7 Steps For Starting Your Kitchen Renovation- Demolition Time!

Before any remodeling project can begin, there is always going to be some demolition required. Depending on how far you are taking your kitchen renovation project, that could mean simply removing the countertops or stripping the room down to the bare studs. For many homeowners, the demolition can easily get out of hand when hammers and prybars are flying around. While it may be a good way to get our your aggresssion, it could result in more problems than you had before. Taking your time and actually disassembling the room versus demolishing it, is the smart way to go

Before any remodeling project can begin, there is always going to be some demolition required.   Depending on how far you are taking your kitchen renovation project, that could mean simply removing the countertops or stripping the room down to the bare studs.   For many homeowners, the demolition can easily get out of hand when hammers and prybars are flying around.   While it may be a good way to get our your aggresssion, it could result in more problems than you had before.   Taking your time and actually disassembling the room versus demolishing it, is the smart way to go.   Here are 7 steps to remodeling your kitchen.

1.  Think Safety.  If you are going to around any electrical outlets or plumbing, it is important to make sure that  both are turned off.  As we all know, accidentally hitting an electrical wire can prove painful, if not lethal.  While hitting a water line may not be lethal, it can sure cause a lot of headaches and a big mess.

2.  Protect The Items You Are Keeping.  For example, if your floors are in good shape, and you plan to keep them, it is important to cover them.  The last think you want to do, is damage something during demo or construction and increase your overall remodeling budget.

3.  Remove all Fixtures.  If you are planning to keep any of the lighting fixtures, knobs, faucets, etc.. it is important to remove them and put them in a safe place.  That way, when you are wildly swinging that hammer, you damage any of the fixtures you were planning on keeping.

4.  Save the Trim.  In most cases, you can usually save and re-use the mouldings and trim that you will find in the room.  By removing them now, you will prevent any accidental chips or dings when removing the countertops and cabinets.  Once you have the trim removed, start working on the countertops.   Depending on the type of countertop material, it may be as simple as using a utility knife to cut the caulk or paint between the countertop and the backsplash and cabinets.  For laminate or other artificial materials, you may also have to remove any screws that are holding the countertop to the cabinets.

5.  Removing the Countertops.  It is usually a good idea to have some extra hands to remove the countertops, but if you are trying to do it yourself, and it is a material like laminate, you can usually chop it into manageable pieces that you can haul out on your own.
 
6.  Base Cabinets.  Start by removing the drawers and any movable parts on your kitchen cabinets.  Once you have that off, it is time to climb into the cabinets and remove any of the screws that are anchoring the cabinets to the walls.  After the base cabinets are free from the walls, it is now time to separate them from each other.   Most base cabinets will be secure with screws as well, so by removing those screws you will be able to separate and remove all of the base cabinets.

7.  Taking Down the Wall Cabinets. When it comes to removing the wall cabinets it is a good idea to have an extra set of hands or a brace to support the cabinets.   Unlike the base cabinets, this time start by removing any of the screws that connect the cabinets to each other.  Once those are removed, you can start pulling out the screws that are holding each cabinet to the wall.  By starting the wall cabinets with the screws that are connecting them to each other, you can safely remove each cabinet individually.

Once the kitchen cabinets are removed, it is either time to strip the dryall or plaster off, or start patching so that you install your new cabinets.   By taking your time and not going with the sledge hammer approach to demolition, you can minimize the unneccessary damage and ensure that your project comes in under budget.

Source: RTAcabinetstore.com by Gary Nealon

www.LKNcabinets.com offers FREE kitchen cabinet quotes for the greater Charlotte, NC area

Kitchen Cabinet Secrets

Contractors are constantly looking for ways to cut the budget on their renovation jobs. After talking to several of my friends that were contractors, I found some of the secrets they use to putting more money in their pocket.  Ironically, most of them have been using RTA kitchen cabinets that could be bought and assembled for far less than standard cabinets.

Below is a story from one my friends that is a contractor in the Philadelphia area.

“I was in one of home supply centers and was going to buy my kitchen cabinets the usual way. I already had the pre-assembled kitchen cabinets loaded into onto one of those flat carts when I casually complained to another customer that there has got to be a better way than hauling all these kitchen cabinets around. The other customer jokingly said buy them online. Of course I thought it was a joke. I did a little research and found out that the kitchen cabinets get shipped to you, you avoid any store hassles, and the best part is that the cost was 40% less than the big box home center prices. Part of the reason these kitchen cabinets cost less is because they are considered “kitchen cabinets around. The other customer jokingly said buy them online. Of course I thought it was a joke. I did a little research and found out that the kitchen cabinets get shipped to you, you avoid any store hassles, and the best part is that the cost was 40% less than the big box home center prices. Part of the reason these kitchen cabinets cost less is because they are considered “RTA kitchen cabinets” which stands for ready to assemble kitchen cabinets.

