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Planning A Kitchen Remodel

Part 2

Part 1

More Than 50 Kitchen Design Pictures

This site includes a great deal of information on electricity, wiring, fishing wires and other aspects of electrical services for kitchen remodels as well as other electrical problems and installations in your home.

Additional information on electrical.

Walls:

Once all the plumbing, electrical and ventilation changes and additions are completed new walls and any damage done to old walls can be covered and taped. Doorframes should be installed at this time, but not the doorframe trim or moldings.

Painting:

This is the best time to paint, as you don’t have to worry about paint splatters, spills, or trying to cut in the paint next to cabinets. As well, many base cabinets do not have backs and it makes for a nicer finished project it the walls behind the base cabinet are freshly painted. Start with the ceiling and then do the walls. Be prepared to do some touch-up painting after the completed kitchen home improvement project is complete. Don't forget to use proper primers and undercoat paint products on new drywall.

Wallpaper:

When to apply wallpaper is and will be debated forever. I have found that the most difficult part of wallpapering a kitchen is trimming the wallpaper neatly around the cabinet verticals baseboard moldings and door trims. I have also found that it is common to have wallpaper paste, be it from pre-pasted wall paper or wall paper that requires pasting, end up on kitchen cabinet doors, frames and appliances. If you wallpaper prior to the installation of cabinets, door trims, moldings, electrical outlet and switch boxes it is much easier to apply the wallpaper. On the other hand, it is relatively easy to damage the wallpaper when installing those items. The choice is yours!

Additional information on wallpaper installation.

Tip: Adding an inexpensive vinyl wallpaper behind base and upper cabinets that do not have backs will make cleaning the walls much easier. This wallpaper should be installed prior to installing the cabinets. Use a chalk line to mark the tops and bottoms of the cabinets and apply wallpaper in between the lines.

kitchen before remodel or renovation
Figure 6 - Kitchen before remodel and renovation
kitchen after remodel and home renovation
Figure 7 - Kitchen after remodel and renovation

I am a firm believer that kitchen flooring should go under cabinets (learn why), with one exception. If you are using hardwood, vinyl, ceramic, porcelain, or natural stone tile, I would install it wall-to-wall before the installation of the base cabinets. The exception is vinyl sheet flooring, which I have listed as a separate installation item in this article.

Additional information on on flooring.

Tip: Lay sheets of Masonite over the finished floor to protect it from damage. Cardboard and/or paper products will not provide the new flooring sufficient protection from damage.

Cabinets:

Once the floor is completed you can install the base cabinets and then move on to the wall cabinets and cabinet trim. Remember to pull all electrical, drain and water lines through cabinets prior to final installation.

Additional information on on kitchen cabinets.

Countertop:

Once the cabinets are installed you can install the:

countertop;

sinks;

faucets and associated plumbing. This is also a good time to install the dishwasher and garbage disposal.

Backsplash:

If you are installing a ceramic tile backsplash it should be done after the countertop is installed. Once the backsplash is complete, any trim or sealing to the backsplash should be done.

Additional information on kitchen backsplashes.

Light Fixtures:

All of the light fixtures can be installed at this time. I would suggest that glass globes and ornaments that are part of the light fixtures be installed at the very end of this kitchen home improvement project, as they are easily broken when moving doors and other pieces of lumber throughout the room.

Additional information on kitchen lighting.

Sheet Flooring:

If you are using vinyl sheet flooring, now is the time to install it.

Additional information on installing vinyl sheet flooring.

Flooring & Door Trim:

Install all of the baseboards. door trims and other moldings. It is generally a good idea to paint or stain all the baseboards, trim and moldings before installation. After they are installed, you can fill nail holes and touch-up any paint that may have been damaged during installation.

Major Appliances:

Place all of the major appliances into position.

Note: If you are installing a countertop cook-top or other major built in appliance, it should be installed at the same time as the sink.

Touch-up Paint:

The final step is to touch-up any paint that may have been scratched or damaged during the installation of the cabinets, moving in the major appliances or installing the light fixtures.