Before getting started on a kitchen transforming project, buyer Reports offers some key recommendation to help customers economize and avoid trouble. Keep a running file of appliance picks, paint chips, countertop samples, so it is straightforward to piece together the ideal kitchen. Design mags are excellent for concepts and inspiration, but real life isnt regularly so neat and clean. For instance, concrete countertops, which have enjoyed a certain cachet, arent superb for busy households - they can crack or chip and need regular sealing. Selecting eco-friendly products at the start will cut application and water bills for their whole lifetime. Apart from the yellow Energy Guide label on certain appliances, there are no Fed. regulations or definitions of green products. Forty-one % of respondents who hired a contractor reported issues, including shoddy installation ( 13% ), late starts ( 13.5% ), and sloppy work ( 11% ).
If walls will be knocked down or the floor plan drastically arranged, local codes may need a designers or designers sign-off. Almost half client Reports online customers who own the high-end appliances reported repairs, which have a tendency to be expensive. One in 5 homeowners who worked with contractors paid ten % more than conjectured and 36 p.c of those projects took 2 weeks longer than expected. Some project add-ons are unavoidable, but sticking to the original plan will help keep the budget and schedule in check.
The full 28-page kitchen transforming package is free in the Aug 2008 issue of buyer Reports, available July one, wherever mags are sold. The material above is structured for bonafide reports entities just ; it would possibly not be used for commercial or promotional purposes.
To maintain our autonomy and impartiality, CU accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda apart from the interests of customers.
more