So I decided to do a search and see what I could find online. I was floored! There are many choices out there and it was easy. When the kitchen cabinets arrived, I was shocked again. Not only were the kitchen cabinets solid wood, but they did not have one piece of cardboard or particle board. The reason I mentioned this is because the big box stores have solid fronts but very little else in the areas of real wood.

Finally, I thought these kitchen cabinets might be a hassle to assemble. The kitchen cabinets were easy to assemble. Each cabinet came with a single page of directions and needed only a flat head screw driver to put them together. The cabinets with drawers were a little more time consuming and I used my electric drill to make the assembly go faster, but overall the kitchen cabinets are easy to put together.

Finding an RTA cabinet store might be difficult in some areas of the country, but if you look online you will be able to find these sites quite easily. There is a shipping cost; however, if you buy enough kitchen cabinets the shipping is reduced or actually free. Keep in mind that after I added shipping costs, my overall spending was still a lot less than what I would have spent at a super center.

So the secret to in-expensive kitchen cabinets is to go online and find them yourself. So start searching, it might be a little more effort but it is worth it.”

Source: RTAcabinetstore.com by Gary Nealon

www.LKNcabinets.com offers FREE kitchen cabinet quotes for the greater Charlotte, NC area

Why we use Dovetails: Are They Really Important for Drawer Construction?

Dovetails: Are They Really Important for Drawer Construction?

Dovetail joints are often considered by many to be the ultimate solution when constructing drawers. Not only are they strong and secure, but they are also beautiful and a testament to the craftsmanship of the person who made the drawer. As you will notice even with our cabinets, some of our kitchen cabinet lines feature dovetailed drawers, while others don’t.  However, there are other options for creating durable well-crafted drawers besides using dovetails.

The Construction of a Dovetail Joint

Known as the strongest of joints, a dovetail is constructed from interlocking channels cut in the wood, which are wedge-shaped. These elements are known as the tails and the pins, and are quite resistant to force when assembled, making for a very strong joint. They are also very attractive, especially when carefully constructed. These joints provide a large area for gluing, which increases the overall strength. In fact, usually when a drawer breaks, it breaks somewhere other than the dovetail joint. The joint is so secure that it would hold together even if it wasn’t glued. This style of joint is extremely common and desirable for drawer construction, in addition to making boxes, frames, and cabinets.

The Advantages of Dovetails

There are many advantages to using dovetails when constructing a drawer. They do create an extremely strong joint between two pieces of wood, which is definitely an advantage when constructing drawers. They are also quite decorative and attractive, and can add a lot to the appearance of a handcrafted piece of furniture. While some people cut dovetails using manual methods such hand cutting them or by using a table saw, they are now much easier to construct by using a router with a dovetail attachment. However, even with the help of modern equipment, there is still a fair degree of patience, craft and skill needed in order to construct a finely made dovetail joint.

The Disadvantages of Dovetails

The primary disadvantage of dovetail joints is the fact that they can be difficult to make. There is a certain amount of skill and experience that is required in order to cut and assemble a good dovetail joint. The joint must be accurately marked out and then cut, and if done improperly, the joint will not be secure, and will lose the advantages that dovetail joints are known for. Although many people feel that dovetail joints are essential for good drawer construction, there are other options that can also produce good results.

Alternatives to Using Dovetails in Drawer Construction

There are other ways of making drawer joints that can product just as good of results as a dovetail. For example, pinned rabbet joints are a viable alternative that produces strong, attractive joints. The advantage of pinned rabbet joints over dovetails is that they are much easier to make. This joint can be cut using a table saw by the average woodworker. The basic construction consists of the front drawer piece being the rabbet, the back drawer piece is the dado, and a groove is cut for the bottom of the drawer to slide into. After the drawer is completely constructed and glued, then the pins can be installed, producing a drawer that is both strong and attractive.

Ironically, while dovetailed drawers are extremely strong, they can be over kill in most applications, since the drawer or joint will never have that much weight or force applied to it. So from a cost perspective, even standard methods of securing the drawer together will be fine, especially in kitchen cabinets.

Source: RTAcabinetstore.com by Gary Nealon

www.LKNcabinets.com offers FREE kitchen cabinet quotes for the greater Charlotte, NC area