It's true. The current trend in kitchen design is open space, granite countertops, and large Energy Star appliances. Often kitchen storage takes back seat. Older homes have compact food preparation areas, so space is at a premium.
The Solution: Build a Walk-In Pantry
The best location for construction in many cases is in the garage. Why? Because it's the best candidate for availability and often is located next to the kitchen. A pantry is basically is just a room, similar in size to large bedroom closets in high-end homes.
The first step is to choose the location. Ideally, it can be situated in the corner. That way, two of the walls are already in place. Only two additional walls need to be built and tied in. With any luck, there's a door leading from the kitchen to the garage and this can be the entry door to the pantry.
Lay Out the Walls
After deciding on the location and determining the size, the walls should be laid out. Depending on the local building code, frame the walls with either wood or metal studs. Metal is easier to work with.
If utilizing a door from the kitchen as mentioned above, frame a rough door opening to go out into the garage. In essence, the walk-in pantry becomes just an extension of the living space.
Wiring the New Room
Wiring a pantry is a fairly minimal task. At most, an overhead light is all that will be needed. If electrical outlets are in order, this is the time to install them.
Don't forget to check the local electrical building code to ensure all the work is done properly. In most cases, it will be required to pull an electrical permit and have a final inspection signed off on.
Hanging the Drywall
Now it's time to move on to the drywall phase. The best way to do it is to hang the exterior wall first. Why? Because the next step is to install wall insulation, and because the paper tabs on the insulation need to be stapled to the studs on the interior walls.
Next, install the insulation and hang the interior walls. Spray foam insulation may be used, but it's hardly worth the trouble in such a small space. Go with fiberglass batts. Hopefully, the garage ceiling has already been hung so that's one step out of the way.
Finally, tape and float the walls. It might seem like overkill to finish the exterior walls, but every little bit helps when it comes to energy efficiency.
Install a Prehung Door and Finish the Room
It's easy to install a prehung door. And they're inexpensive. Now, all that's left to do is to texture and paint the walls, install a ceramic tile or laminate floor, cut and install baseboards, and pick out the shelving.
Kelly Smith - Kelly has over 30 years experience as a journeyman carpenter and 20 as a freelance writer and photographer.
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