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Triple master contractor Ed Del Grande
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By Ed Del Grande
Q: Hi, Ed. I got one for you! My kitchen is so outdated that when my daughter and I went to the museum with her school and when we saw the "kitchens of the past" exhibit, she turned to me and said, "Look, Dad, they have our kitchen here!" She was excited to see our kitchen in a museum, but I was very ashamed. I would like to completely remodel my kitchen, but I know this will be a major project and I can't afford it. What can we do to help out our kitchen and still stay in a small budget? Bob (Tennessee)
A: Hi, Bob. I hope you're just joking about the museum story, because the old displays of kitchens that I have seen in museums show exposed electrical wires, steel bathtubs and un-vented wood-fired stoves. If that's the case, I would suggest a wrecking ball to solve your problem!
Assuming that your kitchen is just a little outdated, here's what I would consider to update your kitchen and still keep to a reasonable budget: First, look into refacing your present cabinets. For the most part, kitchen cabinets are simply wooden boxes with doors on them. Cabinet-refacing companies strip down the present cabinets, update the frames with laminates and install new doors on the cabinets. The finished product looks like a new cabinet, but it's much less expensive than ripping out the old cabinets and installing new ones.
Another thing you can do is to change the old kitchen faucet with a modern, high-quality kitchen faucet. In many cases older kitchens have cast-iron sinks; once the old faucet is removed, the sink can be professionally cleaned or refinished. Then by simply installing a nice faucet, the entire look of the kitchen can change drastically.
Finally, I have heard of companies that can recondition older appliances. As long as your present appliances run okay, these companies can come in and give them a facelift to make them look newer through changing panels and/or painting them.
Not everyone can afford a total remodel job (my kitchen is starting to show its age as well!). Little tricks like these won't make your kitchen look like it's from the future, but it will take it out of the museum category!
Ed Del Grande was born and raised in a family-owned plumbing business. With more than 25 years of experience in every aspect of construction, he holds current Master licenses in pipefitting, fire protection and plumbing. If you have a question for Ed, send him an e-mail at eddelgrande@hgtvpro.com.
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