Being a homeowner means that there are constantly repairs that need to be made. One of the features of the home we purchased is that it has an “upgraded” kitchen. In this case upgraded meant that a previous owner purchased new appliances at some point, so that the ones in our kitchen are not the ones in the home when it was first built. It also probably referred to the fact that the flooring in the kitchen is also newer than the house. Now that we have lived in the home for a couple of years, we know it better. We also know that “upgraded” doesn’t necessarily mean better. This is particularly apparent in the kitchen.

For one thing, when it comes to appliances, newer is not always better. We bought new kitchen appliances when we moved into our Rapid City home. When we moved out, the stove and refrigerator were 25 years old and still working well. Newer kitchen appliances aren’t expected to last for 25 years. In this house, the first appliance to fail was the microwave oven. After exploring options to repair it, we replaced it with a new one. Then the broiler in the oven failed. It could have been repaired, but we decided to replace the gas stove with a new unit that has an induction cooktop. By switching from gas to electric, we slightly increased the air quality in our home. In addition, because we are in the process of having solar panels installed on our home, our carbon footprint will decrease because the electricity from hydro electric dams and solar panels does not result in as much carbon being released to the air as natural gas.

One thing that was not upgraded in our kitchen was the sink. In this subdivision, the builder saved a few dollars by placing sinks with a ceramic coating in the units. Those sinks suffered chips over the years and ours looked a little worse for the wear. Our biggest problem, however, wasn’t the sink itself. It was the faucet which had been upgraded. The faucet in place on the kitchen sink when we bought the house had a feature that allowed for it to be turned on and off with a touch instead of turning the valve. That system was powered by eight AA batteries and never worked exactly as designed. It was so frustrating that we disconnected that feature, leaving the sink in manual mode. However, the fancy electric valve would occasionally leak, which should have simply resulted in water dripping into the sink. The faucet, however, was not properly sealed on the ceramic sink, so water would drip beneath the sink. If we didn’t notice right away, we’d end up with a puddle in the cabinet beneath. This happened often enough to be frustrating and when it leaked when we had a house full of company in June, we decided the time had come for a new faucet. We shopped carefully and selected a faucet with out electronics and a simpler way of sealing to the sink. Then, even though the faucet was expensive, we decided to replace the sink with a new stainless seal one. A plumber was hired to do the installation and we are very pleased with the results.

However, the water that dripped under the sink had done some damage. The base of the cabinet under the sink is particle board, which had absorbed some of the water. It wasn’t enough to weaken the base, but it left some stains and there was a bit of surface mold. There is a good primer/sealer/stain paint that I’ve used before. I have put two coats of that paint on the base of the cabinet and all is well. In my spare time over the next week or so, I will install plank vinyl flooring that matches the kitchen floor inside the cabinet. We had a similar experience in our Rapid City home and when we had new tile installed in the kitchen, we had tile installed on the bottom of the under sink cabinet. We’re looking to having the same clean, waterproof and easy to clean surface in this cabinet.

That would finish our kitchen, except the refrigerator has already required the replacement of the door seals. The freezer compartment, which is a large drawer at the bottom of this unit has had to have the drawer slides adjusted repeatedly. Then there is the matter of the ice maker and water dispenser in the refrigerator door. Because this model has the freezer compartment in the bottom, the ice maker is located in the refrigerator, not the freezer as is common in other models. A combination of the failure of a solenoid that controls a water valve and a bit of ice build up that deformed a bit of plastic has rendered the ice maker unusable. Replacing the entire ice maker is not an option. For now we are making ice with ice cube trays as we did for years in other homes. It isn’t a problem for us and not having a water dispenser in the door of the refrigerator is another thing that doesn’t disrupt our lives. We keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator and have cold water available whenever we want it. But we have been told by an appliance repair person that the solution is to replace the refrigerator. We’re reluctant to do so both because of cost and because we are not at all sure that a new appliance will last very long.

These are the woes of anyone who owns a home. There are constantly things in need of repair. And we know that we have great privilege to have such a beautiful and functional home. A bit of labor seems an appropriate cost of home ownership. With the housing shortage deepening across the region, we are fortunate to have a home in such a great location. Those who are living without homes would have no sympathy for my complaints about this house.

Still, I’ve bumped my head several times working under the kitchen sink and I’m pretty sure that there are a few more bumps in store before I finish putting the vinyl in. As is true of other home repairs, it isn’t just a matter of labor. There is a learning curve involved. I’m hoping I learn without any more scrapes that leave scabs on my head.