Northridge Kitchen Remodeling From the Attic Down
Northridge kitchen remodels that start in the attic: joist direction, light housings, junction boxes and a clear path for the hood duct to the roof.
Up in the attic above a Northridge kitchen, a flashlight answers questions the room below cannot. It shows which way the ceiling joists run, whether old light housings or junction boxes sit in the way, how much insulation covers them, and where a hood duct could pass to the roof. Those notes come before the quote, because they set the lighting layout and the hood route the plan can promise.
Ceiling joists and light layout
Recessed lights fit between joists, so their direction and spacing decide where each fixture can go without cutting framing. Old fixtures may have housings not rated for contact with insulation, and those get replaced with rated ones. A junction box buried under insulation is brought up to an accessible spot. If there is no attic, because the room sits under another floor, the light plan works from the joist layout found by a stud finder plus one small hole cut in the ceiling drywall.
A path for the hood duct
From the attic we can see whether a duct can rise straight from the hood to a roof cap, or whether a joist forces a jog. Rafters, bracing and a nearby furnace flue all affect the route. A straight vertical run moves air best and keeps the duct short, and it has to be sealed at every joint with foil tape. Where the roof is pierced, the flashing and cap are matched to the roofing material. If the attic route is blocked, the plan looks at a wall cap.
Kitchen Remodeling in Northridge: questions to settle first
Often yes, and the attic look helps here too, since a range moved to a new wall needs a fresh duct route along with its gas line or circuit. Relocating the sink means cutting in a drain with fall and tying its vent into the system. We draw the move and price it as a separate item.
The lighting layout, hood model and duct route come from the attic notes. The room layout, cabinet sizes and appliance cutouts follow from the measurements. Anything the attic could not show, such as wiring hidden in an outside wall, is listed with the work it would add if found.
Work that adds or moves circuits and lights, runs a hood duct through the roof, moves plumbing or gas, or alters a wall needs a permit from LADBS, which covers Northridge as part of the City of Los Angeles. Swapping cabinets in their current spots may not need one.
Kitchen Remodeling in other cities
More work we plan in Northridge
Start your kitchen remodeling plan in Northridge
Describe the space and the change you want. We reply with what the first visit covers.