10 things you should know before extending your kitchen at the back of your house.
Extending a townhome's kitchen at the back is something you can easily do yourself, but before you begin, there are many details you need to understand. These include the house's structure and relevant laws. Specifically, how can you extend a townhome's kitchen affordably and create your dream kitchen without damaging the house's structure or causing problems with your neighbors? This article compiles essential information you need to know before extending your townhome's kitchen.
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1. Ensure the House is Built to Standard
Before extending your townhome's kitchen, make sure it's built to standard, meaning the construction meets legal requirements. This prevents future structural problems and, importantly, avoids issues with distance from your neighbors.
Characteristics of a Standard-Built Townhome
1. House Frontage: The house must have a frontage of at least 4 meters.
2. Distance between the house and the road in front of it: The distance between the front of the house and the property boundary must be at least 2 meters.
3. Distance between the back of the house and the property boundary must be at least 2 meters.
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2. Size of the Extension Area
Townhouses, although they have surrounding land, have limited space compared to detached houses. Therefore, once you are sure that the townhouse is built to standard, the next step is to calculate the area needed for extending the kitchen at the back of the townhouse to maximize usable space. Don't forget to calculate the distance from the fence as well.
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3. Budget Calculation
Before looking for a contractor to extend the kitchen at the back of your townhouse, don't forget to calculate the budget yourself first. Consider what materials you will use, their grade, and the desired kitchen design. This information can then be used to provide the contractor with an accurate price quote. This allows you to prepare a suitable budget and, importantly, helps with financial planning in case of unforeseen emergencies.
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4. Don't Forget the Pillars, Beams, and Roof
Even though extending the kitchen at the back of a townhome only adds space to the main structure, don't forget to calculate the cost of the pillars, beams, and roof. This ensures practicality, protection from heat, sun, and rain, and also considers aesthetics and functionality. In particular, the pillars and beams should be separate from the main structure of the house to prevent the extension from causing structural subsidence. For the roof, choose a lightweight material such as metal sheeting, vinyl roofing, polycarbonate roofing, acrylic roofing, or fiberglass roofing, as the kitchen extension is prone to subsidence and should not bear excessive weight.
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5. Pay Attention to the Kitchen Floor
For a budget-friendly kitchen extension at the back of a townhome, if it's already vacant land, you can simply compact the soil and pour concrete for the floor without needing supporting beams. The floor structure should be separate from the main house to prevent future subsidence. However, if you have a higher budget, you can pour beams to support the floor weight first. Nevertheless, the floor structure should still be separated from the main house.
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6. Kitchen Safety
After adding a kitchen extension to the back of a townhome, in addition to cooking equipment such as gas stoves, electric stoves, rice cookers, microwaves, and refrigerators, an essential safety feature is a fire prevention system.
The kitchen is the area in the house that uses the most heat-generating electrical appliances. Unexpected incidents could easily lead to fires. Therefore, it's best to install fire prevention equipment such as small fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and fire sprinklers. Ventilation equipment, such as exhaust fans and range hoods, should also be installed while cooking, especially if the extended kitchen is an enclosed space.
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7. Kitchen Countertop Surface Materials Suitable for All Cooking Types
In addition to easy-to-clean kitchen floors, the countertop surface is equally important. The material should be heat-resistant, cold-resistant, and impact-resistant. Since most Thai kitchens involve chopping, dicing, and using mortars and pestles, exceptional durability is crucial. Suitable surfaces for townhouse kitchen extensions in Thailand include artificial stone or synthetic stone, which are highly durable. Alternatively, you can choose tiles with straight edges, such as smooth ceramic tiles, polished concrete, or tempered glass.
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8. Easy-to-Clean Kitchen Flooring
The kitchen floor is another important factor to consider before extending a townhouse kitchen. The flooring should be easy to clean, as cooking often results in stains and spills, making it the easiest room to get dirty. Ceramic tiles are a good choice because they are hard, smooth, and available in both matte and glossy finishes. They are easier to clean than other types of tiles, saving considerable cleaning effort.
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9. Avoid Solid Doors
Townhouse kitchen extensions often feature an open, airy design. Because Thai people's eating habits often involve strong odors from spices and herbs, using a solid door would hinder ventilation and lead to unpleasant smells. Besides being a cost-effective way to extend a townhome's kitchen, this design also improves odor and air circulation.
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10. Popular Backyard Kitchen Designs
Before extending a townhome's kitchen, choosing the right style isn't just about picking your favorite. Consider the available space. Kasikorn Bank has compiled some popular designs:
Single Wall Kitchen
This kitchen design places all counters and shelves on the same wall. Its advantage is ideal for long, narrow spaces or areas with limited room.
Central Counter Kitchen
This kitchen design uses more space than other types. A central counter kitchen is located in the middle of the room, possibly with drawers and various kitchen functions as needed. The advantage is more cooking and food preparation space; the counter can even be used as a dining table. However, ensure there's enough space around the counter for easy movement.
L-shaped Kitchen
This is a popular kitchen design nowadays. The L-shaped counter maximizes usable space, allowing for a dining table and making cooking more convenient. A key advantage is that it doesn't require a large space, making it ideal for kitchens with limited area.
Two-Row Kitchen
This kitchen features two parallel counters separated by a walkway. It's ideal for large families with two or more people cooking at once, as it provides ample space for standing and walking, making simultaneous cooking very easy.
U-shaped Kitchen
This kitchen has three counter sides, suitable for all types of cooking. Importantly, a counter on the side not against the wall can be added as a bar. Its advantages include convenient use of space, ample workspace, and ease of cleaning, but it requires a considerable amount of space for future expansion.
Peninsula Kitchen
This kitchen counter layout is a hybrid between the L-shaped and U-shaped kitchens. The advantage of a peninsula kitchen is its suitability for limited spaces and ease of cleaning.
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Thank you for the helpful information from K-Property.
