You should consider the following factors when choosing the best floor for your kitchen: the cost of floor material (in line with your budget), strength and durability, care demands, aesthetic appeal and installation demands among others. There are four conventional kitchen floor types: wood, ceramic tile, laminate and vinyl — and a number of green/eco-friendly floor types, such as bamboo, cork and linoleum. Faced with all these options, you might consider requesting professional assistance before making a choice. It is always a good idea to consult a reliable local plumber for all kitchen and bath remodels, because plumbing has an impact on almost every aspect of your remodel. Contacting any professional plumbing company in DC, if you live in the Washington DC locality, will start you off on the right track with good advice and better information. Discuss your floor needs with the company’s remodeling consultants before choosing the most appropriate kitchen floor type that is within your budget.

Hardwood

There are two types of wood kitchen floors: solid and engineered hardwood floors. Both types of hardwood floors complement a wide range of décor styles and are warm, quiet and easy to walk on. Their care/maintenance, strength and durability depend on the species of wood used and the finishing. Hardwood floors are quite expensive; with engineered hardwood costing as much as solid hardwood in some cases.

Although solid hardwood can be refinished many times if it scratches, it is easily stained and blemished by water and humidity if not properly sealed. On the other hand, engineered hardwood is not easily stained or affected by humidity because it has a tough fiberboard as its core.

Ceramic Tiles

Tiles are available from many different materials including cement, stone, porcelain and ceramic; hence are easy to blend and customize with many different colors and patterns. Although they require significant installation costs, they are very tough and durable, and are recommended for busy kitchens spaces. They are easy-to-clean but their grout lines are difficult to maintain — use large tiles with fewer lines. Unlike wood floors, tiles are cold, noisy and tough to walk on.

Laminate

Laminate is the ideal choice for anyone wishing to convey the natural look and feel of hardwood floors using artificial materials. Laminate is affordable, very durable and easy to maintain and install. It comes in many different colors and styles including wood, stone and even recycled materials. However, laminate is quite noisy and not as warm as hardwood floors.

Vinyl

Vinyl sheeting and tiles are the best floor types for a budgetary constrained kitchen remodeling project. Vinyl is cheap, water-resistant, easy to install and maintain, durable, and comes in many different colors and patterns. Unfortunately, vinyl floors tend to curl at the edges and they can turn dull and grimy if not properly cleaned.

Green Floors

Linoleum is one of the most popular green floor types that are making a comeback for being environmentally friendly. Popular in the mid 20th century, linoleum is made from linseed oil, cork dust, wood flour, tree resins, ground limestone and pigments.

Produced from bamboo grass, which is a fast-renewable product, bamboo is another eco-friendly floor option. Ensuring that your bamboo floor features a formaldehyde-free finish means that it’s green.

Like vinyl, cork flooring is available in sheets and tiles. It is made from the harvested bark of cork oak trees; making it environmentally friendly. Like ordinary wood, cork is warm, soft and quiet to walk on — it can also withstand moisture if properly sealed. However, cork is permanently ruined by deep scratches.

As your business grows and expands its operations, sooner or later you will have to address a space limitation problem. Whether you need to expand the existing office space to accommodate workforce growth or to create floor space for a new department/division, you will need to come up with the most economical and convenient solution to alleviate the space problem in your workplace. Mostly, space problems can be resolved by either “carving out” new office space from the existing space through a simple remodeling project or by moving/relocating to new offices that suit the growing space needs.

Generally, renovation, which is an easy-to-implement and relatively affordable option, is more appealing than the business relocation option — a resource-intensive process that requires extensive infrastructural changes and logistical planning. However, there are some compelling reasons that might encourage or even force you to move your business to a new building. Consider the following factors when deciding on whether to renovate or move for additional office space.

Space Needs And Functionality

The most important consideration when deciding whether to remodel or move for additional office space is your firm’s space needs. In order to make a rational decision, you must consider both current and future space needs — factor in projected business growth in order to estimate future space needs. Remember, there are two main reasons for acquiring additional office: workplace functionality and employee satisfaction. First, as the business grows, you need to expand the floor space to eliminate congestion, ensure free movement and sustain efficient operations in all business activities; thereby enhancing workplace functionality.

Secondly, by creating a more spacious, airy, and lighted office space, employees will work in a cozier environment making them happy and satisfied; thereby optimizing workforce productivity. Therefore, if you cannot acquire any additional space through remodeling, you have no other choice but to move. Frankly, the office remodeling option is quite limited, in that there is only a limited chance of fulfilling your space requirements in a certain building or floor. However, compared to the business relocation option, the remodeling option is very dependable and convenient whenever it is applicable.

Project Viability

Before you dismiss either of the two space expansion options, you must consider the practicality or viability of each option in relation to your business needs. For starters, if you decide to go with the office renovation option, you must consult and invite a local, professional plumber to assess the viability of this option under the prevailing circumstances. For instance, you might call a plumber renowned for offering DC commercial plumber services in Washington DC, if you live in this city. This commercial plumber must assess whether you can gain the needed additional space through the restructuring project. If not, you have to no choice but to move.

Cost

Apparently, moving/relocating the entire business to a new building is more expensive than using restructured space layout designs to gain more space in an in-house remodeling project. Depending on your overall business strategy and other incidental operational factors, you can decide to lease, buy, or build if you go for the business relocation option instead of remodeling. Unfortunately, all these choices are costly and time-intensive because they all require the actual relocation of the entire business. However, you must not settle for office remodeling just because of limited funds. If your space needs necessitate relocation, postponing the inevitable move will become too expensive in the long run due to the cumulative remodeling and eventual relocation costs.

