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Key Points
- Before updating an older kitchen, consider these unique challenges not often found in modern kitchen renovations.
- When planning your budget, plan a contingency budget of up to 20% of your total project cost.
- Always plan for unexpected structural repair, as well as necessary updates for plumbing, electrical, and more.
It likely comes as no surprise that renovating an older kitchen presents many more challenges than updating a new kitchen. From addressing outdated building practices to tackling surprise damage to altering the kitchen’s layout to better function for the modern homeowner, numerous unique challenges come with an old kitchen renovation.
To help you prepare for your kitchen renovation, we’ve spoken to some kitchen renovation experts about the 5 things you should know before upgrading an old kitchen.
Budget for Surprises
Unless money is no object for you, you’ve likely already considered setting a budget for your kitchen renovation. While that’s always a smart plan, it’s imperative that you budget ahead of upgrading an old kitchen. However, Justin Olewack, kitchen renovation expert and founder of BOLT Builders, recommends a contingency budget of 10-20% of the total project cost.
“In older homes, surprises are normal because some issues may not become apparent until after demo or starting renovation,” Olewack explains. “For example, within one kitchen we renovated, we discovered the kitchen floor was an inch out of level, something we couldn’t see until the original flooring was removed.”
He adds that fixing the surprise out-of-level flooring required new joists and subflooring, adding both time and cost to the project. However, the added costs weren’t as concerning as they were absorbed in the contingency budget.
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Consider Updating Your Electrical
While you’ve probably already planned on adding or moving light fixtures, receptacles, and more, be prepared to update all of the electrical once you’ve exposed everything. Thomas Borcherding, lead kitchen designer at Homestar Design Remodel, says it’s often a matter of bringing your electrical up to code.
“Electrical code has changed dramatically, even during the late 20th century,” he says. “Your outlets will likely have to be grounded and also updated to GFCI outlets when above the countertop.”
He adds that homeowners may even have to update their electrical panel as well as the wiring runs coming from it.
Consider Updating Your Plumbing
Just like with lighting, switches, and outlets, many kitchen renovators plan on adding or moving plumbing lines for appliances, pot fillers, and more. While it’s not often an issue of bringing plumbing up to code, many older plumbing materials are worth replacing while you have the walls opened up.
Olewack warns that older plumbing materials, such as cast iron, may be corroded and leaking, and that most homeowners choose to replace these older materials with PVC.
Plan on Addressing Framing Issues
While your kitchen may seem straight and sturdy now, the framing can tell an entirely different story once the flooring and walls are removed. Renovators often find out-of-plumb walls, out-of-level floors, and framing that’s either in poor shape or isn’t fit to support tile, drywall, and other modern kitchen materials.
“Older homes were built with less stringent framing standards. There’s a very real possibility that your walls, ceiling, and floor are out of level,” Borcherding says. “Be prepared to invest in a floor leveling solution and additional carpenter labor hours to fix dramatically out-of-plumb walls and ceilings.”
Expect Subfloor Concerns
Like many kitchen renovators, you’re likely planning on installing a new tile floor. However, if you remove the flooring in an old kitchen and find a subfloor that’s solid, sturdy, and will support tile, consider yourself extremely lucky. The thing about tile is, the substrate you install it on has to be steady like a rock. If it isn’t, the tile will eventually crack.
Borcherding explains how older kitchens may not feature a plywood subfloor.
If you remove your flooring and find that the subfloor isn’t in good, solid condition, he recommends discussing the possibility of subfloor replacement with your contractor or flooring installer, especially before installing tile.
