Renovating a kitchen in Toronto and the GTA | Renovation Quotes

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms of the home, a place for the family to congregate after a long day of work and play, to cook a meal and to enjoy time together. There are plenty of moving parts that go into the construction and operation of your kitchen, and for things to run smoothly everything has to be laid out in a functional way. For this reason, it is important to update the surfaces, appliances and layout of your kitchen to suit the needs of yourself and your family.

Kitchens are exposed to heat, moisture, dirt and grime and over time, this will cause things to deteriorate. Of course, this wear and tear can happen in your kitchen for a variety of reasons, as many common issues include water damage, mould and mildew growth, rust and rot.

For this reason, not all damage in your kitchen will be immediately visible, so make sure to check both visible and invisible surfaces. Renovating a kitchen in every city will be similar, but for specialized jobs, you may want to hire a contractor or professional. If you’re a homeowner in Toronto and the GTA, there are some simple ways to find yourself a professional.

Finding a kitchen renovation contractor in Toronto

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North Americans spend plenty of money on renovating their homes every year, and part of the challenge of completing a beautiful and streamlined kitchen renovation is finding a competent and professional contractor. Toronto is a large city with many people working in this field, so how do you find a contractor that’s perfect for you? Start by asking friends, family members and neighbours for contractors they’ve worked with in the past and would recommend.

Maybe you have a friend whose kitchen cabinets are to die for, or a family member whose recent kitchen remodel looks as if it was pulled from the pages of a magazine! If your friends and family have gone through any renovations recently, take a stroll around your neighbourhood and look for signs on the front lawns of other homes. This is an excellent way to find contractors that work in your area, and you can look at their work firsthand.

Of course, for other contractor recommendations, make sure to check out the Better Business Bureau to see how they rank and stack up against others. This will be the place to discover whether customers have had issues with them, as well as prices and the time frame it may take to renovate your kitchen. Now that we’re on the subject of the internet, there are a number of reputable websites that can connect you with reputable and local contractors, and that includes ours! Fill out the form on the right or below to get referrals for certified kitchen renovation specialists. 

Subsidies and credits for kitchen renovations in Toronto and the GTA

The different levels of government offer credits and subsidies for home renovation projects that can apply to kitchen renovations. Among other things, you will benefit from certain programs that are dedicated to eco-friendly renovations or other projects. More information can be found in our article "Subsidies and tax credits for renovations in Ontario". 

Looking for ideas on how to renovate your kitchen and what signs you should be keeping an eye out for? 

Here's how to renovate a kitchen in Toronto and the GTA

Why renovate your kitchen?

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As we mentioned in our introduction, there are plenty of reasons why you might renovate your kitchen. Here are just a few of the areas that might need tending to and why you would renovate them:

Countertops: Your countertops put up with a lot! Kitchen countertops come in a variety of materials including wood, stone, laminate and so on. Several factors go into installing a new kitchen countertop, including thickness, nosing, cuts and angles. Depending on the material they’re made from, they could be subject to mould, mildew growth, rot or even rust.

It would be especially important to check in the area behind your sink. If you find visible cracks or damage, it is important to repair or replace your countertops accordingly, before the problem gets worse. You'll want your countertops to work with your kitchen design, so if you're looking at replacing them make sure to do plenty of research. 

Backsplash: Your backsplash has one job, and that’s to keep water from collecting along the backside of the sink or destroying that wall of your kitchen. Just like your countertops, the backsplash is subject to all the same issues. Again, the damage is generally dependant on the material you use, as well as the maintenance you put into them.  Backsplashes are generally made of natural stone, ceramic, porcelain or glass tiles. Often, if working with tiles, individual tiles break and will need to be immediately replaced, otherwise water can seep through and cause a much deeper issue.

Kitchen Cabinets: The doors of your kitchen cabinets open and close daily. Their shelves hold heavy pots, pans, plates and bowls. Since they play such a key role in the design and functionality of your kitchen, cabinets are subject to wear over time. If you a find a problem with the door of the cabinet, this is an easy DIY project. However, if the cabinet is damaged from the inside, this could be a large project that may involve a cabinet overhaul and repaint job.

Kitchen appliances: When it comes to the oven, stove, fridge and a myriad of other kitchen appliances, these too need to be updated. Especially regarding appliances from the 1980’s, as these are likely using more energy than you can afford. Consider updating your kitchen appliances for the environmentally-friendly or energy-saving kind.

Floors: Obviously, it is necessary for your kitchen floors to be waterproof. Working in a carpet-lined kitchen is never a clever idea, as there is a greater potential for mould growth. Laminate is another popular flooring used in kitchens, but this material scratches and bends over time. An uneven or damaged floor is dangerous in a kitchen, as it could lead to injuries. Further, water, food and waste can easily leak between cracks and cause damage to the subflooring below.

Sink and plumbing: To complete a variety of tasks in your kitchen, it is important for water to be running through the pipes smoothly. Rinsing away the remains of a meal can lead to blockage and backups in your pipes. Make sure to complete regular maintenance on the pipes in your kitchen, as well as the sink surface. Washing dishes every day will wear down the surface of your sink, as well as the effects of oil and grease buildup. 

To see examples of kitchen renovation projects completed by RenoQuotes.com contractors, check out "10 examples of inspiring renovation projects".

Looking for an idea of how much kitchen renovation projects can cost? Here is a video we prepared that presents different prices associated with this type of transformation: