Kitchen Remodeling Tips- Accurately Measuring Your Kitchen

By Author: Jason Delmar
Total Articles: 335
Comment this article

Before you start a kitchen remodeling project on your own, the most important step is going to be accurately measuring your kitchen. Unlike some other renovation projects, being a 1/2" off when it comes to the measures of your kitchen could cost you a lot of money- especially with cabinets and countertops. Since countertops have to be cut exactly to size, rough measurements just won't do. If you already have cabinets in place, and you are planning on keeping the same layout, then your job will be easy (just measure each of the existing cabinets). If not , you will have to follow the steps below. By following a few simple steps, you will have all the information you will need to start accurately designing your kitchen.

Measuring Your Kitchen
The first step is to make a rough sketch of your kitchen, either freehand or on your computer. Always start from the left side of the room on the first wall you plan on adding cabinets and work from left to right. In your drawing, include images for all doors, windows, outlets and anything else that may affect the overall layout of your kitchen (you don't want to ...
... find out that a slot will have to be cut into the granite countertops while they are trying to install it).

Step 1
Measure the overall length of each wall and record it on layout. Always work from left to right to ensure that your measurements are consistent. Measure the ceiling height in at least four locations on each wall from floor to ceiling to ensure that there are no dips or high spots in the room. If so, it can be addressed when you are installing, but it is important to know about them ahead of time because it can affect the height of your cabinets.

Step 2
Starting from the corner on your left - measure to the center of outlets, plumbing, and vents. This is one of the most common problems that homeowners run into. Not knowing exactly where your plumbing or outlets are, can lead into problems. The last thing that you want to find out is that a vent is located right where you cabinets connect.

Step 3
Starting from the corner on your left - measure the distance to any breaks in the wall such as, windows and doors. In addition to measuring from side to side be sure to measure from the bottom of any window trim to the floor and the top of the window trim to the ceiling. With will help with cabinet selection, since you usually want to leave a little bit of room on each side of any window or door for even spacing.

On any opening that has molding - start your measurement of the wall from the corner to the outside edge or the molding.

Appliances
While you may not physically have your appliances yet if it is a complete renovation, you want to be sure that you have an idea of what appliances are going to be used. There are some standard measurements for some appliances, but refrigerator sizes, stoves, and range hoods can vary in size greatly. Be sure to record the dimensions of each appliance. Start by measuring the Width, Height, and Depth.

Refrigerator ____W x ____H x ____D Range Hood ____W x ____H x ____D
Stove ____W x ____H x ____D Sink ____W x ____H x ____D
Dishwasher ____W x ____H x ____D Trash Compactor ____W x ____H x ____D
Microwave ____W x ____H x ____D Oven (wall mount) ____W x ____H x ____D

Most dishwashers are going be 24" Wide
Average size refrigerators will typically 30" to 36" wide. All of the other appliances can vary greatly in size.

Once you have all of your mesaurements, you are now ready to start shopping for your cabinets.