Shownotes
With 30 years of Kitchen Design work Eric G dives into the top mistakes you can make when designing and remodeling or building a kitchen in 2023. Some could be small and some could cost you the entire project. However, all of them are things to consider if you are thinking you need a new kitchen.
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Transcripts
[00:00:30] Eric Goranson, CKD: Here's your appliances. This is what they anticipate them costing. This is the cabins, these are the countertops. These are the quotes that are associated with that. How many pieces of hardware do we need? Knobs and handles. Trim, moldings, ventilation. What's the electrician? What's the plumber? Yes. You'll probably have to run new electrical circuits when it comes to remodeling and renovating your home, there is a lot to know the, we've got you covered.
[:[00:01:20] Eric Goranson, CKD: A little insight information before we get into this. Uh, if you wanna get ahold of us, you can head over to around the House online dot. Or Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Just look around the House Show or myself, Eric G. You can find over there as well as, uh, little Inside Baseball here, uh, you will see up on social media.
[:[00:02:01] Eric Goranson, CKD: So stay tuned for that. Well, let's dive into this list because, uh, little background on me, 30 years of kitchen and bath design. I've been a certified kitchen designer since 1999, so it's one of those things that I've done this a bunch of times, so these are the top 10 mistakes not to do. All right, here we go.
[:[00:02:48] Eric Goranson, CKD: Nope, they're junk. And quite frankly, if it was up to me, I'd say we shouldn't be selling them here in the United States because they don't work. They do nothing to help your indoor air quality. At best, they put [00:03:00] this little paper, thin charcoal filter that really doesn't do anything. And they're not meant to get out, especially if you've got a gas appliance.
[:[00:03:36] Eric Goranson, CKD: So if you want to have indoor air quality, like the metro area of a developing country outside, don't use that hood or don't put one in. Now many places in the United States, that is the only way to do it. If you do a remodel, you are required even to have that vet hood go outside. But there are still states in the United States where they have, um, kind of looked the other [00:04:00] way and said, as long as you have a window or a recirculating.
[:[00:04:25] Eric Goranson, CKD: But what happens is, is people will buy this nice electric range or gas, Something with a large cooking area on it, and it can still be in that 30 inch range or cooktop size, but maybe it's got that big, you know, burner for for walks or something like that on it. And then you put a microwave over the top.
[:[00:05:08] Eric Goranson, CKD: This is a little side mark of the vent hood Discussion, microwave vent hoods do a horrible. Venting outside as well as they don't capture the stuff. So if you're boiling something and it's on the back burner, you've got the vent on high on that microwave, since there's no hood there to capture it. You know, on a regular vent hood, the the steam comes up and there's the sides of the hood that are like an umbrella that captures that and gives it a second for the ve hood to pull it in.
[:[00:05:57] Eric Goranson, CKD: If you're cooking something or frying something inside. [00:06:00] Fire extinguisher, set up that smoke alarm so you don't get the fire extinguisher inside. Let me say that correctly this morning. So that's one of the things to take a look at. Now, number two here, which we're gonna talk about right now, which is a big one on my list, hiring an unlicensed and unbonded contractor.
[:[00:06:39] Eric Goranson, CKD: Say this before, so bear with me if you've heard this a million times for me, but one of the biggest things is, is your personal liability. If you have five people working over your house and somebody puts a nail through their hand, or they run the saw wrong or they fall off the roof, guess what? If that's an unlicensed, bonded, unbonded insured [00:07:00] contractor and they're just working under the table on you, you are now personally responsible for the injuries.
[:[00:07:25] Eric Goranson, CKD: I doubt they're pulling permits because in most areas for you to go down and pull a permit that's needed for a project, if you're a contractor, they're gonna make sure that your license bond. So make sure that you are using those people. And here's my little tip on this, and we'll talk about this in in future episodes, but when you're hiring somebody, first off, before they come over and give you an estimate, jump on the web or the, or the phone and do a little quick research.
[:[00:08:10] Eric Goranson, CKD: That's one of those things that in my state, it's a state licensing. You get into the East Coast and the Northeast, many of those are regional, where it could be a township, it could be a city, and every license is different between each city. That's much more complex to track down, but make sure they're licensed, bonded, insured, and.
