Renovating or remodeling a kitchen is a great way to transform the entire interior of your home’s main floor while simultaneously adding value to your property nearly instantaneously. If you are thinking of investing in a kitchen renovation project, there are a few kitchen health and safety tips to keep in mind and remember along the way. When it comes to kitchen health and safety, there is typically no such thing as being too careful, especially when protecting yourself and your loved ones.
Create a Vision
Whenever you are thinking of remodeling your kitchen space, but you want to keep kitchen health and safety as a top priority, you should work on creating a vision ahead of time. Whether you’re designing a kitchen for your own home or local preschools in your area, having a vision will allow you to organize your thoughts to ensure you are incorporating safety protocols at all times. Having a vision will also help you to break apart tasks, making it easier to prevent potential accidents or injuries while the renovation is taking place.
Install Slip-Resistant Flooring and Countertops
If kitchen health and safety are your top priority when investing in a kitchen remodel, consider installing slip-resistant flooring and countertops. Slip-resistant materials are ideal in kitchens that are highly trafficked and cooked in frequently. If you visit most commercial restaurants and fast food establishments today, you will likely immediately spot slip-resistant flooring, countertops, and surrounding materials. Slip-resistant materials and solutions are not only safer to work in when cooking with grease and other slippery ingredients, but they can also prevent slipping on the floor or becoming injured during the process. Taking slip-resistant countertops and flooring seriously is essential for those who intend to operate or manage a commercial kitchen at any time.
Invest in Custom Cabinetry Solutions
When you are renovating your kitchen, and you want to install a custom solution, consider custom cabinetry or custom wood crates for a unique look, depending on the size and layout of your kitchen. If you decide on custom cabinetry, you should also consider whether you will be installing locks on your cabinets or using specialized storage beneath them. Consider the members of your household at the time of the remodeling project to determine if you need to implement additional safety measures into the custom cabinetry you are having built.
Hire the Right Contractors
If you’re committed to ensuring kitchen health and safety when renovating your own kitchen, you will need to hire the right contractors. Whether you’re interested in hiring a local construction company that has access to a designer warehouse with kitchen materials or if you’re looking for HVAC contractors, knowing how to go about hiring the most qualified professionals is essential. Before hiring any HVAC contractor or construction company, there are a few ways to go about ensuring they are the right fit for the job.
Once you locate construction companies, contractors, or HVAC businesses near you, take some time to research each one individually. You can research local providers by asking your own friends and neighbors for their recommendations while also searching for them online. Browse portfolios, reviews, and the online presence of the construction company or HVAC business you are interested in hiring for your own kitchen remodeling project. When you are reviewing companies and contractors online, be sure to seek out verified testimonials and reviews, as these will provide insight into the type of work each is capable of providing when it comes to renovating kitchen spaces.
While you are searching for the right construction company or HVAC specialist, consider reviewing any portfolios that are available online or on the official website of the business itself. Portfolios provide visual guides to the type of work that a construction company has completed for clients in the past. Comparing portfolios will also help you find a contractor or company that shares the same vision as you before you begin.
Install Proper Lighting
Working and cooking in the kitchen can quickly become dangerous without proper tools, preparation, and lighting. Investing in proper lighting can transform your kitchen space while providing you with the ability to see better while you are cooking or prepping food. With proper lighting, minimize the risk of cutting yourself or missing important elements of the cooking process.
Place the Microwave at an Appropriate Height
If you are remodeling your entire kitchen, and you are concerned about kitchen health and safety, placing your microwave at an appropriate height is a must. This is especially important for those who have children or toddlers in the home. Placing a microwave too low to the ground can increase the risk of a child gaining access to the appliance without your knowledge, increasing their risk of a potential injury. When you are thinking of renovating the entire space of your kitchen, consider installing your microwave directly above your stove or another countertop you have available.
Choose Sustainable and Forward-Thinking Appliances
Anytime you are remodeling your kitchen entirely and replacing your appliances, research sustainable and forward-thinking replacements. Replacing your existing appliances with refrigerators and dishwashers that are much more eco-friendly will now only allow you to pursue living a life that is much more sustainable, but it will also reduce your water waste. Ultimately, investing in forward-thinking, energy-efficient appliances will reduce water waste while simultaneously also lowering your water and electricity bills, depending on the type of appliances you choose to invest in.
Recycle and Dispose of Waste Appropriately
When it comes to kitchen health and safety, recycling frequently and disposing of waste appropriately is fundamental. The kitchen is one of the dirtiest and grimiest places in the home, sometimes even measuring in with more bacteria than a standard home bathroom. Implementing a proper recycling and waste disposal routine is a way for you to prevent the buildup of grime, dirt, and bacteria in your kitchen, allowing you to protect the space as much as possible.
