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Homeowners know remodeling their kitchen is the key to improving their quality of life and the value of their home. The kitchen has become the gathering place. With the right kitchen designer, you'll transform the most important room into the best room in your house.

The national average age of American houses is 36 years. As your home ages, it's important to maintain and improve your largest investment. When you need a Kitchen Remodeler, think of ConstructionDeal.com and post your request with us!

It's fast, free and easy!

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Be Informed
This is our Kitchen Remodeling Blog where we cover all the latest tips and helpful information on the best ways to remodel your kitchen! Bookmark this blog to keep up to date on the latest trends and ideas in remodeling!

Labels: Kitchen Companies, Kitchen Design, Kitchen Remodeling, Kitchen Trends

Today, homes are built with plenty of room in mind. Total square footage in most houses is two to three times what it was 50 years ago. Most homes built after the 80's have large, eat-in kitchens with room to spare - some have islands, breakfast nooks, two dishwashers, and walk-in pantries.

But many older homes, condos, and townhouses are stuck with very small kitchen areas. High budgets, neighborhood association constraints, and lack of a ground-level location prevent the homeowner from adding on to their kitchens.

What can you do if your kitchen is too small?

A small kitchen can still be renovated to allow for more space, without knocking down exterior walls and doing a complete kitchen addition job. Even if more space cannot be added to the room, there are tricks to add to the illusion and feel to make the kitchen seem larger than it really is.

Open It Up. Most older homes have a kitchen that is more or less enclosed. Kitchens were never a place for friends and family to gather. The kitchen was utilitarian in nature. 4 walls were necessary to close it off. If your small kitchen has one or two doors leading out of it, you should check with a structural engineer to determine if the walls around those doors are "load bearing." If the walls are not load bearing walls, you should consider knocking out the drywall/plaster and opening up your kitchen. If you have cabinets on those walls, and you're afraid of losing the storage space, you can still have cabinets installed that will hang down from the ceiling. Countertop bars can be installed in place of the wall to give eating and visiting space to give the illusion of a larger kitchen space.

More Modern Appliances. New appliances are now available that will do the same amount of work in smaller spaces. Dishwashers and refrigerators are available that have more cubic interior space than older and larger appliances that may currently be in your kitchen.

Take Over Other Rooms. Is the dining room next to the kitchen? Many are abandoning their formal dining rooms and expanding the kitchen out into that space. Since larger kitchens are more desirable it might be an option. At this time, a larger and more improved kitchen but without a dining room will not reduce the value of your home. In fact, it may even probably increase your overall home value.

Increase Light Levels. Can you add a window? Can you enlarge a window? You might even consider a skylight in the room. By adding total light levels to the kitchen, you can open up the space and create the feel of a larger room. Another way to help with this is dimmable recessed lighting overhead and under cabinets. Extra light and accent lighting can increase the rooms feel, too. Finally, consider lighter colors in paint and cabinet doors. By lightening up darker colors, you'll add to the illusion of a more open space.

Expand Up. Can you alter your kitchen ceiling? By pushing up the ceiling in a kitchen, you can allow for more headroom and raise the total cabinet height (and storage space.) A cathedral ceiling or exposing your rafters and beams will also allow for skylight additions.

Shiny Countertops. Upgrade to a high gloss surface on your small kitchen counters. Added lighting and sunlight will reflect off the shiny surface and add light all over the area.

Vary Your Cabinets. Opening up cabinets with transparent or semi-transparent cabinet doors will add an airy feel. Also, vary the height of the new cabinets you add to the room. A row of cabinets that are all the same height can make a more uniformed and closed-in feel. With some cabinets dropping down lower than others and some cabinets not dropping down quite as far, you can keep your kitchen feeling like it has more square footage.

If you need to find a kitchen designer to come in and give you a consultation on your small kitchen, consider using ConstructionDeal.com. Our site is dedicated to helping you find a quality kitchen remodeling company and we have a nationwide network of kitchen renovation pros. It's free to use it and it only takes a few minutes to post your job.

Labels: Kitchen Cabinets, Kitchen Remodeling, Small Kitchens

According to the Kitchen & Bath Design News, based on a recent study by Research Institute for Cooking & Kitchen Intelligence, homeowners have many common dislikes when it comes to their current kitchen.

These are the things that homeowners most want to change about the most important room in their house -- their kitchen. These dislikes were evident no matter how old the house or what style of kitchen they had (modern, country, traditional, etc.)

Here are what they call the "pain points":

• Organization: Homeowners would like to improve accessibility to appliances and various items throughout the kitchen. They also want ways to reduce the amount clutter.
  
• Cleanliness: They want products, surfaces, materials, and appliances that are easy to clean and maintain.
  
• Space: Having more room is always key. Adding cabinets, pantries, and islands help as well as improving capacity within the cabinets to maximize the space.
  
• Product Design: Homeowners want improved products and features those products offer. Many appliances, materials, and products were originally installed to save costs and people want to upgrade.
  
• Noise: Too much noise from appliances and products in the kitchen are constant problems for consumers.

Definitely things to consider when you're planning and budgeting your kitchen renovation project. Read the full article to get more details!

If you need to find a local Kitchen Remodeling Pro, post your request with ConstructionDeal.com! It's a fast, free and easy way to find local contractors. And there is no obligation to hire anyone you talk to. We just want to make sure you have as few "pain points" in your remodeling project as possible!

It's the smart way to find a kitchen renovator!

Labels: Kitchen Companies, Kitchen Remodeling

You're ready to remodel your kitchen. But you need to find kitchen contractors to help you bring your kitchen back to life?

We can help.

Submit your kitchen renovation project to ConstructionDeal.com. It's a fast and easy way to find kitchen contractors. There's no cost and no obligation.

Just tell us about your kitchen remodeling plans and we'll match you to 4 kitchen contractors in the same day - sometimes within minutes.

Simply fill out a small form and then our network of kitchen contractors will call you. It's that easy. Are you ready to find a kitchen remodeling professional?


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Labels: Kitchen Contractors, Kitchen Remodeling, Kitchen Renovation

You're looking to remodel your kitchen, but you're not ready to renovate the entire room. It's usually not a cheap proposition to gut the kitchen to the studs and start from scratch.

A kitchen remodeling project can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $40,0000 for the bare minimum, low-end, and "budget" job. High end jobs, with the granite counters and custom cabinets can really break the bank.

You might consider doing your project one step at a time. Instead of a complete re-do, you might start with the core of your kitchen - - your cabinets. A quality cabinet installer could put in stock, semi-custom, or maybe even custom cabinets to bring new life and new functionality to the room.

If your not looking for the perfect fit for your new cabinets, you can really save money with stock cabinets. Stock cabinets are the ones that are not made to fit specifically in your room. They are pre-made kitchen cabinets that can be installed in place but you may not get the best organization structure needed for your room. There are usually less options in colors and finishes. The cabinets are usually a standard 10 inches wide to 4 feet wide (with a 3" incremental jump in size) and if they are less than 24 inches, then there is only one door and two doors if wider than 24".

A semi-custom cabinet is more expensive. But, you have more color, door, and finish choices. There are also more choices in height, width, and depth. These cabinets are not made just for your room, but because of the greater choice in options and because they are made to order by the manufacturer you can get what you need.

To get what you want, however, may require custom cabinets. These are the most expensive type but they are made on-site for your kitchen. There are no standard sizes that have to be squeezed into a room or a color or cabinet door choice you don't like. The materials are usually the best available, from the type of wood to the molding on the doors to the handles and accessories (lazy susans, pull-out drawers, etc.) Because these are made-to-order, the cabinets always require a long waiting period.

If you are only going to replace cabinets, you might consider spending a little more than you planned. It adds value to the house and the best in convenience and aesthetics for you. And since you're not remodeling the whole kitchen, you'll have a good base to build around when you're ready to wrap it up.

The other thing to consider - - if you do the cabinets, you'll more than likely need to have your choice in countertop installed as well. It would be a waste of money to have a temporary counter and/or backsplash installed until you're ready for your ultimate choice in material for the room. It could be done if it puts your budget out of reach, so it's best to consult a professional to see what your options are.

