The Demo and Remodeling of a Kitchen

Are you thinking about remodeling your kitchen? Do you know what is involved, or do you only have HGTV as your guide? At RDS, one of our clients is in the thick of a kitchen remodel and we thought we’d keep you updated and involved in the remodel. Knowledge is power, and our designers can help you navigate this process.

If you’ve been following our Front Porch Video series on FB this is the first of three episodes about the remodeling of a kitchen and what to expect during the process. If you haven’t seen our Front Porch Video series, we’re excited to have you start watching!

There are many ways to remodel or update your kitchen. Cabinets can be refaced, doors replaced, simple hardware updates can be made, or the cabinets can be completely removed, and new ones installed. In this home, everything has been removed and they’re starting over!

What You Might Find (And We Did):

In this home, the original kitchen had an illuminated ceiling like many homes from the 1980’s. A lot of light but a low ceiling of plastic panels. Removing this along with the soffits will open up the room visually. Since the lighting will change over to can lights and undercabinet fixtures, the wiring and switches will have to be reworked.

Removing soffits comes with its share of problems. Very often, plumbing lines and HVAC ducts are hiding within, so they must be relocated or at least moved so that they are very close to the ceiling. 

In this project, the remodeler, Dave Osmond Builders, had the experience and foresight to leave about 6” of space above the cabinets, allowing drain pipes and ducts to be hidden behind crown molding. This is something to know about and understand when remodeling and pipes and ducts need to be hidden.

Taking everything back to the bare bones of the room makes for a messy, dusty workspace! Doorways to other rooms need to be closed off to keep dust to a minimum. Drywall and trim debris must all be hauled out to the rented dumpster in the driveway.

How does the flooring look? In this home, a tile floor is being removed. There are many flooring options, but these clients chose a site finished hardwood that will be ¾” thick. You could also use a new tile, hardwood laminate, or engineered hardwood, each may have a different thickness and the cabinets must be placed to accommodate that dimension. You don’t want your dishwasher installed and not be able to get it out later when it needs to be replaced.

Keep checking back for more info and photos for this project. This Front Porch Video shows you all the details as this kitchen remodel begins. We’d love to work with you to design your kitchen remodel and help you guide your way through what will be an amazing transformation, no Property Brothers needed!