Kitchen Safety Tips

The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) provides a source of information for professionals and consumers alike. Kitchen and bathroom remodeling guidelines, recommendations and ideas can all be found at the NKBA website.

One article, from the tips and how-to section of the website, discusses kitchen safety. Since the kitchen is a popular gathering place, it should also be kept a safe place. Some good points made in the article that may be overlooked are:

• Use proper lighting, especially in work areas
• Store a fire extinguisher in an easily accessible area
• Regulate your faucet temperature to prevent burns
• Round the edges of counter-tops and islands

Source: National Kitchen & Bath Association

Planning Out Your Bathroom

Before beginning a remodeling project, it is important to plan properly to ensure the renovation process goes smoothly. Since you do not want any trouble maneuvering in your bathroom, it is a good idea to follow certain spatial guidelines. If your bathroom is going to be used by people of different ages and sizes, it is a good idea to stick with Universal Design (UD). Another set of helpful guidelines are ones set by the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA).

According to UD, you should leave 30 x 48 inches of floor space around each fixture. If, for instance, you have a toilet and sink next to each other, the recommended open space can be shared. Meaning you can leave a 30 x 48 inch common space between the two.

When you install your sink, keep in mind that you should leave 30 inches of space in the front of the sink. A wall mounted or console sink will have room undearneath and allow 12" of the recommended 48" of space to begin under the sink.

There should be 30" in front of the toilet and at least 16" of clear space from the center of the toilet to a wall or any other fixture next to the toilet. If you plan on installing your toilet in a compartment within the bathroom, make sure it is at least 33" wide and 66" deep. If the compartment will have a door, it should be at least 32" wide.

If your shower is less that 60", allow 36" of depth. To arrive at the amount of recommended width, add 12" to the width of your shower. If your shower is greater than 60", still allow 36" deep of clear space, but the width need only be the size of the shower.

Photos above from our customer gallery.

Learn more about clearance guidelines for these and other bathroom fixtures.