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Does your kitchen need remodeling?

Most homeowners think their kitchen needs remodeling judging by the look of things: worn cabinets, dated appliances and crackled countertop surfaces. They may not realize when their kitchen needs to be remodeled for other reasons.

After reviewing lifestyle and design trends, as well as building code requirements, the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s committee of experts has developed guidelines to promote the health, safety and welfare of consumers. The NKBA suggests consumers consider the following areas when remodeling their kitchens:

Adequate space: Are you satisfied with the amount of counter space, cabinet space and floor space? The position of your refrigerator or shape of your counter may be taking away useful space. When replacing a countertop or changing the shape of your kitchen, keep in mind that a total of 158 inches of countertop frontage, 24 inches deep with at least 15 inches clearance above, is needed to accommodate all uses, including storage, food preparation and other work areas. Also, in a kitchen with three work centers—cooking area, cleanup area (sink) and refrigerator—the sum of the three traveled distances should measure no more than 26 feet.

Traffic flow: If there’s more than one cook in your household, you may want to consider making more room around the main work space. If you enjoy entertaining, you may want an open kitchen that allows for more social interaction. According to NKBA guidelines, the width of a walkway should be at least 36 inches and the width of a work aisle should be at least 42 inches for one cook and at least 48 inches for multiple cooks. No major traffic pattern should cross through the kitchen work triangle.

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

Children: Dated appliances and the design of your kitchen may be hazardous for young children. You may want to consider a range with knobs that are well out of reach of young hands, for example. Based on NKBA’s kitchen safety guidelines, microwave ovens should be installed three inches below the principal user’s shoulder but no more than 54 inches above the floor to avert accidents. The NKBA also suggests avoiding sharp corners on countertops. If you are in the process of extending your family, you may even want more room for cooking larger meals or space for the family to gather.

Location and design: Maybe you’d like to add a deck to the side or rear of your house and would like to incorporate a door into the layout of your kitchen. 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, the NKBA recommends that the clear opening of a doorway be at least 32 inches wide, which would require a minimum of a two-foot, 10-inch door. No entry door should interfere with the safe operation of appliances. And, for safety reasons, a cooking surface should never be located under an operable window. v

To request a free consumer workbook, including a kitchen evaluation survey, or to view the NKBA’s full list of kitchen and bathroom guidelines, visit www.nkba.org.

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