Time for a Kitchen Remodel

If there is one thing that I love and hate at the same time, I would have to be remodeling work. The work itself can be so physically demanding and take such a long time, however the payoff in the end is almost always worth the effort. This last month I undertook the daunting task of remodeling the kitchen in my home that was built in the 1940s.

It is actually quite amazing to me to look at the craftsmanship of manual labor workers from 70 years ago, and compare it to the craftsmanship and work that you get in today’s society. Cabinets are actually made from real wood, and each nail was driven by hand as opposed to a pneumatic airgun. Not to say that there is anything wrong with modern tools, but you can tell that a person appreciate their work much more when they were finished back then as opposed to how they feel about their work now.

First things first, was to pull down a hideous light fixture in the kitchen along with all the upper and lower cabinets. This task alone took me about 2 1/2 days to get everything toward out and put into a dumpster that I had rented. After everything was off the walls, I proceeded to tear up the linoleum floor that had been down for the last 15 or 20 years. It was easy to pull up along the edges, but in the center of the kitchen and along all the walkways, it was extremely difficult to get off the floor.

While I had everything out of the kitchen, I hired a plumber and electrician to come in and make sure all my plumbing and electrical work was up to code. For the most part, the plumbing was okay except for a couple of lines, while the electrician opted to completely rewire my kitchen all went back to the main breaker box. This was expensive, however was nice because now all the plugs and outlets in my kitchen are now three prong with a ground as opposed to just the older style two prong plugs.

I ordered premade cabinets about two weeks before I started my demolition of my kitchen, to ensure that they would be in and ready to install when I was ready for them. Basic cabinet installation is very easy, the only part that I can stress make sure you get correct is, finding a good stud to screw them to, and making sure that they are square and level. I used plastic shims to hold up any corners that needed to be raised, and when the tile is install around them you’ll never see the shims.

Speaking of tile, after the cabinets were in, it was time to install the 18 x 18 porcelain tiles. One word of advice is, if you happen to have a smaller kitchen, I advised to stay away from the larger tiles. For some reason, they actually made my kitchen looks smaller. I did a little research and found that many people had the same complaint about using a large tile in a small room.

After the tile was installed in crowded, my wife and I went to Home Depot and browse their selection of Formica countertops. For some reason, choosing the formica countertops was one of the most stressful parts of the whole job. When you get to choose a neutral color that would tie in the cabinets to the floor and to the wall color we chose. After much debate, we went with a grayish tan stone look. They came out quite nice and was well worth the headache.

After all was said and done, including the kitchen sink, we finished out our kitchen remodel for a little under $8500. Most of that cost was the price of the cabinets and having to pay a plumber and electrician. If I had been more skilled in the electrical and plumbing department I would have tried to accomplish that part of the job myself. All in all, I have to say that I’m very happy and pleased with the end results, I know that money spent on remodeling kitchens and bathrooms is some of the best way that you can spend money on your home. The kitchen and bathroom improve the resell value of your home more than any other room in the home. Just something you might want to keep in mind if you are considering doing any kind of remodeling to your home in the near future.