Ready to update those kitchen cabinets? We can help you find a local cabinet installer. Simply post your project and choose how many contractors you'd like to receive calls from. Make sure you get several bids on the project to make sure you're getting the best price and best package for your kitchen.

Important Cabinet Information:

Normal Cabinet Height - 34"
Normal Countertop Height - 36"
Normal Distance from Countertop to Cabinets - 14" - 20"

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Labels: Kitchen Cabinets, Kitchen Remodeling

From the article Trends in Kitchen Design from the Northwest Renovation magazine:

"Depending on how the duties are divided in a two-cook kitchen, it may be necessary to create two work triangles, with adequate preparation space and clear work centers for each person in a layout that carefully avoids traffic jams. The traffic pattern of each cook should be free from interruption, allowing each to work without bumping into the other.

There are several ways to establish work zones in a two-cook kitchen:

Increase walkway clearances, providing each cook with adequate passing space when both cooks are in the kitchen. Walkways expand from 42” in a one-cook kitchen to a minimum of 48” in a two-cook space.

Expand countertop space to accommodate the needs of both cooks, with an eye to the accessibility of the equipment and material to be shared by each person.

Create a special work center adapted to the specialized needs for one of the cooks: a baking center or barbecue area separate from the primary cook’s triangle.

Vary countertop heights to accommodate the variety of heights of the current or future users, providing raised counters for taller users, dropped counters for shorter cooks. A dropped countertop, set at table height, is also a convenient height for a baking area, ergonomically favorable for rolling and kneading dough.

Include a work island to create a separate workspace apart from the primary cook’s activity centers"

Talk with a Kitchen Designer if you plan on having two cooks in your new kitchen. If you don't already have a kitchen renovation company in mind, post your request on ConstructionDeal.com. It's a fast and free way to let kitchen designers know about your project and, if they're interested, contact you directly. It beats picking one or two companies at random in the yellow pages.

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Labels: Kitchen Design, Kitchen Design Ideas, Kitchen Remodeling

No matter what part of the country you live in, there is usually plenty of time in the summer to enjoy outdoor cooking. More and more people are having outdoor kitchens installed in back and side yards to make the most of their outdoor time (and maybe even extend it.)

If you're planning to add a kitchen outside for next summer, we wanted to give you some design ideas to consider and discuss with your Outdoor Kitchen Design company.

The Basics - What You Have to Have:

Most people wanting an outdoor kitchen may have, at most, a grill in the backyard. Perhaps there is a patio table with an umbrella. Each time you want to grill out, you've got to carry everything outside - food to cook, condiments, drinks, silverware & plates, etc. And you've noticed that you need prep space.

For a basic outdoor kitchen installation, plan for a counter that houses a quality grill. The counter should have some storage space to hold non-perishables and adequate countertop areas to prepare for grilling. Make sure the grill is accessible for repairs and that the propane tank can be easily refilled.

The Next Level - What You Want to Have:

The real value of the outdoor kitchen is a complete outdoor dining experience. You want it to be an extension of your house - a whole new room - that allows you all the conveniences of being in your regular kitchen but being able to spend more time outside. To take it to the next level, here are components you'll seriously want to consider:

• A Sink for your counter - not required but very convenient
• A Refrigerator - saves you time; great for storing condiments, beverages, and food ingredients
  
• A Wood Burning Oven - perfect for making pizzas, bread, veggies and more
• Electricity, Water and Gas Lines - water for your sink and for the ice-maker, outlets for running other appliances, and gas or propane for your grill to avoid constant changing
• Seating - if you can have furniture that is installed near or around your outdoor kitchen, it will really increase the enjoyment of the area. Similar to regular kitchens, it's important to be able to have family and friends around before and during food prep
  

A Cut Above - What You Want: The Upscale Version

You'll want all the items above, but you'll want to add a lot of the creature comforts to the design mix. An upscale outdoor kitchen will also have:

• A Fireplace, Heaters, and/or a Fire Pit - keeping your guests warm will go along way to giving you the perfect outdoor kitchen and can extend the grilling season
  
