Tureks Plumbing Services Blog: Posts Tagged ‘kitchen’

Kitchen Backsplash Trends To Consider For A Kitchen Upgrade

Tuesday, November 9th, 2021

Are You Considering a Kitchen Remodel? Here Are Trends In Kitchen Backsplash 2021

kitchen backsplash trendsPerhaps you’ve recently moved into an older home and want to make it truly your own by making a few changes. Alternatively, you may have updated some aspects of your home, making others appear obsolete. Making a new backsplash is an easy way to enhance your kitchen. What are the most recent kitchen backsplash trends? Our Kitchen Remodel Appleton WI professionals share below. 

Kitchen Trends In Kitchen Backsplash

When it comes to kitchen backsplash, there are plenty of trendy and traditional materials you can choose from. To name a few, slate, granite, travertine and glass have been enjoying a fair amount of popularity among designers and homeowners in 2021. These materials are closely followed by wood and metal typically used as accents.

Our Appleton Kitchen remodel specialists share that tumbled stone backsplashes and anything with pastel hues have considerably lost their popularity in the kitchen design world.

Size and shape

Overall, larger ceramic tiles have become more popular for backsplashes. Many designers use tiles ranging 1″ X 3″ to 4″ X 12″. Some designers combine different tile shapes, colors and sizes for a more dramatic effect. You might also want to vary the depth of the materials used in your kitchen backsplash to add dynamism. Also, more and more designers are opting for vertical patterns over horizontal ones.

Using large tiles for small kitchens (and vice versa)

Can you use large tiles for the backsplash to make your small kitchen appear larger? It is possible to use large tiles to make your small kitchen larger but there are a lot of other things to consider. For one, you have to remove the clutter around your kitchen. Second, you need to use the tiles to create a horizontal line.

On the other hand, if your kitchen looks too big and you want to trim its size visually, you can use small tiles and colors.

Here, there is no single rule of thumb to follow. You can use large or small tiles no matter what the size of your kitchen is.

Matching the backsplash with other kitchen elements

The general consensus among designers is that the backsplash color should complement other elements in the kitchen including the cabinet, floor and countertop. That does not mean that you need to find an exact match. Rather, you should choose a color for the backsplash that complements the color of the other elements.

White subway tiles

Although white subway tiles remain a popular option among designers and their clients, many are veering away from these because of the basic look these offer. If you are leaning toward a more classic and clean look, you can use these tiles.

Similar materials for backsplash and countertop

A lot of designers avoid using the same materials for both as these can make the kitchen look overwhelming. It is possible to avoid this by using exotic stones.

Extending the backsplash up to the ceiling

If the wall where the backsplash is going to be placed has no wall cabinet, you can extend the tiles up to the ceiling, depending on your taste and the overall design of the kitchen.

Inspiration from Europe

One trend that is popular among Europeans is reducing the space allocated to wall cabinets, allowing the backsplash to take center stage. A lot of Europeans are also favoring the installation of tiles up to the ceiling because these are easier to clean and are more hygienic.

One good rule of thumb when choosing a backsplash color and design is to consider the kitchen lighting. The more natural light you have in your kitchen the darker you can go. If your kitchen is lacking in natural light, you will want to try and lighten up the space with lighter colors.

If you are considering a kitchen remodel, contact the remodel professionals at Turek’s Plumbing Services and let them help you start designing your beautiful new kitchen today!

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in July, 2016 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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The 5 Dirtiest Things In Your Kitchen

Wednesday, May 16th, 2018

Even if you regularly clean your kitchen, there may be certain items in this area that you’re not cleaning or sanitizing enough. Once you know how dirty these items are, you will start thinking twice about how often you use them and your cleaning methods. You may even be encouraged to simply replace these items and double up on your sanitizing efforts.

Tureks Plumbing Services shares the five dirtiest things in your kitchen and tips on how to clean and keep them hygienic and safe for daily use:

  • Coffeemaker

The first on this list is something that you may not clean often: your coffee maker. Although coffee makers look clean even if you just wipe them now and then, don’t be fooled. Bacteria love dark, confined spaces and your coffee maker is the perfect place for them to grow and multiply.

