10 Tips for Your Kitchen Renovation

Make Your Kitchen Renovation a Success

By Ryan Horvath

Whether you do the renovation yourself or you hire the pros, a kitchen renovation project can wreak havoc on your nerves. Taking the time to think about the process and develop a plan can alleviate the stress. We have provided a few pre-preparation tips to get the ball rolling and we have also provided our top ten tips for surviving your kitchen renovation. Don’t worry, we have created a downloadable PDF for you to use throughout the various stages of your project.

Before Getting Dirty: The Pre-Prep Tips

1. Pack up what you won’t be needing. Keep your everyday items accessible, such as cereal bowls and coffee mugs. Stock up on paper plates, napkins, plastic silverware, and plastic cups; this will help to alleviate the hassle of washing dishes and digging through boxes.
2. Set up a mini kitchen. You will need to find a space where you can prepare meals, store groceries, and accommodate necessary kitchen items, like your coffee pot, mixing bowls, and a few pots/pans. Consider using items like a microwave, toaster oven, electric frying pan, or an outdoor grill for food preparation. If you can move a table and your refrigerator in to your mini kitchen area, this would be helpful. If moving your fridge is not an option, you may consider purchasing a mini refrigerator. Also, don’t be surprised if you have to resort to using a laundry tub and/or bathroom sink for clean up.
3. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Before tearing down your kitchen, do a walk through to see what is totally non-salvageable, what you might be able to keep, and what you might be able to donate to a charity like Habitat for Humanity.
4. If you do not have a general contractor, schedule to have a large garbage dumpster delivered to your home for the duration of your project. Having a dumpster placed near the kitchen will save you trips back and forth to the curb and make it easier for cleaning up large pieces of debris. It is well worth the investment.
5. Feel free to download our “Renovation Budget Workbook” and “Plan Your Kitchen” eBooks to help with budgeting as well as planning your floor layout.

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Time to Get Dirty: The Top 10 Tips for a Successful Kitchen Renovation

1. Safety first. Any renovation is a dirty process with dust, debris, power tools, sharp nails, and other materials that are not safe for children and pets. Make sure to set up child safety gates to keep your children and pets out of the construction area. Also, keep an extra eye on them as they may be curious to see what is going on with your project.
2. Protect what you plan on keeping (cabinets, appliances, etc.) by removing them from the space or by covering them with old sheets, plastic, or drop clothes. Protect the rest of the house from dust and dirt by sealing off the kitchen from the rest of the home with duct tape and heavy plastic sheeting.
3. Shut off the gas, plumbing, and electricity to the kitchen.
4. Be sure to disconnect the water and drain pipes from the dishwasher, sink, and refrigerator. Remove thegas line from the oven and disconnect the electricity from all appliances.
5. Remove all of the glass shades from lighting fixtures, outlet covers, heat registers, and window coverings.
6. Pull out the appliances to remove faucets and sink attachments. Remove the sink.
7. Pry trim from around cabinets, windows, and flooring. Remove the sink’s backsplash, tile, and countertop.
8. Remove the upper and lower cabinets using either a pry bar or drill.
9. Pull off the old drywall and/or lath and plaster from the ceiling and walls using a pry bar. Exercise extreme caution when removing items from around electrical wiring and ductwork. We cannot stress this enough. Remove nails and insulation. Use an old coffee can for the old nails and garbage bags for the old insulation.
10. Clean up the area regularly. Having a clean work space will help eliminate dangers and keep the area safe.

The Wrap-Up

Your kitchen should now be nothing more than framing. Congratulations! You have a blank canvas to use to build your dream kitchen.

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