Kitchen Design

KITCHEN DESIGN

TIPS FOR A BETTER DESIGN OF KITCHENS
Compilation by: [email protected]

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The Thirty-One Kitchen Design Rules, Illustrated
• • • • • Home Planning Cabinets Counters Flooring • • • • • Lighting Structure Space Measure Pantries • • • • Budget Guidelines Ergonomics Design Process

Starting in 1944 the University of Illinois conducted a number of studies of kitchen design and developed the fundamental design principles that are still very much in use. These days the National Kitchen & Bath Association updates and publishes these basic design standards. Methodology & Overview The NKBA Kitchen & Bathroom Planning Guidelines with Access Standards is a collection of illustrations and planning suggestions to aid professionals in the safe and effective planning of kitchens and bathrooms. These guidelines are excerpted from the National Kitchen & Bath Association Professional Resource Library Kitchen Planning and Bath Planning volumes. Designers and those interested in becoming kitchen and bath design professionals benefit by studying the complete body of knowledge found in the NKBA Professional Resource Library. These flexible and easy-to-understand guidelines were developed under the guidance of the NKBA by a committee of professionals. The committee completed in-depth historical reviews of planning guidelines dating back to 1920. The guidelines published in this booklet reflect a composite of the historical review, current industry environment, future trends, consumer lifestyles, new research, new building codes, and current industry practices; as well as a Kitchen Storage Research Project conducted by Virginia Polytechnic Institute. The "Universal Design Guideline Access Standard" is a relatively new addition to the guidelines. It defines the rules for kitchens intended for use by persons with less than full physical abilities. A kitchen that follows all of these rules is almost guaranteed to be both functional and safe. See how many rules your existing kitchen violates for a better understanding of why it may seem awkward and hard to use. While these guidelines are a good start, they do not substitute for competent kitchen design. Design encompases these rules and much more. It's the "much more" part that gets novice designers in trouble. A new kitchen is a major investment, and not something you are going to want to do over because the first design was not quite right. So, invest in a good design. It's money well spent. Legend Code Requirements: Refer to national building and access codes. Your local code authority may have modified or added to these national requirements. ADA/ANSI Guidelines: Refer to Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines and recommendations published by the American National Standards Institute for universal design. These may or may not be mandated by local building codes, but are required in some federally subsidized housing. Notes: Remarks by the publishers of the rule or standard.
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Comments: Our own observations and clarifications. We use comments to introduce rules and guidelines from other sources as well as discuss our own experience with and application of these guidelines. Other Guidelines These are not the only kitchen design "rules". Designers and carpenters have worked out some rules of thumb over many years that do not arise to the level of "standards", but represent accepted industry practice. We have included these in notes and comments where applicable. Rule 1 - Kitchen Entry Doors

Guideline: The clear opening of a doorway should be at least 32" wide. This requires a minimum 34" or 2'-10" door. Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: The clear opening of a doorway should be at least 34’’. This would
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require a minimum 36" or 3’-0’’ door. ADA/ANSI Guidelines: • Clear openings of doorways with swinging doors shall be measured between the face of door and stop, with the door open 90 degrees. (ANSI 404.2.3) When a passage exceeds 24" in depth, the minimum clear opening increases to 36". (ANSI A117.1 404)

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Comments: • Standard door widths include 18", 20", 24", 28", 30", 32" and 36" doors. Any other width and any door wider than 36" is generally made as a custom door. Since a 34" (2-10) interior door is typically a special order, custom door, this standard is usually met with a 36" (3-0) standard door. A 36" opening for a narrow passageways requires a 38" door to meet the requirements of ANSI A117.1 404. These are not available except as custom doors — so narrow passageways should be avoided where possible. These standards have been around for a few years now, and the door industry has been slow to respond to the new door width requirements. The effect is minimal, however, since most kitchen designs are open plans with doorways, not doors, connecting them to adjoining rooms. Rule 2 - Kitchen Door Interference

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Rule 2: ADA Guideline

Guideline: No entry door should interfere with the safe operation of appliances, nor should appliance doors interfere with one another.

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Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: In addition, the door area should include clear floor space for maneuvering which varies according to the type of door and direction of approach. See ADA/ANSI Guidelines below. Rule 2:Kitchen Door Interference

ADA/ANSI Guidelines: • For a standard hinged or swinging door, the clearance on the pull side of the door should be the door width plus 18” by 60”. (ANSI A 117.1 404.2.3.1) The clearance on the push side of the door should be the door width by 48”. (ANSI A 117.1 404.2.3.1)
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Comments: Door interference can be subtle. For example, we like to locate refrigerators and pantries at the edge of the kitchen so that snack-seekers can get what they want without crossing into the main, working part of the kitchen. However, there is a good risk that the door of a refrigerator located next to an entry door will block entry when the refrigerator door is open. If cabinets are improperly spaced, the doors of two adjacent cabinets may strike each other. In kitchen remodels, working within an existing space, such problems may be unavoidable. But, they should be avoided if possible. Rule 3 - Distance Between Work Centers (Kitchen Triangle)

Guideline: In a kitchen with three work centers the sum of the three traveled distances should total no more than 26' with no single leg of the triangle measuring less than 4 feet nor more than 9 feet. Universal Design Guideline The kitchen guideline recommendation meets Universal Design Guideline standards. Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Notes:

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A major appliance and its surrounding landing/work area form a work center. The distances between the three primary work centers (cooking surface, clean-up/prep primary sink, and refrigeration storage) form a work triangle. When the kitchen plan includes more than three primary appliance/work centers, each additional travel distance to another appliance/work center should measure no less than 4' nor more than 9'.

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Each leg is measured from the center-front of the appliance/sink. No work triangle leg may intersect an island/peninsula or other obstacle by more than 12".

