In this video I’m back to visit a house our company built for the farmers who own Springdale Farms in Central Austin Texas.
After you watch the video here’s a few extras and links that you might find helpful as you consider your new/remodel kitchen.

1: Exhaust Fan for Gas Cooktop  In the video I mention the need for venting your gas cooktop, and I gave a brief overview of how we turned this inexpensive Broan insert fan hood into something spectacular.  This topic of gas cooktops and the pollutants they introduce into your house has really gotten some headlines of late.  If you want more on the topic see this article on the National Institute of Health website titled “Take Care In the Kitchen: Avoiding Cooking-Related Pollutants”.  The gist of the article is that you MUST run your exhaust fan while cooking with Gas!

Also, when building a tight envelope don’t forget to include a source for Make-Up Air!  We used the 6″ Broan Make Up Air damper that direct wires into our Broan insert.  When the hood is turned on, the 24v signal tells this 6″ damper under the stove to open.  We used a grille on the floor as this was the closest location we could find to the hood fan.

2:  Reclaimed Pine Floors.  See this old video of mine if you want some advice on milling reclaimed pine floors.

3:  Wood walls.  I made this video with tips for installing wood walls.

4: Shop painted Cabinets –  I’m a very big believer in shop finished cabinets as compared to site painted.  The cabinet maker can do a much more durable finish in their shop compared to your painter working in a house under-construction.  Two brands I’ve started using that have a national presence are Wood-Mode and their lesser cost line called Brookhaven.  They make some top-of-the-line cabinets with excellent finishes shipped complete to your job site.

5: Sharp Drawer Microwave –  This 24″ Sharp Drawer Microwave has been loved by every client I’ve installed one for!  The big deal about this under-counter location is that you can comfortably place food into the drawer rather than the wall mounted units that are typically above an oven on the wall.  The drawer auto closes with a bump of your hip and the controls are in an easy position to read and press.  I really want this for my next house.

6:  Cutting Block Built-in:  We had ours custom made by DeVos Custom Woodworking.  DeVos does beautiful custom wood countertops.  But, another option might be a more off the shelf version like the 2.25″ thick Boos Blocks that you could integrate into your countertop.

I hope these “Extras” were helpful!