Understanding Kitchen Remodeling

One of the more ambitious task a home owner can take on is remodeling their kitchen. Kitchens are the heart of most homes and to tear it apart and rebuild it can be very disruptive and stressful.  But if the construction is well planned and thought out it can be a very rewarding and satisfying experience. There are several important steps that need to be taken when planning for the remodel of your kitchen.

  1. Layout: A comprehensive plan of the layout needs to be developed. Frequently walls are being moved, cabinets are being installed and islands are being added. All of these items need to be thought out and addressed at this stage.   If an island is being added are you sure there is room for other appliances around the island such as the oven and dishwasher, both of which swing down.  If a wall is being opened up, how big will the opening be, will there be a larger header over the area? Is it going to be a bar area with seating?
  2. Electrical Rough in: Planning for electrical plugs, switches and possible electrical panel upgrades need to be considered. Many older kitchens have 1 or 2- 15 amp breakers running them. With today’s modern appliances that number needs to be more like 4-6 circuits. The microwave should have its own circuit as should the fridge. GFCI plugs need to be installed. If you have an electric oven it may need to be wired up.  Phone lines, network Cat 5 wiring, cable all need to be planned in the phase. Lighting also needs to be give thought. Pendants over the bar and sink, cans in the ceiling? All of these need to be decided at this point.
  3. Plumbing Rough in: Plumbing needs to be given special consideration in a remodel. Are the existing pipes in good condition? Do they need to be moved? Venting needs to be considered as well as ice make supply lines.  Clean outs need to be installed if they are not already in place. Older iron pipe needs to be inspected, especially at the sink line.
  4. Framing: If walls are being moved attention needs to be paid to load bearing walls, adding headers to off load this weight…

When the structure of the kitchen remodel has been addressed then you can begin planning for the finish out of the kitchen. The floors need to be durable and well sealed, whether it is stone, tile, wood or vinyl. Kitchens are very high traffic and are magnets for messes and a good sealant is well worth the money. The cabinets  needs to be given attention about sizes, finish, color… Custom cabinets are going to look better in any kitchen since they will be designed to fit in the space rather than installed based on the manufacturers sizes.  Countertops can be as inexpensive as $20 a sf for Formica to more than $100 for high end granite colors.  Lastly the finish of the walls and colors need to be decided.   If these steps are followed a kitchen remodel will go a lot smoother and reduce the stress of loosing your kitchen for several months.