Comments: The concept of a kitchen work triangle was developed in the early 20th century, and has now been superseded by more modern concepts such as integrated work zones. It does not work in every situation. For example, in a Pullman kitchen where the sink, cooking surface and refrigerator are on one wall, no triangle of any kind is possible. Nonetheless, for most kitchens, it remain a valuable preliminary gauge of how well a kitchen design is likely to function. Rule 4 - Separate work centers

Guideline: A full-height, full-depth, tall obstacle should not separate two primary work centers. A properly recessed tall corner unit will not interrupt the work flow and is acceptable. (Examples of a full-height obstacle are a tall oven cabinet, tall pantry cabinet, or refrigerator) Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: The kitchen guideline recommendation meets Universal Design Guideline standards.

Rule 5 - Work Triangle Traffic

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Guideline: No major traffic patterns should cross through the basic work triangle. Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: The kitchen guideline recommendation meets Universal Design Guideline standards. Comments: Clearly this rule is an ideal standard for new kitchens. But, a great many existing kitchens are arranged so that back door or basement access is straight through the kitchen work triangle. Unless significant alterations are made to the structure of the house, there is little that can be done about it. If possible, however, locate the sink and range or cooktop out of the traffic path. If the refrigerator is in or adjacent to the path, it does little harm. Rule 6 - Work Aisle

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Rule 6: Work Aisle

Guideline: The width of a work aisle should be at least 42” for one cook and at least 48” for multiple cooks. Measure between the counter frontage, tall cabinets and/or appliances. Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: Kitchen guideline recommendation meets Universal Design recommendation. See Code References for specific applications. ADA/ANSI Guidelines: • A clear floor space of at least 30” by 48” should be provided at each kitchen appliance. Clear floor spaces can overlap. (ANSI A 117.1 305.3, 804.6.1). (ANSI A 117.1 404.2.3.1) In a U-shaped kitchen, plan a minimum clearance of 60” between opposing arms. (ANSI A117.1 804.2.2, 1003.12.1.2).

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Include a wheelchair turning space with a diameter of at least 60”, which can include knee* and toe* clearances. (ANSI A117.1 304.3.1). A wheelchair turning space could utilize a T-shaped clear space, which is a 60” square with two 12” wide x 24” deep areas removed from the corners of the square. This leaves a minimum 36” wide base and two 36” wide arms. T-shaped wheelchair turning spaces can include knee and toe clearances. (ANSI A117.1 304.3.2).

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Notes: • Knee clearance must be a minimum 30” wide (36” to use as part of the T-turn) and maintain a 27” clear space under the cabinet, counter or sink for a depth of 8”. The next 3” of depth may slope down to a height of 9”, with a clear space of at least 17” extending beneath the element. (ANSI 306.3). • Toe clearance space under a cabinet or appliance is between the floor and 9” above the floor. Where toe clearance is required as part of a clear floor space, the toe clearance should extend 17” minimum beneath the element. (ANSI A117.1 306.2).

Comments: There is a great deal of confusion over the distinction between a walkway and a work aisle. A work aisle is where a person stands while working in the kitchen. A walkway is the passagway through the kitchen. Especially is older kitchens, the work aisle and walkway may be combined and be used both for work and for traversing the kitchen. In such case the minimum width of the combined walkway/work aisle should be 48", where possible. Rule 7 - Walkway

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Rule 7: Walkway

Guideline: The width of a walkway should be at least 36”. Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: If two walkways are perpendicular to each other, one walkway should be at least 42” wide. Comments: There is a great deal of confusion over the distinction between a walkway and a work aisle. A work aisle is where a person stands while working in the kitchen. A walkway is the passageway through the kitchen. Especially is older kitchens, the work aisle and walkway may be combined and be used both for work and for traversing the kitchen. In such case the minimum width of the combined walkway/work aisle should be 48". Rule 8 - Traffic Clearance at Seating

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Rule 8: Traffic Clearance at Seating

Guideline: In a seating area where no traffic passes behind a seated diner, allow 32” of clearance from the counter/table edge to any wall or other obstruction behind the seating area. Code Requirements: No national code requirements.

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Notes: • • If traffic passes behind the seated diner, allow at least 36” to edge past. If traffic passes behind the seated diner, allow at least 44” to walk past.

Comments: • A 32" clearance is almost never appropriate. It can be appropriate in a seating area that has just one seat. If there are two seats, however, then the user of the second seat will have to pass behind the user of the first seat to get to the second seat, and the 36" clearance rule applies to allow the second person to edge past. A 44" clearance is better, if room is available. • A seating area should never extend into a work aisle, but may extend into a walk area if a minumum walk space of 44" is provided. This allows a walker to pass behind the seated diners. A 60" space is better, and required for wheelchair access.

Universal Design Guideline: In a seating area where no traffic passes behind a seated diner, allow 36” of clearance from the counter/table edge to any wall or other obstruction behind the seating area. Notes: If traffic passes behind the seated diner, plan a minimum of 60” to allow passage for a person in a wheelchair. Rule 9 - Seating Space

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Rule 9: Seating Space

Guideline: Kitchen seating should be a minimum of 24" wide for each person and, • • • For 30" high tables/counters, a minimum 18" deep clear knee space for each seated diner. For 36" high counters, a minimum 15" deep clear knee space for each seated diner. For 42" high counters, a minimum 12"deep clear knee space for each seated diner.

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Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: • Kitchen seating areas should be 28” – 34” high x 30” – 36” wide x 19” deep to better accommodate people of various sizes or those using a mobility aid. Recommended minimum size for a knee space at a table or counter is 36” wide x 27” high x 19” deep.

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Comments: • • Measure knee space from the front edge of the table or counter top. While a 24" wide space for each diner is workable, it is not very comfortable. A 28-30" wide space is better and should be considered the minimum where space is available.

