You'd get more responses if you posted your questions in the kitchens forum, flooring forum, lighting forum, and appliances forum. Divide your questions into appropriate subtopics in the correct forum and you'll get a lot more responses. Not that your post is inappropriate for the remodeling forum, it's just that the kitchens forum is very active and most people remodeling their kitchens hang out there. Similarly, flooring guys can be found in the flooring forum, etc. You could ask all this in one post to the kitchens forum, but I think you'll get more and better answers if your posts are more focused. Just a suggestion. Good luck with your remodel.

You can start out by spending some quality time just reading thru previous posts in Kitchens. We cover just about evrything there, and you'll know that you are among like-minded people WRT tackling a big kitchen remodel.

And FWIW, I would not move out of the house. Set up a temporary kitchen somewhere in the house and tough it out, because 1) you need to be on-site to catch problems, errors and be there to answer questions, and 2) plan for more time than quoted (and more money, too) for the project to be completely done. You might be fortunate and finish on time, but the majority of projects do not. And there is no way for anyone, your contractor, us on the forum, you, to predict the future, from weather problems, supply problems, labor problems.

Good luck, and join us over in Kitchens!

We did our complete kitchen about two years ago: completely gutted to the studs, new everything including floor. We went with the GE Profile Range/Oven, separate 27" oven and microwave. Our fridge is a counter-depth KitchenAid unit. We're very happy with the appliances. One excellent suggestion made by the salesman was to avoid the oven/microwave combo. These are expensive and a pain to repair since you need to pull the whole unit. GE makes a stainless steel microwave with a matching trim that can be mounted directly over the separate oven. Looks great and saved us quite a bit of money.

You've got a lot of decisions to make, kind of the fun part before the temporary-kitchen phase of your life begins. I'd get references from any company and find out how long they took for other jobs; I would think the job could be done in 5-6 weeks, but that's without waiting around for any material or subs.

We didn't change the layout of our kitchen substantially although were I doing this again I might consider moving a window to give us a bit more flexibility. Even so, there are a lot of design considerations: basic layout (refrigerator size and oven configuration tend to have a big influence here), cabinet configuration/style (finish, special features, lighting), lighting (recessed or not, undercabinet lighting style, pendants, lights in glass cabinets, dimmers, ...). I used undercabinet fluorescents which fit into the recess in the cabinet bottom and are flush with a stained trim bottom. I also like the idea of Xenon pucks since they can be dimmed with normal incandescent dimmers.

Consider cabinets with enough of a recess on the bottom to use either wiremold or ordinary outlets; this location isn't ideal for permanently plugged in appliances (toasters come to mind), but you can eliminate backsplash receptacles with this approach.

Switch location needs to be considered. Our overhead (recessed), wall accent and under counter switches are located on a convenient corner of an island. The sink area light switch is next to the sink and the switches for the glass cabinets and additional soffit light are located on the end of a 9' return over which hang the glass cabinets.

Islands and returns now need receptacles in addition to the usual counter-accessible variety.

Think about your backsplash tile pattern - this may affect switch location and or the width of the hood over your range.

Good luck: plan well, shop hard for materials and GC/subs and stand back.

They say it would be best for us to leave our home for 5-6 weeks while they do all the work? Does this sound reasonable?

NO! I'm sure many GC's would love to have the homeowner at a distance, but it's to your advantage to be onsite every day to monitor what is or isn't being done correctly. And believe me, there will be plenty. LOL

I would also contact more than 1 company that oversees kitchen remodels. We found estimates to vary quite a bit. We were our own general contractors and interviewed 5 for every trade we needed.

Even if I hadn't GC'd, there is no way I would have moved out at all (except when the wood floors were finished) as we reviewed the day's work every night. I had about memorized the plans and checked actual work to the plans daily. It paid off in catching errors early.

Have fun planning and shopping!

You should do your lighting plan in conjunction with the overall kitchen design. And use a lighting expert, not your GC. A good lighting store will not only have a wide variety of displays, but have a lighting design service on-site.

We are getting ready to start a long-overdue total remodel of our kitchen. We plan to replace all cabinets, countertops, floor, lighting, and most appliances.

This hardly sounds like a total remodel... Are you also gutting the kitchen to the studs to update insulation, electric, plumbing, heating, flooring, doors, windows, etc?