To keep your coffee maker hygienic and safe for brewing your cup of joe every day, clean it every week. Fill the reservoir with a mixture of half white vinegar and water and turn it on until the post is half full. Stop brewing for 30 minutes then turn it on again to finish the brewing process. When done, empty the pots and fill the reservoir with clean water and brew again.

  • Dish towels

Dish towels are some of the dirtiest things not just in the kitchen, but in your whole house. Whether you use them for wiping your hands or cleaning your kitchen counters, you are constantly getting and spreading germs.

To avoid spreading germs whenever you use your dish towels, change them every day. Launder used dish towels once a week with hot water and with a small amount of bleach.

  • Sponges

Sponges are reservoirs for different types of bacteria as well. According to health experts, using old sponges can lead to food-borne diseases.

It is therefore important that you clean your sponges properly after use. Put the sponges in a dishwasher with a drying cycle. You can also disinfect them by soaking them in a solution of one-quarter to one-half of a teaspoon of concentrated bleach per quart of warm water for one minute. If your sponge starts to smell, throw and replace it immediately.

  • Cutting boards

If you’re using only one cutting board at home, you’re already doing something really unhygienic in the kitchen. Every kitchen should have at least two cutting boards — one for meats and the other for fruits and vegetables. If you’re just using just one for these food items, you’re causing cross-contamination which can make you sick.

To keep your cutting boards safe for use, always wash them properly with good dishwashing solution and water after. Also, spray the cutting board you use for cutting raw meat with a bleach solution after using it.

  • Garbage Disposals

Lastly, there can be no doubt that your garbage disposal contains various types of bacteria. As such, make sure you clean it regularly.

Use a long-handled brush and chlorine-based disinfectant when cleaning it. Scrub the walls of the disposal and don’t forget the area beneath the rubber guard. When done, allow it to sit for at least an hour so that the disinfectant can kill any surrounding bacteria. After each use, a seasoned Appleton plumber recommends placing a few ice cubes in it to clear the blades of any leftover muck that may be stuck to them. 

Check out our blog to see more info-articles!

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Attracting home buyers with a beautiful kitchen

Tuesday, June 20th, 2017

How to Prep Your Kitchen for Resale

To have an easier and faster time selling your home at the price you’re looking for, you need to invest some additional money and time to make it attractive for potential buyers. However, you can’t just focus on improving certain areas or features of your home; to catch the attention and interest of buyers, you need to make sure all the rooms are appealing and devoid of any issues or problems.

A key area of your house you have to pay attention to is the kitchen. This is one of the areas in a home that matters a lot to many interested buyers since it is highly likely they will spend a lot of time in this room.

If you will be putting your home in the market, here are some useful tips to successfully prep your kitchen for resale without shelling out a huge amount of cash:

Clean your kitchen.

Give your kitchen a good scrubbing and wipe-down. Vacuum the areas which you never used to clean before such as the spots behind the stove and refrigerator. Get rid of any clutter in the kitchen as well such as old cookbooks and food containers you never use. Make sure your kitchen is free from unpleasant smells such as the ones emanating from the garbage. Remove all garbage, recycling, and smelly pet-related items before showing your home. Keep in mind that nothing turns off a potential buyer faster than a bad smell.

If you don’t have the time to properly clean your kitchen, hire cleaning professionals to do the job for you. They will make sure your kitchen is sparkling clean and nice-smelling, too.

Make sure your kitchen faucets and plumbing system are working properly.

While cleaning the kitchen sink, check the faucet and pipes for leaks and clean these features as well. In case the water pressure is low or water leaks from the handle of your faucet, take the time to clean your faucet’s aerator. You can also remove lime or calcium buildup in the faucet by removing the aerator and using vinegar as a cleaning agent. In case there are leaks or you simply want to have the faucets and pipes replaced, it is best to call a professional plumber to avoid any further damage to your kitchen’s plumbing system.

Organize your kitchen cupboards and cabinets.

Interested buyers will take the time to look inside your cabinets and cupboards. If these storage features are overstuffed, it usually gives the impression that there isn’t enough storage space in your kitchen. As such, remove all excess and mismatched items and anything that simply doesn’t look good – even if you think you’ve hidden them well.

Make sure the kitchen windows are clean and clear.

