Taking on the renovation of your home kitchen can be riveting – it’s an opportunity to transform your cooking space into a room with more flare and comfort. Whatever ideas you have conjured up for your new kitchen countertops for renovation, don’t let your excitement get the better of you. A lot of people end up taking shortcuts because they want to complete the project faster and cheaper. However, what really ends up happening is a disaster. Problems ensue that end up costing you even more money.
So it’s in the best interest of you and your budget if you take the high road and do things the proper way. Whatever you do, avoid the following shortcuts like the plague!
Not Measuring Twice
If you’re doing some of the remodeling on your own, make sure that you always measure twice before cutting. You’d be surprised to see how much material you can waste from getting the wrong measurements. Doing a project all over again can get quite expensive – in this case, you’d be spending double of what you set out to pay at the beginning. So if you are trying to cut costs by doing some of the work on your own, make sure you do whatever you can to get it right the first time around.
Not Getting the Proper Permits
The permits required for kitchen renovations vary from location to location, so you’re going to have to check with your city ordinances to determine if and what permits are required to complete your remodel. In most cases, permits are needed if you’re planning to do any air, heating, plumbing or electrical work. Don’t try to get the work done without a permit because if you get caught, then you will end up paying hefty fees. Think of it this way – permits help ensure that things are done correctly and safely.
Allowing Exposed Wires to Persist
It’s never a good idea to leave wires exposes, even when they are hidden from sight. Make sure that all wires are properly covered to prevent an accidental short circuit or fire. It’s very common for home inspectors to find exposed wires in suspended ceilings and basements that have been recently finished. The metal between the wires can cause the short circuit to occur.
Doing Your Own Electrical Work
Adding new circuits seems simple enough until it leads to overloads and blown fuses. If you’re lucky, you won’t start a fire in the process. The issue with doing your own electrical work is that there are so many different components involved. A connection can work in more ways than one, which means there’s plenty of potential for flaws. It’s very important to get everything in there correctly, so you don’t end up causing more problems.
Laying New Flooring On Old Material
New floors are a great way to spruce up your kitchen remodel, this has to be done properly. With that said, you should avoid laying down new floor materials on old materials to cut costs. It’s common for DIYers to avoid pulling up the old floors, such as linoleum or tile. It’s best to start from scratch with a fresh base. So remove any material that’s on the floor before you begin laying down a new one. Why is this important? Because if the material beneath begins to fail, then the foundation will be flawed, causing your top layer to become visibly and structurally wrong.
Not Using the Correct Replacement Pipe
If you have to do plumbing work in your kitchen, make sure that the new pipework is the correct one. Finding the right pieces isn’t always simple, which is why it’s better left up to a contractor. But if you end up having to make the purchase on your own, shop around for the right one. The wrong size can lead to costly leaks. And if you’re trying to repair an electrical system, you need to use a pipe that is non-conductive – it’s common for electrical work to use plumbing pipes for grounding. But if you replace the pipe with one made of copper or steel, then the ground is interrupted. When this happens, it could become a safety hazard.
Placing Standard Outlets By Tubs and Sinks
It’s very convenient to have outlets near a sink or bathtub – it’s the ideal place to set up blow dryers, hot curlers, radios and so on. Obviously, this is a very dangerous situation since water and electricity don’t mix. If you use a standard outlet in this area, then you are putting everyone at risk of electrocution. A GFCI receptacle is required to help prevent short circuits. This comes with a grounder, which helps to stop electricity to the socket once it gets tripped. So if an electrical device that’s plugged into the outlet falls into the shower, toilet or sink, then it will just shut off instead of sending electricity through the water.
Implementing All-Purpose Glue and Tape
There are jokes about people using duct tape to fix just about everything, but there are really folks who are doing this inside of their kitchen remodels. There are different types of tapes and glues. But they’re being used for permanent fixes. You’ll find a number of infomercials displaying such product, which seem great, don’t compare with the adhesives that are specifically designed for a certain purpose.
Painting Over Chipped Walls
Chipped wallpaper and paint is unsightly. When you’re painting, you want to start off with a smooth clean surface. So do the heavy lifting now by removing all the wallpaper or old paint before you begin your masterpiece. This way, you don’t have to remove the fresh paint and the old stuff down the road when you see it looks horrid. It’s also important to note that when you paint over wallpaper, it will cause it to moisten and create bubbles. The only way to get rid of these is to cut out the bubbles and fill the up with a joint compound.
Don’t ruin your new kitchen and bathroom countertops design with these mistakes – avoid them at all cost by hiring an experienced contractor.