Removing a wall between your kitchen and dining room can significantly change the feel and look of your home. It opens the space to make it more welcoming and usable for you, your family, and your guests. This remodeling project can also help to increase the value of your home if done properly. However, this isn’t a simple DIY home improvement chore, so there are some things you’ll want to consider before taking on this type of remodeling project.
Does the Wall Between the Kitchen and the Dining Room Provide Structural Integrity to Your Home?
Image by Mike Gattorna is licensed with Unsplash License
Your home’s structural integrity is what keeps it standing and safe for living. Before you remove any wall in your home, it’s vital to ensure that the wall isn’t providing any structural support. Although you can remove those structures, there are extra measures that you need to take when eliminating these types of load-bearing walls. For instance, you’ll have to add beams or pillars to maintain the support needed for structural integrity, which can add to the expense and time of this project. The wall’s location and how large it is can affect the cost, too.
How Many Stories Is Your Home?
The number of stories your house has can affect how difficult it will be to remove the wall between your kitchen and dining room. A two-story home may need more support. The walls aren’t just holding up the roof but also an entire floor of rooms filled with furniture and belongings. As you know, the structural integrity of your home is key to maintaining safety, so removing a wall in a house with two stories or more may require the help of a professional to ensure that you’re following building regulations and codes.
Where Are the Pipes and Wires in the Walls of Your Home?
Pipes and wires run through the walls of your home, but they aren’t everywhere. Your kitchen is one place where you’ll find many wires and pipes, as you have plumbing and power throughout that space. Before you choose to take down a wall between your kitchen and dining room, make sure there’s nothing important in the structure you want to remove. If you find out there are ducts, cables, or other items inside the wall, have a plan for where they need to go or how you will handle removing them before you start this project.
Keep in mind that the more pipes and wires you have to work with, the more challenging and expensive the wall removal becomes. It may be a good idea to hire an expert to help with these tasks. Depending on the wall, this process may require plumbing, electrical, and HVAC skills. A professional tradesperson can perform these jobs in less time and ensure they’re done right because they have the training and tools necessary to complete the work. Having to buy specialized tools can add to the cost of removing a wall in your home.
Will Other Aspects of Your Home Change When You Remove a Wall?
Obviously, removing a wall between your kitchen and dining room will change that space, but you should consider how it may change other aspects of your home. If the wall only partially divides the room now, how will completely removing it change the feel of that space? Is it worth it? If the wall completely cuts the kitchen off from the dining room, will removing it also open the kitchen to other spaces in your home, such as the living room?
It can be hard to picture how your home will look after removing a wall, so be sure to consider how it will open the kitchen to the dining room and the rest of the house. Try drawing it out or using a program that can show you how your home may look in 3D. This helps provide a visual that can give you an idea of the entire scope of the project.
Will Removing a Wall Change the Lighting in Your Home?
Lighting is another thing to consider when removing the wall between your kitchen and dining room. Do you have windows in the kitchen? If so, by removing a wall, you could be allowing more natural light into other parts of your home. On the other hand, if your kitchen lacks windows, removing a wall could let more natural light into the space from the windows in the dining room or other areas of your house.
Keep in mind that if part of the remodel in your kitchen and dining room includes a plan to change the lighting layout, such as putting in recessed lights or LED bulbs, this will also affect the lighting in your home.
Should You Remove the Wall Between Your Kitchen and Dining Room?
There are a lot of things to consider before deciding to remove the wall between your kitchen and dining room. Here are some questions to ask yourself before you get started:
- How large of an undertaking is the remodel?
- Will it add value and appeal to your home when the time comes to sell?
- Do you have the funds to complete the project, or will you need to take out a loan?
- Can you do any of the wall-removal work yourself?
- What other changes will you make after you remove the wall?
- Will you need to purchase new furniture or appliances as part of the remodel?
The team at Steiner Homes has years of experience in home construction, and we currently build high-quality homes in Indiana. Our designs are modern and spacious, making them the ideal space for you and your loved ones. If you’re interested in purchasing a new home in the area, we have some incredible floor plans available. Whether you’re looking to remodel your home to sell it and move here to Northern Indiana or upgrade to enjoy your space, we hope you found our list of things to consider before removing a wall between your kitchen and dining room helpful.