Rule 10 - Cleanup/Prep Sink Placement

Guideline: If a kitchen has only one sink, locate it adjacent to or across from the cooking surface and refrigerator. Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: Plan knee spaces at the sink to allow for a seated user. Recommended minimum size for a knee space is 36” wide x 27” high x 8” deep, increasing to 17” deep in the toe space, which extends 9” from the floor. Insulation for exposed pipes should be provided. ADA/ANSI Guidelines:

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The sink should be no more than 34” high or adjustable between 29” and 36”. (ANSI 117.1.1002.4.2). The sink bowl should be no more than 6 1/2” deep (ANSI 117.1 1002.12.4.3). Exposed water supply and drain pipes under sinks should be insulated or otherwise configured to protect against contact. There should be no sharp or abrasive surfaces under sinks. (ANSI A117.1 606.6).

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Rule 11 - Cleanup/Prep Sink Landing Area

Guideline: Include at least a 24” wide landing area [Note C] to one side of the sink and at least an 18” wide landing area on the other side.

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Rule 11: Cleanup/Prep Sink Landing Area

Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Notes: • Note A: If all of the countertop at the sink is not the same height, then plan a 24” landing area on one side of the sink and 3” of countertop frontage on the other side, both at the same height as the sink. Note B: The 24” of recommended landing area can be met by 3” of countertop frontage from the edge of the sink to the inside corner of the countertop if more than 21” of countertop frontage is available on the return. • Note C: Landing area is measured as countertop frontage adjacent to a sink and/or an appliance. The countertop must be at least 16” deep and must be 28” to 45” above the finished floor to qualify.

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Comments: In Universal Design, it is not uncommon for the cabinet containing the sink to be lower than the adjacent cabinets. Hence the standard in Note A that allows the landing area to be at a different level than the sink countertops as long as there is at least 24" of same-level countertop space on one side of the sink. Universal Design Guideline: Kitchen guideline recommendation meets Universal Design standards. Rule 12 - Food Preparation Work Area

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Rule 12: Food Preparation Work Area

Guideline: Include a section of continuous countertop at least 30” wide x 24” deep immediately next to a sink for a primary preparation/work area. Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: A section of continuous countertop at least 30” wide with a permanent or adaptable knee space should be included somewhere in the kitchen. ADA/ANSI Guidelines: In a kitchen, there should be at least one 30” wide section of counter, 34” high maximum or adjustable from 29” to 36”. Cabinetry can be added under the work surface, provided it can be removed or altered without removal or replacement of the work surface, and provided the finished floor extends under the cabinet. (ANSI A 117.1 8.04.6.3, 1003.12.6.3) Comments: There are very limited circumstances under which the countertop next to a sink should be less than 30" wide. If the countertop is deeper than the standard 25", the minimum width should, nonetheless, remain 30". As a practical matter, it is sometimes necessary to decrease the depth of the countertop (never to less than 21"). If this is the case, increase the width of the countertop work area to 36". Rule 13 - Dishwasher Placement

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Rule 13: Dishwasher Placement

Guideline: Locate nearest edge of the primary dishwasher within 36” of the nearest edge of a cleanup/prep sink.

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Notes: • Note A: Provide at least 21”* of standing space between the edge of the dishwasher and countertop frontage, appliances and/or cabinets, which are placed at a right angle to the dishwasher. Note B: *In a diagonal installation, the 21” is measured from the center of the sink to the edge of the dishwasher door in an open position.

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Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: Raise dishwasher 6” – 12” when it can be planned with appropriate landing areas at the same height as the sink. ADA/ANSI Guidelines: A clear floor space of at least 30” x 48” should be positioned adjacent to the dishwasher door. The dishwasher door in the open position should not obstruct the clear floor space for the dishwasher or the sink. (ANSI A 117.1 804.6.3, 1003.12.6.3) Comments: The modern dishwasher is an ergonomic disaster. It's much too hard to use. You have to bend and stoop a lot to load and unload it. You have to spend a lot of time opening and closing the top tray to reach the bottom tray. The bottom-hinged drawer gets in the way of people moving around the kitchen and makes it much harder for mobility impaired users to load and unload. It is not a very user-friendly or efficient appliance. The solution is to raise the dishwasher off the floor so that the center of the appliance is about waist high. In kitchens where it is possible, that's what we do. The new drawer-style dishwashers are a vast improvement, but as of yet, very pricey. For more information of dishwasher placement, see Mise-en-Place: What We Can Learn About Kitchen Design from Commercial Kitchens. For more information about ergonomic kitchen design, see Body Friendly Design: Kitchen Ergonomics. Rule 14 - Waste Receptacles

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Rule 14: Waste Receptacles

Guideline: Include at least two waste receptacles. Locate one near each of the cleanup/prep sink(s) and a second for recycling either in the kitchen or nearby. Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: Kitchen guideline recommendation meets Universal Design Standard. Comments: The best location for the trash and recycling bins in most kitchens is under the sink. This placement makes the best use of a cabinet space that is otherwise hard to use because of the piping and disposer

Rule 15 - Auxiliary Sink

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Rule 15: Auxiliary Sink

Guideline: At least 3” of countertop frontage should be provided on one side of the auxiliary sink, and 18” of countertop frontage on the other side, both at the same height as the sink. Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: Plan knee spaces at, or adjacent to, the auxiliary sink to allow for a seated user. Recommended minimum size for a knee space is 36” wide x 27” high x 8” deep, increasing to 17” deep in the toe space, which extends 9” from the floor. Insulation for exposed pipes should be provided. ADA/ANSI Guidelines: • The sink should be no more than 34” high or adjustable between 29” and 36”. (ANSI 117.1.1002.4.2). The sink bowl should be no more than 6 1/2” deep (ANSI 117.1 1002.12.4.3). Exposed water supply and drain pipes under sinks should be insulated or otherwise configured to protect against contact. There should be no sharp or abrasive surfaces under sinks. (ANSI A117.1 606.6).

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Rule 16 - Refrigerator Landing Area

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Rule 16: Refrigerator Landing Area

Guideline: Include at least: 15” of landing area on the handle side of the refrigerator, or A. 15” of landing area on either side of a side-by-side refrigerator, or B. 15” of landing area which is no more than 48” across from the front of the refrigerator, or C. 15” of landing area above or adjacent to any undercounter style refrigeration appliance.

