Think About The Features You Want- Part 2

By Bridgette Fanucchi Published Jul 24, 2007 02:46 pm

Before embarking on a kitchen redesign, it is important to think through all the features you want well in advance.

For example:

Do you need an island (and have room for it), a peninsula or a breakfast nook?
Would you fill a pantry?
Would you rather have a stainless steel sink or enameled cast iron?
Do you use a microwave for major cooking or just to heat up cups of tea?
Do you prefer cooking with gas or electricity?
Do you want a combination oven-and-range or a cooktop with a wall oven?
Do you use enough small appliances that you could use an appliance garage to store them?

The fewer structural and mechanical changes you make, the less you’ll spend. But that doesn’t mean that all those changes cost a lot of money. You’ll need the advice of licensed professionals to make final decisions, but you can at least get a rough idea of how much extra major changes would cost by answering the following questions:

Is the wall you want to move a load-bearing wall? Load-bearing walls support the structure of the house, and moving them is a complex job for a professional. Typically, an interior load-bearing wall runs the length of the house, at about the center of the structure.
What rooms are directly above and below the kitchen? If the rooms above and below are finished, it’ll be a lot more difficult to reroute plumbing pipes, heating ducts and electrical wires.
Does your new design require that you move existing doors and/or windows? If so, this makes the job more difficult, because exterior walls are always load-bearing.

For home improvement advice, visit JS West Lumber & Ace Hardware Sonora, Ca. or visit www.acehardware.com and click on the Answers@Ace icon. Answers@Ace is an online resource with information for do-it-yourselfers about hardware and home improvement projects. The Everyday Projects section has pictures and detailed, step-by-step instructions for this and many more home improvement projects.

To speak to an Ace Hardware advisor in Sonora call: 209 532 7446.