I'd truly be suspicious of any salesman/estimator/builder/whatever who says you have to move out of your house for what sounds like a kitchen facelift. They obviously dont want you around, so what will their attitude be like when you do come around?

As someone mentioned earlier, get a few bids... Most of my customers set up a temp kitchen in another room. Occasionally I'll stack a few of the old kitchen cabinets in the other room.. It helps the customer with organization, and gives them a place to rest the coffeemaker and microwave.

We just lived through one of these over this summer so here are my 2-cents worth....

(1) They say it would be best for us to leave our home for 5-6 weeks while they do all the work? Does this sound reasonable? Absolutley not! My wife and child lived with my inlaws during some of the worst of it, but other than that we tried to be at home as much as possible. We found everyone to be a bit more careful and attentive when one of us were around. That being said, it did get very old coming home to a mess every night (we redid one of our baths and our kitchen at the same time). There was always dust on everything. The guys were pretty good about cleaning up after they left everyday, but no one is as careful as you would be. Also, as much as we tried to close of rooms and spaces - because we had construction going on upstairs and down, the dust seemed to settle everywhere. Even now, about 4-months later we were doing an in-depth cleaning this weekend prepping for the holidays and I pulled open the pocket doors and realized that they had never been cleaned since the remodel! Also, our project was suppose to take "2-weeks"...i knew that was a stretch when they first told us that - it took 4-weeks and were were about $5K over budget.

We now have linoleum but want to get hardwood floors in the kitchen.
(2) Is the flooring done before or after the cabinets are installed?
(3) Do you have to use a company that specializes in flooring or is it reasonable to expect that a good carpenter carpenter can install and finish) hardwood floors? Can't comment here, we actually chose to go with tile.

Our kitchen is very dark, so we want to have a lot of new lighting put in.
(4) At what point in the project is the lighting done, i.e. before/after the floor, cabinets, etc. Our lighting was done before the drywall went up based on a plan that I laid out. We ended up with 7 cans, 1 pendant over the sink and a 3-light in the eating area. Under cabinet in nice too, but not in our budget. Our micro/vent also has a light we can use when we cook.

We are debating between granite and Silestone.
(5) Does anyone have any experience with both?
(6) Does anyone have any recommendations?

Both are great choices. We went with Cambria - a quartz. Very happy with it overall. They have a new "quarry" series that looks much more natural. We find prices for both (quartz and granite) to be similar. Can't beat the natural beauty of granite, but we found that the durability and nonporous surface of quartz was a better choice for us.

We are debating between GE Profile and, after something I saw today, KitchenAid appliances.
(7) Does anyone have experience with either/both of these? And if so, what should we be on the lookout for in terms of things to avoid and/or things to insist on.

We have a mix of appliances - GE Profile micro/vent that we love. We went with whirlpool for fridge (counter-depth) and D/W and have had no problems with both. I beleive Kitchen Aid is a good brand, although everyone seems to have different opinions on brand.

Good luck with your choices!

Don't leave your house. You need to be there, checking on the work several times a day and speaking up when you have questions. Not to mention security... you need keep an eye on your property. Doors could be left unlocked, trucks could drive over your septic field, workers could show up drunk, etc.

Actually, the suggestion that you move out for a kitchen remodel is so weird, it makes me suspicious of the contractor. Are you sure they said that??

I know we have all those other forums, but I don't think it's useful to expect a novice to know which questions would apply where. And surely anyone who posts here could answer many of them. In fact, most of them are probably BEST answered here.

1) They say it would be best for us to leave our home for 5-6 weeks while they do all the work?

No, absolutely not. It'll be at most a week of absolute utter mess, and then a week or two of sort-of mess. Cooking will be a pain; you'll need an alternate kitchen somewhere (basement, dining room, your MIL's house)

Also, 5 to 6 weeks seems extreme. If all the stuff is ordered and ON HAND before they start, they need about 2 to 3 weeks. If something went wrong, then maybe you'd need 6 weeks, but most of that should be during finishing touches--waiting on a cabinet here and there, or waiting a week for the counters after everything else is done. So you can certainly live there w/ that.

(2) Is the flooring done before or after the cabinets are installed?

It can be either. Some people want their flooring to go all the way to the walls (often this is the case w/ linoleum or sheet vinyl, w/ ceramic tile; perhaps not as common when you use hardwood). The SUBFLOOR work (if there is any) will all be done very early, of course. Before almost anything else (but after demolition).