Universal Design Guideline: See ADA/ANSI Guidelines. ADA/ANSI Guidelines: A clear floor space of 30” x 48” should be positioned for a parallel approach to the refrigerator/freezer with the centerline of the clear floor space offset 24” maximum from the centerline of the appliance. (ANSI A 117.1 804.6.6, 1003.12.6.6) Rule 17 - Cook Surface Landing Area Guideline: Include a minimum of 12” of landing area on one side of a cooking surface and 15” on the other side.

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Rule 17: Cook Surface Landing Area

Notes: • • Note A: The 12” and 15” landing areas must be at the same height as the cooking surface. Note B:For safety reasons, in an island or peninsula situation, the countertop should also extend a minimum of 9” behind the cooking surface if the counter height is the same as the surface-cooking appliance. • Note C: For an enclosed configuration, a reduction of clearances shall be in accordance with the appliance manufacturer’s instructions or per local codes. (This may not provide adequate landing area.)

Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Comments: • Note A is ambiguous. Surfaces adjacent to a cooktop or range are almost never exactly at the same level as the cooking surface. The guideline is met if the adjacent surface is roughly at the same level as the cooking surface. The purpose of the guidelines for cooking surface landing areas is not just ensuring enough working space on both side of the cooking appliance, but to ensure that there is a sufficient space between the cooking appliance and any combustible cabinet materials for safety. • Most safety codes require that a cooking surface next to a door be separated from the doorway by at least 12" of countertop. We have always interpreted this to mean 12' from the flammable door trim. Universal Design Guideline: Lower the cooktop to 34” maximum height and create a knee space beneath the appliance. ADA/ANSI Guidelines:

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When a forward-approach clear floor space is provided at the cooktop, it should provide knee and toe clearance and the underside of the cooktop should be insulated or otherwise configured to prevent burns, abrasions, or electric shock. (ANSI 1002.12.6.4) The location of cooktop controls should not require reaching across burners. (ANSI 1003.12.6.4)

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Rule 18 - Cooking Surface Clearance

Guideline: Allow 24” of clearance between the cooking surface and a protected noncombustible surface above it. Code Requirements:
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At least 30” of clearance is required between the cooking surface and an unprotected/combustible surface above it. (IRC M 1901.1). If a microwave hood combination is used above the cooking surface, then the manufacturer’s specifications should be followed. (IRC M 1504.1)

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Comments: • This rule must be coordinated with Rule 19. Most often, the item installed above a range or cooktop is a range hood or microwave/hood combination. In all cases, the minimum clearance specified by the appliance's installation instructions should be followed rather than this rule if the manufacturer's recommend minimum clearance is greater. If the manufacturer's clearance guidelines are less than the clearance required by this rule, the conservative, and better, approach is to use the greater clearances specified here. The exception occurs where the clearance specified here exceeds the manufacturer's maximum clearance, in which case the manufacturer's clearance specification should be used. Universal Design Guideline: Kitchen guideline recommendation meets Universal Design Standard. Rule 19 - Cooking Surface Ventilation

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Guideline: Provide a correctly sized, ducted ventilation system for all cooking surface appliances. The recommended minimum is 150 cubic feet of air per minute (cfm). Code Requirement: • • Manufacturer’s specifications must be followed. (IRC G 2407.1, IRC G 2447.1). The minimum required exhaust rate for a ducted hood is 100 cfm and must be ducted to the outside. (IRC M 1507.3). Make-up air may need to be provided. Refer to local codes. (IRC G 2407.4).

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Comments: • Formerly it was permissible in most jurisdictions to recirculate vented air back into the kitchen. The air was drawn into the ventilating device through carbon filters, then blown back into the kitchen. Recirculation is now not allowed in most jurisdictions. Air must be vented through and wall or the roof to the outdoors. The earlier practice of venting into the attic is also no longer allowed due to the risk of fire. Generally the specifications provided by the manufacturer of the ventilation device or system must be followed, even if they conflict with other building code requirements. Where the

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manufacturer's specifications are silent, then guidance is to be obtained from the applicable building code requirements. • Typically make-up air is required when the capacity of the ventilation system exceeds 300 cfm. The belief is that at this capacity the house can no longer provide enough air and there is danger of backdrafting gas appliances. Makeup air is merely aid drawn from outside the dwelling through ducting that is installed by a mechanical contractor. Universal Design Guideline: Ventilation controls should be placed 15” – 44” above the floor, operable with minimal effort, easy to read and with minimal noise pollution. ADA/ANSI Guidelines: • Operable parts should be operable with one hand and not require tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist. The force required to activate operable parts should be 5 pounds maximum. (ANSI A117.1 309.4). Where a forward or side reach is unobstructed, the high reach should be 48” maximum and the low reach should be 15” minimum above the floor.(ANSI A117.1 308.2.1 and 308.3.1). Where a forward or side reach is obstructed by a 20” – 25” deep counter, the high reach should be 44” maximum. (ANSI A117.1 308.2.2)

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Rule 20 - Cooking Surface Safety

Place your extinguisher in plain view or in a clearly marked cabinet. Guideline:
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A. Do not locate the cooking surface under an operable window. B. Window treatments above the cooking surface should not use flammable materials. C. A fire extinguisher should be located near the exit of the kitchen away from cooking equipment. Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Comments: While there are no national building code requirements, it is very likely that a fire extinguisher in your kitchen is mandated by your local building or fire code. Universal Design Guideline: Place fire extinguisher between 15” and 48” off the finished floor. Comments: • Put the fire extinguisher in plain view even if you don't like the "industrial look." National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) Guideline 10, Paragraph 6.1.3.1 states, "Extinguishers shall be conspicuously located where they will be readily accessible and immediately available in the event of fire." Paragraph 6.1.3.3.1 states, "Fire extinguishers shall not be obstructed or obscured from view." • A kitchen fire extinguisher must be rated for class B fires. These are fires fueled by flammable liquids and grease. Most fire extinguishes are rated for class B fires, but check to be certain. When you install your fire extinguisher, read the instructions for using it to fight fires. Stopping to read the instructions while a fire is blazing is not a good idea, but using it without reading the instructions is an even worse idea. Test your extinguisher at least every 6 months, more often if the manufacturer recommends a shorter interval, to make sure it is still charged and functioning.

