The cabinets, counters and backsplash are what everyone sees in a finished kitchen, but they only look right if what’s underneath them is right. In this All About Your Home episode, Brandon Bartow and Lindsey Krause, Bartow Builders’ Vice President of Operations, talk about the work homeowners never see: level floors, the pipes behind the walls, and the surprises that turn up once the old kitchen comes out. It’s for anyone planning a kitchen remodel in an older home.
Key takeaways
Some of the most important money in a kitchen remodel goes into work you’ll never see.
Cabinets, crown molding and tile show every flaw in a floor or wall that isn’t level, plumb and square.
Leveling a floor can mean removing several old layers of flooring, and sometimes repairing the structure underneath.
What’s visible in the basement is a good clue to what’s inside the walls, like old cast iron and galvanized lines.
Some problems, such as hidden water damage, only show up once the walls are open. Planning for that possibility keeps it from becoming a crisis.
If you plan to stay in your home for years, remodel for yourself, not for the next owner.
Why spend money on things I won’t see?
Because nothing on top looks right without a good base. Picture new cabinets, a tile backsplash and crown molding at the ceiling, and then the molding visibly tapering toward one corner because the room is out of level. That can’t be fixed after the fact without tearing the finishes back out.
It’s the least exciting part of the budget, and it’s the part that’s hardest and most expensive to fix later. Now, while the room is empty, is the time to do it.
What does leveling a kitchen floor involve?
It depends on the house. In an older home there may be several layers of flooring stacked on top of each other, and all of them have to come up. Sometimes that’s the end of it. Other times the problem is in the floor structure itself, and it needs to be reinforced or rebuilt before anything new goes down. You won’t know which until the old floor is open.
Can a contractor tell what’s inside the walls before opening them?
Often, yes. The basement gives a lot away. If the lines you can see below the kitchen are old cast iron drain pipe or galvanized supply lines, it’s reasonable to expect the same inside the wall.
Those older lines corrode from the inside out, so by the time a leak shows, the whole run is usually worn. Corrosion also narrows the pipe, which is why some older kitchens have weak water pressure at the faucet. Replacing them while the walls are open is far easier than doing it after the new kitchen is in.
What kinds of surprises turn up once the walls are open?
Water damage is the common one. It might be under a window, or behind the wall where an exterior deck or door was never properly flashed. Damage like that is invisible from inside the finished room. Once it’s exposed, it has to be repaired before the new kitchen goes in, because covering it up just hides a problem that will keep growing.
Do surprises always mean a bigger bill?
They can, which is why the possibility should be talked about before the contract is signed. When hidden problems are discussed up front, a change order that adds the repair is expected rather than alarming. A good contractor will tell you what they can see, what they’re assuming, and what they can’t know until demolition.
Is it worth remodeling if we might sell someday?
Brandon’s rule of thumb: if you expect to stay in the house for more than about five years, do the remodel you want. Many people who were thinking about moving find the remodel is what makes them want to stay. If you’re likely to sell soon, a full kitchen remodel may not come back to you in the sale price, so a lighter project might fit better.
What Bartow does about this
We plan every kitchen remodel to get the bones right first: level floors, plumb walls and sound lines behind the walls. We tell you up front what we can see and what we can’t, so a hidden problem is a conversation, not a shock. See kitchen projects we’ve completed, or read more about how change orders work.
When you’re ready, start here or call 920-682-7100.
