Room Additions in Sandy Springs, GA

A kitchen that is too small to cook in with more than one person is a frequent reason homeowners look into room additions. In Sandy Springs, pushing the kitchen outward by a modest amount can make room for an island, a pantry or a proper breakfast table without touching the rest of the floor plan.

Expanding a kitchen combines two projects in one: building the addition and remodeling the kitchen inside it. Plumbing, gas, ventilation and electrical work all concentrate in that space, so the planning has to be more detailed than for a bedroom or den.

Deciding how much kitchen you need

Start with how you cook. Note where you prep, where you clean up and how many people are usually in the room. Designers often aim for about 42 inches of clear walkway between counters, and more where two cooks pass each other or where an island has seating. An island also needs space behind the stools so people can walk past someone seated.

Measure the appliances you plan to buy before the walls are framed. Refrigerators and ranges vary in width and depth, and a layout drawn around generic sizes can leave a gap or a cabinet that will not fit.

Moving the sink, range and dishwasher

Supply lines can travel almost anywhere, but drains need a downward slope and a vent. A sink on an exterior wall is straightforward. A sink in an island has no wall to hide a vent pipe, so it needs a different venting method that the plumber plans before the floor is built. Keeping the dishwasher next to the sink lets them share a drain.

A gas range requires a gas line, and a refrigerator with an ice maker needs a water line with an accessible shutoff. These are easy to route while floors and walls are open and awkward afterward.

Ventilation that leaves the house

A range hood should be ducted to the outdoors, not just recirculating through a filter. The duct size and the maximum length come from the hood manufacturer’s instructions, and a short, straight run moves air far better than a long one with many turns. Plan the hood location and its duct path together, because a hood on an island or an interior wall needs a route through the ceiling or floor.

Very powerful hoods pull a lot of air out of the house and may need a source of replacement air. The mechanical plan should address that if you choose a high-capacity model.

Power and lighting for a working kitchen

Kitchens use more circuits than any other room. The refrigerator, dishwasher, disposal, microwave and an electric range or cooktop typically get their own, and countertop outlets are spread along every counter section. An island needs outlets too, usually set into its sides or ends.

Layer the lighting: ceiling fixtures for general light, under-cabinet lights for the counters and pendants or a fixture over the island and table. The electrical panel is checked early to confirm it can take the added load.

Opening the kitchen wall and cooking in the meantime

Pushing a kitchen outward means removing part of an exterior wall that usually carries the ceiling or roof above it. A beam sized for the new opening takes over that load, with temporary supports holding things up while the old studs come out, and any window in that wall is removed or moved into the addition. Since cabinets and counters can only be fitted once the wall is gone and the new floor is down, the opening is timed to keep the kitchen out of action for as short a stretch as possible.

The new space can be built and closed in while the old kitchen keeps working. Once the wall comes out and the old cabinets are removed, a temporary kitchen elsewhere in the house, with the refrigerator, a microwave and a countertop appliance or two, keeps meals manageable until the new kitchen is running.

A floor that carries through

The new kitchen floor usually needs to continue into the existing kitchen so the two read as one room. That may mean removing the old flooring entirely or weaving new material into it, and in either case the subfloors of old and new must sit at the same height. Tile needs a stiff, flat base; wood needs acclimating before installation. Wood is covered in more detail under hardwood floor installation in Sandy Springs.

Sandy Springs plumbing permits

Sandy Springs is in Fulton County. The city’s plumbing permits page says all residential plumbing projects need a plumbing permit, apart from simple repairs such as clearing a clogged sink, and that plumbing covered by a larger building permit does not need a separate one. Residential plumbing permits can be pulled by contractors holding a license or by owners for their current permanent residence; they are usually issued over the counter and require rough and final inspections. Ask the Building Division what the full kitchen addition requires.

Kitchen addition questions in Sandy Springs

Can a sink go in a kitchen island in an addition?

Yes. The drain runs down through the floor and connects to the main drain with proper slope, which is easiest when the addition has a crawlspace or the drain is placed before a slab is poured. Because an island has no wall for a standard vent pipe, the plumber uses an alternative venting method. Deciding on the island sink before the floor is built avoids costly changes.

How can we keep cooking while the kitchen addition is built?

For most of the project, the existing kitchen stays in use because the addition is built and closed in first. When the connecting wall is opened and old cabinets come out, set up a temporary kitchen in another room with the refrigerator, a microwave, a coffee maker and a small cooktop or electric skillet. Paper plates and simple meals help through that stretch.

Is a separate plumbing permit needed in Sandy Springs if plumbing is part of a building permit?

According to the City of Sandy Springs, plumbing that is included in a larger building permit does not need its own separate plumbing permit. Plumbing projects on their own do require one, except for simple repairs such as unclogging a sink. Residential plumbing permits require rough and final inspections, so the plumbing is checked before walls close and again at the end.

Talk about a bigger kitchen

If your kitchen feels cramped, call 404-409-4448 and describe how you cook and who uses the room. We can look at the wall the kitchen would grow through, the plumbing below it and the space outside, and then write an estimate that lays out the addition and the kitchen work as separate parts.