Having the flooring go under the cabinets will add to the cost. If you choose not to have the flooring go under the cabs, then your contractor should install, under the cabs, a plywood layer that's AS THICK AS you final flooring will be, to lift the cabinets up to sit at the same level they would if the flooring DID go under the cabinets.

I have this prejudice (I have no idea how true it is) that moisture can be trapped under the cabinets, and so I might not put hardwood all the way under the cabs. I *would* put ceramic tile, vinyl, or linoleum under the cabinets. But it's a personal preference, really.

If I did hardwood, I would want it refinished before cabs were installed, w/ the understanding that the final coat of finish would be applied after installation. But that might not be smart, either.

(3) Do you have to use a company that specializes in flooring or is it reasonable to expect that a good carpenter carpenter can install and finish) hardwood floors?
You can often DIY hardwood, so I would think a carpenter can do a good job. If you have site-finished floor, however (instead of prefinished), it's probably smart to get someone experiences and REALLY good--you only want to have to do it once.

(4) At what point in the project is the lighting done, i.e. before/after the floor, cabinets, etc.
Very early--probably the second thing or third thing after demolition.
1.rip out the old kitchen
2. deal w/ subfloors and moving of doors
3. put in new plumbing if needed
3. put in new electrical (wiring & junction boxes for new circuits, new light fixtures, new outlets) if needed

PLAN AHEAD VERY CAREFULLY HERE. This is the one area that I did NOT have planned well and marked well, etc., on my kitchen remodel. I had a vague idea of what I needed, but it would have been far better to have spent more energy deciding which lights I wanted where, which outlets where, etc.

You should plan your backsplash and your countertop outlets (come over to the Kitchens forum and get some advice on placement; most electricians simply slap the outlets bang in the middle of the backsplash area, and that's not always what people want)), and maybe discuss w/ your electrician whether he can leave enough slack here to allow him/you to adjust the exact positioning later, if it turns out that the outlet will fall in the middle of a tile detail or something.

Also, you have to poke holes in the wall, patch holes, etc., to put in new lights. You want to do this during the "messy" stage, before anything is installed.

We are debating between granite and Silestone.
(5) Does anyone have any experience with both?
(6) Does anyone have any recommendations?
This is something that you'll get a LOT more detail on from the Kitchens forum, so come on over!

We are debating between GE Profile and, after something I saw today, KitchenAid appliances.
(7) Does anyone have experience with either/both of these? And if so, what should we be on the lookout for in terms of things to avoid and/or things to insist on.
The Kitchens forum and the Appliances forum are both good places to get more info on this as well. Discuss it on both, and don't let anyone on Kitchens shoo you away to Appliances, because there are lot sof folks w/ input to give you, who never make it over to Appliances.

I will say this about appliances: do some reading to see what features you'll want most. Then get the appliance that's got what you want, at a price you can swing. And never buy an appliance you haven't seen in person.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Kitchens forums

This is a great place to start, then you can look at the other forums. It can be daunting to stare down a renovation, or even a kitchen facelift, so don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you can, both in THS and with your contractors.

That said, here's my 2 cents, after going thru a total house renovation that lasted 1 year (we are just barely finished now), where we fired 2 general contractors and ended up contracting and designing it ourselves.

(1) They say it would be best for us to leave our home for 5-6 weeks while they do all the work? Does this sound reasonable?

Nope, not even for a facelift. Unless it's a design/build firm that can guarantee in writing and in pricing they won't go over budget or overtime, I'd automatically add another month or so.

And I agree with the others in here...stay at home. You want to be around the project, you need to check on their work everyday. And you need to be available, either on the spot or via a cell phone at work to answer questions in the moment. Do not make them wait or guess for your answer, the result will not be to your liking. I don't mean to sound so paranoid, but you need to maintain a healthy bit of skepticism and overt control over the contractors.

(2) Is the flooring done before or after the cabinets are installed?

Can be either way...some contractors like to save the good wood and put plywood under the cabinets and run the flooring up to the edge, others like to do the entire kitchen in the new floor, then place the base cabinets down. I prefer the latter, as the details and borders are cleaner and neater. You do not need extra base molding to cover messy transitions.

