Kitchens are often the most highly customized area in a house, so they are perfect place to start with for home improvement. However, they also include some of the strictest regulation and development laws in home improvement. We’ve given an oversight of these considerations, and a brief outline of the process involved in re-fitting a kitchen.
Sprucing up kitchens, or even going the whole hog and fitting a brand new kitchen can be a lot of fun for the home improvement enthusiast. The process of improving kitchens can be a long and arduous one though, and something which shouldn’t be undertaken lightly. Many varied skills are required in kitchen building, and there are likely to be government or state imposed safety requirements to consider.
Still, as long as the risks and various safety precautions are kept in mind, some home improvement should be a worthwhile and cost effective way to improve kitchens everywhere. There are a few key things to undertake when upgrading kitchens.
- Measure up for your new fittings. Make sure you include space for under-worktop fridges, laundry machines, dish washers and so on
- Kitchens are full of old parts and furnishing which you won’t need. You’ll have to rip out everything you don’t want to keep
- Use a sealant and filler to cover any holes left by previous fittings. Kitchens don’t look so good with lots of holes in their walls!
- Clean thoroughly. Kitchens accumulate lots of hidden dirt and grease in the most surprising places and this will make it difficult to work if it is left on walls. Sand down any areas which have old filler on them.
- Now paint your walls. Kitchens look great with a fresh set of paint. Consider formulas specially created to work in damp environments.
- Now begin fitting the new cabinets and fittings. Kitchens need high quality water resistant surfaces, and a snug fit is essential to the long life of your investment.
- Last comes the plumbing and electrical wiring. It’s possible that you’ve had special sockets fitted for appliances earlier in the build, if that’s the case then there is very little to do at this point.
Once kitchen is complete, there is usually a settling stage. Cupboard hinges settle, as do pipes and appliances. Be prepared to tighten the odd bold here and there as your kitchen settles.
As mentioned, kitchens require a range of skill sets to safely and effectively build. Though the lone DIY enthusiast will find large quantities of the work possible, it is wise (and in some cases required by law) that you use qualified tradespeople for certain complex parts of the process. If you are undertaking any large build, it’s worth considering using home improvement financing and a home improvement contractor to the process smooth. You can also take help from Omni Home Ideas on Facebook to improve your kitchen.