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Rule 21 - Microwave Oven Placement

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Rule 21: Microwave Oven Placement

Guideline: Locate the microwave oven after considering the user’s height and abilities. The ideal location for the bottom of the microwave is 3” below the principal user’s shoulder but no more than 54” above the floor. If the microwave oven is placed below the countertop the oven bottom must be at least 15” off the finished floor. Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Comments: • The current guidelines do not address drawer-type microwaves. These are intended to be mounted under the countertop and are accessed from the top, not from the front. Until guidelines are developed, the best course is to carefully follow manufacturer's instructions for placement and mounting. • Over-the-range micro-hoods will need to follow the guideline for locating a range hood in Rules 18 and 19 above, as well as this rule. If there is a conflict, the guidelines of Rules 18 and 19 supercede this rule.

Universal Design Guideline: Locate the microwave controls above 15" and below 48". Comments: This guideline is a little vague when it comes to controls that have a vertical dimension, such as a keypad, but the illustrations that accompany the guideline seem to suggest that the entire pad should be below 48". Rule 22 - Microwave Landing Area

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Rule 22: Microwave Landing Area

Guideline: Provide at least a 15” landing area above, below, or adjacent to the handle side of a microwave oven. Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: Provide landing area in front of or immediately adjacent to the handle side of the microwave. Comments: Typically there is a countertop near the microwave that will serve as a landing zone. However, if the microwave is located in a tall oven cabinet, it may be necessary to provide a landing area. If necessary, a pull-out shelf located under the microwave will work provided it is strong and stable enough to hold a minimum of 25 lbs. Rule 23 - Oven Landing Area

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Rule 23: Oven Landing Area

Guideline: • • Include at least a 15” landing area next to or above the oven. At least a 15” landing area that is not more than 48” across from the oven is acceptable if the appliance does not open into a walkway. Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Comments: An oven in a range has to share the landing zone on one side of the range. One

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interpretation of Rule 24 (see below) is that the combined landing zone has to be 27" or larger. We think the proper interpretation is that the range/oven is one appliance, so the Rule 24 combination guideline does not apply. Landing zones surrounding range/oven combinations is adequately provided for by Rule 17 which requires a minimum of 27" divided between both side of the appliance, with a minimum of 15" on one side. Universal Design Guideline: See ADA/ANSI Guidelines. ADA/ANSI Guidelines: For side-opening ovens, the door latch side should be next to a countertop (ANSI A 117.1 804.6.5.1) Rule 24 - Combining Landing Areas Rule 24: Combining Landing Areas

Guideline: If two landing areas are adjacent to one another, determine a new minimum for the two adjoining spaces by taking the larger of the two landing area requirements and adding 12". Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: Kitchen guideline recommendation meets Universal Design Standard. Comments: An oven in a range has to share the landing zone on one side of the range. One interpretation this guideline is that the combined landing zone has to be 27" or larger. We think the proper interpretation is that the range/oven is one appliance, so this guideline does not apply. Landing zones surrounding range/oven combinations is adequately provided for by Rule 17 which requires a minimum of 27" divided between both side of the appliance, with a minimum of 15" on one side.

Rule 25 - Countertop Space
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Rule 25: Countertop Space

Guideline: A total of 158” of countertop frontage, 24” deep, with at least 15” of clearance above, is needed to accommodate all uses, including landing area, preparation/work area, and storage. Notes: Built-in appliance garages extending to the countertop can be counted towards the total countertop frontage recommendation, but they may interfere with the landing areas. Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: At least two work-counter heights should be offered in the kitchen, with one 28”– 36” above the finished floor and the other 36”– 45” above the finished floor. Comments:

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Any countertop at least 24" deep can be counted. Almost all standard countertops meet this requirement — most are 25" deep. If a countertop is shallower than 24", then, according to this Rule, it does not count toward the 158" of countertop frontage. However, in remodeling older kitchens, shallow countertops are often required to meet the 42" and 48" work-aisle requirements of Rule 6. This is where the designer's experience and good judgment comes into play in making the trade-off. We generally count any countertop at least 21" deep but less than 24" as 2/3rds. So, 3' of 21" countertop would count as 2' of countertop frontage.

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Countertop is measured at the front edges, so inside corners do not count toward the minimum counter space specified in this guideline. The guideline allows counting the countertop in front of appliance garages and other similar storage that rests on the countertop, even though this reduces the usable countertop area to as little as 13".

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The guideline is not clear how island countertops are to be counted. Do you count just the one side or both sides. If the countertop is accessible from both sides, we count both sides, but not the ends.

Rule 26 - Countertop Corners

Round or chamfer outside corners for safety. Guideline: Specify clipped or round corners rather than pointed corners on all countertops. Comments: • Although the guideline does not distinguish between inside and outside corners, it is clear that the recommendation applies only to outside corners.

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The guideline does not provide a minimum radius for rounded corners. On a 1" overhang countertop, the typical overhang, the largest radius is about 2". Corners may be clipped (the more common term is "chamfered") or rounded ("billeted"). Both options meet the guideline.

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Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: Kitchen guideline recommendation meets Universal Design Standard.