[:[00:08:55] Eric Goranson, CKD: Maybe that stuff happened where something, maybe they got [00:09:00] revoked. I know people that had their licenses revoked out there. So if you do that and you sign the contract that day and they're not covered, guess what? You're probably not covered. So it's really important too, the. That you're signing that to follow up and make sure that that license and insurance and stuff is in effect, because that way down the road, if, if you're in the middle of a project and that happens, you're still gonna have some coverage and I'm not an attorney.
[:[00:09:39] Eric Goranson, CKD: Why
[:[00:09:55] Eric Goranson, CKD: So many people.[00:10:00]
[:[00:10:31] Eric Goranson, CKD: You can catch us on any podcast player out there cuz we also have our midweek special that comes in the middle of the week as well. If you wanna figure out how to do that, head over to around the house online.com and you can find us over there on the website and you can also contact us over there as well in the contact us page.
[:[00:11:10] Eric Goranson, CKD: Now, number three on my list is not buying the same brand of appliances for the whole project. Now this used to be something different, uh, five years ago, I would say It's not a big. But now you're starting to get appliances that speak to each other in the smart appliance categories. Now, what happens is, is some of these brands now are making it where they're all wifi connected and they talk to each other.
[:[00:12:06] Eric Goranson, CKD: So the pieces inside the oven were there, but they had a program and it added on the LCD screen, another touch button for an air fryer. So these things are starting to happen, but what happens is, is a lot of these appliances now are designed to work together where the refrigerator, the dishwasher, the range, the hood.
[:[00:12:49] Eric Goranson, CKD: Having the same handle on the dishwasher to the range, to the oven, to the microwave, to the refrigerator. Those are little details that look good [00:13:00] and so I would really look hard and try to see if you can find a brand that will do everything you need it to be. Cuz by putting these all in the same thing, one, you've got only one place to call for service.
[:[00:13:36] Eric Goranson, CKD: It's perfect. It's always worked for. Don't cre create that same old plan. Here's why you think about it. The average kitchen being replaced these days is probably 30 to 35 years old. Think of what has changed in your kitchen in 30 to 35 years. 30, 35 years ago. Microwaves are pretty, pretty. [00:14:00] They were not thought of ventilation, was not thought of.
[:[00:14:25] Eric Goranson, CKD: You know, William Sonoma, you don't have all of these designer things that you can go on your kitchen. So we really have to redesign that kitchen. And quite frankly, we didn't design 30 years ago kitchens to be functional. We designed them to be cost efficient and to store things. And kitchen design has gone a long way.
[:[00:15:12] Eric Goranson, CKD: I get it. But it's much more complex than just a simple kitchen triangle. Now you design using workstations, so, so your prep area is different than your cleanup area. So in the old kitchen triangle between your. Your refrigerator and your cooktop. You could have it designed perfectly in the kitchen triangle, but you have a dishwasher between your sink and your refrigerator.
[:[00:16:00] Eric Goranson, CKD: That's where that stuff tends to linger. So now, especially with larger kitchens, we're doing these zones. So you'll have a prep zone, a cooking zone, a baking zone. You'll have that cleanup zone, and these zones become much more efficient. So sometimes you might need a second sink. Sometimes you might put another little beverage refrigerator.
[:[00:16:46] Eric Goranson, CKD: Impede where you're putting the dishes away or does it get in the way of the oven cooktop, range, any of those other things. So these are all the things you should be doing. So I strongly recommend. That is a [00:17:00] homeowner. You hire a designer to come do this, whether it's through your remodeling company. If you're gonna do this as a DIY project, a kitchen designer, certified kitchen, a bath designer specifically will save you money on that remodel because they are going to help you make decisions that make sense.
[:[00:17:40] Eric Goranson, CKD: You know, drawers these days are much more efficient, and in most older homes, they didn't put a lot of drawers in because they were expensive. And nowadays drawers are such a big piece of that project, so you wanna make sure as well as having a place for trash, that trash can under the sink doesn't work anymore.
[:[00:18:15] Eric Goranson, CKD: Does that window really have to be there or. That sink doesn't always have to be in front of the window, even though let alone centered, but that's for you and your designer to figure out. We have so much more on this list of the top 10 mistakes to avoid when kitchen remodeling just after these important messages, don't go anywhere.[00:19:00]
[:[00:19:30] Eric Goranson, CKD: So to recap, kind of where we've gone so far in the last couple segments, not install an event hood hiring an unlicensed and bonded contractor. Number three was not buying that same brand of appliances for the whole project. Number four, just trying to copy your old layout. That gets us to number five, starting that project before materials arrive, and this is a huge one.
