In many ways, the kitchen is the most important room in a home. With many homeowners now opting for open space designs, it is becoming increasingly common to have the wall between the kitchen and the adjoining room (usually the dining room) removed.
While this does help with the home’s usability and appearance, it’s crucial that this wall is removed safely. You don’t want to compromise the structural integrity of your home.
Kitchen walls tend to be load bearing, which is why homeowners should refrain from attempting a DIY wall removal. This job needs to be done by experienced professionals. Load bearing wall removal specialists can ensure that the structure is removed in a safe manner.
This post will shed light on some of the benefits that homeowners can enjoy after kitchen wall removal – as long as the job is done safely and professionally.
1) Enjoy a Spacious Kitchen Area
Perhaps the biggest advantage of removing the kitchen load bearing wall is that you get to expand the available space.
Most homes have small and sectioned rooms to enable quick heating or cooling. However, with open interiors gaining increasing popularity, the typical closed-off kitchen design can feel extremely restrictive.
It is hard to find a homeowner who doesn’t want an open kitchen. Everyone wants a roomier cooking and dining space so they have more space to work and store their things. People also want to have larger countertops and places to put multiple appliances.
Removing a load bearing wall can give you the space you desire and make your kitchen better for storage, cooking, and entertaining guests.
2) Experience Enhanced Lighting
More often than not, kitchen activities are detailed and require precision. Many kitchen activities involve working with fire, which can pose a potential hazard.
Therefore, this room should allow plenty of lighting, both natural and artificial. You should always be able to see what you’re doing with ease – darkness isn’t your friend when using sharp knives or hot appliances.
The kitchen wall can keep the room dim by obstructing sources of natural light from the adjoining rooms, the windows, and even the doors.
Your kitchen wall might also prevent light from reflecting off the various surfaces. It can block the flow of artificial lighting from the surrounding fixtures, resulting in inadequate illumination in the kitchen. Opting for kitchen wall removal can be a great remedy in such situations.
3) Expand Your Layout Options
Homeowners who remove the kitchen wall improve the overall functionality of the space.
Many people have a kitchen with adequate square footage, but a poorly planned layout. In such cases, removing the impeding wall may be the only way to create a more efficient layout design.
Likewise, homeowners who want to add an island might not have vacant sides to work with. Those who want to install breakfast stands and stools may also need an empty side. All these common layout issues can be easily addressed by removing the obstructing wall.
4) Add More Flexibility to Your Kitchen
The needs and interests of families can shift over time, which is why having a flexible kitchen arrangement may be a great idea. It enables homeowners to use their kitchen in different ways.
For instance, a more open kitchen allows you to add a moveable island that can be shifted from one place to another to create more space as and when desired. This kind of flexibility can be impossible with a wall standing in the way.
Homeowners who want to add storage features or keep their kitchen closed/open when they’re entertaining may be able to benefit immensely from a flexible kitchen. Similarly, some may want to expand their dining room’s seating capacity up to the kitchen. In such cases, an open and flexible design through kitchen wall removal can prove to be a boon.
5) Make Your Home Safer
Planning a kitchen wall removal can actually make your home a safer place. This is especially true for young families with small children running throughout the house. An open floor plan allows parents to keep an eye on the kids, as they move around indoors and outdoors, right from the kitchen.
When you take down the load bearing wall, you expand your periphery and improve the scope of keeping a watchful eye on your home and its residents. Even as you work in your kitchen, you’re fully aware of what’s going on in the other room(s). You also get an unobstructed view of your house, keeping incidents involving negligence and theft at bay.
6) Keep Up with the Times
In older homes, the area was divided up for various reasons. The houses were typically designed to have segregated rooms. However, a growing number of homeowners are now embracing the concept of an open floor plan that engenders a more expansive and flowing feel to their space.
You too can hop on the bandwagon by having the kitchen wall taken down by a professional. Doing so will not only open up your space, it may also improve your home’s real estate value.
7) Create a Barrier-Free Space
Taking down the wall between your kitchen and the dining room means removing the physical barrier between the people who might be in those rooms. This enables:
- Free-flowing conversations between the people in the different rooms
- Better involvement of all family members while cooking or dining
- Improved entertainment and hosting capabilities
- Easier supervision of children and things happening outside of the kitchen
What to Consider When Removing the Wall Between Your Kitchen and Dining Room
Before going for kitchen wall removal, you should take care of some crucial aspects:
- Determine if the wall you plan to remove is a load bearing one or not. If it is, you can certainly have it taken down, but the process will be more complex.
- Have a certified load bearing wall removal specialist confirm and approve the kitchen wall removal. Before committing to the project, ensure you have the necessary permits and approvals from your city’s municipal office.
In Conclusion
From more open space and better lighting to improved safety and barrier-free living, homeowners can enjoy multiple benefits by removing a kitchen wall. However, doing so while maintaining the structural integrity of your home necessitates careful consideration.
If you’re planning a wall removal, DIY is certainly not advised. Always entrust this job to load bearing wall removal specialists to avoid unncessary risk.
Only experienced professionals will know how the process works and be prepared to take the necessary precautions while ensuring a safe and thorough job. Once the important considerations are addressed, executing the project should be smooth and hassle-free.