Learn about kitchens.
Before I share our knowledge to learn about kitchens with you, I should instill in you that you should firstly deal with a reputable company that is not a scam or one which may go bankrupt throughout your job and take your hard-earned money.
Ask them to provide the phone numbers of their last few completed jobs so that you can verify that the company is worth dealing with and the quality of their work is good.
If you wish to go to our sister site to learn more about the nitty gritty of selecting a kitchen and the process, then click on the link below. but read our page first.
Original Kitchens Qld.
Our company has often been brought in after a prior cabinet firm has bit the dust and disappeared with the client’s money, or their builder has gone belly up and their cabinetmaker has also not received his money from the builder and who wishes to count his losses and walk away.
Having put the fear of God into you, I must remind you that most cabinet shops and builders are reputable and will provide you with good service. Check out the family businesses and stay well away from the commercialized large corporations.
Do not learn about kitchens the hard way and check out your kitchen supplier as he can be your best friend or worst enemy.
Money required.
1. Basically, this is a problem where we can be of little help.
2. The kitchen renovator can sometimes help with the finance but usually this is high interest and so you are better off going to your bank and begging them for the money yourself.
Learn about Kitchens (Design).
1. Be careful with what designer you have, as some designers work with ‘kits’ and ‘standard sizes off the shelf’. If this saved you money then that may well be okay, but the reality is, that most often, standard size kit people actually charge more for an ill-fitting job.
2. Best option when getting a quote from a good designer is to tell him what you want, and then let him draw up a suitable plan. After that, he may tell you about what will fit and what not and you can modify the plan totally, or maybe only slightly. If your designer is pushy and obnoxious then show him the door.
3. After the plan has been accepted by both the designer and you, then thank him and wait for his quote in the mail or by email.
4. Take a little time, perhaps a day or two and by then you will either find the plan to your liking or may wish to make changes. Email the changes to him and he will email back a new plan with the changes. You should now be satisfied, and you can then pay the man some money to get your job under way.
Learn about Kitchens – (Doors)
With choosing materials for your kitchen, you may well listen to advice, while remembering that the advice may be given for self serving purposes.
1. Melamine for doors is the most common product for door material today. It comes with an edging material nowadays which does not come off but may sometimes discolor slightly over the years.
2. Vinyl is also a common product with kit people. They should provide you with a gun with the product so that you can shoot yourself straight away, as you will certainly wish to shoot yourself when it causes you grief. Vinyl wrap or Thermoform is a heat shrink product which goes on with heat and unfortunately also come off with heat. Toasters ovens microwaves dishwashers all have been known to cause the vinyl to lift and shrink.
3. 2-pac is car paint and is said to be the best product on the market. It is the most expensive door material other than timber. and does not have any negative issues. It is a very good product.
4. Timber is timber. It has to be coated with a product to make it impervious to staining and sunlight. Lighter colored timbers can yellow drastically, but for the lover of timber nothing else can compare.
Learn about Kitchens – (Benchtops).
With choosing bench-tops for your kitchen, you may well listen to advice, remembering the advice may be given for self-serving reasons.
I. Laminate tops have been around forever and are generally a good product.
2. Stone tops have taken over the market and are possibly bypassing laminate as the largest selling kitchen bench top. Do not believe the propaganda that you can put hot gear on stone, you can put warm gear on stone but certainly not super-hot pans straight off the stove.
3. Wood tops need to be surfaced with a product that seals it against wear. It needs to be looked after; best product for this is country oil which can easily be reapplied by the owner.
4. Granite tops are the Rolls Royce of bench-tops, mind you, the light colors have been known to be porous and stain. Nothing is better or more resilient than the darker granite’s.
Learn about Kitchens – (Pull out old kitchen).
Pulling out the old kitchen and taking it to the dump can save a mass of money but does require effort. Kitchen places will change around $500.00 for a pull out and dump.
1. You need to arrange plumber and electrician to disconnect, unless they are not necessary.
2. Best is to smash everything with a hammer and take the small manageable pieces out of the building.
3. Count your savings.
Learn about Kitchens – (Arranging trades).
