Kitchen Remodeling in Rex, GA

Open the doors under most kitchen sinks and you find a tangle: drain pipes, supply lines, a disposal, a dishwasher hose and whatever cleaning supplies fit around them. A kitchen remodeling project in Rex is the moment to sort that space out, because the sink base, the wall behind it and the cabinets on either side are all being rebuilt anyway.

What lives under the sink

The basics are the drain with its trap, hot and cold supply lines with shutoff valves, and the dishwasher’s drain hose and water line. Add a garbage disposal and its power, a water filter cartridge and perhaps an instant hot water tank, and the cabinet fills quickly. Each item needs a spot where it can be serviced without removing everything else.

A wider sink base can help, and so can moving the drain outlet toward the back of the cabinet. That small change, made while the wall is open, frees the middle of the cabinet for a pull-out caddy.

Disposal, dishwasher drain and filter

The dishwasher drain hose usually connects to the disposal or to a fitting on the sink drain. It has to be routed so dirty water cannot siphon back into the dishwasher, either with a high loop under the counter or through an air gap on the sink deck, depending on local requirements and the manufacturer’s instructions. An air gap needs its own hole, so decide before templating.

A disposal needs power, typically from a switched outlet under the sink or a hardwired connection, controlled by a wall switch or an air button on the counter. Under-sink water filters are easiest to maintain when mounted on the side wall of the cabinet, where cartridges can be changed without crawling in.

Trash, recycling and storage around the sink

A pull-out trash and recycling cabinet works well right next to the sink, ideally on the side away from the dishwasher, so scraping plates and loading dishes can happen at once. Dish storage belongs within a step of the dishwasher, and towels and sponges fit a tilt-out tray at the front of the sink cabinet.

When we draw the cabinet layout, these choices set the widths of the cabinets beside the sink. Measuring the existing appliance openings, the dishwasher space included, tells us how much room is really available.

Sink and faucet placement

Center the sink on a window if there is one, but first confirm that the cabinet below and the dishwasher beside it still fit. The faucet goes where its spout reaches the middle of the bowl, with enough space behind it to clean. A pull-down faucet needs clearance below the sink for its hose loop and counterweight.

Backsplash and lighting on the sink wall

The backsplash behind the sink gets wet often, so choose tile and grout that resist water and stains, or carry the countertop material up the wall. Decide where tile stops beside a window and how it meets the sill. Backsplash materials get a fuller treatment where we describe tile installation around Rex.

Task light over the sink, from a recessed fixture or a pendant, makes washing up easier, and under-cabinet lights cover the counters on either side. Ambient ceiling light fills in the rest. Fixture and switch locations are set before the walls are closed.

Plumbing permits through Clayton County

Rex lies in Clayton County, whose building permit section works out of the P.K. Dixon Building annex in Jonesboro. That office handles building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits for home remodels, repairs and new construction, and it verifies that contractors hold Georgia licenses (county building permits page).

Under the county code (Sec. 18-41), clearing a stoppage or fixing a leak needs no permit. Swapping a defective concealed drain, waste, vent or water pipe for new material is another matter: it counts as new work requiring a permit and inspections, which can come up when old pipe in the sink wall turns out to be failing.

Questions about the sink wall and permits in Rex

What fits under a kitchen sink besides the drain?

Typically the hot and cold supply lines and shutoffs, the dishwasher drain hose and water line, and often a garbage disposal with its power connection. Many kitchens add a water filter, and some an instant hot water tank. Planning their positions during the remodel, and moving the drain toward the back wall, leaves usable room for cleaning supplies.

Which office issues kitchen plumbing permits for Rex homes?

Clayton County’s building permit section, located at the P.K. Dixon Building annex in Jonesboro, issues plumbing, electrical, mechanical and building permits for residential remodels and checks that contractors hold Georgia licenses. Under the county code, clearing stoppages and fixing leaks need no permit, but replacing defective concealed pipe with new material does, along with inspections.

Should the trash pull-out sit next to the sink or the dishwasher?

Next to the sink, ideally on the side opposite the dishwasher. That way one person can scrape plates into the bin while another loads the dishwasher without doors and drawers colliding. If the layout allows only one side, place the bin where it does not block the open dishwasher door, and check both swing paths on the drawing.

Plan your sink wall with us

For help sorting out the sink wall in your kitchen, call 404-409-4448. We can look under the counter, measure the space and write up the changes in an estimate you can review at home.