Rule 27 - Storage Guideline Distribution of Shelf and Drawer Space

Location

Small

Medium

Large

Wall Base Drawer Pantry Miscellaneous

300” 520” 360” 180” 40”

360” 615” 400” 230” 95”

360” 660” 525” 310” 145”

Guideline: The total shelf/drawer frontage is: A. 1400” for a small kitchen (less than 150 square feet); B. 1700” for a medium kitchen (151 to 350 square feet); and C. 2000” for a large kitchen (greater than 350 square feet). Notes: • Shelf and drawer frontage is determined by multiplying the cabinet size by the number and depth of the shelves or drawers in the cabinet, using the following formula: Cabinet width in inches x number of shelf/drawers x cabinet depth in feet (or fraction thereof) = Shelf/Drawer Frontage. • The recommended distribution for the shelf/drawer frontage in inches is shown in the table at left. The totals for wall, base, drawer and pantry shelf/ drawer frontage can be adjusted upward or downward as long as the recommended total stays the same. Do not apply more than the recommended amount of storage in the miscellaneous category to meet the total frontage recommendation. Storage areas that are more than 84” above the floor must be counted in the miscellaneous category.

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Storage/organizing items can enhance the functional capacity of wall, base, drawer and pantry storage and should be selected to meet user needs.

Comments: The whole notion of minimum shelf/drawer frontage is an attempt to quantify functionality that is not readily quantifiable. While the calculation may serve the need to have some math problems on the various NKBA certification examinations, it has little real world utility because it does not distinguish between accessible and inaccessible storage. We treat the following as inaccessible storage: • • • The back of a base cabinet shelf behind the first 12", The part of any upper cabinet or tall cabinet shelf behind the first 16", and Any storage above 74" from the floor.

To illustrate how differentiating between useful and inaccessible storage makes cabinet storage calculations more accurate, consider the following comparison: • A 24 inch-deep base cabinet with two shelves has the following frontage: 24" x 2' x 2 = 96 inches. A 24 inch-deep base cabinet with two drawers has the same frontage: 24" x 2' x 2 = 96 inches.

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All of the drawer space is accessible storage. To reach the back 12", just pull the drawer out. But, only the front 12" of the shelves is useful storage, the back 12" is inaccessible. To treat the two storage modalities as if they provided the same amount of useful storage is misleading and not useful. The drawers are more useful storage and their higher utility should be accounted for in calculating minimum frontage. In our calculations we score inaccessible storage at only 1/2 the value of accessible storage. The formula for the accessible part of the shelf remains the same: (width in inches) × (depth in feet) × (number of shelves), but it applies to just the front 12" of the shelf. So using the above example, the frontage of the accessible part of the base cabinet shelves is 24" × 1' × 2 shelves = 48" of frontage. The revised formula for the back 12" of shelf is (width in inches) × (depth in feet) × (number of shelves) ÷ 2. This gives the back half of the shelf a frontage of 24", calculated as follows: 24" × 1' × 2 shelves ÷ 2 = 24" of frontage. The total frontage for the base cabinet with two shelves is 48" + 24" = 72". The base cabinet with drawers retains its original frontage of 96". Now the comparison of frontage scores clearly shows the drawer cabinet to be more useful storage. Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: Plan storage of frequently used items 15” to 48” above the floor. ADA/ANSI Guidelines: • Where a forward or side reach is unobstructed, the high reach should be 48” maximum and the low reach should be 15” minimum above the floor. (ANSI A117.1 308.2.1 and 308.3.1) Where a 20” – 25” deep counter obstructs a forward or side reach, the high reach should be 44” maximum. (ANSI A117.1 308.2.2)

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Rule 28 - Storage at Main Sink
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Guideline: Of the total recommended wall, base, drawer and pantry shelf/drawer frontage, the following should be located within 72” of the centerline of the main sink: A. at least 400” for a small kitchen (less than 150 sq. ft.); B. at least 480” for a medium kitchen (150-350 sq. ft.); C. at least 560” for a large kitchen (more than 350 sq. ft.). Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: Plan storage of frequently used items 15” to 48” above the floor. Rule 29 - Corner Cabinet Storage

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Guideline: At least one corner cabinet should include a functional storage device Notes: This guideline does not apply if there are no corner cabinets. Comments: Corner cabinets are not required in a kitchen. The guideline recommends that if corner cabinets are used, they should contain usable storage. For much more information on making the best use of corner space, try this article. Code Requirements: No national code requirements. Universal Design Guideline: Kitchen guideline recommendation meets Universal Design Standard. Rule 30 - Electrical Receptacles

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Guideline: GFCI (Ground-fault circuit-interrupter) protection is required on all receptacles servicing countertop surfaces within the kitchen. (IRC E 3802.6). Refer to IRC E 3801.4.1 through E 3801.4.5 for receptacle placement and locations. Universal Design Guideline: Lighting controls should be placed 15” – 44” above the floor, operable with minimal effort, easy to read and with minimal noise pollution. ADA/ANSI Guidelines: • Operable parts should be operable with one hand and not require tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist. The force required to activate operable parts should be 5 pounds maximum. (ANSI A117.1 309.4). • Where a forward or side reach is unobstructed, the high reach should be 48” maximum and the low reach should be 15” minimum above the floor.(ANSI A117.1 308.2.1 and 308.3.1). Where a forward or side reach is obstructed by a 20” – 25” deep counter, the high reach should be 44” maximum. (ANSI A117.1 308.2.2)

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Comments: For more information on the structural components of the kitchen; the piping, heating and cooling, electricity and lighting, see Behind the Scenes - The Hidden Kitchen. Rule 31 - Lighting

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Photo: Merillat

Guideline: In addition to general lighting required by code, every work surface should be well illuminated by appropriate task lighting. Code Requirements: • At least one wall-switch controlled light must be provided. Switch must be placed at the entrance. (IRC E 3803.2). Window/skylight area, equal to at least 8% of the total square footage of the kitchen, or a total living space which includes a kitchen, is required. (IRC R 303.1, IRC R 303.2)

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Universal Design Guideline: Lighting should be from multiple sources and adjustable ADA/ANSI Guidelines: • Operable parts should be operable with one hand and not require tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist. The force required to activate operable parts should be 5 pounds maximum. (ANSI A117.1 309.4). Where a forward or side reach is unobstructed, the high reach should be 48” maximum and the low reach should be 15” minimum above the floor.(ANSI A117.1 308.2.1 and 308.3.1). Where a forward or side reach is obstructed by a 20” – 25” deep counter, the high reach should be 44” maximum. (ANSI A117.1 308.2.2)
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Comments: For more information on kitchen lighting, see Designing Efficient and Effective Kitchen Lighting.

