Decisions: Make the Right Ones on Your Kitchen Remodel
by Pam Germundsen

The big day is here! Its demolition time for your old kitchen! You’ve spent a lot of time meeting with general contractors and comparing estimates. After all, the contractor and their employees will be an integral part of your life until the job is complete. You’ve made all kinds of difficult decisions on what home improvements you want done, how much you want to invest in your project, and now you’re finally ready to get started. Even if you had to have plans for your home improvements, the blue prints are ready and have been approved by the city. At this point, the job is getting off to a great start!

But this great start doesn’t mean all the difficult decisions have been made! The decisions really have only just begun. The truth is you probably will never have to make so many decisions in such a short period of time that will affect the way you live your life as you will in the next few months. In fact, the experts at Sunshine Construction, Inc. caution homeowners that a job can come to a major slow down or a complete stop when it comes time to deciding on such things as appliances, cabinets, granite or tile, fixtures, paint color, flooring, trim, windows and doors.

One of the first tips offered by Sunshine involves simple communication with your general contractor. Most general contractors have established accounts with businesses that they have worked with on a continuing basis. These businesses might have set up some kind of discount with them in order to continue getting their business. It can’t hurt to ask your contractor if he will pass on these discounts to you. Who knows? It could make the difference of you getting that upgraded stove!

Believe it or not, there seems to be a logical order to making this next phase of decisions as each seem to be more interrelated than one might realize. The first two major decisions involve appliances and cabinets. There are about as many selections of appliances as there are homeowners and the style, colors, finishes and manufacturers are unlimited. While the multitude of options and possibilities might seem overwhelming, the decisions you make will be a way to express your personality and sense of style in your house.

Equally important, the cabinet manufacturer will need to know the size of your appliances so they can build the custom cabinets to fit around the appliances. Custom cabinets can be crafted in a wide range of styles and colors, again reflecting your unique style and taste.

The next decision is what type of countertop surface and backsplash you are going to choose. Countertop choices range from very durable, yet very expensive materials like granite to the less expensive, but attractive choices of ceramic tile and laminates. Tile can be fun to pick out, but in some cases, the job may slow down because the tile needs to be custom-ordered or back-ordered. Another consideration in choosing a countertop is knowing what type of edge detailing you prefer. Again, there are numerous choices to help you achieve the look you want for your new kitchen.

If you decide to use granite, a visit will usually be scheduled by your contractor to tour the showrooms of several granite fabricators where you’ll see an impressive display of slabs for you to select from. Remember that scheduling a fabricator is often a matter of timing and coordination. Fabricators need to wait until the cabinets are in as they must create a template, cut in openings for sinks, and take final measurements. From cabinets to countertops, the time needed in completing this phase can easily add up to a week or two after the cabinets go in before getting finished countertops.

Fixtures are very important and work hand-in-hand with most aspects of the entire project. For example the cabinets are dependent on the fixtures (sink, faucets, and garbage disposals). The countertop is dependant on the sink style (under-mount, or over-mount). And drywall must be installed to accommodate the type and style of light fixtures you choose (recessed, can, etc.). It’s easy to see why it is beneficial to do as much advance research as possible before these crucial decisions are needed.

Paint color might seem pretty straightforward — you could just go with a color already in the room or one that complements your new granite or tile. But again the experts at Sunshine Construction point to some popular trends of using faux finishes to add more depth and texture to your kitchen decor. With most faux finishing, one or more accent colors are applied over a base coat of a main color. Once you decide on the colors you will use, you then must decide on what finish you want such as sponge or rag rolling. Be forewarned though! These painting techniques could add more time to your job. Another tip to consider: look at the natural lighting you will have after the remodel/addition is complete. This could change the paint color dramatically as to whether you should use darker or lighter colors.

Most homeowners are now so excited to actually see their addition or remodel taking shape, that they visualize their first big get together. Who are they going to invite? What are they going to serve? But what about the flooring? Are you going to use hardwood, tile, linoleum, carpet or a combination of floorings? So keep making plans for that party to show off your home in the future, but don’t forget to stay on track with such important decisions as what kind of floor covering you are going to invest in so you’ll get the best look, durability and use in the future.

At long last the work is completed, the punch list is done, you’ve signed off and made your final payment for the job. You can now sit back and enjoy your beautiful remodel/addition knowing that all your decision-makings were worth it.

Sunshine Construction, Inc. would like to share their portfolio and references with you and offer a competitive bid on your next upcoming project. Please feel free to call them for an appointment and a free estimate at their toll free number, (800) 953-0053 or (925) 932-4072.