The first part of preparing your countertops for a new installation or replacement is to communicate with the contractors who will be working on it. It’s courteous to ask if it would make their job easier if you did a certain amount of preparation beforehand.
In most cases, the best thing you can do is to give them a clean workspace with enough room to work and set down their equipment. You don’t need to do any measuring or things like that. If you’re too involved, you may just end up getting in their way.
Keep reading and we’ll give you some pointers about what you should know before installing kitchen countertops.
Can You Still Use Your Kitchen?
When it comes to preparing meals, your kitchen counters are always going to be the space you use the most often. Because of this, you need to find a way to go without using them for a few days while contractors are working.
The last thing you want to do is interrupt or overcrowd the area they’re working with. You have a few different options here. If the weather permits, you can cook and prepare meals on grills outside.
You can also make cold meals like sandwiches and salads before the contractors arrive. When you store them in plastic containers, you can just run into the kitchen, grab them, and walk back out without much interruption.
Other options include frozen meals like pizzas and TV dinners that don’t require much preparation. You can even plan your cooking times around the times the contractors take breaks or leave for the day.
If you decide to do this, make sure you leave everything as they left it.
Remove Your Gadgets and Clutter
For most people, the kitchen counter isn’t just a workspace, it’s a storage space. It’s where you keep things such as coffeemakers, blenders, dish racks, toasters, and other little gadgets. Help your contractors out by removing all these objects before they come over for the installation.
The items you don’t use all the time can go into a closet or something while the work is getting done. On the other hand, if there’s an object you use daily, like a coffee maker, you may want to set up a coffee station on your dining room table for example.
In addition to removing your gadgets from your kitchen counter, you should also take some frequently used items out of the kitchen. This will prevent you from going in and out of the room while the counters are getting replaced.
Items you should consider taking out are eating utensils like forks, knives, plates, and drinking glasses. This way if you come home with takeout, you can eat with your dishes without even having to step foot into the kitchen area.
Installing Kitchen Countertops Without too Much Chaos
You can expect some mess and disarray in your home whenever there are contractors working on something. They will often have to walk in and out of your house to retrieve tools and other supplies from their trucks.
There are some precautions you can take to minimize some of the confusion and messiness that can accompany their work.
For starters, you should find the closest point of entry from the outside to your kitchen. If there’s a door in that room, it’s perfect.
But if they have to walk through other areas of your house like your living room to get to the kitchen, you should lay down some tarp on the floor to protect it.
Also, move any objects that might get in the way while the contractors are carrying large objects. For instance, if you have a table in your entryway with a breakable vase or something, you should move that to an area where the traffic won’t be as heavy.
Other Things to Keep in Mind During the Installation
Now that you have ideas for minimizing your need for your kitchen space during your countertop installation, there are some other factors you should consider starting with the noise.
Because drilling and sawing are possible parts of the process, you may need to take some precautions if you have a small child in the house. The sounds may scare them or interrupt activities like nap time.
There is also a possibility that strong chemicals and glues will be in use during the installation. So, open doors and windows that surround the kitchen area to increase the airflow. This way your family isn’t bothered by the smells.
Other things you should consider are:
- Cabinets should be completely installed before you can measure and install new counters
- The sink and cooktop base cabinets have to be empty before installation
- For safety keep pets and small children away from the kitchen
- An adult or decision maker over the age of 18 should always be around during the installation process
- You should remove top drawers
- Remove breakable objects from your kitchen during installation
You should always ask your contractors beforehand how long a job may take. This way, you can adjust the way you prepare your home and your family for the installation accordingly.
On average, it can take roughly four hours to install two countertop slabs. But the size of your kitchen, the materials that are being used, and other factors will contribute to the amount of time it takes to completely install or replace the countertops in your area.
Contact Us
It’s a good idea to install new countertops when you are considering selling your home, there is burn or smoke damage, or you simply want a new look in your kitchen. Regardless of your reasons, we are here to help make the process easier for you along the way.
Contact us if you have questions about installing kitchen countertops or you would like a quote. We’ve got you covered!