• A Roof - overhead protection from the elements can also go a long way to extending time spent outdoor. A roof can also allow you to add accent lighting for more ambiance
  
• Custom Cabinetry - quality cabinets, with granite counters, and kitchen islands and outdoor kitchen bars will give you the best of the best in moving the kitchen outdoors
• Appliances - some want all the conveniences and are adding dishwashers, microwaves, and other regular kitchen appliances

Different designs can help give you what you want and can physically add a whole new room to your house. Depending on how far you go on the quality and amenity scale, your outdoor kitchen can run anywhere from $2000 to $50,000. Some are even spending upwards of $100,000 for a complete state-of-the-art outdoor kitchen. If you're not sure what you'd like to do with your outdoor space, you can talk to an outdoor kitchen expert.

Post your project on the ConstructionDeal.com site - for free - and we'll match you to quality outdoor kitchen design experts who can help make a space that's perfect for you (and for your budget!)

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Labels: Kitchen Design, Kitchen Remodeling, Kitchen Trends, Outdoor Kitchens

Let's face it - plumbing is not sexy. Granite countertops and cherry wood cabinets are sexy. Plumbing is probably the very last thing you're thinking about when you remodel your kitchen.

Right?

What's usually the first thing you need when you're cooking in your kitchen - I bet it's hot water. You might want to consider a bit of a plumbing upgrade in the designs of your kitchen renovation project.

If your home already has a traditional or even a tankless water heater, your kitchen is more than likely far away from it. Distance is what causes problems for any water heater so it might be a good idea to install a tankless heater that can run your kitchen sink, dishwasher (and maybe a nearby bathroom or clothes washer.) This could help you get hot water much faster when you need it.

It's important to consider several factors when adding a tankless water heater for your kitchen:

• When selecting a unit, consider how much water flow you'll need for the room. A qualified plumber should be able to let you know what your needs are for the sink, dishwasher, and everything else in use in the kitchen.
  
• Consider location for the unit - a tankless water heater needs proper venting and, to avoid long distances (which is your advantage), needs to be close to the kitchen.
  
• Have your plumber inspect your gas lines and meter to make sure it can support a tankless water heater.

If you would like to save money on heating your water and you'd love to get a fairly unlimited supply of hot water, think about adding a 2nd and smaller tankless hot water heater to your kitchen remodeling plans. It will certainly cost more than installing another traditional hot water heater (units can range from $800 to $1200 and cost about the same to install) but if you're developing a high-end kitchen with all the modern conveniences, it could be a vital ingredient of your renovated home.

Post your kitchen remodeling project with ConstructionDeal.com and we'll match you - for free - to qualified Kitchen Remodeling Design companies or contractors. It's a fast, free and easy way to find a professional. Save time by avoiding searches through the yellow pages and save money by receiving multiple bids (which get you the best prices.)

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The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) has some great tips on how to save money when you're remodeling your kitchen. This list could be used entirely, or you can obviously pick and choose which ones would work for you. The whole point, of course, is to make sure you get to update your kitchen without breaking your bank.

Because the kitchen has become the most important room in the house, many feel pressured to spend more than they can afford. While it's nice to have all best luxury the world has to offer, you don't want to go overboard. Also, many people will get their first few estimates on a kitchen renovation and convince themselves it's either spend $60,000 or get nothing done at all. There are different levels for every remodeling project. And there is a wide choice in the materials that you use. Consult with a kitchen remodeling company and let them know that you'd like to use some or all of the following budget saving advice:

• "If at all possible, reuse existing appliances, and build your new cabinets around them. This could save you anywhere from $1,500-5,000 easily. However, be aware that appliances, like anything electrical, are sensitive to change and may develop problems if they are moved. Should you decide to avoid potential appliance "burn-out" and purchase new appliances, choose energy conscious models for a reduction in your utility bills.
• Maintain present location of major fixtures, appliances and utilities relative to the plumbing, gas and electrical outlets. This could even apply to the location of the telephone. Moving plumbing, wiring and jacks can be extremely expensive.
• The faucet can be a costly item. The least expensive selection is chrome. Even a high-end chrome faucet is considerably less than a mid-range brass or porcelain version. A standard two-handle faucet generally costs less than single handle. Faucets and handles are sold separately, so you may want to choose a chrome faucet with brass or porcelain handles for a different look. Faucet Caution: The price variances in faucets reflect the various internal and external features. Always choose a faucet with replaceable internal parts. You won't want to have to replace the entire faucet if it breaks-it's simply not cost-effective.
• Choose neutral colors in fixtures, appliances and laminates. They are less expensive initially and wont look dated when the color trends change. White and almond sinks are much cheaper than color varieties. And neutral laminate colors for countertops are less than custom colors or textures.
• Good floor covering is important. It ties one room to another and provides visual consistency. Familiarize yourself with the prices of the various flooring materials to make the best decision for your home. To get you started, vinyl or laminate flooring is less expensive than wood, tile or slate.
• Use the existing floor covering if it is still in good condition. If the kitchen has old vinyl flooring, there may be a hardwood floor underneath that could be sanded and refinished, avoiding the need for a new floor entirely.
• If you currently have a vinyl floor covering and wish to update with a newer version, you can install synthetic floor leveler material over the existing vinyl floor and lay the new vinyl flooring on top, rather than tearing the old flooring off to install the new.
• Consider your cabinet options carefully. Those choices will drive the overall price. You can add some options at a later date to defray some of the initial cost. Some that are easy to add include tilt front doors, spice racks and slide out wire baskets. However, if you decide to wait, make certain that the option you want will be available and can be added after installation. Note of Caution: Waiting will cost you more in the long run. Adding new cabinets often requires installing a new floor. Refacing existing cabinets not only eliminates the need for new flooring, countertops and appliances altogether, it is a major savings in any kitchen remodel.
• Go with a simple design in the kitchen employing single height wall cabinets, blind corner cabinets rather than those with Lazy Susans, and other standard options. Watch your upgrades.
• Use standard cabinetry instead of custom cabinets, or use a combination of the two if they are compatible.
• Choose cabinets that can be operated without the addition of hardware (those that are finger-pulled).
• Install cabinets without soffits to decrease the labor cost. Also consider cabinets without trim moldings or with simple trim.
• If you are going to put in new wood trim (in your crown molding, trims, and door casings) to match the new cabinets, order pre-finished trim instead of having the painting or staining done on-site. This will decrease labor cost. Ordering finger-jointed vs. clear vertical grain also will save you money.
• Consider stenciling on the backsplash instead of using tile.
• Laminate countertops are the least expensive choice among solid surfacing, tile and granite. You can dress it up with wood or tile trim for a more innovative look.
• Connect fluorescent light fixtures to the existing ceiling fixture box instead of installing new recessed lighting, which may require a new ceiling because of the recessed features."
  

Keep in mind that you need to make sure the completely remodeled kitchen looks good together. If you choose not to replace your appliances and they are now surrounded by a nice new countertop and new cabinetry, will those appliances look out of place and ruin the whole thing?

Also, you don't ever need to try to put in the same kitchen you'd find in a million dollar house - in fact, it could really make the rest of the house look sad and outdated. Not every kitchen needs to have granite countertops - ceramic tiles are perfectly acceptable, look great, and can save you a lot of money.

Finally, be creative with your kitchen renovation. You could add a chalkboard-like surface material to your refrigerator to write notes to the family. You could make your kitchen match a French cafe with a statue of a chef holding the menu for the day. Consider going with a 50's Diner Retro theme. All the expensive kitchens have the cherry cabinets and granite countertops -- be different, be innovative, and have fun!

If you'd like to discuss your kitchen remodeling budget with a local kitchen design pro, you can post your request with ConstructionDeal.com - it's a fast and free way to get matched to quality kitchen experts!

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Labels: Kitchen Design, Kitchen Remodeling, Kitchen Remodeling Budgets

When you're building a new home or even remodeling your current kitchen space, you need to consider the design layout. You can make changes or set your new kitchen area up based on how much room you have to work with.