Pantry Design Rules Do you know the pantry design guidelines? Every kitchen needs a pantry. These Guidelines recommend between 180" and 310" of pantry storage. Whatever the size of your kitchen, it should include a convenient place to store groceries, and this critical storage requires careful thought and planning. It should be large enough to hold at least a week's worth or groceries, and close enough to the food preparation…more »

Are you ready for your own dream kitchen? We can build one just right for your budget. Contact usE-mail us at [email protected] and let's get started.

StarCraft Custom Builders • P. O Box 80265, Lincoln, NE 68501 • 402-871-5301 Copyright © 2001-2013. All rights reserved.. These articles are written by carpenters, plumbers, electricians and other tradesmen and women who are neither writers nor editors. So, any help with correcting typos, grammar or spelling is gratefully appreciated. Just drop us a note. You will get a very warm thank you in return.

Need to know more about kitchen remodeling? Try these articles: • Adapting a Kitchen to a Budget — A Case Study (Sidebar) If you feel you cannot afford a great kitchen, think again. A terrific kitchen does not have to break the bank. You may have to get creative and even make a few compromises in your original grand design, but you will end up with a wonderful kitchen that will look good and serve your needs for years to come. • Adapting a Kitchen to Human Dimensions and Movement - A Case Study (Sidebar) Few homeowners are of average height, average girth; have average reach or average range of motion; or use their kitchens in an average manner. Yet almost all kitchens are arranged and sized using standards written for the the mythical average person. Unless you happen to be that perfectly average person, standard kitchen dimensions and • • Flooring Options for Kitchens and Baths Wood, stone, vinyl, ceramic tile, laminated flooring. What are the pros and cons of each? Learn the fundamentals of kitchen flooring. Guide to Nebraska Hardwoods for Cabinetmakers and Woodworkers Most of the fine native American hardwoods commonly, and uncommonly, used in cabinetry grow and are milled into lumber in Nebraska. If you were not aware that hardwood is a Nebraska crop, read this detailed guide to Nebraska hardwoods. • Kitchen Ergonomics (Sidebar) The kitchen — unlike most other rooms in the home — is a workplace. The job of preparing and serving meals gets done there. Making that environment fit you is a most critical factor in your satisfaction

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arrangements may not be right for you. Here is how we adapted one kitchen to the physical characteristics and limitations its owners. • Behind the Scenes — The Hidden Kitchen Behind the beautiful new cabinets, under the sparking countertops, beneath the gleaming tile floor are the invisible bones and sinew that make the kitchen work electricity, venting, heating and plumbing. Find out all that's needed behind the scenes. • Body Friendly Design: Kitchen Ergonomics Planning for efficiency and ease of use are more important than ever in kitchen and bath design, and in the context of universal design has become the hot new topic among kitchen and bath designers. Every aspect of kitchen and bath design is being given a new, hard look, from countertop and toilet heights to the optimum placement of the microwave and dishwasher and the best depth of the kitchen sink. • Cabinet Basics Oak, maple, hickory, ash, cherry. Faced and unfaced. Framed and frameless. Custom, semi-custom and manufactured. MDF, Melamine, Thermofoil, even steel. So many choices. How do you pick the cabinets that are just right for you? Click here to find out. • Cabinet Door Styles There are an almost infinite number of cabinet door styles available. Here is a chart of just a few dozen of the styles we build. We could not possibly show them all. There are too many. Since we are an entirely custom cabinet builder, we can make any door you can describe. • Comparative Kitchen & Bath Cabinet Construction

with your kitchen. • Kitchen Remodeling on the Cheap: Simple, Practical Ideas for Creating Your Dream Kitchen on a Budget If you feel you cannot afford a great kitchen, think again. A terrific kitchen does not have to break the bank. You may have to get creative and even make a few compromises in your original grand design, but you will end up with a wonderful kitchen that will look good and serve your needs for years to come. Here are a few practical ways of reducing the cost of your new kitchen. • Mise en Place: What We Can Learn from Commercial Kitchens Organized to prepare a large variety of appetizing meals at a moment's notice, we can learn a lot about kitchen efficiency from studying commercial kitchens. • New and Traditional Countertop Choices Exciting changes are happening in the world of countertop materials. Options that simply did not exist 10 years ago are in every home store today. Is solid surfacing, laminate, stone or tile your best choice? Or maybe something more exotic. Take a look at the incredible selection of modern counter top materials. • Off the Wall Kitchens: Living Without Wall Cabinets Wall cabinets are unquestionably useful storage, but with drawbacks. A major disadvantage is that wall cabinets make a kitchen seem smaller by closing in the space at eye level — which is where we subconsciously judge how large the space around us is - and limit the number and size of windows in the kitchen. Can your new kitchen do away with wall cabinets? Probably. Find out how. Saving Household Water
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Some cabinets are made better than others. Learn the differnce between a cabinet that is solid, well-built and will last a long time, and all the others. • Designing Efficient and Effective Kitchen Lighting The kitchen is more than just a place to cook and eat. It usually serves as the administrative and the social hub of the home. The kitchen uses a lot of energy for lighting. That makes this room an important place to use efficient lighting. While remodeling your kitchen, you have the perfect opportunity to create a highly efficient lighting system. Find out how. • Distributed Cabinet Manufacturing: Today's Cabinet Making Revolution Local and regional cabinetmakers are catching up the the factory manufacturers in creative technologies to make custom cabinetry that rivals factory cabinets in price, but exceeds factory cabinets in creativity, construction and finish. • Finding Some More Kitchen Space In many cases, existing kitchens are just too small for any real improvement in space management. Learn where to get more space, or at least the illusion of more space for your new kitchen. • Fine Furniture and Built-Ins We craft fine furniture and built-ins to match any decor or preference. From traditional to avant-garde, from Chinese to French Provincial, there is no look we cannot reproduce.

