Renovation Bootcamp....Kitchen!

Publisher's Note: Shopping trips to discover trends, cabinet styles, counter top materials, appliances and plumbing fixtures are only the opening skirmishes when planning a kitchen renovation battle plan.

Renovation Bootcamp: Kitchen is the ultimate step-by-step, behind-the-scenes manual to remodel a kitchen. This must-have manifesto is loaded with "before" and "after" photos, drawings, questionnaires, lists, and "Tales from the Trenches" from the author's own jobsites.

Packed with practical, no-nonsense advice, checklists and proven recommendations, the book will help the novice and seasoned renovator alike plot a logical course of action before jumping into the fray.

Learn how to:
• determine how long it should take
• de-code the design process
• establish a budget
• hire a contractor
• ask the right questions when shopping for cabinetry, appliances and materials and so much more.

Armed with this renovation road map, homeowners can plan their strategy so they won't just survive, they'll save time, money, sanity and win the renovation war!
Robin Siegerman is a Registered Interior Designer and international, award-winning, Certified Kitchen Designer. With almost 20 years experience designing and managing home renovations, she sets a new standard for the kitchen renovation guide with Renovation Bootcamp: Kitchen. Her columns, articles and projects have been featured in newspapers, magazines and coffee table books, she is a regularly featured designer on various HGTV shows and is a popular speaker at trade and home shows.

My Review:  Recently I had the opportunity to review Renovation Bootcamp: Kitchen written by Robin Siegerman. I loved this book. Not only did author Robin Siegerman describe the hows of renovating your kitchen, she also included a companion workbook to help the process along. Renovation Bootcamp featured beautiful before and after pictures that leave you excited and anxious to begin your own renovations. The author offered "Tales From The Trenches" where she highlighted several of her own experiences and sometimes humorous stories from her time spent as a designer. She offered practical advise from who to hire to a realistic breakdown of prices and a do-able timeline. I thought this book was a definite must have for anyone considering remodeling or redesigning their kitchen. The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house. She states,

"[The kitchen] is arguably the most important
room in the house. A kitchen is to a home what air traffic control is to an airport; what mission control is to NASA; what the hub is to a transportation line; what the heart is to the body. A deeply personal space, it can be the scene of domestic intimacy, creativity, harmony, and even drama and discord within the family."

And I couldn't agree more. I found this book very helpful, easy to read and follow, and again, she offered a realistic approach to remodeling a kitchen. A definite must read for any homeowner.

Today, I also have the opportunity to offer a guest post from Robin Siegerman. I appreciate the time she took to take a minute and give a quick note of advise.

Guest Post by Robin Siegerman:

When remodeling a kitchen, what are some things that should be left for the professionals and why?

The top three areas that should be left for professionals during a kitchen remodel are:

1.    Electrical/mechanical work

2.    Plumbing

3.    Structural work.

Electrical and mechanical work are the most hazardous components of a kitchen renovation.  Faulty wiring can be the cause of a house fire and if that happens, the occupants have only 3 minutes to escape before being overcome by smoke.  All electrical work should be done to meet or exceed the local building codes to ensure safety and this is best done by a licensed electrician.  However, the electrician is NOT the best person to design the lighting.  There are a lot of reasons for this that are too detailed to go into here, but chapter 6 in my book, Renovation Bootcamp: Kitchen, explains it more fully.

Plumbing can be more problematic than a lot of people think and many DIY enthusiasts would scoff at bringing in a plumber.  I had designed a project in a condo with a contractor hired by the clients, whose plumber got a bit careless.  The apartment was on the 34^th floor and it was an older building that didn’t have stop valves in each unit, but only down on the main level.  So to do any work, it was necessary to take the elevator down 34 flights and get the maintenance people to turn off the valves (Can you see where this is going?).  The contractor had spent 6 months joining two units together and re-arranging the floor plan with new kitchen and 3 new bathrooms as per my design.  Finally when everything was completely finished, the furniture had been moved in and the clients were within 24 hours of moving back in, the plumber adjusted a fitting under the sink without having the stops turned off.  The fitting was under such pressure, that the connection broke, it blew off nearly hitting him in the head and scalding him with hot water.  It took 20 minutes to get anyone to turn off the stops, while hot water was gushing out into the newly finished apartment, ruining floors, cabinetry , baseboards and pouring down 10 floors through the main pipe chase.  This was the worst thing I have ever heard of on a job site with plumbing, but the point is, it can happen even with a professional, so imagine how easy it would be for something similar to happen with someone with less experience.  Hire a licensed plumber.

Doing structural work requires proper construction drawings and a construction permit that you will have to apply for through your municipality.  Doing structural work without professional drawings and permits is foolish and risky.  If the work is improperly done, and the structure of the house is affected, not only will it be a bigger job to fix it, but your insurance may not cover you.

If in doubt, hire a professional, and make sure they are properly covered with insurance.

To purchase a copy of Renovation Bootcamp: Kitchen visit Amazon today!

To learn more about author Robin Siegerman visit www.sieguzi.com.