Brand new kitchen

A well-thought-out, detailed plan is of utmost importance for any kitchen project. Whether you design the kitchen yourself, work with a cabinet distributor or home centre or go to a kitchen designer, formulating a plan is the first step.

This plan will form the basis of your kitchen renovation and must be referred to at each crucial stage.

There are three basic kitchen functions to consider and arrange to create an ideal kitchen: storage, preparation and clean-up.

Kitchen layouts

For the last few decades, most kitchen designs have been based on three standard layouts: the U-shaped kitchen, the L-shaped kitchen and the galley kitchen. These all make use of the classic work triangle concept that basically positions the three major kitchen components (refrigerator, stove and sink) in a triangular pattern.

Designers now think in terms of multiple work centres or work stations within the kitchen in order to allow more than one person to work efficiently without getting in anyone else's way.

Work centres are a little less formal concept than a classic work triangle since you can basically create a station anytime decent counter space is provided next to a major appliance or sink.

Adding an island is one of the most common ways to incorporate multiple work centres into a kitchen. It might block the clear paths of the classic work triangle, but an island creates two to four small work stations along its perimeter. These stations can become major work centres if a second sink is added or the stove is pulled away from the wall and set into the island. Even without an island, you can create distinct work centres simply by separating the microwave oven and the stove. For example, placing them on opposite sides of the sink – setting the microwave near the fridge provides counter space for food preparation at each appliance.

Fittings

Choosing the right finish materials is another critical part of the kitchen remodelling process. Here are some things to consider in four primary categories.

Cabinets: There are two basic cabinet styles: European-style (frameless) and faceframed cabinets. Either can be ordered from custom or semi-custom cabinetmakers or from stock supplies. Each style has a variety of door, wood and finish options.

Cabinets vary in degree of construction quality so look for small details like roll-out and tilt-out drawer features.

Countertops: Countertop choices range from very durable, yet very expensive materials like solid surface or granite to the less expensive, but attractive choices of ceramic tile and laminates. Solid surface, marble and granite tops are not typical do-it- yourself materials – unlike tile and laminate tops that are definitely within reach of DIY’ers.

Kitchen sinks: Kitchen sinks are made of materials such as solid surface, cast iron, stainless steel and plastic. Mounting styles are either topmount or undermount with a combination of sizes and features: single-bowl, doublebowl, deep or shallow. Taps offer different finishes: polished brass or nickel, brushed nickel, chrome, stainless steel. Other options and price ranges include pull-out sprayers, single-levers, double-handled.

Appliances: The main appliance choice involves built-in or free-standing styles. This decision definitely factors into the overall design. In addition, you'll choose between side-by-side refrigerators or units with top or bottom mounted freezers. Besides the traditional gas or electric issue, range options include: halogen or smooth-top cooktops, double and/or convection ovens, trash compactors, microwaves, range hoods and down-draft vents.

Demolition

There's always some demolition involved in a kitchen remodel. The process usually means removing the old kitchen elements in the reverse order they were installed: 1) appliances, 2) plumbing, 3) fixtures, 4) countertops, 5) cabinets.

Appliances: Remove these first to clear space for removing the other elements. Plumbing fixtures: These are basically the sink and dishwasher. First, disconnect any drain and water supply pipes (make sure the water's turned off and have a bucket ready for the water left in P-traps).

Dishwashers can be secured to the countertop or the neighbouring cabinets, so remove those screws before trying to slide it out. If the sink is caulked to the countertop, you can free it with a pry bar, but if it's clipped to the top from below, you'll have to remove the clips first.

Countertops: Countertops are usually attached to the cabinets by screws drilled from below through the cabinet framing or special blocking in the upper corners of the cabinets. So before pulling off the top, go into each base cabinet and remove all the screws going up into the countertop. If it doesn't budge after that, it's probably glued down so use a pry bar to pull it up.

Cabinets: When you're removing cabinets, get the base units out first. That way you're not reaching up over them when you're removing the upper cabinets. If you're dealing with stock box cabinets, they're usually just screwed into the wall framing and into each other. So removing those screws is about all you have to do to remove the cabinets.

Starting the installation

Once the walls are primed in a new kitchen, the next step is installing the cabinets. It's usually not that difficult, but cabinet installation does require some basic carpentry skills.

Hanging cabinets takes a little ingenuity to handle minor discrepancies such as walls, corners and floors that aren't plumb, square or level. And the whole process goes much easier when you have a layout plan to follow.

Marking walls for cabinet layout

Before starting any installation, it's a good idea to mark some level and plumb reference lines on the walls so everything lines up properly. Determine the highest spot on the floor with a level and measure up the height of the cabinets (900mm in our case). Draw a level line through that point corner to corner to represent the top of the base cabinets.

From that line measure up another 500mm (40mm for the countertop height and 460mm for the typical spacing between countertop and wall cabinets). Draw a level line through that point corner to corner to represent the bottom of the wall cabinets. Now transfer the cabinet dimensions from your plan to the lines for both the base and wall cabinets to make sure the layout will work.

Cabinet installation tips

It's easy to bash new cabinet doors or drawers while installing them. So, remove the doors and drawers beforehand and store them in a safe place until you are done. Use masking tape to label and number each cabinet with corresponding labels and numbers on each door and drawer so you can match them up later.

It's most efficient to start installation with the wall cabinets, since the base cabinets would get in your way if they were already in. It's also a good idea to put the corner units in first, squaring them up and moving toward the centre of the wall where you have more leeway for making adjustments. The same goes for base cabinet installation, too.

TIP: Before starting the wall cabinets, it's helpful to screw a piece of timber into the wall along the line representing the bottom of the cabinets. Then set the cabinets on the board to line them up and hold them as you screw them in place.