10 tips for those planning a kitchen renovation

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

How to choose an indestructible finish, correctly place furniture and calculate the required number of outlets - everything to make it convenient to cook, eat and receive guests.

1. Choose a durable floor covering

In the kitchen, something is constantly falling and spilling onto the floor. Therefore, the coating should be resistant to mechanical stress, it should not be afraid of water and lose its appearance from frequent cleaning.

Suitable for the kitchen floor:

• ceramic tile;
• porcelain stoneware;
• linoleum;
• quartz-vinyl tiles;
• self-leveling epoxy floor.

Linoleum is the most budgetary material. Variants of 32–42 classes of wear resistance are suitable for the kitchen. Such linoleum has an average price of 500-700 rubles per m² and lasts 10-15 years.

Quartz-vinyl tiles are stronger and more durable than linoleum - the period of operation is not less than 15 years. For the kitchen, they choose quartz-vinyl of 32-42 classes of wear resistance, this one costs from 800 rubles per m².

Ceramic tiles, porcelain stoneware and self-leveling epoxy floors are the most durable options. Their service life is calculated in decades. But for the kitchen they are recommended less often than quartz-vinyl and linoleum: such coatings are tough, so the dishes break when they fall. Prices for tiles and porcelain stoneware start at 250 rubles per m², but installation is expensive - from 800 rubles per m². The cost of the epoxy floor includes immediately the payment for the work, prices start from 2,000 rubles per m².

The above materials will survive daily cleaning of floors and even a pipe break. If sharp knives and heavy hammers are not dropped on them too often, they will last for the entire period assigned to them.

It is not worth choosing coatings for the kitchen floor that are afraid of water and dirt: laminate, parquet, carpet. They will quickly deteriorate.

2. Place the underfloor heating correctly

Tiles, porcelain stoneware and epoxy floors are cold to the touch. To make it comfortable to walk barefoot, a heating system is laid under them - a warm floor.

The location of this structure must be properly planned. Furniture and household appliances should not heat up, otherwise their service life will be reduced, moreover, you will be wasting money for electricity. Therefore, a warm floor is laid only where people walk.

Before installation, decide where to install the headset, stove, refrigerator, sideboard. Draw a kitchen plan and mark where floor heating is needed and where not.

3. Protect the walls in the work area

Areas of walls above the slab and countertop are often dirty. They must be protected from splashes, grease, food pieces. For this, an apron is laid out in the working area - a section of the wall protected by a stable material. Most often, ceramic tiles, tempered glass or chipboard panels are used for decoration.

• Tile - the traditional option. She is not afraid of grease, dirt, soot, water. It is fireproof, which is why it is used in kitchens with gas stoves. Such an apron will last 15-30 years. But the seams between the tiles are difficult to clean, so over time, the coating loses its outer gloss.
• Tempered glass (skinned from glass) - a practical option. Combines the benefits of tiles and ease of cleaning. Glass can be plain or with a pattern at the request of the customer. Skinali serves up to 50 years. The disadvantage is the high cost: a glass apron costs from 4,500 rubles per m².
• Chipboard panels - a budget option. Usually, such an apron is selected under the countertop and installed together with the kitchen. Pros - quick installation and low price. Minus - short service life in comparison with tiles and skins: 5-10 years. In addition, chipboard panels are not fireproof, so they are not used in kitchens with gas stoves.

4. Count the required number of outlets

Installing only a couple of sockets in the work area is a mistake: they will most likely be immediately occupied by a kettle and microwave. To use, for example, a blender or toaster, you have to disconnect one device and connect another.

The kitchen must have sockets for the refrigerator, stove, oven, microwave. They are marked on the plan in accordance with the location of the equipment. They immediately check which outlets are needed: for example, three-phase ones are sometimes installed under electric stoves. They allow you to connect the device to a more powerful network and have more contacts than conventional options.

The outlet for the refrigerator is connected to a separate circuit breaker, independent of the input, - this allows you to de-energize the entire apartment, leaving only the refrigerator active if the owners leave the house for a long time.

To calculate the number of outlets in the work area, estimate how many appliances you use every day, and add two or three more points to this number. If you need access to the power supply near the sink, buy a waterproof outlet - with a cover.

