What we find in National City kitchens
- Wiring with too few circuits, and sometimes two-prong outlets with no ground.
- Galvanized water lines that have narrowed with age, and cast iron drains.
- Plaster walls, which crack and crumble differently from drywall when cabinets come off.
- Floors that are out of level after decades of settling.
- Several layers of old flooring, some of which should be tested before removal.
Make a small kitchen work harder
Many National City kitchens are small and cannot grow without taking space from another room. Good results come from layout: full-height cabinets, drawers instead of doors in the base cabinets, a counter-depth refrigerator and an opening to the dining room in place of a solid wall.
Where the kitchen backs onto a porch or laundry room, borrowing a few feet can change how the whole room works.
Raised floors help
A lot of older National City homes sit on a raised foundation with a crawl space. That makes moving a sink or adding a gas line simpler than it is on a concrete slab, because the pipes can be rerouted from below without cutting the floor.
Update the systems while the walls are open
A modern kitchen needs dedicated circuits for the refrigerator, dishwasher, disposal and microwave, plus protected outlets along the counters. In an older home that often means a new electrical panel. It costs far less to do this during the remodel than to come back later.
Permits for electrical, plumbing and structural changes go through National City's Building Division.
How a kitchen remodel with All Pro Contractor runs
- Site visit to review the space, structure, utilities and your priorities.
- Written estimate with scope, allowances and responsibilities for design, engineering and permits.
- Selections and ordering, with cabinet and appliance lead times built into the schedule.
- Demolition, structural and rough work, inspections, then cabinets, counters and finishes.