Moving Plumbing for Kitchen Sink
Trying to get some input on the relative merits/hassle of moving plumbing for a non-high end kitchen renovation. The kitchen layout is a little ridiculous, as there are three doorways to consider. One opening to dining room, and two side by side leading to 2 bedrooms. The sink is isolated on one wall, then the…
Trying to get some input on the relative merits/hassle of moving plumbing for a non-high end kitchen renovation.
The kitchen layout is a little ridiculous, as there are three doorways to consider. One opening to dining room, and two side by side leading to 2 bedrooms. The sink is isolated on one wall, then the walking space is in between that and the rest of the kitchen. It’s only about 9 x 12 feet.
What kind of expense is involved in moving the water/sewer lines to another wall? There are two identical kitchens in the same place on two floors.
Any thoughts?
Maybe there is another solution that will work beautifully without moving plumbing.
I can’t tell from your description how it’s laid out. Doors leading into bedrooms off kitchens is not the usual arrangement though.
We have a kitchen about the same size, two doors in a corner, and all the fixtures and appliances in a row on one of the long walls. On the other wall is an old built-in and just enough space for a kitchen table/island/counter thing. It works extremely well.
Is your sink on a short wall by itself? Jane Powell’s book “Bungalow Kitchens” has a few shots of these. Maybe what you need is some drainboards so you have a place to rest dishes when using the sink?
Also you need about three feet for comfortable aisles. I have seen renovations of old kitchens that did not take this into consideration, and the effect was highly claustraphobic. Plus they couldn’t open the dishwasher completely. Ridiculous.
Thanks for the insight. I have a feeling it will be more trouble than it’s worth. This is two family house, with identical floor-plans. I’m just going to have to get used to the funky layout, or look at other walls that could be moved to enlarge the room.
Moving plumbing depends on a lot of things. I beg to differ about rerouting plumbing not being much of an issue. The act of soldering pipes together is not difficult, but depending upon the direction of your floor joists, your willingness to rip up some of the floor or the construction of (and your access to) the ceiling below, it can be quite an undertaking.
The other poster mentioned permits, since you said there are two kitchen below, I am assuming you are in a condo/triplex/apartment this being the case, I would guess that there will be more rules than just the city’s building code governing your being allowed to move plumbing. Not saying that a permit is absolutely necessary, but I would be sure to look into your deed/condo documents or talk to your building manager regarding permitting/renovation/plumbing work.
Depending upon the layout of the rest of the floor plan I would strongly consider a different counter top arrangement, adding an island or moving the refrigerator or range (assuming it is electric) before re-plumbing the sink.
Of course, if you have a dishwasher elsewhere in the kitchen locating the sink near it would not be nearly as much as a hassle as you will likely be able to share plumbing with it.
If you are still contemplating moving the sink, you can call around and find a plumber who can come out and look at your particular situation and give you an idea of what it would entail and a cost estimate. Or, look into finding a designer or NKBA (National Kitchen and Bath Associate) who may offer 1 or 2 hour design consultations at a reasonable price who can offer you ideas and cost estimates for your kitchen redesign. A little time and money with a qualified designer can help you explore all of your options and make sure that the kitchen that you end up works as best it can for your budget.
Good luck!
It will make a difference whether you do this with permits or not as moving to another wall will likely require a new vent stack depending upon the distance from the old one and wether or not it’s on the same wall. Rerouting hot & cold water under the floor isn’t much of an issue.