Good tradesmen usually look after themselves and it is as easy as a phone call.
1. Ring plumber and electrician and tell them when you require them and that should be all, or your kitchen supplier may arrange it all for you.
2. If you are going to tile your kitchen, then ring the tiler before installation, as he will have to schedule you in, even though he is not required until after the kitchen is completely finished.
3. If flooring is to be done, they would also need to know an approximate installation date.
Learn about Kitchens – (Cabinet installation).
If you have a kitchen company installing your kitchen then just sit back and relax.
1. Go to work or go shopping or fishing and let these people do their work.
2. If you are assembling a kit yourself, then follow their instructions and note that often the bigger retail kit crowds often miss giving you all the pieces, so be prepared to pay more and have to travel to pick up the missing bits.
3. Once you have assembled the kit, you must install. Again, follow instructions but do not dismiss these points. (A). Place your first cabinet in the lowest point of the floor and (B). After screwing all your cabinets together, never over tighten the fixing screws that go into the wall, otherwise you will twist your cabinets, and all your leveling work will have been for nothing.
Learn about Kitchens – (Finalizing trades).
Yes my good man, or good woman, you have to pay the balance of moneys.
1. Plumbers electricians and cabinetmakers don’t work for nothing and so want to get paid.
2. If your tradesmen have done a good job, tell them so, after all they are human beings.
3. Unless you have been dealing with nightmare people, you should be able to sit back and enjoy your new kitchen.
Kitchen remodeling ideas and designs.
Where should I place the sink?
The placement of a kitchen sink should be determined by several factors, including plumbing, workflow, and personal preference. Ideally, it should be positioned to allow for efficient movement between the sink, stove, and refrigerator, forming an effective work triangle. Additionally, consider the proximity to mains drainage outlets, especially if the sink is to be placed on an island or away from an external wall.
What is a work triangle?
Bench heights are normally around 900 mm. If you get a sore back while standing near the sink, and if you cannot get that good for nothing husband of yours to do the dishes, then you may consider a higher bench height. Keep in mind that retail kit kitchens do not always give you that choice.Oven, under bench or in tower?
Mostly, where there is limited bench-top space the oven will go under the bench. If you are considering a tower, then you may wish to place the microwave in the tower as well. If you do not wish to bend down or if you have a bad back, then a tower may be for you but remember it is not often that one puts gear into and out of the oven so necessity and space may dictate your decision.Doors or drawers?
This is a big deal. Drawers are far more costly that doors but they provide easy access and provide one extra shelf in the same horizontal space when doing a 3 drawer stack, or an extra two shelves with a four drawer stack. When considering corners some people have their drawers run up to the corner and seal off the corner completely. This is not common, but their reasoning is, that all of their access is easy, and as they have been adding shelf space with the use of drawers, then they are none the worse off.The main decision is cost against ease of access but it is advisable to have one set of cutlery drawers and at least one set of pot drawers, (One thin top drawer and 2 deep drawers is the most efficient).Where to put the microwave?
The answer to this question is ‘what space do I have?’, but whatever you do, you should not take up counter-top space by having it on the bench. A space above the bench is the best, but as microwaves only open from the right hand side, they should never be placed in a corner against a right hand side wall. Microwave should only butt against a left hand wall. If your design does not allow you to put the microwave in the wall units then you may consider putting it under the bench-top with a drawer under it. Some people fear that with under-bench microwaves that their children will then have access to it, and others consider it advantageous so that their children may then use it. Go figure????Should wall cupboards go to the ceiling?
This is purely a personal choice. People Generally are disgusted by the amount of grime that is deposited on the top of wall units in a kitchen. This can be erased by continual spring cleaning over the years, but this seldom occurs. Going to the ceiling with kitchen cupboards increases the height between shelves or may allow extra shelves to be placed in wall units. Keep in mind that you may well require to have plaster cornice to continue around the top facias.
What materials should I use on doors and benchtops?
This is purely a personal choice, but the most common door selection is melamine and 2 PAC. The most common benchtops are laminate and stone. (Stone no longer contains silicates.)