Kitchen Remodeling Ideas For An Old House

Many people think that old houses are especially difficult to remodel purely due to their age. In fact, this is not entirely correct. Whether the house is old or quite new, a kitchen remodeling nearly always turns out to be very cost effective and the habitants will see a marked improvement in the area.

Kitchen remodeling for old homes can be planned so that new items and appliances can be integrated along with the kitchen’s older features. The true key to affordable and effective kitchen remodeling ideas is in the planning stage and this applies to any kind of home, whether new or old.

First on the list of all sound kitchen remodeling ideas is to adequately cost your planned remodelings. This is the most critical aspect as you should not attempt any substantial renovation project unless you have enough funding available or you can enlist the help of your bank or mortgage provider. Notwithstanding the fact that you require substantial funding, take heart in knowing that you can reduce costs in some areas without sacrificing the over-all quality of the renovation. It is important that you allocate adequate funds for the key aspects of the renovation, namely the design component, labor costs and appliances and fixtures.

When you are reviewing you’re your kitchen remodeling ideas always build in an allowance for unexpected contingencies such as repairs being necessary to plumbing, heating and electrical equipment. There is nothing worse than having an aesthetically pleasing kitchen which is great to look at but in reality is a fire-hazard or energy-monster because of the old and ineffective equipment. In old houses it is highly likely you will need to spend money upgrading this type of equipment.

Once you have addressed the structural and services (heating, lighting, plumbing etc) aspects of the kitchen renovation you can then turn your attention to other aspects like choosing counter tops, cabinets and floor coverings. This is a great area in which to control costs as it is possible to use many alternate materials, that are just as durable and impressive as for example marble or granite, however they cost a fraction of the price of the real material. It is also recommended that you consider buying stock cabinets instead of custom-fitted ones as this too will save you a great deal of money.

SOURCE:  http://8rd.org/decoration/

www.LKNcabinets.com

Kitchen Cabinet Makeovers – Not Too Tough to Tackle

Think giving your kitchen a cabinetry makeover is a project best left to the professionals? Well, think again. The folks over at MLive.com recently begged to differ in an article titled “Kitchen cabinets are a project beginners can tackle.” Although the prospect may seem daunting, “updating cabinets is a do-it yourself (DIY) project that many people can master,” the article’s expert assures.

“The project doesn’t require a lot of tools, but it does require patience,” the article goes on to point out. Therefore, you might want to consider replacement of your kitchen cabinets as a tag-team effort. Don’t try to take on the job all by yourself. The cited expert warns, “You have to get the doors off the cabinets, and this might be a two-person job. Door and drawer replacement is the hardest task.”

Once you have removed the doors, you have two affordable options: 1) You can either refinish your existing cabinets, or 2) you can reface your existing cabinets with new door fronts. If you choose the former option, “the prep work is the most time-consuming.” Sanding and painting the door fronts is grunt work but it can be accomplished by a single person. Staining and/or glazing the wood are also finishing options. The article’s source “recommends going to a [kitchen cabinet] showroom to look at the different types of finishes and, of course, new door pulls to finish off the new look.”

But what if you decide to reface your kitchen cabinetry instead? Consultation with a manufacturer of kitchen cabinets, including a selection of wood door styles, should be the first step in your agenda. Many considerations will go into the choosing of a new door style. Wood species will be the first decision you’ll have to make. The beautiful, natural woods offered by the most recognized brands of cabinetry for the home include beautiful and natural woods as well as laminate styles. Once you’ve narrowed down the cabinet material, you’ll need to move on to the doors’ shape. This selection may prove more challenging than it sounds with square, arched, slab, raised panel, and recessed panel options to choose from.

Finally, you’ll need to decide whether you want to leave your cabinet doors natural or apply a finish, just as you would if you opted to refinish your existing door fronts. Leading kitchen cabinet manufacturers offer a wide array of standard and premium finishes and glazes to complement any design style. Your specific options will be dependent on the wood or laminate species you’ve chosen.

DuraKraft finish is one of the finest wood finishes available. A combination of clear resin chemistry and ultraviolet screen inhibitors, it provides a custom finish that extends the original color and clarity of your cabinetry’s material while standing up to everyday wear in the kitchen. In fact, a recognized finish testing laboratory tested the DuraKraft finish for resistance to common household chemicals and agents. The result? DuraKraft exceeds all specifications required by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association. In addition to chemical testing, DuraKraft was also tested for resistance to extreme temperatures and was found to withstand temperatures below -5ÚF and above 120ÚF for shipment and use in all parts of the world.

www.LKNcabinets.com

The Kitchen Cabinets of Your Dreams on a Budget

Last month, The Boston Globe asked it’s readers a $10,000 question: “Is it possible to gut-renovate a 50-year-old kitchen without spending so much that you’ll never eat again?” To answer it, the article posed this query of an area architect and designer, who offered up his very own kitchen “as a lesson in where to splurge and where to save.”

What advice did this exert serve up? To stay under the $10,000 mark, his plan of attack was simple: to buy ready-to-assemble or pre-assembled kitchen cabinets. That decision set him back just under 15% of his budget, leaving him plenty of room to splurge on appliances and other personalized finishing touches.

The architect was quick to point out that “Expensive doesn’t have to embarrass cheap.” Indeed, assembled and ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets from a leading manufacturer often rival custom designs. Constructed using the latest methods and styles, as well as superior materials, assembled and ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets are an investment you’ll be more than satisfied with for years to come.They also offer some other kitchen remodeling perks:
• You can get started (and finish) more quickly with pre-assembled cabinets.
• You can eliminate manufacturing and home assembly wait times, so you can see your cabinet style, finish and dimensions sooner.
• Assembly is simple using the quick attach fasteners that come with your kitchen cabinets.
• Flat packaging reduces shipping costs and makes transport more convenient.
• A variety of door styles and finish options are always in stock.
• Pre-assembled and ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets make it easier to stay within your remodeling budget.

What was The Boston Globe’s expert’s final word of advice for achieving the kitchen of your dreams on a limited budget? “Trust your instincts but think differently. You know what it is you want. You don’t have to accept the standard out-of-the-box kitchen, when a little creativity can make it seem like so much more.”

That advice rings true even if you opt to go with out-of-the-box pre-assembled cabinets. With so many options to choose from, you can get the look and feel you’re yearning for off the shelf, without breaking the bank. But if you’re the crafty type, you can get even more personalized bang for your buck.

That’s because assembled and ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets are perfect for customization with your preferred finishing touches. Take the architect highlighted in The Boston Globe article. He “made the cabinet moldings himself, using scraps from a [discount warehouse’s] ‘as is’ room at a cost of about $125.” It helped, of course, that he “did most of the work himself, including customizing the cabinets,” but even if you bring in a cabinetry expert to attend to the final details, you’ll still save money on your kitchen cabinets over the long run.

Why not take those savings and run with them? Use them to purchase the stainless steel refrigerator or the two-drawer designer dishwasher you’ve been eying up. Better yet, put them away to cover your heating bill this upcoming winter. Come oil, gas or electric bill time, you’ll thank yourself for selecting affordable assembled or ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets.

www.LKNcabinets.com is a Kitchen and Bath Remodel specialist serving Charlotte and the Lake Norman area of NC