(3) Do you have to use a company that specializes in flooring or is it reasonable to expect that a good carpenter carpenter can install and finish) hardwood floors?

Use the flooring guys. That's their job, they're very good at it, and they can deal with the inevitable problems that crop up. And they are quick.

(4) At what point in the project is the lighting done, i.e. before/after the floor, cabinets, etc.

Start thinking about it now...plan out where you need the light, where the work areas are, what your budget can afford, etc. We took a 3 hour lighting course from one of the local retailers...it was free, and we learned a lot. We did not hire a lighting designer, but used our electrician instead, combined with our own knowledge. It worked out very well, very few mistakes. We actually got rid of a few lights we didn't need, and ended up with some great deals on the lights be purchased from our electrician (he gave them to us at his cost).

The wiring is put in when the walls are bare and down to the studs. The cans and other lights are put in after the cabinets are in. You can always cut in the drywall to install new lights or move them over a bit and patch the holes. You'll get very good at patching and painting, LOL. Fear not, you can make totally seamless patches that disappear...I got to the point where I was blowing away my subs with how good my patch/paint work was...better than a lot of professionals out there!

We are debating between granite and Silestone.
(5) Does anyone have any experience with both?
(6) Does anyone have any recommendations?

We also went with Cambria. The formulation of the quartz is the same with all of the quartz manufacturers...none are better than the others, regardless of what they try to say in their materials. I liked Cambria because the patterns are more natural looking...check out the Quarry collection...larger chunks and splotches so it looks more like real stone rather than manufactured stone.

We are debating between GE Profile and, after something I saw today, KitchenAid appliances.
(7) Does anyone have experience with either/both of these? And if so, what should we be on the lookout for in terms of things to avoid and/or things to insist on.

Don't feel you have to get everything from one appliance company. Mix and match to get the best appliances for your budget. Most appliance companies use the same #4 brushed stainless steel finish, for example, so you can match a Kitchenaid fridge with a Profile oven and no one will notice anything strange. We used the LG French door fridge, FP double convection ovens, Wolf rangetop, Wolf hood, and Asko dishwasher. They all match...worry more about performance than looks. And one way to match them in terms of looks is to compare handles...that's what differentiates most company's products. If the handles are similiar and look good together, then you're set. The folks in the appliance forum are the most vocal and loud in their discussions of the pros/cons of each brand. You'll get some fantastic advice there.

Good luck!

DON'T DO IT!!!

unless you can't stand what you've got now and really really HAVE to do it.

I, like others, am in the remodel that never ends (1 year and counting) and moved out of the house to 'speed things up'

what really happened is that I wasn't there to monitor and things got shabby. better to stay if you can stand it.

also: if you CAN (not sure this is possible)

get a schedule ahead of time and have incentives built in for coming in on time or penalties for not sticking to the schedule

pls. let me know if you can get this. at least I will feel like I've helped someone avoid the misery I've been living through!

If your remodel is of the down-to-the-studs variety you ought to consider removing the ceiling sheetrock (assuming you don't have plaster). Sheetrock is inexpensive and you'll probably save more on the electrical and plumbing than the cost of replacing the ceiling. I did this in a large master bath (230 sq. ft.) after having an insulation company vacuum out the blown-in insulation. This is hands down the best money I ever spent; I did all the electrical and plumbing myself and I can't imagine the number of hours I saved not having to work through the ceiling.

The plumber probably gets first crack, but make sure to mark the location of every ceiling and wall fixture so you don't wind up with 3/4" copper exactly where you want a row of recessed lights.

Good luck!

Rick

I'll add a note regarding granites. Not all "granites" are granite. Some are actually a type of marble, but are lumped under the term "granite". Some "granites" need sealing some do not. Best to discuss particular choices on the Kitchens forum once you've narrowed down your preferences. My preference is for a manufactered quartz product like Silestone, I just hope my budget agrees. :)

Good luck and don't move out!

Why would you have to move out for a kitchen remodel? What you are describing is a complete remodel and not a facelift. Yes, it's a pain to live in the chaos of a kitchen remodel, but who can be so disrupted to have to find a new place to live when 20% or less of the house is under construction. That doesn't jive.

Get all your ducks in a row in terms of researching and selecting and ordering everything which you want. Set up a temporary kitchen somewhere as it is a major pain to not have your kitchen. Good luck.