Advice for Planning a New Kitchen Or Kitchen Renovation

       CREATING YOUR TEAM

The basic key to success in a achieving a great kitchen is to create a great team. Find an architect and contractor that you can work well with. Check on their competency. Are they licensed and insured? Online sources such as state government websites can locate and verify this information. Ask your friends for suggestions. Interview several, as this team will be in your life for a long time, and it is best if you can communicate well with each other. Kitchens always seem to take longer than you will expect, as there is much planning, decision making, and coordination that goes into making a functional and beautiful space.

You will typically be dealing with a general contractor who will in turn, organize plumbers, electricians, mechanical installers, insulation experts, plastering subs, painters, flooring installers, appliance installers, cabinet makers, and counter installers. A kitchen vendor/designer may also be involved to provide cabinet selections/purchases and may also help in appliance purchases. The process will also include permits and approvals from your local building officials, with inspections at various times during and after construction. A good contractor/architect team will help you coordinate all of this, but you need to keep in mind that there can be issues with order fulfillments and conflicts with scheduling.

There are many different trades working on a kitchen project, and getting them to be on the job when needed can be a challenge. Typically the general contractor is responsible for arranging the trades to be on site when needed. Having a good set of drawings and specifications, making decisions ahead of time, and finding a contractor with a well-tuned team will help.

RESEARCH AND PLANNING

Whether you are altering the exterior of your home, creating an addition, or just renovating the interior space for the kitchen, good planning is important. The design process starts with a detailed set of existing conditions drawings for a renovation or well developed drawings for new construction. Good measurements and good documents can make a very big difference in how smoothly the project will proceed.

Depending on the scope, size, or disposition of your project, zoning or other approvals may be necessary. This step may require the services of a surveyor. If your home is in an historic district, you may also need approval from the local historic district commission. Before the drawings become too detailed, make sure that any initial approvals have been obtained. If the project involves supporting or bearing walls, exterior additions or other complex conditions, you should confirm with your architect or contractor whether a structural engineer needs to be involved. Since kitchen installations involve mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, these items need to be considered and coordinated within the overall context of the house and access to utilities. Fixture and appliance locations may affect larger planning issues. Is there and outside wall for venting the stove? Is there a basement space below that can be used for utilities?

If you are renovating an old or historic home, allow for the unexpected. As an architect working with old homes in historic districts, I am often confronted with hidden surprises—some good and others not so good. An experienced team will help to resolve issues quickly and keep the process on track. 

For instance, in our 18^th c. historic home, after demolition of the kitchen ceiling, we discovered that the structure above was in a dangerous condition. Comprised of a heavy timber frame, one of the main beams was not connected to its supporting post.  It seemed as if the fireplace trim was supporting the 2^nd floor in this area. In addition, the 2^nd floor joists were 4” diameter tree trunks, spaced at about 4’ apart. With the ceiling now removed, you could see the bounce in the floor above when someone walked across the area.

This is the time when demolition work needs to stop and the condition assessed. Over time, all of the parts of the house tend to work as a unit. Although the situation may appear stable, you need to consult your architect or structural engineer to determine if some remediation is necessary. When I find these conditions, I often remark that some of these old houses are still standing by a force of habit. 

       

  

After the kitchen flooring finishes were removed (with several layers from many previous renovations), our contractor fell through the original sub-floor because the floor boards had become so brittle.

Existing utilities and mechanical systems can often be affected as well. In our renovation, it turned out that one of the forced air duct risers, set within the kitchen cabinets and totally enclosed, was discovered to be partially closed off and disconnected from the floor register above.  That answered the question about why our upstairs vent didn’t have much air flow.

As you work through the ins and outs of the initial planning, you should reconsider your budget as well. Especially in an old house. Plan for extra costs as a contingency line item.


(To be continued....Next blog post: DESIGN DECISIONS)