As the nutritional hub of your home, the kitchen highlights and defines your nutritional and existential lifestyle in terms of functional work space, household hygiene, and dining ambiance. In order to fulfill all your functional and aesthetic needs, the kitchen should satisfactorily accommodate the cooking needs for the entire household, offer ample storage space, and feature a spacious, cozy and tantalizing dining space. When planning for a kitchen remodeling project, you should ensure that the desired layout style and decor matches, and even complements your home’s architectural motif and sets a dynamic tone for both formal and informal dining events. After considering the “ordinary” home remodeling factors like budgeting and project needs, goals and objectives (based on your personal lifestyle and preferences), you should shift your attention to the following issues.

Size

After highlighting the reasons/objectives for your kitchen remodeling project, you should now focus on the space usage/implementation. Ordinarily, kitchens are among the smallest rooms in a home. The first consideration during a kitchen renovation project is the amount and the planned usage of the available space. The size of the space will determine the final kitchen design and layout. In order to optimize space usage, you will need to analyze the existing and planned project design plans, styles, and features. Essentially, every inch of space, especially in a tiny kitchen, is vital. It is advisable to consult a professional designer or plumber to assist you in the intricate “economics” of space distribution. For instance, look for a competent and reliable DC plumbing company that offers kitchen remodeling/renovation services if you live in the Washington city area. Take time to discuss your remodeling project with these experts in order to get a realistic and practical solution to all your design predicaments.

Layout

Before you begin the kitchen remodeling project, you should consider and draft both the existing and planned space layouts. Although it is defined as a rough draft, a representative space layout should include accurate measurements and indicate specific features and installations for the entire space. Feel free to experiment with bold layout designs and styles that surpass the existing layout. Before you settle for a certain type of layout, consider the following factors: maneuverability/movement in the kitchen, functional capacity and viability, and the suitability for modifications or extensions. For instance, if you get “trapped” within the existing layout (maybe due to “immovable” walls and doors), implement innovative modifications like the curved or horseshoe layout to increase countertop space and free-space capacity, and to enhance functional efficiency.

Infrastructure And Appliances

In addition to considering the size of the existing kitchen space, you should also take into account the nature of the existing kitchen. In this case, “the nature of the existing kitchen” refers to the physical condition and age of the old kitchen. If the existing kitchen features very old plumbing and electrical systems (installations, fixtures and appliances), you must consider the inherent need, cost, and value for a full makeover of these systems. Old or infrequently maintained houses might have other contentious structural problems like sagging roofs, leaking floors and ceilings, and crooked walls, and you have to consider their refurbishment requirements. If you consult a professional for your home remodeling, you will be advised regarding the most cost-effective and convenient solutions and upgrades for all the infrastructural anomalies in your house.

Figuratively speaking, the kitchen is the heart of the entire home. Just like a biological heart, the kitchen “nourishes” the entire household with food. Therefore, the kitchen should be taken very seriously. If you decide to remodel/renovate your kitchen, whether it’s a full home remodeling or a partial (just the kitchen and maybe some other rooms) makeover project, there are some vital issues that you will have to keep in mind. All these issues can be compressed into the following five steps, which you should follow in order to have a successful kitchen remodeling project.

Project Scope

The first step towards a successful kitchen remodeling project is the actual consideration of the scope of the entire project. In this phase, you have to answer several pragmatic questions in order to gauge the actual nature of the project; and hence determine the feasibility of the project. For starters, you have to decide whether the new kitchen will fit into the space formerly occupied by the old kitchen or if it will require addition space. To estimate the scope of the project accurately, you will need to factor in your project needs and goals. In addition to playing a crucial role in the next step, this step will also help you determine whether you need professional services for the project.

Project Planning

The next step will involve the actual planning for the entire project, which is the most intensive phase of the project. In most cases, it is advisable to consult a professional plumber from your locality to guide you through the planning phase. For instance, if you are a resident in Washington, consult a reputable plumber in DC for assistance. To start with, you have to craft a rough design of all the functional and aesthetic aspects of the new kitchen. After establishing the scope, you will come up with an accurate floor plan and then use it to plan for each and every installation and fixture in the room. To come up with a practical plan, you need to consider the functional aspects of each of these features. Finally, create a realistic budget that includes marginal price differences, overruns, miscellaneous costs, and overhead expenses.

Project Design

With everything planned and budgeted for, now you can draft the actual design of each installation and fixtures. However, the design plan will be based on the desired remodeling style — make sure to figure this out first. You can then start creating the designs of countertops and cabinets, depending on your storage needs — otherwise ensure ample space. Select and allocate practical construction materials for all installations including floors and walls — go for durable, economical, and easy-to-maintain.

Acquiring The Materials

Now that the whole remodeling project is virtually in place, you can buy all the items that are needed for the project according to your budget. Go shopping for kitchen installations, plumbing fixtures, lighting materials, appliances, cabinet accessories, and any other practical materials that you will need. Try to stay within your budget without undermining product quality.

Project Launch

After acquiring everything you need, you are now ready to launch the project. Vet and hire a professional plumber and set the project start date. Prepare the kitchen space by disconnecting all its “links” to the other rooms. Remove any valuables and then call in the plumbing team to start work.