If you work in your kitchen regularly, consider checking with a residential metal recycling company near you. Comparing aluminum can pricing at various recycling centers can help you to pinpoint a location that is best for you based on where you currently reside. Recycling regularly is a way to prevent the excess collection of cans and other materials in your kitchen or even in your basement or garage.
Ensure Proper Ventilation
Ensuring proper ventilation in any kitchen, big or small, is a top priority when it comes to kitchen health and safety today. Proper ventilation is necessary to prevent potential fires from breaking out while also protecting your own health whenever you are working or cooking in the kitchen. If you are cooking in a kitchen without windows or proper ventilation, you will likely be exposed to potentially harmful chemicals and smoke whenever you are searing a piece of meat or cooking at high temperatures.
How to Ensure Proper Ventilation in a Kitchen
Working with a professional who specializes in ventilation and construction in residential homes is highly recommended if you are looking to renovate or remodel your own kitchen. Ventilation is key throughout any home or commercial space, especially in kitchens. Kitchens require the use of various heating tools and cooking methods, which can produce different gaseous and chemical responses. A kitchen without proper ventilation not only poses a potential health risk to those in the room, but it can also lead to the deterioration of walls, backslashes, and other surroundings in a short period of time.
Install Windows for Natural Airflow and Lighting
Lighting and airflow matter, especially when it comes to cooking in contained spaces, such as a residential kitchen. If your current kitchen’s design is devoid of natural lighting or any windows, you may want to work with a window installer to make a few changes. Integrating skylights for natural lights and traditional windows for airflow can drastically change the look, feel, and overall aesthetic of any kitchen, big or small.
Choosing to invest in windows for natural airflow and lighting is not only aesthetically pleasing, but it can also quickly add value to your home and property. Depending on the window treatments you choose, you can also boost your home’s curbside appeal to neighbors and passersby. Additionally, having access to windows in your kitchen can minimize smoke buildup and reduce the risk of a fire spreading fast.
Protect Electrical Switches and Outlets
When you are considering kitchen health and safety during a renovation project, your electrical switches and outlets should always remain a top priority. Ensuring that the electricity in your kitchen is properly wired and configured can alleviate fears of a potential fire breaking out at any time. To verify that your kitchen is properly wired with safety measures and precautions in place, work with a local trusted professional electrician. A trusted electrician will help to inspect your kitchen’s interior before moving forward with any type of renovation or remodeling project you envision for the space.
Advantages of Hiring a Professional Electrician
Any time you need to have electrical work done in your home or during a kitchen remodeling project, you will need to do so by calling a professional electrician. Electricians are not just trained and certified, but they are also licensed and insured if they are reputable and running a legitimate business. Protecting yourself as a homeowner is imperative, especially when hiring a contractor or an electric work company to help reconfigure the wiring in your own kitchen. When you have a professionally trained and certified electrician working in your home, you can spend more time focusing on other elements of your kitchen’s renovation.
Work With a Professional Plumbing Company or Contractor
If you are remodeling your kitchen and installing new appliances or even relocating your sink to another side of the room, you will likely need to call on a professional local plumber to get the job done. Working with a professional plumber who specializes in kitchen remodeling projects is a way for you to spend more time focusing on other aspects of the renovation project. When you have a plumber by your side that you can trust, you can maintain your peace of mind, especially if you are reconfiguring how your plumbing is set up underground. A professional plumber will also be certified, trained, and licensed to work inside their client’s homes, which will protect you legally and financially as a homeowner.
Benefits of a Professional Plumber
Working with a professional plumber is a way to ensure that they are licensed, certified, and insured before they get to work. Professional plumbing companies are also well-versed in different types of fixtures that are currently on the market, from toilets to sinks and dishwashers. When you are working with a professional plumbing company, you can also ask questions to learn more about the options you have when it comes to implementing and installing new fixtures throughout your kitchen itself.
Invest in a Water Purifying System and Solution
If you are undergoing a major renovation or remodeling project in your home and kitchen, you may want to invest in a water purifying system or solution. Water is fundamental to life, and required on a daily basis. If you are already planning to renovate your kitchen, investing in a tankless hot water heater and even a local water management plan is highly recommended. Purifying the water you use and consume in your home can help alleviate various health issues and ailments, depending on where you live and where your water source is currently located. Taking the treatment and purification of your water supply seriously is extremely important when you are in the process of renovating your kitchen and any of the other plumbing throughout your home.
Renovating and remodeling your kitchen is a great way to truly make your house your home, especially if you spend a lot of time in your kitchen. Understanding the ins and outs of kitchen health and safety can help you to move forward with any remodeling project you had in mind while maintaining your peace of mind. With a vision, a strategy, and the right professionals by your side, you can complete any renovation project you desire for your kitchen without a hassle or worry in your mind.
