Before you purchase cabinets for your new bathroom or kitchen, there are important matters you should consider and crucial queries you need correct answers to. This systematic guide can help you decide on the fundamentals of how to shop for cabinets on a budget, including size, style, size, construction, quality and finish.
Before you shop for new cabinets, ensure that you have a good plan for your renovation. Identify the priorities and goals that help you operate comfortably in your bathroom or kitchen. Have a clear vision of how your kitchen or bathroom will appear after researching on various layouts and designs. You can then look at the budget.
Budget
Cabinets account for close to 40 percent to 50 percent of the total amount of your bathroom or kitchen remodeling project. You should therefore set your expected budget amount before doing any other thing but do not let it scare you from picking the best cabinet. The choice plays an important function of transforming the room space.
Measure Your Available Space for the Cabinets
You will need to use a tape measure to ascertain the available space for a cabinet in your bathroom or kitchen. You may decide to hire a professional (carpenter) to do the measurement for you. With the measurements at hand, you will be able to provide accurate data to the salesperson at the cabinet store or home improvement center.
Decide On The Room Layout
Kitchen and bathroom cabinetry is part of the most convenient and practical work areas in any home. Before selecting a look, pay attention to an exact scaled floor plan of the current space with the window, door and any other architectural dimensions noted. You should also locate present utilities like water, electricity and sewer connections.
Your plans should show the location of cook top ventilation, gas piping, heating and air registers and electrical outlets. Confirm the measurements of existing appliances including bathroom or shower location, sinks and under cabinet coolers before picking out your cabinetry.
Come up with a rough sketch, arranging appliances of great importance with the most efficient space utilization. Keep your sketch simple and accessible.
Make a Choice on the Quality of the Cabinets
If you plan on living in the house for a short time, you can choose the most basic style but if you plan on living in the house for a long time, select a top-quality construction. The Cabinet should have solid frames, drawer and door fronts, reinforced closed backs and corners. You should have a smooth and quiet opening drawer because we close and open cabinets many times in a day. The finish on your cabinet material should also be smooth.
Select The Decorating Style For The Cabinets
Peruse stores and home magazines to decide on the perfect style for you. Stock cabinets have a fixed number of styles but the custom and semi-custom cabinets have a variety of alternatives. Select a style that blends properly with your home’s interior design and architecture. You can select natural wood finish that come in a variety of finishes.
Address Resale Issues
You should ensure that whatever improvements you intend to make in your bathroom or kitchen is consistent with the market trends. Determine whether your house is for resale, rent or a home where you will live forever. You should also consider the length of time that a customer plans to stay in your house.
There are three basic types of cabinetry:
a) Shop or custom cabinetry: This type of cabinet varies in quality because carpenters make them locally. The advantage of this cabinet is that it comes in different styles, color and size depending on your taste. The demerit of such cabinets is that they are unable to give the latest accessories and finishes. It is the most expensive type of cabinet.
b) Semi custom cabinetry: Such cabinets are partly custom and stock. They give a lot of flexibility but take a lot of time to in the construction.
c) Production or stock cabinetry: This type of cabinet has a durable finish. It has limited number of finishes, styles and requires a lot of space. The merit of this type of cabinet is that it is easily available and takes a shorter time to construct.
Some cabinets available on Overstock.com website include:
a) Bathroom cabinets
– Two door Classical white wall cabinet at $55.79
– Stripe wood bathroom medicine cabinet at $52.98
– Two door jasper wall cabinet at $68.22
– 18 inch Virtu USA Benson bathroom cabinet at $399.00
b) Kitchen cabinets
– Maple wall cabinets at a price ranging from $129.50 to $269.50
– Extra tall cabinet at $219.99
– Kangaroo wombat mobile kitchen cabinet at $899.00
– White Denver modern kitchen cart at $223.18
Here are some installation instructions that might be utilized:
Materials and tools include:
a) metal screws
b) shims
c) cabinets
d) 1/2 inch plywood
e) carpenters pencil
f) screwdriver
g) clamps
h) level
Step 1: Mark your Studs
Remove all the cabinet drawers and cabinet doors. This makes the cabinet light for easy installation.
Locate and mark all your studs and then make measurements from the ceiling and mark a position where you will install the cabinet.
Step 2: Fit Screws on the Cabinet
Screw a ledger board and a level line along the cabinet. Have someone help you lift the cabinet into place.
Drive two screws into the corner studs behind your cabinet, one on the bottom and the other on the top. This secures the cabinet. Use a toggle bolt to fasten
your cabinet incase it moves across one stud.
Step 3: Secure the Remaining Cabinets
Sink screws in the Pre-drilled holes on the cabinet place your shims between the wall and the cabinet.
Cabinet Installation Safety Tips:
a) Hang the upper side of the cabinets to prevent the lower side from moving during installation.
b) Work in pairs to distribute the weight of the cabinet evenly.
c) Utilize a ledger board to hang the upper side of the cabinet and hold it straight.
d) Mark all the studs before starting the project.