The size of the kitchen will dictate the choices you make - for example, you may not be able to install a horseshoe, peninsula, or "U" shaped kitchen if there is limited space. Many really want to have a kitchen island in there home, but if it prevents clear travel through the kitchen -- it's probably not going to work for you.

Most new homes have plenty of room in the kitchen area and the sky is the limit when designing your kitchen or remodeling it.

Layout Options in Kitchen Designs:

Linear - in a very narrow kitchen, you can sometimes only have kitchen cabinets on one or two sides of the room (with no room for a peninsula counter or island.) The Linear design shape is where you go with a single set of cabinets on one wall only. You may have room for a 2nd set of cabinets on the other wall, but if it prevents a free flow of movement or the ability to do all the work needed in the kitchen, it can be best to limit to one row of cabinets. When you have only one wall of cabinets, it can be a good idea to make sure the cabinets go floor to ceiling for maximum storage. Also, you might consider raising the ceiling height to accomodate more cabinets and to open up the room.

Galley - the Galley Kitchen Design is similar to the Linear. You've got a narrow kitchen space and need to have as much cabinet space as possible. In a Galley design, you'll have cabinets on both walls, with entrances on one or both sides. There is room to move, turn, clean, and cook with both sets of cabinets on either side. This is a great arrangement when the kitchen is wider than the area in a Linear room, but not quite as long. Floor to ceiling cabinets and increased ceiling space can also help with storage space. It's important to have adequate task lighting and accent lighting in the Galley or Linear kitchen - the area is small and enclosed. Also, there is usually only room for one window at best. Increased lighting will help "open up" the kitchen.

Peninsula - in wider kitchen rooms, you can pull countertop cabinet space out from the walls to form a peninsula or attached island area. It's a nice option to add additional counter space, additional cabinet or appliance storage, and you can even add an eating area. If the kitchen is wide enough, an island can be added to run parallel with the longest part of the kitchen wall. If there is not enough room for people to pass comfortably with an island in place, it is not recommended to have one installed.

Corner or "L" - to open up a room or if the kitchen is more square-shaped, an "L" shape set of kitchen cabinets can be installed. Similar to the Peninsula, the Corner kitchen excludes an attached cabinet and usually has cabinets that extend out on one side (usually against a perpendicular kitchen wall.) When the L-shaped kitchen is installed, it usually leaves room for a stand-alone island. This open design allows the kitchen to extend into the dining room or family room.

Horseshoe or "U" - the largest kitchens usually can have a Horseshoe design, allowing cabinets on three out of the four walls. The fourth wall usually opens up into the dining room or family room. There is sometimes another entrance on the opposite wall. With larger rooms, the kitchen should easily hold a center island. With such large rooms, it's important to vary the heights on all your cabinets and to install a variety of cabinets (wine rack, spice storage, and perhaps some translucent cabinet doors) to break up all the straight and uniform lines in the room. It gives the room more depth and character.

With nearly all these kitchen styles, a great way to open up the room further and give more light is to install an overhead skylight or two.

If you need to find a kitchen remodeling company or a kitchen designer in your area, let us know. We'll match you to quality companies in your area - for free. Simply post your request on our ConstructionDeal.com site and choose how many companies you'd like to contact you. And getou get more than 2 bids to help make sure you get the best price!

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Labels: Kitchen Design, Kitchen Design Ideas, Kitchen Remodeling

I found an excellent article over at the website for Absolute Remodeling in Westchester County New York. It has some excellent kitchen renovation tips and I've selected a few for you - check out their site for more!

"If you're remodeling an old kitchen or planning a kitchen addition or a new home, here are some strategies to keep in mind:

• A coffered or pitched ceiling can also distinguish the kitchen from neighboring rooms. Going for a high ceiling in the kitchen can boost the perception of spaciousness. Going low in a dining area imparts a sense of intimacy.
  

• Banish rarely used goods -- the picnicware, the punch bowl, the turkey roaster - to the basement, mudroom, or garage. Store the good china in a lighted china cabinet in the dining area.
  

• If you're a baker, consider putting in a baking center with a work surface at 30 or 32 inches rather than the standard 36. It's a more comfortable height for rolling out dough or using a hand-held mixer.
  