[:[00:20:22] Eric Goranson, CKD: Are there on site and have been inspected because here's what happens. I'll tell you, I have sold thousands of kitchens over the years that have been installed. Some of the crazy things that have happened twice. I have had that truck of cabinets that has gone cross-country to get here twice. I have had cabins, cabinets get damage.
[:[00:21:09] Eric Goranson, CKD: And guess what cabinets were destroyed. Had to be completely rem. Now, if you would've started that with a six to eight week lead time, you could have been waiting another six to eight weeks without a kitchen. Making sure that your slabs for your stone or quartz or, or laminate or whatever you're using for your countertop is in, is key.
[:[00:21:53] Eric Goranson, CKD: Before you get going and that way it's in the garage. You're good. Inspect 'em, make sure they're the right [00:22:00] color, make sure the right pieces are there. Take inventory, cover 'em back up and make sure you're good. Have those things ready to go. Cuz I tell you what, that is the fastest way to get burned. And I can't tell you how many times as a kitchen designer I have had this and it's husband, sorry guys.
[:[00:22:38] Eric Goranson, CKD: I mean, you can go to a key or one of those knockdown places, but not the highest quality for most people, and that's what you're stuck with. So little planning goes a long way. Now, here's a big one here that will really kill a project or stop it to a grinding halt. And this is a little more detailed, so we're gonna dive into this one, not having [00:23:00] an itemized budget.
[:[00:23:29] Eric Goranson, CKD: I wanna see that design done. I want to see H and everything budgeted out. I want to go to down that list from the contract that you're signing with your contractor and go, okay, here's your appliances. This is what they anticipate them costing. This is the cabinets, these, the countertops. These are the quotes that are associated with that.
[:[00:24:12] Eric Goranson, CKD: The problem though is, is I used to say, well, if you have a good contractor, have a five to 10% extra budget. Might not be needed. The problem is over the last 18 to 24 months is, is that costs change, prices change, and all of a sudden you can be hit with a fuel surcharge. You can be hit with all these different things, or this one's still not available for six more months and you have to find something else.
[:[00:24:59] Eric Goranson, CKD: It's that same [00:25:00] thing as when they, oh, that load, that wall's not load bearing and they tear it open and it is load bearing and you go, Hey man. Uh, The the expert here, you have the people in to do this. Yeah. That's on you, not on me. And so I don't like the hidden surprises, but these days the hidden surprises are not on that contractor.
[:[00:25:43] Eric Goranson, CKD: They're probably gonna need to update that quote to make sure those numbers are great. Now, lumber prices have gone down, but shipping prices have gone up. And labor prices have gone up, so that's where you need to see where things at. And so I just want you to be really careful out there so you don't get three quarters of the way [00:26:00] through the project and go, I had no idea that I was gonna have $10,000 of miscellaneous pieces from light fixtures to.
[:[00:26:32] Eric Goranson, CKD: So these are things to really pay attention. And I want you to finish that project. All right, the next one here on the list. This is a big one, not hiring a structural engineer. If you're moving a wall, and this probably will drag into the next se into the next segment here cuz it's an important one. I don't care how good that contractor is, I still want to see a structural engineer sign off [00:27:00] on a big wall when it's being removed outta the.
[:[00:27:33] Eric Goranson, CKD: There's some load on that wall on that interior, and it gets even more complicated when you're trying to remove like a chimney, some of these older homes that are over a hundred years old. That center chimney in the house was a structural piece that you need to really keep in mind. That could be holding up the center of the house, not only the floor and the ceiling and the roof line.
[:[00:28:19] Eric Goranson, CKD: We've got the media center down there, everything's good. I can't tell you how many times I've had to tear up. That basement. We'll talk about that just as soon is around the house. Returns don't go anywhere.[00:29:00]
[:[00:29:27] Eric Goranson, CKD: I have had it where you move a wall upstairs. And they say you need better footings in the basement. So then you have to go downstairs. You have to remove the flooring, take the drywall out, put in bigger posts, bigger footings. And I've torn up some really nice places because of that wall being moved upstairs and you had to have bigger posts to carry that additional load going down to the basement, especially in older homes.
