Is it Time to Remodel your Kitchen?

Is it Time to Remodel your Kitchen?

The National Kitchen & Bath Association offers advice on when and why to update.

Many homeowners think their kitchen is outdated from the looks of their worn cabinets, dated appliances and crackled countertop. What they may not realize is that there are many other reasons, more important than cosmetic, why a kitchen needs to be remodeled.

The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) offers the following tips to help homeowners evaluate the current condition of their kitchen and decide if the time is right for a remodel.

Adequate space:

Are you satisfied with the amount of counter space, cabinet space and floor space in your kitchen? The position of your refrigerator or shape of your counter may be taking away useful workspace. According to the NKBA Kitchen and Bath Planning Guidelines, when replacing a countertop or changing the shape of your kitchen, keep in mind that a total of 158" of countertop frontage, 24" deep with at least 15" of clearance above, is needed to accommodate all uses, including landing area, preparation/work area and storage.

Traffic flow:

If there's more than one cook in your household, you may want to consider making more room around the main workspace. If you enjoy entertaining, you may want an open plan kitchen that allows for more social interaction between the kitchen and other rooms. According to the NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines, the width of a walkway should be at least 36" and the width of a work aisle should be at least 42" for one cook and at least 48" for multiple cooks.

Children:

Depending on whether or not you have children, and their ages, your kitchen may need to be remodeled. Dated appliances and the design of your kitchen can be hazardous for young kids. If you are in the process of extending your family, you may want more room for cooking larger meals and lower cabinets for easier access to children's food. Based on the NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines, microwave ovens should be installed 3" below the principal user's shoulder but no more than 54" above the floor to avoid accidents. The NKBA also suggests avoiding sharp corners on countertops with kids around.

Efficiency:

If your appliances are dated, they may be costing you more money than you expect. New technological advances with dishwashers, disposals and refrigerators could save you a considerable amount of money and may be well worth the investment. For example, purchasing a dishwasher with low-energy consumption, delay timer and economy cycle or half-load button will result in saving water and money.

Universal Design:

Is your kitchen accessible to individuals with disabilities? Will you be able to use your kitchen safely as you get older? Considering these issues is vital in a kitchen remodel. Employing Universal Design techniques in the remodel will help assure that the space is as accessible to or useable by all people, regardless of age, size or physical ability without the need for adaptation or specialized design later on.

Location:

Thinking about adding a deck to the side or back of your house? Incorporating a door into the layout of your kitchen would be a great convenience for outdoor entertaining. You also may want to rearrange the position of windows to allow more or less sunlight or to watch your children play in the yard. When rearranging the layout of your kitchen, according to the NKBA guidelines, the clear opening of a doorway should be at least 32" wide, which would require a minimum of 2'10" door. Keep in mind that a cooking surface should never be located under an operable window.

Are you ready for a kitchen remodel? If you read through this and feel that it is the appropriate time to begin planning to remodel your kitchen, please give Cornerstone a call at 480-710-7363 to discuss your options! We'll help turn your old, dated kitchen into the beautiful kitchen of your dreams.

Cabinet Refacing Phoenix AZ | Cabinet Refacing Scottsdale AZ

Reface or Replace?

The term refacing infers to the process of changing the face, or look, of your Phoenix, Arizona home office, entertainment center, bathroom and kitchen cabinets by installing new doors and drawer fronts, and changing the appearance of the face frames of the cabinets to a new stain, and quite often a new wood species. Cabinet refacing is generally more ecologically sound than full scale kitchen remodeling, since the amount of debris put in the landfill is generally cut by almost three quarters. Ecologically sound materials such as bamboo can be selected to replace the outmoded hardwood or laminate doors and fronts.

Most companies here in Phoenix, Arizona that perform a refacing service use thin layers of wood veneers, PVC plastics, or laminates to put on top of your existing cabinet frames to give it a new face or appearance. The work is very similar but you need to understand which technique they plan to use before you agree to have the work done. The process of refacing, using veneers etc. is very labor intensive and has many limitations, such as a substantial amount of cabinet preparation that needs to take place in order to properly reface your cabinets, a limited amount of stain or color choices, and a limited amount of wood species available. The plastics and laminates used do not look exactly like wood and quite often do not match very well with the new wood colors.

Real Wood Refacing

However, a new way to reface cabinets has been developed that eliminates many of the limitations that cabinet refacing companies have faced in the past. The newest and best way to reface cabinet face frames is by using real wood.

To self-described cabinet experts like Cornerstone Cabinet Company, who are located in Phoenix, Arizona, using real wood on the face of existing cabinets to go along with the real wood doors and drawer fronts makes perfect sense. The wood stains better, lasts longer, is much easier to apply, and has a more natural looking finish than the veneers that are currently being used. We have refaced using veneers, the old traditional method, and trust us, using real wood products is better in every sense than using wood veneers, or laminates. Being in the Phoenix, Arizona cabinet industry for 20 years has given us the opportunity to see thousands of jobs, many of them refacing jobs.

Getting Started

In summary, if your cabinets are old and out of date, if you are tired of the same look day in and day out, or maybe you have nice countertops and fixtures that you don't want to tear out, consider refacing your cabinets instead of replacing them.

You should look for a cabinet company that is diversified in the industry and specializes in refacing as well as new cabinetry. Moreover, if your choice is to reface your cabinets, then the obvious choice is using real wood on the face of your cabinets. Here in Phoenix, Arizona there is only one place to go for cabinet refacing and/or new cabinets, and that is Cornerstone Cabinet Company.

Cornerstone Cabinet Company is Phoenix, Arizona's premier cabinet refacing company. We can use the old methods of refacing your cabinets, using nothing but veneers and laminates, or we can introduce you to the Cornerstone advantage, and take you "Beyond Expectations" by using real wood products on your cabinet refacing project. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!

Soft-Close Hinges - Scottsdale Cabinetry

Soft-Close Hinges: An Advancement in Cabinet Door Technology

There have been major recent advances within the home cabinet industry, in terms of how cabinet door hinges operate, the most recent of them being the soft-close hinge. This innovative product slows the closing process of a cabinet door, to the extent that instead of the traditional slamming sound we have all come to associate with a cabinet door closing, there is naught but silence, even when the door is closed with force. Soft-closing hinge attachments need only be added to one hinge per cabinet door, or two units per door in the event that you have a larger pantry-style door.

Benefits of soft-close cabinetry

Whether you want to eliminate slamming cabinet doors, lower the wear and tear on your cabinets, or just make a safer environment for little fingers, installing the soft-close attachment is a great addition to your cabinets. You'll be surprised at how much they can contribute to a noiseless environment in your kitchen, and how they make cooking more relaxing and enjoyable by removing the "thunk" of a slamming door from the hustle and bustle of a busy cooking experience.

Soft-close cabinetry installation

Our design consultants can walk you through the process of learning which design of hinge your doors currently have installed, and then will help you decide how many hinges to purchase for your unique home kitchen. After you have completed this initial step, we can have one of our professional techs install the soft-close mechanisms for you with diligence and efficiency. Before you know it, you'll have a quiet and safe kitchen for you and your family to enjoy.

Why choose soft-close cabinets with Cornerstone Cabinet Company?

Cornerstone Cabinet Company has diversification in the industry when it comes to installing and remodeling home cabinets, and is second to none in terms of quality and dependability. Cornerstone Cabinet Company is a dependable and quality cabinet one-stop shop in the West Valley and Phoenix areas. If you are interested in looking into soft-close hinge attachments in your home entertainment center, bath, kitchen, or home office, please contact us to schedule an appointment with our design team today!