Clean the kitchen windows inside and out. You will be surprised at the effect that clean windows can have on your kitchen (and in any room), especially during a sunny day. In case there are curtains or other types of treatments covering your windows, make sure they are clean as well or open them when you are showing your kitchen.

Consider having your kitchen painted.

Finally, aside from cleaning, giving your kitchen a new coat of paint will give it a new, crisp look. Consider having your kitchen painted in a hue that works with the color of your counters and cabinets. You can always stick with white if you don’t want to experiment with colors. In case your kitchen was recently painted, examine the walls and ceiling and touch up any flaws, even the smallest ones. Call Tureks plumbing today to help rebuild your kitchen!

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Tips on Adding a New Kitchen Island

Wednesday, June 14th, 2017

Adding a Kitchen Island

Remodeling your kitchen can be a very exciting home improvement project. This is because most of the features you will want to have in this room have to be both functional and aesthetically appealing. As such, you will have to be a bit more thoughtful and creative when you want to improve your kitchen.

Adding a kitchen island is one of the smart kitchen renovation ideas you can consider today. A kitchen island is a very practical, convenient, and handy feature to have in the kitchen. This modern kitchen feature provides several benefits, which include:

  • It provides additional work space in the kitchen
  • It permits people to sit and eat in the kitchen without anyone getting in the way of the person working in the room
  • It removes the need for a table in the kitchen
  • Lastly, it can serve as the focal point or feature in the kitchen, mainly because of its position in the middle of the room. When it is designed properly, guests will definitely be impressed by this feature

Initial Considerations When Choosing a New Kitchen Island

Once you have decided that a kitchen island is the best (and smartest) new feature to have, you need to think about certain important factors to make sure you get the ideal one for your home. These key factors are:

Kitchen Island Size.

Your kitchen island should be the right size for your kitchen space. It has to be big enough to double as your working and dining space but not so large that people will have trouble walking, cooking, and moving around once it is installed. A good rule of thumb to remember when having a kitchen island installed is to ensure that there should be at least 36 inches of clearance on all sides of the fixture.

Shape.

When choosing which shape to go for, consider the size of your kitchen and the primary use of the island. Aim for a shape that works with the current design of your kitchen and one that is convenient for you and everyone who will regularly use it.

The island’s countertop material 

Kitchen islands can be made of different materials; it’s the same with the countertop. Some of the most popular countertop materials today include wood, granite, marble, quartz, and soapstone. When choosing the material, consider the other fixtures in your home so that it doesn’t clash with the current design. Opt for a material that is durable, long-lasting and low maintenance as well. Lastly, consider the size of your doorway because if the countertop is too big, you will have a hard (and even impossible) time to get it inside the kitchen.

Features and amenities.

Lastly, determine how many drawers and cabinets you want the island to have. Keep in mind that the kitchen island is the perfect way for you to add features to your kitchen that is lacking, such as drawers, or other things that will make your life just a little bit easier, such as hooks for hanging towels or even a built-in microwave. To ensure your island is amenable to seating, consider the type of stools or chairs you plan to use and make sure the feature can accommodate the proper height and legroom requirements. Schedule an appointment with us today!

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The Unforeseen Costs of Adding a Kitchen Island

Tuesday, October 11th, 2016

Kitchen Island

The Unforeseen Costs of Adding a Kitchen Island

For the homeowner who loves to cook for the family, throw dinner parties, or simply spend plenty of quality time with loved ones over food, the kitchen is a special haven where magic happens. Here, you get to chop ingredients, stir giant pots of sauces, watch over meats and veggies cooking on the stovetop or in the oven, plate up gourmet dishes, share an after-school snack with the kids, or sneak a mouthful or two of a sinful dessert in the middle of the night.

With all the hustle and bustle that goes on in this space, it’s easy to understand why many long to renovate their kitchen so that it can finally include one of the most coveted features: the kitchen island. You’ve seen it in movies, TV series and home makeover shows — a man or woman busily (but happily) puttering around a gorgeous kitchen island as they throw a meal together — and you feel a primal longing to have one in your own home.

Weighing the Costs of Renovation

A kitchen island does indeed offer a plethora of benefits. Additional counter space for prep work, more hidden storage options are just a few possible benefits. Extra spaces for different amenities, more seating areas can increase your home’s resale value.