[:[00:30:12] Eric Goranson, CKD: Done not before, cuz there's a really good chance you're tearing stuff up in there, especially if you're doing plumbing upgrades and electrical and and stuff. So you just wanna make sure you got that dialed in. All right, next one here. Number eight, not planning for future appliances. Things are. And when I see people remove and replace cabinets and they say, oh, I've got this size refrigerator, I'm going to put the same cabinets around it as what I had.
[:[00:31:05] Eric Goranson, CKD: When you have a wall up against that refrigerator, many times those French door refrigerators need to have six, maybe eight inches to account for the handle when that door opens, because that door on a French door refrigerator to get a CRISPR out needs to open most of the time beyond 90 degrees. So you need to have six or eight inches usually over there if you have a return wall, and that refrigerator's up against that return wall.
[:[00:31:54] Eric Goranson, CKD: In the future. So make sure you've got the right power there. You've got the right, you know, maybe you've got, uh, don't [00:32:00] have water in that fridge and someday you might put water in that fridge. Run a water line. There should always be a water line behind that fridge. If you're doing it, whether you need it or not, it'll be useful for the next homeowner.
[:[00:32:31] Eric Goranson, CKD: So when you, the next homeowner want to come in there and go, why isn't there a dishwasher? I left you a 24 inch cabinet that can be removed. So you can put a dishwasher in there. You should always plan for that, whether you're not do it or not, just be nice. Be ready if you wanna do that. And it saves a ton of water over hand Washing, hand washing dishes is the biggest waste of water you can do over a dishwasher.
[:[00:33:20] Eric Goranson, CKD: Number nine, not redesigning your lighting. One of the things. There are pet peeve of mine in a kitchen is a poor lighting design. Maybe you've got four of those six inch, you know, recess cans, or maybe you had that big seventies fluorescent fixture in the middle, or maybe it was in there one time and there's a recess in it.
[:[00:34:05] Eric Goranson, CKD: Use a smaller light fixture in there. I can go. I did two inch lights in mine. You can go down to a one inch light. And they look so much better. Talk about changing the look of your kitchen. Those smaller lights don't give you those big round hotspots. When you look in the room, even those one inch lights, you can't even see the lights coming out of 'em depending on the fixture.
[:[00:34:52] Eric Goranson, CKD: You've got your room lighting. You've got some task lighting, so it's maybe over the refrigerator, over the range. You wanna make sure if you've got that proper [00:35:00] size, large range hood, maybe you put one in either corner of that range hood so you have lighting next to it. And then of course you wanna do under cabinet lighting.
[:[00:35:22] Eric Goranson, CKD: So you wanna make sure you've got that under cabinet lighting to help you see. And keep in mind, lighting is really interesting. If you've got somebody that's 25 years old in the house and you have. Somebody that's 50, somebody that's 50, needs about twice as much light to function as that 25 year old.
[:[00:36:02] Eric Goranson, CKD: Now, I can't tell you how many times I have seen people out there building those crazy wood projects that are noodle boards that they put over the top of their range or cooktop. That is how people get killed. Those should not be used in a kitchen. Anytime you put something wood over a cooking surfaces, you are asking to burn your house down.
[:[00:36:46] Eric Goranson, CKD: A wood look is a backsplash or some kind of plastic. No. Everything around that range needs to be fireproof all the way up to that hood. So that backsplash, if it's up against a wall, I wanna see nine inches [00:37:00] between that edge of the cooking surfaces and a wall. If you, you need to have nine inches there if it's.
[:[00:37:27] Eric Goranson, CKD: Like a wood range cabinet, I mean a wood oven cabinet. So that way I wanna see nine inches around it, whether it's the wall, whether it's another cabinet, whether it's even the refrigerator. I wanna see that we have nine inches of space between that, and that's for safety as well as when you're designing that kitchen.
[:[00:38:10] Eric Goranson, CKD: We don't wanna see that happen. Well, if you've got any of other suggestions of things that should be on that top 10, make sure and comment. You can send me a message over to round the House online, make sure, uh, you do that or on social media if you've got something, and then make sure you join us over on Around The House Nation on Facebook.
[:[00:38:49] Eric Goranson, CKD: Uh, because we have designed that to be a kind space. So nobody has given anybody any harassing over there, uh, that way. It's just a, a place for everybody to. And of course to be able to find [00:39:00] those answers that they're looking for. All right, hour number two, coming up, we're gonna have the top 10 mistakes to avoid in a bathroom remodel in 2023.
[:[00:39:25] Eric Goranson, CKD: Thanks for tuning in.