• Add a raised ledge or breakfast bar to an island or peninsula to hide the cooktop. If you can't position tall double ovens so that they're out of view of neighboring spaces, think about installing a second under-the-counter oven in an island or peninsula.
  

• Alternate countertop and backsplash materials. Reserve granite for an island and use a neutral solid surface material for all the other countertops. Top a baking counter with a slab of marble. Use ceramic tile or laminate in the wet areas and top a peninsula with maple butcher block. As for backsplashes, you might want to use stainless steel behind a range but ceramic tile elsewhere."
  

There are quite a few great articles on the site. Renovating your kitchen is always the safest, smartest, and most reliable investement in your home. The more you know, the more prepared you'll be to take the plunge. If you need a good kitchen renovator, consider posting your project on ConstructionDeal.com. We'll help you find a quality remodeling company for free - in fact, we'll help you find several! And having multiple bids means you'll get the best price.

And multiple companies bidding on your project give you a better chance to find the right kitchen designer for the most important room in your house.

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Labels: Kitchen Cabinets, Kitchen Countertops, Kitchen Remodeling

Everyone wants to save money. But everyone also would love a new look in their kitchens. One of the most expensive elements to any kitchen remodeling plan is the installation of new kitchen cabinets. Whether you go with stock, semi-custom, or fully customized kitchen cabinets, they are expensive. A great idea to revitalize your kitchen, and save your cash, would be to leave you current cabinets in place and to have the surface, or visible area, of the cabinets replaced.

It's not for every kitchen remodel. If you need additional cabinet or storage space or if you're unhappy with the current layout of the room, this won't help you. You may be able to add a kitchen island for more counter and storage space, if you have the room, but a door replacement is cosmetic and not structural. It's sort of like painting your car - it's not giving you a new car, it's giving you a fresh new look on your current one.

If you'd love a new look in your kitchen, you can save by replacing the cabinet doors and hardware. Add to that a new countertop and maybe even new flooring, and you could save thousands over a complete kitchen remodeling project.

In a cabinet door replacement job, you can replace them with completely new doors and hardware. You can choose the new style, the new color or stain, and the finish on the hardware. If you're doing a budget kitchen remodel, you should start with your cabinets - once you've decided on the style and design of the cabinet doors, you can build the rest of the renovation around them. Matching or contrasting the new stains or color of cabinet doors can really change the look and feel of the room. You might even be able to bring more light into a dark kitchen with lighter colors on the cabinet doors and countertops.

Another aspect to changing your cabinets is that you can upgrade the hinges on the doors. You can switch from the standard hinges that are visible on the outside of the doors to the hidden, or Euro, hinges that are within the cabinets. They can give a much cleaner look and feel to the design of the room.

Cabinet door replacement companies can also make minor adjustments to your cabinet and storage spaces. Lazy Susan spinning cabinets can be installed in existing spaces. Wine racks can replace a single cabinet. Appliance garages can also be added to countertop areas or underneath your current cabinets. Lighting can be added underneath, as well.

A great contemporary option is to add transparent or nearly-transparent cabinet doors along with lighting inside the cabinet (and maybe even glass shelves.) It makes a powerful impact to the room and can considerably lighten a darker kitchen.

A final option - if you've got cabinets that are quality, handmade, or custom in nature - you might consider finding a wood restoration company. These company won't simply replace the doors, they will resurface the existing doors. The door can be cleaned, sanded, wet burnished, and new stains or dyes added. Damage or gouges can be refinished. Coats of gloss or semi-gloss sealers can be added as a final touch. These new finishes can make cleaning easier and protect the surface from any UV damage.

If you need to locate a kitchen cabinet replacement company, or cabinet resurfacing pros, you can post your project for free at Construction Deal. Click through this blog and give us your details - we'll send your request out to as many Cabinet Experts as you would like (which save you time by not having to call them all yourself!) And you can choose how many of the companies in our network will contact you!

Always get multiple bids on any remodeling project so that you can get the job done for the right price in your budget.

