Page 389 - 2018 National Home Improvement

2018 National Home Improvement Estimator, All Rights Reserved Page 311

•Drawer base cabinet – one per 10 linear feet of base cabinet
•Counter width and height – 25” wide x 36” high
•Dishwasher – 24” wide x 35” high
•Trash compactor – 15” wide x 35” high

Notes: Base cabinet length assumes one sink base cabinet. Wall cabinets can include vertical storage
cabinets (such as for trays and cookie sheets) above a built-in oven. Count utility cabinets (6’ high or
more) as both base and wall cabinet. Credit a corner rotating shelf (Lazy Susan) base cabinet with 2
linear feet of base cabinet, regardless of the actual width.

Modern kitchens include a work desk with connections for electric service, telephone, computer and TV.
Minimum desk width is about 3’ with a book shelf (for recipe books) above the desk. Minimum desk
cutout (seating area) is 24”. Install a 14”- to 20”-wide drawer base cabinet at the right of the cutout.
Desk depth can be 25”, the same as normal counter depth. Desk height should be 28”. Provide task
lighting above the desk.

Refreshing the Look
Kitchen cabinets seldom wear out before they go out of style. If kitchen cabinet space is adequate and
well arranged, refinishing cabinets and adding new hardware may be enough. Replace roller catches
with magnetic hardware. The magnet attaches to the cabinet interior and the complementary metal plate
fits on the door interior. New knobs or pulls (handles) complete the makeover.

For a more modern look, replace cabinet doors and drawer fronts on the existing cabinet frames.
Consider flush doors with concealed (European) hinges, as in Figure 12-03. Cabinet doors fit edge to
edge for a continuous panel effect. Finger slots at the edge of doors and drawers make cabinet knobs
and pulls unnecessary.

Countertops are subject to considerable wear and often need to be replaced before the cabinets.
Installing a simulated stone countertop will modernize any kitchen. Figure 12-04 shows standard
counter and cabinet dimensions. Counter height is usually 36”. Counter depth is usually 25”.

Cabinet Costs
Cabinets are like furniture. Prices vary widely. For example, a drawer with hardwood rails, plywood
bottom and dovetail joints will cost considerably more than a particleboard drawer with stapled butt
joints. Better-quality custom and semi-custom cabinets are made from 3/4" or 1/2" furniture-grade
plywood covered with hardwood veneer. Drawers have full-extension roller hardware. Less-expensive
cabinets are made from 3/8” or 1/2" particleboard, usually with a melamine coating.

“Ready to assemble” cabinets cost the least and are sold primarily in D-I-Y outlets. Options are limited
and units require about an hour of assembly before they are ready to install.