no idea.
This Maytag portable that is under $500 after shipping appears to be very similar to the Maytag I pulled out of the trash, used daily for over 3 years and then took with me when I moved. I still have it btw and intend to use it for crazier stuff I'd never put in my "good" dishwasher (a totally over-the-top stainless thing my mom paid over $900 for before she died). If this is built on Maytags previous designs as it appears it must be, I can recommend it. (http://www.pricegrabber.com/p__Maytag_Maytag_PDC3600BWX_Portable_Dishwasher_BLACK,__14638627)
By now you are probably wondering why I seem so obsessed with all this. I've been working out suitable arrangements of this sort since childhood. Some people do crossword puzzles, I arrange furniture and lay out kitchens. One morning about 6am I was drafted by a shopkeeper I'd never met who was desperate to get his shop back together in time for the start of work. He'd apparently rearranged things the night before and got tired before he was done. When he offered to pay me I bit, but when he showed me what he wanted me to do I balked. I explained it would not fit the way he wanted and proved it. He agreed and panicked. In less than 5 minutes I laid out a new arrangement which did work. and gave him more counterspace as well as more merchandise space. He ended up hiring me for the repair business he was operating on the side. :-)
no subject
Date: 2006-03-07 09:47 am (UTC)If I have a child stupid enough to get caught inside a dishwasher, I'll grieve, but that's natural selection at work. I grew up around a dishwasher. I certainly didn't get stuck inside one. It's sort of the same mindset as teaching a child to respect animals and to not sleep underneath cars.
Those cabinets are 50 year old masonite. Solidly built in their time, but decaying. (Why didn't they use pine, like everyone else in this town?)
I'm leaning toward a portable 18" because (a) I don't want to do a half-assed cabinet job right now and (b) we still don't have room for a 24" portable, even using it as an island. Yeah, an 18" is itty-bitty, but I have a stern policy against putting pots in the dishwasher. Our corelle tableware can fit in an 18" with no problem.
Right now, installing a new countertop isn't an option. Laminate countertop outgasses formaldehyde and other VOCs (especially just after it's cut) and I have MCS, so I'd have to leave for a couple weeks while someone aired out the house and ran the air filters non-stop, then replaced all the charcoal and HEPA filters. Not feasible right now.
I rearrange for the heck of it, too. I'm pretty much aware of the space I have to work with and right now, I'm leaning toward portable (*if* and only if I can buy it locally and not pay shipping) for many reasons, but at this moment mostly so I can get dishes done while saving up for the kitchen we want.
When we eventually remodel (and this is at least 12-24 months away, minimum), I'll have no issues with running new circuits or installing more receptacles and there will certainly be more counterspace. Right now, though, I have to work with what is already in place.
Thanks for all your suggestions. :)
If I can't work out a solution I like,