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Labels: Kitchen Cabinets, Kitchen Remodeling

What is the best material to use on your kitchen floor? Whenever anyone plans their kitchen remodeling project, it's usually the 2nd question -- after deciding on the kitchen countertop material. What type of flooring you use in the kitchen is very important. The kitchen has become one of the most important rooms in the house. More and more homeowners are spending more time in their kitchen. Kitchens usually have a lot of foot traffic. Even people who do not cook extensively in their kitchen still spend a large amount of time, on their feet, on those floors. The kitchen flooring needs to be comfortable, durable, low maintenance, and aesthetically pleasing.

Many love the look of natural stone - like marble, slate, granite, or travertine - for their flooring material. It can be very durable and could withstand a lot of traffic. But most natural stone flooring needs to be sealed to avoid stains, and there can be a lot of potential for staining on a kitchen floor. It's also too hard to stand on for lengths at a time.

Decades ago, people put carpeting in their kitchens. Carpeting was certainly comfortable to stand on. But, again, because of spills and stains, carpeting is not a great idea for the kitchen.

Your best bet is to consider a tile, wood, or laminate flooring. Vinyl, laminate, or linoleum flooring brings back horrifying images of bad kitchen designs from the 60's and 70's, but check out some of the latest versions of these materials. They've come a long way to looking more like wood but with less maintenance requirements.

Wood is also a great option for kitchen flooring. Nothing can compare with the look and feel of natural wood on kitchen floors. It can be purchased in a contrasting color or stain to the cabinets to really stand out and make a statement. But keep in mind that wood is not impervious to moisture and there can be a lot of moisture in a kitchen.

Two materials to consider as a slight alternative to wood - Bamboo flooring and Cork flooring. Both are similar but have less environmental impact and can be more durable and less expensive than a traditional hardwood floor.

The nice thing about going with vinyl, wood, cork, or bamboo is that you can soften the material further by adding non-slip rugs to the room.

To help keep installation costs down, make sure you go with a compatible flooring material that will match up with your current kitchen floor substrate. If you've got a concrete substrate in your kitchen, your flooring contractor may need to install additional materials before installing a hardwood floor. This can add to installation costs. Especially if adding a thick wood flooring affects cabinet and door height in the room. If you've got a wood substrate, you may not be able to go with ceramic tiles directly applied to the wood because of structural weakness. Adding to the wood substrate could also increase installation costs. It's best to save money if you can make sure your flooring choice matches your kitchens substrate.

If you need to find a local Kitchen Remodeling Company, look no further than ConstructionDeal.com. We'll match you with Kitchen Remodeling Pros in your area - and you can post the job free of charge. It's the fast, free, and easy way to find a Kitchen Expert!

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Kitchen Remodeling: Form AND Function
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Labels: Kitchen Flooring, Kitchen Floors, Kitchen Remodeling

We discovered an interesting survey in the latest issue of Kitchen & Bath Design News. It could be something to consider when you're planning out your budget for your kitchen remodeling project. Many always want to try and save as much money as possible - no matter what your overall wealth or fiscal situation is. Everyone wants to get a good deal.

The study involved some 10,000 consumers who had recently had their kitchens remodeled. When asked what they would do differently, most responded they wish they'd taken more time to plan and budget their project. Many times this had to do with not knowing about new products and what they could do. Hindsight is always 20/20.

It was also interesting to note that 3 in 10 surveyed said they would have spent even more money on the project if they could start over and do it all again, while only 7% said they would spend less...

The survey was conducted by Research Institute for Cooking & Kitchen Intelligence (RICKI).

Another interesting aspect - two thirds hired professionals to do their kitchen remodeling work, but that means that one third did some or all of the work themselves. When asked about the experience, 33% of those who did some or all the work on their own said they would bring in professional help the next time they were to undertake such a big remodeling project.

Contact ConstructionDeal.com to find a local kitchen remodeling specialist to help plan and budget your renovation project. It's a free service to have kitchen designers contact you instead of you having to try to call them all by yourself - it's the smart way to find a contractor.

RELATED ARTICLES:
Kitchen Remodeling: Form AND Function
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Labels: Kitchen Remodeling, Kitchen Remodeling Budgets