10 Tips To Get You Through Your Kitchen Remodel

Most everyone wants a new kitchen but few people realize the work and inconvenience that goes into a kitchen remodel. A big remodel can take months and you won’t have access to the room while the work is going on. While this can be a trying time, once you have your beautiful new kitchen in place it will be well worth it!

Here’s some tips to get you through the remodel and on to your new kitchen:

1. You will need to set up a temporary kitchen in another part of the house. Make sure it is a convenient location with have access to water and a space to keep food cold as well as a place to heat up meals. Sometimes portable appliances like a crock pot or electric frying pan and a small dorm fridge and microwave work good for a temporary arrangement if you will be replacing your old appliances.

2. Make sure you really think about how long the job will take. Most jobs run take longer than expected. This can be frustrating for everyone, so it’s in your best interest to set a realistic date and that way you won’t be disappointed.

3. Make sure you know what you are going to reuse. Whether you do some of the work yourself or hire it out make sure that it is very clear what things are going to be reused. The cabinets, counter tops and flooring can become damaged during a remodel and if you are planning on reusing them this can be a huge problem and expense. Remember to be careful around these reusable items.

4. Make sure you seal off the room properly so you don’t get dust and debris all over the house. If you have hired someone to do the job, they will probably know just what to do but if you are doing it yourself, invest in some plastic sheeting and make sure you secure it around the doorways as good as possible.

5. Get everything out of the kitche. Box up everything that will not be used in your temporary kitchen. Label the boxes and store them out of the way.

6. Remove anything that isn’t nailed or screwed down. This includes drawers, lazy susans, spice racks, wall clocks, ornaments, etc. Place a protective cover over anything that must remain in place while you work.

7. Make arrangements for the removal of any refuse that may accumulate during the remodeling. if you must rent a dumpster, do so in plenty of time or have a pick up truck on hand for hauling the rubbish to the dump. if you plan to salvage the old cabinetry for a workshop or donation to a charitable cause, have a place ready for them to go as you take them out of your work area.

8. Think safety and remember to turn off all utilities b efore removing any major appliances, turn off all utilities. This can be done at the individual shut off valves for gas and water. If there are no shut off valves, you will have to turn off the main valve. The main gas valve is usually located near the gas meter. Remember that, once you turn off the gas to the whole house, ALL pilot lights will have to be relit before they will work again. Without careful planning you may find yourself without hot water when you’re ready to clean up after a hard day’s work.

9. In older homes, the wiring may have been modified over the years and it may not be clear which circuits or fuses control specific areas. If you are unsure, turn off the main power or get professional assistance. Never take a chance with electricity! In addition, tape over the breakers so they won’t be turned on inadvertently. If you plan on upgrading your electrical system and adding new outlets and fixtures, it will be necessary to dismantle all existing outlets and fixtures.

10. Remove all light bulbs. Then, dismantle each fixture by using a screwdriver to unscrew the plate and the receptacle and pull the receptacle out of the box. Put wire nuts on any exposed wires for the interim. The bare copper wire is the ground and does not need to be capped.

www.LKNcabinets.com offers affordable kitchen and bath remodeling in the greater Charlotte area of North Carolina

How to Install Cabinet Door Pulls

Once you finish a cabinet remodel you still need to install the new cabinet pulls. There are a few simple tricks to use to ensure the job goes quickly, smoothly and will look great. So here’s a quick guide on how to install cabinet door pulls.

The first thing you’ll need to do is figure out just where you want to put up the new door pulls. Use a little bit of paste to tack the first cabinet pull up onto the cabinet door. You can adjust the pull up, down, left or right until it looks just right.

Now go to the furthest cabinet and stick up another knob in the same general location. Adjust it until it’s in line with the first handle you stuck into place.

Grab a chalk line and a buddy.

Snap the chalk line across the row of cabinets above and below the two knobs you stuck up with the paste. This gives you a reference point for the height of the door pulls. You won’t have to worry about them sitting uneven on the door fronts.

Now you can just measure how deep the door pull is from the edge of the cabinet and you have the measurements you need to install all of the cabinet door pulls.

Now you’ll want to construct a quick template so that all the pulls go up in the same location.

Grab a piece of wood and mark off the offset you just measured.

Drill holes through the wood that line up with the cabinet door pull and attach bolts.

Now you can take the template and hold it up to cabinet door. Stick a pencil through the door and mark the front of the cabinet.

Next use a cordless drill to put holes in all the cabinet doors at the same time. This will save you time from having to switch out between screwdriver and drill after each cabinet.

Once you drilled out all the pilot holes grab one of the bolts from the cabinet and use it as a test fit. Increase the size of your drill bits until you reach the size of the bolt.

Go back and enlarge all the holes to the same size.

Now you can put down the drill and switch to the screwdriver for good.

Slide each bolt through the back of the cabinet doors. Use the screwdriver to tighten the cabinet pulls to the door facing. You don’t want to crank down too hard on the screws you’ll risk stripping the screws and warping the door pulls.

All that’s left to do is clean up all the saw dust from the drilling. Just vacuum it all up and you’re finished!

Hopefully this guide on how to install cabinet door pulls will make your remodeling job a little easier. These are but a few tips to make the job go smoothly. Just snap a few chalk lines make a template and you’ll have new cabinet pulls up in a few short hours.

Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of a wide variety of online specialty shops including that offer both items and information on how you can easily furnish and decorate your space. Whether it is knobs for your bathroom or cabinet hardware for your kitchen there are many tips you can use to make those spots both functional and beautiful. Click today and indulge your senses.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Akre

www.LKNcabinets.com can handle installing cabinet pulls and knobs for clients if you so choose.

Make the Most of Your Kitchen Redesign

Your family spends considerable time in your kitchen and you want to make the most of that time together. A kitchen redesign can help you do that, but how can you ensure the new layout of your kitchen is one that is functional, inviting and livable? These tips can help you make the most of your kitchen redesign project.

1. Start online with a kitchen cabinet provider that offers a kitchen design tool. This tool will allow you to preplan your kitchen layout and see exactly what the finished room will look like before you shell out major dollars on a design that doesn’t work for you. If something doesn’t appeal to you, try again. Kitchen redesigning is as simple as a few computer mouse clicks.

2. Consider what other activities will take place in your kitchen besides meal preparation and eating? Will your kids be using it to do their homework while you cook? If so, a center island might enhance the bonding experience.

3. Do you need extra kitchen storage space? Then consider a built-in pantry with rollout shelves, a drawer base cabinet, oven cabinets and lazy susans

4. Evaluate your personal style and build it in to your kitchen redesign. Are you a fine china collector? Then opt of glass-paned cabinet doors to show off your collection. Decorative touches like crown mouldings and cabinet finishes also reflect your interior design personality.

A kitchen redesign is an expensive proposition, but it’s also an investment in your home and family togetherness. Make those dollars count. With a little planning and ingenuity, you can make your kitchen redesign project one that you and your family be pleased with and proud of for years to come.

www.LKNcabinets.com