Fifteen billion gallons of fresh, treated water are used in American households every day. It not only deletes our water sources to waste this water, but costs a fortune in electrical power to treat and pump it into our homes. Find out what you can do to reduce your impact on the environment while saving 33% of your water bill. • Solving Corner Cabinet Woes (Sidebar) Corner base cabinets are notorious as dark, difficult-to-reach storage space. Useful corner storage requires some pretty fancy hardware to make the space work. There are a variety of solutions, some better than others. But is is possible to make a corner cabinet effective storage with just a little prior planning. • Sources of Supply: Faucets Thinking about buying a faucet? Before your do, see our list of major faucet manufacturers with ratings and guidelines on what to look for and how to select a good, lifetime faucet. • Using Toe-Kick Space (Tips and Tricks) The toe-kick space under your cabinets can be effectively used for extra storage, to store kitchen and bathroom accessories and for truly dramatic lighting.

For more good reading, check out the complete Articles Index. Continue to Body Friendly Design: Kitchen Ergonomics Are any links on this page broken? Please report broken links. Did You Find What You Were Looking For?

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No? Then Let Us Help You. Our site contains over a hundred articles on remodeling, renovating and updating your home, so it is not always easy to find all the articles that contain the information you are looking for. This is especially true if you reached our site using a search engine like Yahoo or Google. Search engine indexing robots are very fast, not very smart. They do not understand synonyms or know when two or more terms or phrases mean the same thing. Nor do they have the foggiest notion of concept searching. They look only for specific word groups. If the search words you use do not closely match the words appearing on a web page, the search engine will probably miss it entirely. Even less helpful is the fact that if a web search engine finds more than one relevant page on a web site, it will probably display only the first page it finds — which may not be the best page for your purpose. I would like a new… • • • • • • • • • • • Kitchen Bath Addition Furniture/Built-In Closet/Storage Home Office Deck/Porch Window/Door Garage/Outbuilding Post & Beam Insulation

To overcome the limitations of the major search engines, we have provided navigation tools on our site to help you find the information you are looking for. So, if you did not find it on this page, do not give up just yet. • Main Topics. At the top left of the page you will see the main topic menu. If you are looking for information about, for instance, kitchen remodeling, select "Kitchen" to go to a gateway page that introduces the topic, but also leads you to many more articles on various aspects of kitchen remodeling. From the Kitchen page, you can, for example, go to articles on selecting cabinets, cabinet construction, countertops, design concepts, flooring, lighting, architectural integration, and structural issues. • Article Indexes. We maintain two indexes to articles, one by topic and a second by title. They contain a summary of the content of the article to help you locate the one that contains the information you are looking for. • Site Search. The information on a particular topic you are looking for may be spread across several articles. For example, if you want to know all about countertops, there are separate articles on countertop materials, appropriate countertop materials for various styles of kitchens and baths, setting the proper countertop height for maximum comfort, and so on: all in different articles. The best way to find all of the articles that deal with countertops would be to search our site for the term "countertop". This will lead you to every article in which the word "countertop" is used. Our site
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search utility does this for you. The search box is located at the top right corner of this page. Enter a search term, and click the "site search" button to display all of the articles containing the term. Search Terms Related to the Content of this Page. Knowing the right search expression to use is somewhat of an art. There are lots of terms used in construction and remodeling that may not be familiar to you. And, search engine indexing robots do not look at language the way you do. So you may search for "kitchen remodeling" and miss a great article on strategies for updating yor old kitchen because the article talks about "kitchen renovation", but never mentions the words "kitchen remodeling". So, to help you identify possible search expressions, we have prepared a list of search terms that, according to Google's wearch words utility, relate to the content of this article. It is, of course a very limited list, but it should at least get you started. If you discover a search expression that leads to exactly the information you are looking for, tell us about it. We are always looking for good additions to our list. About StarCraft Custom Builders Preserving the Past, Building the Future, Since 1996. StarCraft Custom Builders is a design/build remodeling company located in Lincoln, Nebraska, serving Lincoln, Omaha, Bellevue, Papillion, Seward, Beatrice, Wahoo, and Fremont, Nebraska. We specialize in heritage homes — generally, homes built before 1970 — including Victorian, Arts & Crafts, Bungalow, Craftsman, Prairie and post-war modern retro houses. We emphasize remodeling to conform to the architectural period of the home. Over the years we have become the experts at building heritage bathrooms and kitchens, with all the modern conveniences, into the small spaces typical of older homes. We also design and build decks and porches, garages and outbuildings, and home additions. Our interior design/build team can help you with the interior remodeling of any room in your home, including walls, ceramic and porcelain tile, hardwood flooring, painting and finishing, or renovation of any kind. Need to remove a load-bearing wall to enlarge a room? We can do that. We can also work with you to update the outside of your home whether it needs siding, roofing, windows, doors, gutters or all of the above. Our designers are very skilled at matching exterior renovations to the historic period of your old home. Our Design Service features the very latest architectural CAD software that allows us to plan your project and show you in full-color, photo-realistic images what it will look like when it is finished. You can view it from any angle, get a detailed look at any feature, and examine it from every imaginable perspective to make sure you love it before we build it. Our Construction Management Service relieves you of the worries of supervising and managing a complex remodeling project and places the responsibility and the risk where it ought to be — in the hands of trained and experienced professionals. We stand behind our workmanship with a written three-year limited warranty, the longest in our business, and three times longer than our competition. If any of our work is defective in any way we will remedy the problem quickly, and at no cost to you. For any remodeling or renovation need, big or small, StarCraft Custom Builders if the first choice of seasoned professionals in south-east Nebraska. Find out why, and what we can do for you. Contact us at your convenience.

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