Before you decide to make a move it’s crucial to take a closer look at the work to be performed. Make sure to consider unforeseen costs of adding a kitchen island so that you can have realistic expectations about budgeting for this kitchen renovation. Bottom line: It’s a lot more than just slapping down a slab of granite over your existing base cabinets.

The island countertop should be easily carried into the kitchen. The countertop is the crowning glory of this renovation project. The goal is to bring it into the home in one piece. If the slab is too big to clear corners or carry up and around staircases, it has to be cut. That can cost you (as well as create an unattractive seam in the stone).

You need tasklights. Overhead lighting fixtures are necessary and the costs can vary depending on the fixtures you choose and the distance of the kitchen from the electrical panel. Your electrician may need to open the ceiling and run new wires; this will also involve repairing the drywall and repainting the ceiling afterwards.

Electric outlets must be added. Islands are required by code to have electrical outlets every 6 feet. It can be costly if concrete must be drilled through to run electrical wires to the electrical panel.

Entirely new plumbing must be put in. Since islands are nowhere near a wall, there is an issue that must be addressed. The plumbing has to be installed under the floor, yet the requirements or the island’s water, vent and drain is the same for a kitchen sink that abuts a wall.

Kitchen sinks typically require a P-trap to prevent sewage gases from entering the sink. In an island, however, this P-trap will inevitably stick out horizontally.

To create proper venting, loop venting must be introduced. To achieve this:

  • A plumber must attach a T-fitting to the P-trap drain; this causes the water flow to be directed down toward the floor.
  • Afterwards, the T-fitting is attached to an inverted U-designed vent pipe. The top should run upwards to the counter’s bottom, and then loop back down through the floor.
  • Both pipes will now be connected to the primary drain, and the vent pipe will be hooked to another pipe that is connected to the house’s main vent pipe.
  • In the event that loop venting cannot be applied to a kitchen, a plumber should instead install an air admittance valve.

Talk to your Fox Cities plumber about all the facts of adding a kitchen island. It is critical to take the best approach when building the kitchen of your dreams.

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Should You DIY a Kitchen Remodel? A Fox Valley Plumber Weighs In

Thursday, June 16th, 2016

kitchen remodel

Should You DIY a Kitchen Remodel?

Should I DIY my kitchen remodel project? That is a fairly common question homeowners ask. There is no simple answer to this question. You must account for your personal circumstances in order to arrive at the best decision.

 

Why DIY-ing has become popular

Why have DIY projects become more popular in recent years? There are plenty of possible answers to this phenomenon.

One major factor influencing this trend is the steep cost of labor. In many projects, the cost of labor is considerably higher than the cost of the materials, driving homeowners to look for other options, including DIY.

Additionally, there are plenty of resources currently available that DIY-ers can utilize. Unlike before when knowledge and expertise were handed down by a master to his apprentice, today you can watch a video, download an e-book, or read a blog post, and you’ll get detailed step-by-step instructions on how to do something.

Finally, there’s the unique sense of achievement and ownership you get from knowing that you created something with your own hands.

 

When DIY is not a better option

However, not all projects are suitable for the average individual. How do you know if you should DIY a project or call in an expert? Here are three scenarios.

  • The tasks involved serious risks

 

Simply put, if you do not want to risk the safety of your loved ones and your property, you need to hire someone who can perform the job safely.

  • Messing up will cost you more

 

When you commit mistakes with small projects, you can chalk those up to experience. But when correcting your mistakes leads to hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in costs, then you better call in the professionals.

  • Your home’s value is at stake

 

For larger projects like a kitchen remodel, you have to be aware of the impact of the final outcome on the value of your home.

  • The project requires a permit

 

When a project requires a permit, that often means that it is too complicated and difficult to tackle for someone with minimal experience.

 

Should you DIY your kitchen remodel?

If you have above average skills and if you are confident that you can produce the best outcomes, and you are not worried about the potential added costs, perhaps you can consider going the DIY route with the remodel. However, you still have one hurdle to face: getting a building permit.

For most homeowners, it makes better sense to enlist the help of a seasoned Fox Valley plumber. Remember, you are not simply paying for someone to do a set of tasks for you. You are paying for expertise, time savings and quality work.

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