5. Plan your lighting

The kitchen has different scenarios of use: they prepare food here, drink coffee in the morning, arrange family dinners. All this should be considered in the lighting.

In the working area, as a rule, built-in lamps are placed and lighting is installed under the upper cabinets. A lamp or sconce is hung over the dining table.

If the kitchen is small - 5–6 m², a lamp in the center of the ceiling and lighting under the cabinets are enough. But you can't do with a chandelier alone: it will be inconvenient to cook, and in the evening the room will seem too dark.

6. Do not block ventilation

It happens that when installing the hood, the ventilation hole is completely closed. This cannot be done, especially if a gas stove or a gas water heater is installed in the kitchen - in case of a leak, gas will accumulate in the apartment, and not leave through the ventilation.

To properly install the hood, you will need a special ventilation grill. In it, half of the area is occupied by a pipe, and another half - by holes for ventilation.

7. Use the "working triangle" rule

When planning a kitchen, use the "working triangle" rule. It was invented to reduce unnecessary movement during cooking.

The tops of the "triangle" are refrigerator, sink and stove. Usually they are arranged in this order due to the sequence of actions: they took out the food, washed it, cooked it.

Between the nearest peaks of the "working triangle" leave a distance of not less than 1, 3 m and no more than 2, 3 m. The area of the entire zone should not exceed 5–7 m². More spaciousness can turn scrambled eggs for breakfast into a full-fledged workout. And if you place the refrigerator, sink and stove too close, there will not be enough free work space - this is also inconvenient.

8. Consider the location of electrical appliances

When planning the location of electrical appliances, take into account the trajectory of movement in the kitchen and the growth of the owners.

The refrigerator is usually installed in the corner - there it fits comfortably into the space and looks best. If necessary, the door is outweighed so that it opens from the side of the kitchen unit.

The oven and microwave are installed in the lower cabinets or tall pencil cases. Here you need to take into account the growth of the one who most often cooks in the family: it will be inconvenient for a short person to use a microwave oven at the level of the upper cabinets. To find out which option suits you best, walk through a large kitchen furniture store and see the different solutions live.

9. Find the optimal height of the base cabinets

The standard height of the lower cabinets is 85 cm. Together with the worktop, the height of the working surface is at the level of 88–91 cm. But, for example, it will not work for a person 150 or 190 cm tall: it will be too high or low. In this case, it is better to make custom-made cabinets of non-standard dimensions - ideally, if there is 15 cm between the person's elbow and the tabletop.

If people of different heights live in the apartment, the height of the furniture is selected according to the one who most often cooks. Or they provide work surfaces of different parameters - for example, a lower countertop and a higher kitchen island.

10. Choose a durable countertop

Water and food juices are often spilled onto the countertop. It happens that it gets hit with a knife or a hammer for meat. And sometimes they even put a hot frying pan on it.

In order not to order a new countertop in a couple of years, pay attention to the material. It should be easy to clean, not afraid of water and accidental blows.

Artificial stone is the best option. It is practically indestructible: it does not deteriorate from water and high temperatures, does not absorb dirt, and is easy to clean. Such a tabletop will last a couple of decades.

Laminate is also good. It is cheaper than artificial stone, and high-quality laminate countertops are reliably protected from water and are easy to clean. However, they remain with knife marks and traces of red-hot pots.

There are other options: wood and natural stone. They look beautiful, but they require careful maintenance and are expensive. The tree swells, cracks, changes color. Some types of natural stone (for example, marble) have a porous texture and absorb liquids. This will leave stains from spilled wine or tomato juice.

Things to Remember

1. The plan saves you from unnecessary expenses and inconvenience during repairs.
2. Kitchen finishing materials should not be afraid of water, dirt, high temperatures and wet cleaning.
3. Long-lasting materials are not necessarily expensive.
4. There are never too many outlets. Sveta too.
5. Safety comes first. If you have a gas stove in your home, choose fire-resistant materials and do not block the ventilation grill.
6. The kitchen adapts to the person, not the person to the kitchen. Consider your height, lifestyle, and needs.